QUOTE: The groundrules are pretty simple: Share your thoughts about Canadian passenger railroading - past and present. Let's not bash one another because of differences in opinion and of course, nationalities. Above all - keep politics out of our discussions. Ladies and Gentlemen, let's talk Canadian passenger trains!
QUOTE: My first decade of life nearly coincided with the last decade of the Canadian as a CP passenger train. I have one vivid memory of the Canadian from my childhood. I grew up in the countryside about 1/4 mile from the CN branchline that went south from the CP Rail mainline near Kamloops to Kelowna in BC. At a town called Armstrong it connected with a CPR branchline. The two branchlines and the mainline effectively made a large triangle. Anyway, I could always hear the freight trains coming and I would race down the driveway to the rail tracks to wave or at night I'd fla***he porch light on and off - even at 4:00AM. My family thought I was nuts. Naturally, in at that time the branchline only had freight trains. One day, I heard a train coming but when I had raced out to the tracks imagine my surprise to see a gleaming stainless steel passenger train go rolling by loaded with people, dome cars and all. It was the only time to my knowledge that it ever happened. I suppose the train must have been detoured via the two branch lines due to a derailment on the CPR mainline. I don't know why since the mainline must have had other derailments and the train was never detoured at other time. Either way, seeing the Canadian on a small branchline like that made an impression I never forgot.
QUOTE: My Newfoundland vacation was in 1968 the last year the narrow gauge ran. CN operated three Maritime trains from Montreal at that time The OCEAN between Montreal and Halifax the CHALEUR between Montreal and Gaspe and the SCOTIAN between Montreal and Truro where it split into two trains one going to N. Sydney and Sydney and the other continuing on to Halifax. Besides these the CPR operated the ATLANTIC LIMITED between Montreal and St. John, N.B. via Maine.
QUOTE: In 1956 we traveled from New Haven up to Sydney, NS by train. Took the ferry across to Port Aux Basques, Nfld. Then on by train as far as Clarenville. Unfortunately I was young and not yet into trains, and my memories of the trip are about nil. What a waste. I do have a framed B&W print of the " Newfie Bullet". Does that count? My only ' adult' experience riding trains in Canada came when I was working up in Ft McMurray, Alberta, and had a couple of chances to ride the old "Muskeg Mixed" on the NAR from Ft Mac down to Edmonton. But that's hardly in the same league as the passenger travel you guys are talking about.
QUOTE: My trips to Newfoundland and PEI were about 1966-1969, and during that period the Ocean split going to both Halifax and North Sidney. I only got to ride the Charlottetown mixed once going from the island, since on my next business trip the passenger service had been replaced by a bus, about 1966 or '67. The bus also used the ferry, which still handled freight cars/
QUOTE: Folks, at siberianmo's kind invitation in another forum, I would like to join your group. I am a retired Armed forces officer who took the VIA tain from Ashcroft, BC to Vancouver in late February of 1974. My destination was the reruiting centre! As I recall, the 300 km trip took some seven and a half hours through the Fraser Canyon. A little basic arithmetic will derive an average speed of about 45 kph, or about 26 mph. I was not impressed, but only because I had driven the same route many times on the highway opposite the railway. That is, the scenery was 'old hat'. My most recent trip was a year ago between Ottawa and Toronto....this time in First Class. It was a muuuuuuch better experience, believe me. I will offer that I like trains in general, with no preference for freight or pax. I really like the hissing, clanking, thrumming, and ground shaking of steam locomotives, and since the only ones that still run are on the 'tour' trains, I am very much a supporter of them. For example, once I find out how to do it, I will donate some funds to the refurbishment of the Royal Hudson. I would die a happy soul if I could stand at the side of the road and experience it thunder past at a regulator setting of 50% and cut-off of 35% with 220 lbs of head on it. As Tim the Toolman would growl, "Ooh, oohhh, ooohhh!"
QUOTE: The groundrules are pretty simple. Share your thoughts about Canadian passenger railroading - past and present. Let's not bash one another because of differences in opinion and of course, nationalities. Above all - keep politics out of our discussions. Ladies and Gentlemen, let's talk Canadian passenger trains!
QUOTE: To Siberianmo: You mentioned a while back that Via Rail might be getting back on CP tracks. I doubt it. Several years ago they tried to get back but the Canadian govt refused them permissioon. Gov't told Via they gave it up years ago and the Rocky Mountaineer is now operating very profitably on this route & if Via got back then it would cut into the Rocky Mountaineer's profit and forother reasons. Everyone talks about the Canadian . When I worked with Cp many, many years ago I had a pass from Montreal-Vancouver & took numerous trips with my wife and kids, The pass was no good on the Canadian though & had to take the Dominion. The same route but took about 12 hours slower if I remember correctly. Equipment was the same except there were a few older cars which were painted silver trying to match the stainless steel cars. I'm trying to think back now & I think some of the older cars were baggage cars and a few coaches.
QUOTE: On the subject of Budd cars (RDC - type) - for information to siberianmo - we have 3 Budd RDC's at the West Coast Heritage Park in Squamish BC -- #14 , #21 and #33 all ex BC Rail - although none are at present operating - we have equipment available to make at least one operational - hopefully by the end of 2005.
QUOTE: Posted: 06 Mar 2005, 22:42:15 Thanks for the replies and info, siberianmo and athelney. Good to know that others are keeping their fingers on the pulse of Canadian rail ops, past and present. Siberinamo, would be glad to compare notes/swap stories. Pls contact me at my profiled e-mail address.
QUOTE: The Charlottetown mixed had a GP-7 or GP-9 on the head end. With train boiler. The coach was next, and it was one of the standard smooth side lighweights, when I rode it painted into the white and black with red lettering scheme that was being applied to nearly all CN (and CV and GT) passenger equipment. It did not have the lower capacity and more comfortable seats of the "day-nighters" but did have normal reclining seats. That was the only passenger equipment on the train (other than the boiler in the locomotive). Then came about 15 assorted freight cars, almost but not quite the limite that could be handled on the ferry at one time. I think there was also a caboose at the rear, but I am not certain. The entire train went on the ferry, with the locomotive doing the switching and boarding last on the center track, somewwhat behind the center point and with freight cars ahead, the first to be pushed off on the Mainland. A good lunch was served upstairs in the ferry dining room, and I do not remember if this was included in the price of the ticket. but I think it was, because I had roomette from Moncton to St. Hycinth (an eastern suburb of Montreal where the organ firms of Casavant Freres and Le Tournau or located). One other memory is riding the Firday and Sunday afternoon only Grand Trunk Portland ME - Montreal train. After the B&M-CP Alouette Budd RDC and the overnight Red Wing were discontinued, this was the only way to get from Boston to Montreal by train, unless one went via Springfield and the Montrealer, or Albany and the Laurentian. A B&M Budd car from Boston to Portland, taxi with other connecting pasengers to the GT Station, really just a platform, discovery of the rebult heavyweight parlor "Alouette" on the rear with meal included in the upgrade, and a mostly rear platform ride except when enjoying the meal of good sandwiches and hot coffee. I was very lucky to get the upgrade, since there was no other meal service, and he only had one no-show so I was lucky indeed! Power again was a GM road-switcher, and the other cars were the regular CN lightweights, about five or six. After the Charlottown mixed became freight only, instead of a caboose, and old wood closed-platform combine was used, because the train still carried pass riders who used it for points that the replacement bus didn't reach.
QUOTE: Ah memories. My first ride on a train in Canada was the Canadian. It was just before our son started school so it would have been about 1988. We had driven a VW camper to Banff National Park. I talked my wife into going on to Calgary and taking the train to Vancouver and back. (The train still traveled over the CP at the time). I had the upper birth while wife and son shared the lower. It is the only time in my life I have ever traveled in a Pullman open section. The trouble with the upper is that you can’t see out. To compensate, I stayed in the dome of the Park car until long after dark. Behind me the brakeman was regaling several young Japanese girls on a package tour with tales of the rails. The Park car really brought back memories of times when I rode the original California Zephyr and later the Rio Grande Zephyr. In the diner, I remember the three of us being seated with an elderly lady touring Canada from The Isle of Man. Some day, I must go there. I rode the Royal Hudson steam train twice including the last year that the Royal Hudson locomotive operated. What a shame it no longer runs. The BCRail Caraboo Prospector was an interesting ride. I can’t say that I liked the RDC all that much, but the scenery was quite good. The last trip we took was a ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls. The train itself wasn’t much nor was the scenery, but I still enjoyed it. When we arrived, it was like the 1960 in the US. We felt like we may have come the historic way, but a way hardly ever used anymore.
QUOTE: I am hoping to complete my Canadian Rail riding this year with a trip on the WP&Y. Then I will be able to say that I have ridden trains in all of the Canadian Provinces and one territory. My trip this year will also be the most expensive as it entails a cruise ship and the ARR from Seward to Anchorage and Anchorage to Fairbanks. I have ridden just about every other train in Canada except for the Rocky Mountaineer and that is planned for as early as next year.
QUOTE: Hey you guys, there is a lot more to VIA RAIL than the Canadian using original Budd equipment. Here in Québec, starting out of Montréal there are four trains; the Abiti goes to Senneterre Qué., the Saguenay goes to Jonquière Qué., the Océan goes to Halifax NS. and the Chaleur goes to Gaspé Qué.. The locomotives are F40PH often doubles or even tripled on very long trains. The Océan and the Chaleur leave Montréal as one train with two or three locomotives. In Matapedia Qué. the train is split up in two distinct trains, the Océan going south east through Campbelton NB ant the Chaleur going through Bonaventure Qué. where I spend my summers atlantic salmon guiding.
QUOTE: Good evening.The corridor is doing very well still,I live along it and weekdays have 10 Via trains weekends 8.At least once a year the wife and I take the Via to TO for xmas shopping.We've always liked the Algoma Central tour trains into the Agawa canyon,beautifull scenery.I recomend it particularly if you take the run in the fall.Another fun trip is the Polar Bear express on the Ontario northland***eran to Moosenee lovely terrain.You can still catch the Northlander at Toronto Union and it will run you up to Northbay and then you catch the Polar Bear for the rest of the trip north.I can remember catching the CN tempo trains in the early seventies as well though I was too young to remember most of the details.The old RS10's and18's made quick work of theses short runs.Thanks for the memories Siberianmo catch you later. Rob
QUOTE: Not entirely on topic, my wife and I went into the interior of BC last week to see her sister and husband. On the way back, my wife took the first 'shift' at the wheel. It gave me an opportunity to look at CN and CP rail bridges in the Fraser Canyon. They're all modern steel with cement abuttments, but, oh, the weathering effects!! Most were built circa 1955, but are nicely rust-stained, as are their supporting concrete piers. Naturally, no two are alike. Imagine the engineering department that had to measure gaps, survey and draft up approaches, design abuttments, supports, spans, and so on. I also saw rock-slide sheds that I had hitherto neglected on my countless trips through the Canyon. And, there are telegraph poles that have been pressed into a more contemporary use; supporting large sheets of chain -link to contain rock debris that rains down adjacent rock faces on a daily basis. Running trains in BC ain't fer sissies!
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