QUOTE: Originally posted by Dayliner [] Sad indeed, wrwatkins, and a little surprising, since I've had more cab rides on those E&N Budds than I can remember. Still, you say your trip was fairly recent, so maybe things have changed since my days on the Island. And not everyone enjoys having someone look over their shoulder while they work. Maybe you'll get better luck next time.
QUOTE: Originally posted by Dayliner Hey there siberianmo (and everyone else), For those of you who were asking about the E&N "Malahat" dayliner, it is very definitely worth the trip--the last daily rural (or semi-rural) branch-line passenger service in North America, I believe. VIA markets it as sightseeing day-trip, so it can be easily integrated into your vacation if you are planning to spend more than a couple of days on Vancouver Island. The Budds overnight in the old CPR roundhouse in Victoria West (about half a mile west of the station in downtown Victoria, and on the other side of the harbour). They run back to the station to load (used to be about half an hour before departure; don't know whether that is still the case).
QUOTE: The passenger crews used to be based in Victoria and would work three days on, three days off--it was a highly-coveted gig: working days, home every evening for supper (not many running trades jobs like that). All E&N crews are now based in Nanaimo, so the crew starts its day in Nanaimo mid-morning, runs up to Courtenay, brings the train back to Victoria, overnights in Victoria then takes the tain back to Nanimo the next morning where a new crew takes over.
QUOTE: Usual crew is engineer and conductor--there is no food service on board so there are no food and drink employees. The cars have been recently rebuilt and are really nice to ride in (except I understand 6148 keeps breaking down). Usual consist is one or two cars depending on the season, although I have ridden a three-car tain on the Island.
QUOTE: To ride the whole line is a four and a half hour trip one way, and there is no food service on board, so the non-railfans in your party may want a smaller dose (perhaps a day-trip Victoria-Chemainus and return which would suit the whole family). For those making the whole trip, a catering truck meets the train at Nanaimo both north- and south-bound, so you can at least get a coffee and a sandwich.
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. FOR NEWCOMERS: May I suggest that you browse the pages from start to finish? You may find something that will enhance what you are about to post, plus you'll find out "where we've been." Ladies and Gentlemen, let's talk Canadian passenger trains!
QUOTE: Junctionfan Posted: 24 Mar 2005, 13:32:02 Has anybody experienced the VIA that goes 100mph on the Kingston Sub particularly around Newtonville, and Brighton Ontario area? Very cool and very fast.
QUOTE: tomtrain Posted: 24 Mar 2005, 16:46:41 I would like to learn more about Montreal's commuter rail system. Is all or most of it still electrified? Is most of the Montreal metropolitan area served by these trains? Is the service extensive and well run? Does it connect well with VIA, Amtrak, other transport modes? Thanks for info.
QUOTE: valleytenderfoot Posted: 24 Mar 2005, 19:41:08 Well Tom, this has been a great thread. I have read through it from start to finish and have been greatly entertained. My only personal experience on Canadian Passenger Trains was a brief trip from Kentville (in the Annapolis Valley, former DAR/CPR tracks to Windsor Junction, then CN to the city) to Halifax in 1987 onboard an RDC Dayliner. Exciting for me at the time, I was seventeen and this was my first solo trip to "The City" (yes, I had a sheltered life) The thing I remember most was not the train ride (sadly) but the very, very cold walk from the station in Halifax's South end to Scotia Square in the North end. I had an interview with an ROTC officer to look at my prospects for college and a possible future in the Canadian Forces. (That didn't pan out, I went to college but on my own dime and did wind up working for the Government, but in the civilian public service sector, not the military. Oh well it was definitely worth the train ride) . Thanks for the great read. PS Your recollections of Nova Scotia ale, could you perhaps be referring to Nova Scotia's finest, Alexander Keiths India Pale Ale? Brewed only in Nova Scotia since 1820 it represents, in my humble opinion, the finest ale in all the Commonwealth and the former colonies. And though I did not partake of it on my train ride to Halifax in '87, I have imbibed regularly since then. (Well, officially only after I turned nineteen, the legal drinking age here in NS) They have a lovely website www.keiths.ca and they offer tours of the brewery on Lower Water Street, just a short walk from the train station. Jeff
QUOTE: Sask_Tinplater Posted: 24 Mar 2005, 20:47:49 Thanks, I'm sure it will be fantastic! Despite being young, I've always prefered the trains of yesteryear to modern ones (although I still love them, too). The history of railroading has always appealed to me greatly and, in my mind, the wonderful streamliners of years ago were the greatest thing the rails have ever seen. The thing about the Canadian is that it's really the last true streamliner left in North America. It uses it's original equipment, runs on the same route (OK, not really, but it still goes from Toronto to Vancouver) and provides the same high-class service in the tradition that it always has. This is what train travel is all about! This will certainly be a special trip for me...and I'm quite sure that it won't be my last ride on the Canadian!
QUOTE: trolleyboy Posted: Today, 00:37:18 Hello unfortunatly no none of it is still electrified.The only moderatly electric service in Montreal is the "metro" these are their subway tubes run by the city.The Montreal commutor rail is your usual push-pull Bi-level bombardier cars with diesel power F59PHI's and the odd FP7U's(these are back up power now only) As far as I know they do connect at the main station downtown so you should be able to pick up VIA trains. Perhaps Tom would know if amtrak still calls on Montreal.The only operable Montreal commuter electric in Canada is M&SC 107 at our Musem www.hcry.org in ontario. Though the Delson St Constant CRHA museum has many montreal city cars and some of the interurbans in their collection.This museum is well worth seeing if you are in the montreal area. Rob
QUOTE: selector Posted: Today, 01:37:38 Fellas, this is off topic somewhat, but I hope I can be excused just this once? My wife and I went to a dinner/theatre in Chemainus, home to the famous murals. While waiting to dine, we walked around the quaint downtown to browse and stretch our legs. Inside one art store were two large black and white photos, taken in winter, of what is known as the "Kinsol" trestle. Apart from the astounding price of $350, the trestle was a marvel to behold. The King Solomon mine was in production from the late 1990's until it closed in '07, somewhere in the Cowichan Valley. Some of the trestle was completed, but the War stopped the project. CN finally bought the right of way and completed the trestle, with all new timber, in April '20. Some stats: 700,000 board feet of lumber, 615' long, 125' high, with a 7 deg curvature on the deck. Comprised 6 Howe trusses superimposed by 44 frame bents. It is a thing of beauty, and I SHALL see it this summer. I report this because most of us will tackle a trestle at some point, if not already done, and it is great knowing that they are still around. Also, I experienced a number of dizzying rides over gorges and trestles in the Andes in my youth...unforgettable. For those who would like a truly unique rail adventure, try the Peruvian Andes above 4000 feet.
QUOTE: daveklepper Posted: Today, 04:01:02 I am confused by the comment about the only Montreal commuter electric is the subway. I absolutely certain that is in error, if by subway, you are referring to the Metro with its Paris style rubber-tired semi-automated trains (i understand all the motorman needs to do is close the doors and the automation takes it from there to door opening at the next stop, with manual control available -not sure if this is on one line or all three). But there is the CN or ex-CN "Deux Montains" line that runs north of Cental Station, and there should be some tracks in Central Station with catenary, to the northern suburbs and this line has been electrified for possibly 60 years, installed when Central Station was built. Through passenger service to the North used to have box-cab electrics pull them through the tunnel into the northern suburbs before switching to steam or diesel, but now better ventilation does permit some diesel operationt through the tunnel . But they did recently buy some new mu power cars and trailer cars, so I am sure that this electrified line continues, although possibly you are correct in that it is now considered part of the subway system. I suspect that it may still be operated by CN crews with the city transit authority subisidizing it.
QUOTE: Originally posted by tomtrain I would like to learn more about Montreal's commuter rail system. Is all or most of it still electrified? Is most of the Montreal metropolitan area served by these trains? Is the service extensive and well run? Does it connect well with VIA, Amtrak, other transport modes? Thanks for info.
QUOTE: Originally posted by siberianmo Silver & Blue is the way to go and I hope you meet as many interesting and friendly people as we did on our two round trips between Toronto and Vancouver. It's a great train and the history of those cars will surround you as you lie in your bed listening to the clickety clack of the wheels on those welded steel tracks. Ahhhhhhh, what a thought![:D] Happy Graduation to you and I hope you will always appreciate the finer things in life - such as PASSENGER RAIL TRAVELS![tup][:)]
QUOTE: I'm a proud Canadian and have been enjoying this thread immensly. However, I have never ridden The Canadian before. That will all change this summer, though! On July 2nd (the day after Canada Day), I'm going to be taking The Canadian from Edmonton to Winnipeg. I'll be travelling in Silver and Bue Class and have a private bedroom. I've already bought the ticket online. I'm in grade twelve now, so it coincides quite nicely with things since I'll have just finished high school when I go (you could say it's sort of a graduation present). I'm very excited about this trip! I'm going to have trouble waiting over three months for it!
QUOTE: While working on the ice gang in Moose jaw in the late 1950's we had the priveledge of icing troop trains of returning Korean soldiers (the forgotten war), from Vancouver eastward, the coaches were old maroon passenger cars with windows that would open, at every stop 3 or 4 soldiers would race across the street and load up on beer, we thought these guys deserved a break (102 degrees) so we started chopping up blocks of ice and passing them in the windows for cold beer, they filled the sinks, toilets and anything else with ice and piled the beer in it, it was the first ice they had since Vancouver, never in your life did you ever see more grateful people, we felt we did our part as a sort of welcome home. By the way , you would not have believed what the inside of those coaches looked like ! !
QUOTE: For Siberianmo- Be glad that you have not been to Siberia. I am a VP of an international oil and gas consulting firm that currently derives about 1/3 of our revenue from Russia. Going there is not fun. A ten hour flight to London, then 6 hours to Moscow. Eight hours on the ground in Moscow then 10 hours to Nowhere Siberia. As they say oil and gas is found in the A _ _ holes of creation and Siberia is no exception. On a good day the food is terrible and it goes downhill from there rapidly. With l;uck you might have hot water for a shower. It is bitterly cold in winter and in the summer the mosquitos can carry off a small child or dog. (Chain your husky down!) Fortunately being one of the most senior people in our company I can pick and choose. I specialize in European operations. After all going to London is far more fun than going to Lenin Square. Lots of good stories of train travel in the UK and Europe. Perhaps if I have time I will start a thread on them sometime. Has anyone gone to Churchill on the train? We are thinking of flying to Halifax and taking the train to Vancouver with a detour to Churchill. The polar bears au natural are far better than the zoo variety. Looking forward to some feeds on the Churchill line. ***
QUOTE: Originally posted by Dayliner QUOTE: The only sad thing was that the engineer kept the curtain on the window between the coach and cab pulled throughout the trip. When vibration would cause it to raise he would immediately pull it down. Sad indeed, wrwatkins, and a little surprising, since I've had more cab rides on those E&N Budds than I can remember. Still, you say your trip was fairly recent, so maybe things have changed since my days on the Island. And not everyone enjoys having someone look over their shoulder while they work. Maybe you'll get better luck next time.
QUOTE: The only sad thing was that the engineer kept the curtain on the window between the coach and cab pulled throughout the trip. When vibration would cause it to raise he would immediately pull it down.
Quentin
QUOTE: Dayliner's comments on the Malahat brought a tear to my eye. I had previously posted about our trip on that train. It was vintage 1950s Budd. The toilets were the line of sight to the rails vintage. That would not fly in most places today. The only sad thing was that the engineer kept the curtain on the window between the coach and cab pulled throughout the trip. When vibration would cause it to raise he would immediately pull it down. We did get coffee and a sandwich in Nanimo. That is an intereresting town. On a previous trip we stayed at a B&B on the shore of Lake Nanimo on our way to Tofino on the west coast. Very enjoyable. I hope that VIA does not drop the Malahat at is is a true national gem! In my 64 years I have ridden on many defunct lines (abandoned). These include the Pennsylvania line between Baltimore and Harrisburg, B&O between Clarksburg and Parkersburg WV, and the Pennsy between Wellsburg and Wheeling WV. Also rode in a highrail car on several abandoned lines that DART bought before they were rebuilt for light rail service. Also rode from Pittsburgh to Saint Lewis on the Pennsy before the sold or scrapped most of it under Conrail. Sadly I was born a few years to late to ride on FECs line to Key West. The abandoned lines might make a good thread some time. Siberianmo-this is an interesting thread. Hope it keeps going for a long time. By the way how did you get your handle "Siberianmo"? Have you wintered there? ***
QUOTE: I have an interesting story I have to tell. I have a music friend who is an elderly gentleman. He like myself loves trains. Much of his family worked for the railroad usually as an engineer. They came from St.Thomas. His grandfather was an engineer for the New York Central and his father for Wabash/ Norfolk Western. His grandfather used to take the Empire Express between Detroit and Buffalo. His father did mostly freight movements between St.Thomas and Fort Erie.
QUOTE: I currently reside in St. Thomas Junction fan. When I was much younger than I am now, one of my favourite trains was the International Limited. I used to ride it often from Brantford to Toronto , and occaionally if I was brave enough, to see it return to Chicago as the last train at night in Brantford, quite often there would be extra cars tacked onto the end and transporting one or two hockey teams. The Maple Leafs used to travel by train to Chicago or Detroit and I suspect to Boston or New York by train. One thing I really liked about the International lilmited was the engines that usually pulled it. They were heavyweight GP-9's equipped for passenger service and with the air tanks over the Dynamic brakes. Apparently these engines were about six trons heavier than a normal GP-9. The reason the air tanks were on the roof was to make room for a water tank underneath for the steam generator. They also were the same configuration as the TH&B's three passenger GP-9's which may have been the real reason I liked them, though the TH&B engines 401-402-and 403 did not have dynamic brakes. My friend and fellow railfan Carl Bury and I rode the last run of the International limited from Brantford to Toronto. It was something like 5 minutes late leaving Brantford and arrived in Toronto four minutes early. There used to be a weird type of service for that train which some others may be able to elaborate on. It would run into Hamilton, then back out to Bayview I believe, to resume it's westward journey, prehaps they picked up sleeping car passengers. I actually experineced that once when I won a contest in Sunday school, and I went with one of the teachers to a Toronto and we rode the train down, and it must have been a milk run as it stopped in Lynden, and Sunnyside as well as every other station between Brantford and Toronto. When we returned I experienced the bit I mentioned where the train went into Hamilton and backed out after. Someone mentioned that there was a lot of choice in where you could go in Canada by train, and I suppose the same was true of the US but we are not discussing that. I have a 1949 Official Guide and it was amzing where you could get to by going to the local station. For example there was a train, a mixed I think, that left Brantford daily and went to Burford and Norwich and eventually Tillsonburg and a connection with the Michigan Central, and back again.
QUOTE: I am just thinking about all the times I rode behind Juncionfan's musician-friend's grandfather on the Empire State Express (when I didn't use the NYC Wolverine or the PRR Red Arrow) on NY - Detroit trips, with him being the engineer Buffalo - Detroit on the Michigan Central's Canada Southern tracks. Did the man's grandfather run Hudsons and Niagras or was he strictly during the diesel era? I enjoyed both. Rod the International many times between Chicago and Toronto. When CN started its improvements to passenger service it bought some Nickel Plate club cars and two were regulary used on this train. Somehow, leaving Chicago and going to Canada made me loose some my total control over drinking, and I would usually have more than a few beers or shots of wiskey in the car, most usual behavior for me. Maybe it was the thought of reviving the Nickel Plate passenger service. So I would arrive in Toronto with a bit of a hangover (headache) with the sight of the maroon or bright red streetcars to revive me, since we had lost our Green Hornets and Red Rockets in Chicago (except at the IRM museum in Union). Otherwise, my life was pretty sober. Must have been something special about that train for me. Maybe it was just the thought that I was going to a large city with a fully functioning classic streetcar system.
QUOTE: Not sure if anyone has mentioned it in previous posts - but can we include the West Coast Express commuter service from Mission to Vancouver over CP ( dare I mention at the risk of being " sent to Coventry" ) -- freight tracks!!!. Although this is not heritage equipment - being quite new - it still is a Canadian passenger service ..It does run weekdays & on special occasions .
QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper I am just thinking about all the times I rode behind Juncionfan's musician-friend's grandfather on the Empire State Express (when I didn't use the NYC Wolverine or the PRR Red Arrow) on NY - Detroit trips, with him being the engineer Buffalo - Detroit on the Michigan Central's Canada Southern tracks. Did the man's grandfather run Hudsons and Niagras or was he strictly during the diesel era? I enjoyed both. Rod the International many times between Chicago and Toronto. When CN started its improvements to passenger service it bought some Nickel Plate club cars and two were regulary used on this train. Somehow, leaving Chicago and going to Canada made me loose some my total control over drinking, and I would usually have more than a few beers or shots of wiskey in the car, most usual behavior for me. Maybe it was the thought of reviving the Nickel Plate passenger service. So I would arrive in Toronto with a bit of a hangover (headache) with the sight of the maroon or bright red streetcars to revive me, since we had lost our Green Hornets and Red Rockets in Chicago (except at the IRM museum in Union). Otherwise, my life was pretty sober. Must have been something special about that train for me. Maybe it was just the thought that I was going to a large city with a fully functioning classic streetcar system.
QUOTE: Morseman: Just found more on the Canadian murals, most were saved, all were restored and can be seen at the Canada Science & Technology Museum, there really is quite a story to the historic artifacts.
QUOTE: I am disapointed. I have read through the entire thread over the last few days and no one has as yet mentioned my favourtie Canadian Railway the TH&B. Anyway more on that later. My earliest experience with passenger trains here was seeing my grandfather off with my parents in I believe 1957 or 58. I grew up in Brantford Ontario, and the train did not last too long after that. It was a mixed train I am fairly sure and it started in Stratford and ran down to Paris Jct. on the Drumbo Subdivisoin, then took the main line to Brantford and went onto the Caledonia subdivision to go to Fort Erie. My grandfather lived in Dunnville. This may seem convoluted but it actually followed much of the right of way of the original Buffalo and Lake Huron railway. It was memeorable as I was already bitten by the railway bug, however my dad did not have a car so I could not go and watch trains at the CN station then. The most vivid memory of the day was a passenger train that preceeded the mixed train and it was pulled by a steam engine that took water while in the station. A few years later summer 1962 I believe we took a bus to Hamilton, and went to the TH&B's really spiffy station there. I distinctly remember seeing CP fairbanks morse engines switching the coach yard beside the track after we had boarded. You had to go up a ramp to get to the track level. The crews were all known to me as they took the East Local job to Brantford in the winter and did the passenger run in the summer. They would go to Buffalo in the morning and lay over till the evening and return on the train then. They wore New York Central Uniforms except they had TH&B embroidered in gold wire thread on the lapels. I should add that my dad was a sectionman on the Waterford subdivision, and our whole family was traveling on his pass to Buffalo to spenfd a week with relatives. The trip over was uneventful, I recall there was a mix of different cars both CP and NYC. The trip back though was really neat. We were in the main concourse at Buffalo's Central Station, and my dad was talking to the engineer and fireman when they walked past. I didn't think anything of it at the time. The train was late leaving as there had been a derailment at Black Rock on the lift bridge across a canal, just before the trains went to the high bridge over the Niagara River. We were diverted to Niagara Falls, New York and crossed the suspension bridge there into Niagara Falls Ontario and ran through the Montrose yard and onto Welland where the train rejoined the TH&B's track. My dad suggested we go for a walk and stretch our legs and maybe I could see the engines. I was happy to comply. We were by this time almost three maybe four hours late. Tthe engines to my delight were streamlined New York Central E-7's, something I had never seen before. When we got to the head end the engineer, the late Freddie Groves, looked down and said to Dad all clear. Then I was told by my dad to climb up and see the inside of the cab. This was getting better and better. It was not till I got up there that I realized I and my dad were going to ride to Hamilton in the cab. Freddie ran them for all they were worth hitting ninety miles per hour at times and really the whole trip was a blur. I suppose that strictly speaking that is not a passenger tale but I thought you might like it. I will relate some other stories of CN and CP in another post. thanks for reading.
QUOTE: As I've been following this thread I've been recalling some long-forgotten Canadian train trips. When VIA first came in, they kept most of the existing CN and CP services, running them with existing crews and equipment and on well-established schedules. In the summer of 1979, I spent a lot of time in Montreal, and was able to enjoy a couple of non-corridor CP services that didn't last very long. One day a couple of friends and I decided to go down to Quebec City for some sight-seeing. We knew there was a fairly good Rapido service on the CN line on the south side of the St Lawrence, so we headed down to Central Station to get a morning departure. No trains today, account track maintenance--there would be a bus instead. However, I knew there was an alternate train service to Quebec, on the CP line along the North Shore through Trois Rivieres (it's always good to have a railfan in your traveling party). We hiked the couple of blocks over to Windsor Station and were able to get tickets on the morning dayliner to Quebec. As I remember, the train was nothing fancy, just a couple of RDCs, but it got us to Quebec (Ste-Foy actually), stopping at most of the towns along the way. I remember what impressed me about the trip was seeing snow on the telegraph poles along the ROW--this was in late May. Not a big deal for most Canadians, I'll agree, but for a kid from Victoria BC, where people cut their grass in winter instead of shovelling snow, it was an eye-opener. We came back to Montreal that evening on a Rapido--fast and full, with the bonus of a ride over the great Quebec Bridge, but not as much fun as those Budd cars stopping at every village. Later that summer, I decided to go up to Ottawa, again for a day's sightseeing, but this time solo. I went up on the Rapido, on the route VIA still runs, did the tourist thing, and headed back to the station for a train back to Montreal. Incidentally, this was the day that John Diefenbaker's state funeral had been held in Ottawa (he was a former Canadian Prime Minister), and his body was to be taken home to Saskatchewan by train. I got to the station while they were still loading the funeral train, with an honour guard from the Governor-General's Foot Guards marching up and down the platform in their busbies and red tunics. When that train left for the west, the next train to Montreal was--you guessed it--a CP dayliner. At that time, the CP (VIA really) still ran a daily round trip Ottawa-Montreal over the Labelle sub, on the north shore of the Ottawa River. It went down to Montreal in the morning, and back in the evening. In addition, there was a Sunday-only evening train to Montreal, and this was the service I caught. It was just a single RDC--like I was used to at home on Vancouver Island. We left Ottawa with perhaps only two or three passengers, and I thought it would be a quiet ride. We crossed the river to Hull, then headed east. Once again, we were stopping at every town along the route to let people on, and by the time we rolled into Windsor Station, the car was full. I remember the conductor making all his announcements in French and English, and when we got to Windsor Station, walking past the Budd cars that had just come in with the weekend-only service from Mont-Laurier. That service over the Labelle sub is long gone, and I believe some of the line has now been lifted. Unfortunately, VIA (and the transportation industry in general) has little room for such milk runs any more. It's very hard to get anywhere that isn't a major metropolitan centre these days if you don't have a car. Fifty years ago, the railways could have gotten you just about anywhere in Canada that you would have wanted to go. Sure, it might have taken three days and some of the trains might only have run once a week, but you could have gone from Sherbrooke, Quebec to Bienfait, Saskatchewan withour having to own or rent a car. OK--end of nostalgia rant. That's all for now.
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