The photo used on the cover of this timetable is even worse than the one on the April 1966 edition. Is there supposed to be a train in the picture? It could just as easily be an airport runway or a major highway. Unlike the scenic covers used on most CN timetables, it doesn’t inspire me to want to ride a train anyway.

Click image to download a 31.9-MB PDF of this 52-page timetable.

Although Wikipedia says the CN Turbo trains began operating on December 12, 1969, more technical problems led to their suspension in January, which may be why this timetable was released outside of the usual April-October pattern. Nor is the Panorama, which CN dropped at the end of 1969 (or possibly January 6, the day before this timetable went into effect). Continue reading →

Yesterday’s timetable briefly mentioned that “CN Turbos” were “coming in ’68 to speed you between Toronto and Montreal in record-breaking time.” The United Aircraft TurboTrains were based on a Chesapeake & Ohio design that in turn was based on the 1949 Talgo train.

Click image to download a 38.1-MB PDF of this 56-page timetable.

With the initial construction of the trains funded by a grant from the U.S. government, Canadian National placed an order for five trainsets in May 1966. Although it expected to put Turbo three trips a day into service in the summer of 1967, technical difficulties delayed operation. According to Wikipedia, service began December 12, 1969, but Turbos don’t appear on any of my timetables until April 1971, and then they disappear again until April 1974. Continue reading →

Despite the surge in ridership that took place during Expo ’67, which ended the day this timetable went into effect, CN cut numerous trains, allowing it to reduce the size of this timetable from 68 pages to 52. The previous timetable had about 80 tables of CN train routes, while this one has only about 50.

Click image to download a 38.4-MB PDF of this 52-page timetable.

As if to make up for the loss of those trains, many of the timetable pages are printed in two colors, red and blue, instead of the black print found in previous timetables. Reflecting the loss of those trains (and saving two pages), CN simplified its map and put it back in the centerfold. The simplified map only shows “principal passenger lines” instead of all CN main lines and branches. Continue reading →

Canada would celebrate its centennial in 1967 in commemoration of which Montreal would hold a world’s fair, Expo ’67. In anticipation of increased ridership, Canadian National leased some additional dome cars that had previously been used on Baltimore & Ohio’s Capital Limited. These were dome-sleepers that had five roomettes, three compartments, and a bedroom on the main level.

Click image to download a 45.5-MB PDF of this 68-page timetable.

Fortunately, with this edition CN returned to listing every car on each train in its equipment pages, so we can see that CN put the dome-sleepers on the Super Continental between Vancouver and Edmonton. This was effectively a downgrade in service as it reduced the number of dome seats available to sleeping car passengers from as many as 68 to 24. Continue reading →

The cover of this timetable is meant to look like an action photo but it just looks like an accidental double exposure. After putting scenic pictures of trains on the previous four timetable covers, this one is a disappointment. The inside front cover has a collage of train interior photos, and the photo of passengers enjoying views from the Sceneramic Lounge car would have made a much better cover.

Click image to download a 46.0-MB PDF of this 68-page timetable.

Also for the last several editions, including this one, the inside back cover is a photo collage of Jasper Park and scenes on the steamship journey from Vancouver to Skagway. While the ads cover the same ground, some of the photos change from issue to issue keeping the ads fresh. Continue reading →