Save the LRC!

The Toronto Railway Historical Association (THRA) has placed a deposit with VIA Rail Canada to purchase one of the last remaining LRC locomotives, number 6917. We have until August to raise the balance of the purchase price. We need your help to complete this purchase and move the LRC to the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre. If we are unable to save this locomotive, it will be scrapped along with all of the other LRCs on VIA property.

They need to raise $40,000 by August 1 to complete the purchase of the locomotive and an additional $110,000 to truck the unit to the John Street Roundhouse.

VIA can't donate the unit since they're a crown corperation. However, they would give a $100 gift card for each $500 donation (first 70 $500 donations only).

Full details can be seen here: http://www.trha.ca/LRC/

News article about efforts to save this locomotive:

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoa ... 07676.html

I saw one,today in Montreal VIA MMC
the 6907.I don't know if it still operationnal.

Mr. Montreal, from looking at your photo, I'd swear I was overseas and not in English speaking North America.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Mr. Montreal, from looking at your photo, I'd swear I was overseas and not in English speaking North America.

No, you are in a French speaking part of North America.....le province de Quebec. And I believe there are large Spanish speaking areas of North America too.....Isn’t Mexico part of North America??? And what about the large Spanish speaking populations of some US States?....Don't think you can say NA is just English speaking!

besides the arret sign, I think he meant the ex-Night Star equipment in the right of the photo

They did it!!!!

Thanks to the donations of many generous individuals, the TRHA has reached their goal and guaranteed the survival of LRC #6917! Read all about it:

http://www.trha.ca/LRC/

Now it will move on to the business of moving, and eventually restoring (sanding, painting, etc.) the locomotive. Especially neat is the plan to offer cab rides in the locomotive as a fundraiser! I'd definitely make the trip to Toronto for that!

There is still plenty of work ahead, but the good news is that the LRC is now theirs, and will avoid the scrapper's torch (sadly, the same cannot be said for the other remaining LRCs). Now 2 of these truly unique Canadian locomotives will survive, preserved at either end of the run that made them famous (one in Montreal, and one in Toronto).

Just to add to my last post...

It is important to note that while the TRHA has now saved the LRC, they still need donations to help with the moving and restoration of the locomotive. If you scroll down the page (linked above) on the campaign, there is a detailed list of what they still need to raise, and what they need it for.

I seen something very bad for the 6907,on the picture I out above..



they already stripped it out and the 6907 do no more longer exist...

I just send 20$ to help for saving the 6917

Montrealrail wrote:I seen something very bad for the 6907,on the picture I out above..

they already stripped it out and the 6907 do no more longer exist...

I just send 20$ to help for saving the 6917

That is sad to see. I saw a picture the other day of 6907:

http://pages.globetrotter.net/burridge/ ... ripped.jpg
(Image credit: Gerry Burridge - Pte.Claire, Que. - CANADA) (Sorry, the image is too large to post here, so I've linked it)

That was September 5th. I know the other two LRCs that had been in Toronto along with 6917, were shipped to Montreal for a similar fate. I guess VIA finally decided they were never going to sell (apart from 6917 for preservation), and so it was time to scrap them. A sad fate indeed, albeit interesting that so many of the locomotives survived to almost 10 years after their retirement.

I still they they would have made great cab/baggage cars. VIA could have placed bike racks in the baggage section.

What LRC locomotives have been preserved and by whom to this date?

Alcoman wrote:What LRC locomotives have been preserved and by whom to this date?

There are two LRC locomotives that have been preserved. The rest have been scrapped, or on there way to be scrapped.

LRC-3 #6921 is preserved at ExpoRail (The Canadian Railway Museum) in St. Constant, QC (just outside Montreal).

Now thanks to the efforts of the TRHA, LRC-2 #6917 has been saved, and will eventually be on display at the Toronto Railway Historic Association's roundhouse museum in Toronto (right across the street from the CN Tower/Skydome, just over from Union Station).

miklin wrote:besides the arret sign, I think he meant the ex-Night Star equipment in the right of the photo

And the very low profile of the LRC powecar, compared to what is usual in N-A.
Dome cars have never been very common in Europe though, so those give the true location away immediately.

Thought this might be of interest to many of you...

Jason and some volunteers from the TRHA were at work this past week salvaging parts from LRC #6919, which is currently being scrapped along with its final remaining counterparts. The TRHA was given access to 6919, and allowed to take any parts they could to help restore 6917 at the TRHA. The salvage firm scrapping the LRC was kind enough to let them have full access to whatever was left after they had removed the prime mover and traction generators, so they now have a good supply of LRC spare bits for 6917.

Here's the story on the TRHA site:

http://www.trha.ca/news.html

And remember, they're still fundraising to help with the moving and restoration of 6917, now that they have actually saved it, so donate if you can!