NMRA RH October 2018

Routes served included Toronto–Windsor and Toronto–
Sarnia. At the outset each set comprised a club/galley car,
three coaches, and a coach/cafe. Travel time was four
hours. The cafe/coach and the addition of luggage racks in
the coaches allowed the elimination of dining and baggage
cars. In 1971 Canadian National ran five daily “Tempo”
trains: four to Windsor and one to Sarnia. Via Rail inherited
the fleet and leased the RS-18s. By 1980 the Tempos were
limited to the Windsor route. Via later placed the Tempos in
service on the Chicago–Toronto International. These were
pulled by LRC locomotives.
remaining Via Tempo car, coach No. 370, was reported at
the Toronto Maintenance Centre in 2000. After the closure
of the Ski Train CN acquired its rolling stock for use on the
Algoma Central Railway.
Peter Bowen
special thanks to Andy Panko for the photos
CN Tempo logo by kind permission of Rapido Trains
Via Rail stored the five cafe cars in 1986 after a regulatory
change permitted it to serve alcohol in coaches. In
1987 Via Rail included up to four Tempo coaches on the
International. The cars ran between Toronto and Sarnia
on Sundays only. The remainder of the fleet was stored.
At the end of 1987 Via sold all but four of the cars. Four of
the coaches went to QIT-Fer et Titane, which used them
to shuttle workers. 17 cars, including the three remaining
club/galleys, the coach/galley, the five coach/cafes, and
eight coaches, went to the Ski Train in Denver. On the Ski
Train they replaced 1915-vintage cars which had been
sold to the Napa Valley Wine Train. Via withdrew its four
remaining Tempos in 1990 because of budget cuts.
QIT acquired three more coaches in 1998. The sole
October 2018 - ROUNDHOUSE 23