Gathered by CN and CP from various sources, VIA Rail’s heritage fleet was understandably varied and offered a wide gamut of accommodations to the traveling public. This is the story of that motley fleet, which incorporated pretty much every type of passenger accommodation ever devised in North America. Gone were CN’s black & grey and CP’s silver & action red. Canadian passenger trains were now distinctively blue & yellow! The history of VIA Rail Canada’s inherited passenger fleet will no longer be a mystery shrouded in the mist of misinformation. Never before was such an effort was made to document each of the different types of cars, including new colour floor plans. This book features plenty of pictures of both interior and exterior of every type of car during each car’s history as practicable, as well as a comprehensive roster of every car’s whereabouts and disposition, including a detailed specification sheet. A must for every serious enthusiast or Canadian passenger car historian!

Richard Longpré was a professional locomotive engineer by day and an expert author and translator (for us at Rapido!) by night. He has forgotten more about Canadian passenger cars than any of us will ever even know. He has also owned 84 different real passenger cars at various times in the last 20 years! For those unfamiliar with his career, Richard spent 36 years on the railway. He started as a train operator for CP Rail in 1986, then as a running trade in 1987 — working the yards and freights. He even worked VIA’s steam-heated passenger trains as a conductor in the 1980s and finally retired as a locomotive engineer with VIA Rail Canada in 2023. Richard spent 15 years doing in-depth research into the history and technology of these celebrated cars, which has all now been collected in one place for fans of VIA Rail.

Pre-Order, Not Yet In Stock - Expected Delivery 2025