Hi,
I just thought I'd point out some errors in you travelogue on The Malahat. Freight does run on the line, six trains a week on the Port Alberni Sub(it runs from Parksville[on the Victoria Sub] to Port Alberni on the West Coast of the Island), and one a week on the Victoria Sub(it runs from Victoria to Courtenay). The Dayliner(Malahat) has quite a history of breakdowns, in one seven day period only (daily trains) one complete trip was made. The line that the train runs on is the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway. Rail America has taken over control of the E&N from CP Rail, and has cleaned up the right-of-way. On Saturday, March 25 2000, The Pacific Wilderness Railway( the company that runs tourist trains) will run it's first train from Wellcox yard(in Nanaimo) to Victoria using to ex-Ohio Central GP-10s and about eleven ex-VIA coaches. VIA Rail has assigned three RDC-1 cars to the Island, Nos. 6133, 6135, and 6148. Yes the cars are old, all three are from the late fifties, but have been rebuilt four or five times. 6148 and 6133 have been sent to Montreal for repairs, 6133 after hitting a tree on the Malahat Mountain range, and 6148 had two busted transmissions. For the summer season RDC-1 No. 6130 has been leased from Farmrail. The E&N main yards are located in Nanaimo right on the water front, called Wellcox, all motive power(except for the RDCs) are assigned to Wellcox, the E&N's main offices are there too. The motive power on the E&N consists of four GP38s, one GP10, a GP20, and three RDC-1s. All locomotives are in the Rail America Paint scheme. The RDCs have the VIA paint. For more info on the E&N check out www.islandrail.bc.ca. Rail America's site doesn't mention the E&N. CP Rail still has information on the E&N at their site, www.cpr.ca.
Thanks
Tyler Welsford
