The Cabot - First Run

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1967 was Canada’s Centennial Year……our 100th Birthday. New trains were added and consists expanded in anticipation of the boom in passenger traffic across the country and from those travelling to Expo ’67, the World’s Fair in Montreal.

50 Years ago….June 1, 1967, CN inaugurated the Cabot….the first through passenger train ever between Montreal and Sydney, Nova Scotia and the first through passenger train on the NTR (National Transcontinental Railway) via Edmundston, NB….a different route to the Maritimes than the ICR (Intercolonial) the Ocean, Scotian and Chaleur followed.

For a kid who only saw RDC Railiners passing by on the line between Truro and Sydney…..the Cabot was exotic with its mixture of CN and cars leased from US roads. In particular…..I remember the Atlantic Coast Line Diners: Greenville, Tarboro and Fitzgerald that were always on the Cabot that summer.

I skipped school that afternoon….. and was at the station to see the first run and pick up a Souvenir Ticket I still have:

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Here’s portions of the CN Timetable for Summer ’67. (That’s the CN Pavilion at Expo ‘67 on the cover)

The Cabot lasted until October 1967 when the Ocean replaced it on the NTR via Edmundston but through cars continued running to Sydney…..being split out or added to the Ocean at Truro.

The Cabot was back in summer 1968….again as a through train to Sydney but now operating on the ICR via Campbellton with the Ocean remaining on the NTR.

Thru service on the Ocean via Edmundston lasted until January 1970 when separate Moncton-Edmundston and Edmundston-Quebec/Montreal Railiners (RDCs) began operating.

After January 1970 the through cars to Sydney continued in the Ocean eastbound but going westbound, they were handled in the Scotian. Through cars continued running to Sydney until October 1979 when VIA restructured the Maritime servive. Passengers now made an across the platform connection to Railiners at Truro to continue to or from Sydney.

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