Don's description of how pool trains were originally planned would have
required a huge volume of "administrivia" to propose then find approval for
consists. This may go a long way in explaining why the pool concept was not
extended further across the country despite some initial planning done on
transcontinental trains across northern Ontario.
The logic is clear for each railway running their own overnight train with
their own equipment over their own line.
There are some 'detail' questions regarding this mixture of equipment between
any two points in the pool zone: (1) Would a single car (or a few) be serviced
at end points in the easiest to reach coach yard or have to be interchanged to
the 'home road" for servicing? (2) Would attendants in parlor cars always be
from the 'home road' or not?
My personal memories concerning pool service were that growing up in Sault Ste.
Marie and often travelling with family to Kingston would involve a sleeping car
ex the Sault, through Sudbury to Toronto, arriving there early morning. The
onward journey to Kingston would be on one or another of the morning trains and
because tickets and reservations had been arranged through the CPR ticket
office in Sault Ste. Marie, almost always we would be in a CP parlor car in a
train made up mostly of CN rolling stock.
Dale Wilson <dale.wilson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Nickel Belt Rails, Box 483, Station "B", Sudbury, ON, P3E 4P6
On 2012-10-14, at 3:33 AM, Don Thomas wrote:
The "way equipment was assigned" for the afternoon pool train to Toronto was
to have mostly CN equipment and a few CP cars.
