From the original postcard text: Only three E8A diesel locomotives operated in Canada and all were in Canadian Pacific service. No. 1801, built by GMD in 1949, has arrived at Westmount, Quebec, with the overnight Boston & Maine, Canadian Pacific "Aloutette" from Boston. This unit was retired in October, 1969. Photo courtesy J. Norman Lowe.

(Photo: Fair use. J. Norman Lowe, © Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties.)

ALLOUETTE / RED WING

The Alouette and Red Wing were passenger trains jointly operated by the Boston and Maine Railroad and the Canadian Pacific Railway between Montreal, Quebec and Boston, Massachusetts. The Alouette began service on April 26, 1926, operating on a daytime schedule with coach and parlor car service. At Newport, Vermont passengers could transfer to Quebec Central Railway trains bound for Sherbrooke and Quebec City. For passengers originating from Boston on the night train counterpart north, the Red Wing (No. 325/ No. 302), the train would join with the New York-Quebec City Connecticut Yankee to complete the trip to Quebec City.

Until late 1954, the train operated over Canadian Pacific trackage to Wells River, Vermont, where it entered the Boston and Maine for the remainder of the way to Boston via Plymouth, New Hampshire and Concord, New Hampshire on the division that the B&M had acquired with the purchase of the Concord and Montreal Railroad in 1895. After the Boston and Maine abandoned its trackage north of Plymouth, the train was rerouted via White River Junction, Vermont. The train continued to travel via Wells River, St. Johnsbury and Newport, Vermont, before completing the trip to Vermont.

In 1956, the Alouette switched to using Budd Rail Diesel Cars, eliminating the buffet-parlor car. The train lost its name and its original number and became No. 31 north and No. 32 south and it no longer had food concession service. The overnight Red Wing was numbered No. 29/ No. 30 and retained its sleeping cars and only offered breakfast exclusively to its sleeping car passengers. The overnight Red Wing had its last run on October 24, 1959. From April 25, 1965, the Boston & Maine pulled out of its cooperation, and the Alouette successor No.31/32 only operated on the Canadian Pacific Railway's Montreal to Wells River, Vermont segment. That remaining segment ended service on October 30, 1965. This ended a tradition of Boston to Montreal trains, dating back to 1887.

Overview

Service type: Inter-city rail
Status: Discontinued
Locale: Northeastern United States/Quebec
First service: April 26, 1926
Last service: 1956
Former operators: Boston & Maine, Canadian Pacific Railway
Route Termini: Boston, Massachusetts / Montreal, Quebec
Distance traveled: 338.7 miles (545.1 km) (1949)
Average journey time: 10 hours, 40 minutes (northbound); 10 hours, 15 minutes (southbound)
Service frequency: Daily
Train numbers: 5 (B&M), 211 (CP) (northbound); 20 (B&M), 212 (CP) (southbound)
On-board services
Seating arrangements: Coach seating
Catering facilities: Buffet parlor car, only in CP section (1949)
Technical
Track gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route
0 - Montreal
2 mi / 3 km - Westmount
5 mi / 8 km - Montreal West
30 mi / 48 km - St. Johns
43 mi / 69 km - Farnham
56 mi / 90 km - Cowansville
69 mi / 111 km - Sutton
74 mi / 119 km - Abercorn
Quebec, Canada
Vermont, USA
77 mi / 124 km - Richford
Vermont
Quebec
85 mi / 137 km - Glenton
91 mi / 146 km - Highwater
Quebec
Vermont
94 mi / 151 km - North Troy
108 mi / 174 km - Newport
117 mi / 188 km - Orleans
122 mi / 196 km - Barton
135 mi / 217 km - West Burke
143 mi / 230 km - Lyndonville
151 mi / 243 km - St. Johnsbury (pre-1954 route)
158 mi / 254 km - Inwood
161 mi / 259 km - Barnet
164 mi / 264 km - McIndoes
172 mi / 277 km - Wells River
185 mi / 298 km - Bradford
191 mi / 307 km - Fairlee
198 mi / 319 km - Thetford
208 mi / 335 km - Norwich
212 mi / 341 km - White River Junction
Vermont
New Hampshire
Woodsville
Plymouth
Ashland
Meredith
Laconia
Tilton
217 mi / 349 km - Lebanon
230 mi / 370 km - Canaan
251 mi / 404 km - Potter Place
263 mi / 423 km - Franklin
282 mi / 454 km - Concord
299 mi / 481 km - Manchester
316 mi / 509 km - Nashua
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
323 mi / 520 km - Tyngsboro
329 mi / 529 km - Lowell
347 mi / 558 km - Winchester
355 mi / 571 km - Boston

ALLOUETTE / RED WING

Overview

See also: