69 minutes - available as DVD (OCEAN) and HD AVCHD (OCEAN-HD)

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The Ocean has operated between Halifax and Montreal for over 100 years. In this video we look at both the country travelled through and the changes in equipment over the past 20 years.

In the first part of the video, the journey from Halifax through Moncton, Miramachi, Campbellton, Matapedia, Charny and Drummondville to Montreal is traced using footage taken both from the dome car of the Ocean and from the lineside.

In the second part of the video, the changes in the locomotives and coaches are illustrated. In 1991 the Ocean and Atlantic still used steam heated coaches. The steam was provided by an aging FP9A or by a steam generator car (or both) behind the F40PH-2. The last steam heated train from Halifax is seen. in the excerpt below.

Ex-CP stainless steel coaches were converted to electric heating and these still operate on some Oceans today. In 2001 the first Renaissance coaches were unloaded in Halifax and they began service on the Ocean in 2003. Both these events are seen. In 2007 the first F40PH-2, 6400, was rebuilt at Canadian Allied Diesel. Here it is arriving on a test run to Halifax.

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6400 is seen leading the Ocean out of Halifax a few days later in the excerpt below.



 

By 2009 the rebuild programme was underway and two F40PH-2s are seen in the shops at CAD. The video ends with views of the rebuilt locomotives hauling trains of Renaissance coaches.

More photographs and history can be seen in our book "CN & VIA Passenger Trains in Nova Scotia 1972-2012" See a preview of the book at www.blurb.com/users/rrpics.