VIA in N scale

Since all this was inspired by a desire to model these VIA trains in the seventies eventually we’d need some N scale passenger cars. I just took a quick look at the Rapido Trains website and see that many of the cars I’m finding in Eric’s book are available from Rapido. Before I get any further into this I am again really amazed at just how far we’ve come in the hobby that I can even conceive of writing this post. Let’s pause to appreciate just how great it is that a Canadian company exists to offer really fine models of Canadian prototype railway equipment and is providing such fine products too. I’ve had model trains for a little over thirty years and I remember very well when the few things we could get for Canadian railways was a small collection of improperly painted adaptations of American trains. This challenge was further reinforced by the fact that it seems that the better the manufacturer’s products were for the serious model railroader the less likely anything Canadian would appear in their catalogue. I’m rambling a little more than usual so I’ll stem this here: Thanks to everyone who is investing themselves into these kinds of great products for the Canadian modeller. I really appreciate it.

Okay, back to the reason I opened this post. On the Rapido site you can search for your favourite roadname by scale. So I clicked on N and then VIA and wound up on this page:
http://rapidotrains.com/schemes_n/via1.html

Rapido is showing three different body styles on that page. Let’s work our way through what they’ve got:

Their “CAFE-BAR-LOUNGE” is available in five numbers. From that list numbers 2501 and 2505 appear in the pages of Eric’s book I’ve transcribed so far once and twice respectively. Not bad eh?!

Their 10-5 sleeper is available in the following names:

• Buckley Bay
• Hudson Bay
• Chaleur Bay
• Glace Bay
• Thunder Bay
• Fortune Bay

From that list Hudson Bay, Glace Bay and Fortune Bay appear in the list I have.

Finally their dayniter is available numbered for #5715 which appears in the data, so far, once.

All of this is great. Not only are the cars available in N scale but they three-out-of-three body styles announced would fit this scenario. These are great times.

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