Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) - the Forerunner of Modern Bombardier Trains

Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) for the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre

Good day to all my friends in the UK and the members of National Preservation. I debated posting this in the Toronto Railway Heritage Updates thread or in a new one, and settled on a new one because of the importance of the campaign just launched on the weekend.

Many of you won't know what the LRC is, but if you ride on any modern Bombardier High Speed Trains with tilt, its the forerunner of all those trains which have made Bombardier a leader in rail technology. The LRC or "Light, Rapid, Comfortable" was designed in the late 1970's and entered service with VIA Rail Canada in 1981 as a replacement for ageing equipment in the Quebec City to Windsor Corridor in Ontario and Quebec. The trains were capable of 125mph but were limited to 100mph in service. The LRC Locomotives served VIA Rail for 20 years until 2001, and the LRC coaches live on as the main stock on the QC-Windsor Corridor and are going through a mid-life refurbishment to get another 20+ years of service out of them. More on the LRC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LRC_(train)


TRHA Members inspecting VIA Rail 6917 at the TMC in April 2010

The campaign is that we need to raise $40,000CDN (Approx 25,000UK Pounds) by August of this year to complete the purchase of LRC#6917 from VIA Rail, and another $110,000 (approx 70,000UK Pounds) by next summer (2011) to complete the move to the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre and the restoration of the LRC. Unit 6917 has been in long term store in Toronto at the VIA Toronto Maintenance Centre, and is capable of a relatively straightforward return to operation.

The Campaign Website for more information about our appeal, the LRC and the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre is here, if any UK diesel enthusiasts have a few quid to spare, please consider helping to save a bit of Canada's railway heritage as well: http://www.savethelrc.org/

As with any campaign, we have incentives for those who give as follows:

* $100 (65UK): An exclusive LRC pin
* $250 (160UK): An exclusive LRC baseball cap and pin
* $500 (320UK): A $100 VIA Rail Canada gift card
* $1000 (640UK): A $100 VIA Rail Canada gift card and two exclusive Rapido Trains Inc. LRC coach models (a $140 value)
* $2000 (1280UK): A $200 VIA Rail Canada gift card and a free Rapido Trains Inc. model of 6917 (a $400 value)

Also, for sale for $400 (260UK) is a limited release Rapido Trains model of VIA 6917 with proceeds going towards the purchase of 6917.

Thanks for your time and interest!!

 

Re: Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) - the Forerunner of Modern Bombardier Tr

An update as of July 22, we have raised $26,000CDN to date of the initial $40,000. We have until August 11 to raise the remaining $14,000CDN (Approx 7,000UK Pounds). If anyone is interested in helping preserve a bit of Canadian Railway Heritage, please see the post above or the website for more information on how to donate:

http://www.savetheLRC.org

 

Re: Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) - the Forerunner of Modern Bombardier Tr

And, WE DID IT!!!! :rockon::rockon:

We raised more than enough to complete the purchase of VIA Rail LRC Locomotive 6917. A final inspection was carried out at the Toronto Maintenance Centre on Monday by TRHA Volunteers. Over $40,000CDN was raised in under four months to complete the purchase. This funding is all from individual donors, we are working on corporate donors as well for the big lift as discussed below, but as a new museum, open officially only since May, this is the first new acquisition that wasn't donated to the City of Toronto and which was purchased specifically for the museum and to meet our goals and mission to interpret the railway history of the Toronto railway lands, its a great feeling for us all to have done it! Now we have to either pay VIA to continue to store it, or get it moved to the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre or some other site.

The good news is, a local short line railway has expressed an interest in storing the LRC and providing TRHA members access to commence restoration, and they are offering this for free. So we need to arrange to make 6917 road worthy to move and then arrange the move.

In terms of where we are now, as all of you will know, the purchase is just the first cost, our long term fundraising goals are around $110,000CDN (approx 68,000 UK Pounds)

We hope to be able to offer cab rides on the shortline as restoration work is underway as a fundraiser. As well, as far as i am aware, the other incentives as noted previously are still available subject to availability for donations to the LRC.

Regards

Stephen

 

Re: Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) - the Forerunner of Modern Bombardier Tr

Well done folks - good to see another piece of Canadian history saved , though we never had LRC units here in the west it's still encouraging to see the interest generated back east .

Cheers Richard

 

Re: Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) - the Forerunner of Modern Bombardier Tr

Thanks Richard, as you are no doubt aware, the LRC's are a very important part of Toronto's heritage and keeping the Quebec-Windsor Corridor service going, which is why we felt it was so important to have one at the Museum. The TRHC is in a passenger roundhouse within sight (at least until they finish building offices and condo's in the way) of one of the largest stations and railway hotels in the country with Union Station and the Royal York across the rail corridor. It only makes sense that we would have one in our collection as it spans a gap in our collection of addressing modern passenger operations. With our limited site area, we will obviously never be able to have everything we may want, but there is nothing out there that so effectively captures the last 1/4 of the 20th century and passenger rail in Ontario as the LRC, not to mention its fairly unique position as a locomotive designed and built in Canada to specifically meet Canadian needs, which is something unlikely to ever happen again.

Hopefully your travels will bring you east (though sadly not likely with 2860 in tow, though we can always dream right!!) so we can give you a guided tour of the LRC once we've got her restored and running again!

-Stephen

 

Re: Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) - the Forerunner of Modern Bombardier Tr

Cheers Stephen - If I make it back to TO again will have to look you up - was there 3 years ago down at Bayview Jct viewing the traffic ( no LRC's ) -- Who knows about 2860 - we would all love to see her venture farther out in Canada , besides we have 2 F9u's down at the VIA shop in Mimico still waiting to be sent to Squamish , maybe we can pick them up !!

Richard

 

Re: Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) - the Forerunner of Modern Bombardier Tr

I'd be happy to give them a home for you at Roundhouse Park to save you the trouble But in all seriousness, they are indeed still safely down there, currently parked with a motley assortment of Rockey Mountaineer and RDC cars. If the weather is less crappy this weekend, i will take a shot of them for you when i am down at TMC. And there the penny drops, update time on the Save the LRC project.

As noted, we have successfully purchased LRC 6917 for the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre, the two other LRC's at the Toronto Maintenance Centre, 6914 and 6919 were bought by CADRail for Scrapping. 6914 was taken to Montreal a couple of months ago and has been scrapped, though I understand that Exporail was given an opportunity to scavenge parts before all was said and done for their LRC. 6919 was however, not able to be made roadworthy with failed brakes, and CN would not consent to have her hauled with the brakes by-passed to Montreal, this means, that she is to be cut-up on site in Toronto. CADRail has pulled the engine and generator out already using the overhead cranes at TMC, and has kindly granted the TRHA permission to strip 6919 of pretty much any parts the left aside from the traction motors for spares/replacement parts for our LRC.

Last weekend i was part of a team stripping parts at the Toronto Maintenance Centre, somewhere that railfans, never mind the public are not normally granted access. So with the kind permission of VIA Rail Canada, the TRHA members have been busy getting as many parts of 6919 for our stores as we can prior to her final demise. I warn you though, viewing the pictures below will make a preservationist cry, even knowing the loss of one ensures an operational future for another.


6919 with the Front Cab and Engineers side window removed for spares on 6917


Lifting the rear diaphragm off with the overhead crane for use as a replacement on 6917


Pulling out the sanding gear system for spares, one never knows what parts will be necessary in the future.

More Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55976115@N00/archives/date-taken/2010/12/12/

TRHA News Articles:

Salvaging LRC Parts
Progress on a Number of Fronts

Cheers,

Stephen

 

Re: Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) - the Forerunner of Modern Bombardier Tr

Just for Richard and the WCRA gang in Squamish, two happy and safe FP9u's at Mimico on Sunday



And, since i didn't get one before, for general update purposes, a pair of shots of 6917, including the TRHA notes on the cab which are channelling a bit of the Barry Scrapyard practice of writing ownership/protective messages on purchased but not moved locomotives.


The TRHA's LRC 6917 in warm storage at the VIA Rail Toronto Maintenance Centre.


Ownership notes and Contact Info written on the cabsides of 6917 to ensure safekeeping.

 

Re: Save the LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) - the Forerunner of Modern Bombardier Tr

Thanks Stephen for the photo s of the F9u,s , seems we have acquired some Rocky Mountaineer cars as well -- think we may have to give them back ! Guess you were able to get the close up as you had access to the site. Will forward to the lads at WCRA . Good luck on your restoration of #6917

cheers Richard

 

Dragging an old thread back up, because i haven't posted in ages, but there is lots of news on the LRC preservation front, most importantly, it Runs!!!! And we are now fundraising to paint it so it looks good when we have it out to run in the near future.



Jason Shron of Rapido Trains who has been leading the purchase and restoration project has included a long update in the latest Rapido Newsletter here: http://www.rapidotrains.com/rapidonewscurrent.html

For those interested in donating to paint the LRC so that it looks good as its big Alco insides rumble out and about, you can go here: http://www.trha.ca/LRC/donate-lrc.html

Once the destination for operations becomes publishable knowledge, i will post again for those who want to see and ride behind the LRC!

Cheers

Stephen