Restore VIA FP9A Locomotive 6539

As 2025 has come to a close and we're now into 2026, it’s worth reflecting on just how much the VHA has accomplished over the past twelve months. It was a year of challenges and significant accomplishments and, due to your ongoing support, 2025 was a year for which we all should be proud. Here are some highlights specifically related to locomotive 6539:

January: Just before Xmas 2024, we discovered that the traction motor on 6539 had to be replaced. We couldn’t get the job done before the holidays but managed to secure a traction motor combo. By the middle of January, the work was complete and the unit passed its CN inspection. 

February: FP9ARM no. 6539 was wrapped and ready for its journey to join the fleet at VIA’s Toronto Maintenance Centre (TMC). 

March: By March, FP9ARM no. 6539 left Salford en route for the TMC. Unfortunately, the trip took a little longer than anticipated due to a snow storm that tied the unit up in Mac Yard for several weeks, but it made it to its destination. 

May: TRACCS was a tremendous success as VIA President Mario Péloquin  sought us out at the convention. It marked the second time since the November 2024 Parliamentary Reception in Ottawa that the VIA President saw us in action.

June: Our first edition of Panorama for 2025 that we’d been preparing since March was released in time for VIA’s 40th Anniversary Celebration of the TMC. At this event, we also unveiled our Heritage Train. VIA president Mario Péloquin and all the staff in attendance were immensely impressed with our locomotive and trainset.

You can read more of the full year's report on the VHA website. 

While tough at times, it ended up being a perfectly cromulent year for the VHA as we accomplished a great deal. Together, we’ve built a lot of momentum that will continue into 2026, which is good because there are significant challenges ahead. With your continued support, we’ll move the yardstick forward in 2026 in preparation for the VIA Rail 50th Anniversary Train in a little more than two years’ time. 

After its unveiling earlier this year at the Toronto Maintenance Centre, our FP9A locomotive 6539 has joined our beautiful heritage train, which continues to grow as we prepare for to make VIA's 50th anniversary in a few years time. 

In June 2025, the VHA was pleased to participate in VIA Rail’s observation of the 40th anniversary of the Toronto Maintenance Centre. When VIA Rail was first formed, it performed maintenance in Toronto’s downtown area. VIA moved its maintenance to Mimico Yard in 1985.

VIA Rail recently broke ground on a project to modernize the TMC, adding capacity to the existing structure and adding a wheel lathe facility and other yard improvements. Our FP9ARM 6539 together with our baggage car and Dayliners provided the “past”, and VIA provided the “present” and the “future” VIA trains. It was a real joy to see the classic blue and yellow on display next to the subsequent generations of VIA equipment.

Thank you to all of our donors who have helped make the restoration work so far possible, and allowed us to mark this first of many milestones. The beautiful restored face of 6539 made for a striking addition to the heritage lineup at this event, and we can't wait to see it ready to operate with our complete train in the future. There's still plenty of work to do to ensure it's in operating shape when that time comes.

[Photos by Christopher Greenlaw]