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Music from the Five-0 Era -- and a Great Train Trip, as well!

Updated: Jul 30, 2018

Travel aboard VIA Rail Canada’s The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. You’ll ride in beautifully restored Budd Corporation stainless steel coaches, which were constructed between approximately 1934 and 1955. The scenery is gorgeous! The music takes you back to a time, forty to fifty years ago -- to the age of Hawaii Five-0 -- when music was still music. Included is "A Taste of Honey," which was co-written by Ric Marlow, who appeared in five episodes of Hawaii Five-0. Watch and listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s80ZvedSSeE


The coaches were acquired by VIA from the Canadian Pacific and Amtrak, where they served on the Heritage Fleet before they were replaced by Budd Amfleet coaches and sleepers. Some of the Canadian Pacific coaches, as well as the locomotive, appeared in the movie "Silver Streak" (1976), which starred Gene Wilder and Jill Clayburgh.


During the restoration, the cars were taken down to the basic framework and rebuilt with electric heating to replace the old steam heating and other modern systems. At the same time, the classical engravings in the Park Cars (so named for their individual names after Canadian National Parks) were preserved. The original coach seating was reupholstered. The stainless steel was repaired and polished, as needed. And, of course, it all received a fresh, new VIA Rail livery.


The Canadian makes a stop in Jasper en route from Toronto to Vancouver. Photograph taken by James Brown in 2006. (Creative Commons Attribution 1.0)

I'm adding two screen captures to show you the exquisite quality of the photography in this video:


The red from a signal reflects off the roof of The Canadian (JohnRyan1987)


The late-afternoon sun reflects off the stainless steel roof of The Canadian (JohnRyan1987)

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