There are lots of pleasures in life, some we can speak about in public and some better saved for another time and place! I love passenger trains.
For me, talking about passenger trains and the railroading that goes with it, capativates my interests. Of course, riding them is the next best thing to … well, use your imagination.
For the past 15 years, I have become a fan of Canadian railroading, and in particular VIA Rail and the now defunct, BC Rail passenger operations.
Are there sufficient numbers of “us” out there who can make this topic an ongoing thing? Hope so …
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!
Let me clarify a bit, though: The Canadian Pacific “Canadian” featured in the Spring 2005 issue of “Classic Trains” was not a “tour train.” That train - the “Canadian” was a regularly scheduled train crossing most of the North American continent.
Today, VIA Rail operates its version of the “Canadian,” which has much of the same equipment (other than loco’s) as did the CP. The VIA Rail “Canadian” runs on Canadian National trackage, whereas the CP ran on its own - so they are mostly different routes. The cars are the Budd stainless steel beauties of days gone by - EXCEPT - those days still remain in Canadian passenger operations!
Now to the question: Yes - my wife and I have taken the round trip between Toronto and Vancouver on two different occassions. One time in May and the other departing Toronto on New Year’s Eve. Both trips were absolutely memorable with the scenery as outstanding as anyone could want - well, perhaps not just anyone! For us - we were very pleased with the four 3 day/3 night segments and plan to repeat the journey in the not to distant future. Check out www.viarail.ca for first hand info about their trains and of course, the “Canadian.” By the way, those cross-Canada trains only have departures three days per week in each direction - and are usually full, especially if you want a bedroom and moreso in the spring and summer.
Sorry about my expounding on the word, “tours,” but when it comes to regularly scheduled passenger operations - there is a difference.
For those wanting to tour the Canadian Rockies - check out the “Rocky Mountaineer” site - they are tour operators and charge the prices that go with it. I’ll take VIA Rail any day, any time - “real” trains with “real” crews and very "real " passengers.
I haven’t seen the statistics for 2004 VIA Rail ridership, but when I do - I’ll post them here.
Hopefully someone who travels the “corridor” can respo
Yes the VIA - "Canadian " is alive & well including it’s all stainless Budd consist - It is quite the sight - especially in the summer when a full consist and 3 loco’s are in use . this is the ‘real’ thing- a regular scheduled train and not a tour - although the Rocky Mountaineer is also a great sight for passenger fans.
I rode the CP Canadian back in the 1970’s - Toronto to Vancouver - and partly because of it’s great route & equipment - being able to see Canada from the ground - caused me to emigrate from the UK.
For dehusman: BYOB - the definition is in the mind of the beholder! Budd Light would be just fine, though. Actually, I’m a Coors Light kinda guy - but then again, I really enjoy O’Keefe’s Ale of Nova Scotia, and then there’s …
For athelney: That trip in 1970 must have ben a treat. My model railroad is modeled after our experiences while traveling with VIA Rail. We have family and friends in Halifax, so the “Ocean” is our preferred method of travel. In fact, we rode one of the last “Atlantic” consists en route Halifax from Montreal via Maine.
The Canadian is the nearest thing running to recreating the old California Zephyr experience, and as the TRAINS article indicated, the obs-lounge-sleeper car is the same design.
Yes there still is a train to Churchill on the Hudson Bay, From Winnipeg to Churchill, VIA runs it , It’s 1700 km. (1000 miles), there are sleepers & dining available, and it will stop anywhere along the line if you want to get off and go hunting, The “Canadian” travels on CN lines which is a bit farther north (not much) than C.P.R. lines (remember, over 80% of all Canadians live within 200 miles of the U.S. border) so you are a long, long way from the North. Through the Rockies in places the CN & CP parallel each in the river canyons, usually on opposite sides of the river—quite a site ! ! Train travel in Canada is expensive.
I should’ve been more detailed. Was talking about the Royal Canadian Pacific article in February TRAINS. Operated by the railroad itself. In the grand railroad tradition. http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/RCP/default.htm
“Royal Canadian Pacific” does a loop to Revelstoke south to Crow’s Nest pass and east back to Calgary, 5 days for $5500.00, or take a one day trip to Field B.C. for $750.00 (u.s.) (they do feed you) These trips are not for the peasants.
If you are interested in the Canadian “Rocky Mountaineer”
Go to coloradorailcar.com A good description of new
equipment the Mountaineer is purchasing.
If only the CP Rail & later Via had promoted their
trains properly they could have made a good investment
on their money as Rocky Mountaineer is doing.
I rode coach on the VIA “Canadian” from Vancouver to Toronto in May 2000. Drank lots of water (and some of the other stuff, too) so I’d stay awake during the day to see the scenery and sleep better at night. It was four hours late getting into Toronto but the King Street trolley to my motel was still running.
Now, this is the type of interaction I had hoped for! Let’s keep it going - remembering of course that we are talking about CANADIAN PASSENGER RAILROADS. From there, who knows where the conversations may go?!
I’m not a great fan of those tourist trains - although if they are the only one’s who can get you from point A to B, well then - I’d spring for the big bucks. Unless and until VIA Rail gets out of the cross-Canada business, I’ll be a “frequent rail rider” with them.
Comparisons are great when it comes to passenger trains, whether of today or the past. For me and what I have been able to ascertain, there just are no valid comparisons to what Canadian Pacific managed to put together some 50 years ago with their “Canadian.” What a great trip. From all the photo’s I’ve seen and books I’ve read, about the only criticism I’ve come up with is that they didn’t run enough dome cars. Every now and then you’d see two (aside from the Park Car, of course) - but mainly just one about 4 cars back from the loco’s. That seems to be the practice today - having traveled that route on two round trips (Toronto - Vancouver) in spring and winter.
About the REAL “Polar Express” - VIA Rail’s “Hudson Bay” to Churchill is a trip that I have wanted to take for years. From what I have been told, this is the type of trip that will quickly determine one’s love for trains! Mine runs deep - so one of these days … hopefully soon!
By the way, any of you Canadian rail fans ever had the opportunity of traveling aboard the Turbo Trains?
Rode the Turbos many times between Toronto and Montreal when I lived in Toronto. Remember boarding the morning Turbo from Toronto one AM in the winter and was traveling turboclub so got in the dome expecting to see the engineer as their was only a clear plastic set of doors separating the engind compartment from the parlor seats in the dome. To my surprise their was a MLW FPA-4 coupled to the turbo for the run to Montreal that morning. Right on schedule the train deprted and the car attendant let me know that quite often in the winter the train ran this way as one or more of the turbines was inoperative and that fine light snow so common to the area was expected, apparently the fine snow played havoc with the turbines. That morning the turbines were providing only the hotel power for the train and all propulsion was supplied by the single FPA-4. One thing I discovered right away was the diesel electric accelerated faster than the turbo did and when slowing to cross over to the other main the diesel regained its speed faster. The train arrived in Montreeal two minutes early. I learned later that because of the light weight of the Turbo train the diesels had little problem keeping the turbo on the advertised. The schedule was 4 hours 30 minutes at the time. The Turbos only shaved 29 minutes off the previous Rapido scheddules that were operated with conventional passenger equipment and diesels.
I also had the pleasure of riding the Newfie Bullet the year before it was discontinued and that is one memory I will treasure forever.
I have traveled many times on the CN and CPR trains across Canada from one end to the other and never had a disappointing trip. I was fortunate to experience CN when the Red White and Blue fares were all the rage and the majority of trains were running full or close to full. I give CN a gold star for trying but alas it wasn’t to be.
Thanx for that information! Sounds like you have more than just a bit of knowledge about the subject and it is appreciated.
A long time ago I had an opportunity to travel between Argentia, Newfoundland and St. John’s by train. Unfortunately, I was unable to get away from my ship for the amount of time required for the round trip. Looking back on it, how close I came to adding some RR history to my experiences. By the way, was that the “Newfie Bullet” you referred to?
The United Aircraft Turbo Train built by Sikorsky, also known as the Turbo in Canada,
is my favorite passenger train.
Introduced in the United States in late 1960 and in Canada in 1968 the Turbo holds the
Canadian speed record. The United Aircraft (Sikorsky) Turbotrain reached 170.8 MPH in
December 1967, and a CN Turbo reached 140.6 MPH on April 1976, the current Canadian speed record. The American Turbo was used between Boston and New York. In Canada the Turbo was mainly used in the Toronto - Montreal corridor.
The Turbotrain was powered by a series of aircraft [gas-turbine] engines and was build out of aluminium skin. To keep passengers upright in curves the Turbo was equipped with a pendulous banking suspension. The Turbotrain was designed for high-speed performance over existing rail infrastructure in the US North-East corridor. The Turbo had guided axles, which enabled the train to take curves at speeds 40% greater than conventional trains. Turbo service in the US started in 1968, but due a variety of technical problems the Amtrak Turbo’s were phased-out in 1972.
The Canadian CN / VIA Rail Turbo were in operation until 1982. VIA Rail retired the Turbo in October of that year. The two remaining train set were l
The train I remember between St. Johns and Argentia was a mixed train that one day ran from St. Johns to Argentia then laid over and operated the next day from Argentia to Bonavista traversing the only complete look on the narrow gauge road. I dropped a Camera lens cover off the back of the coach/caboose while filming the loop and the crew of the train offered to back up and look for it. The crew actually stayed on the caboose - coach combination for the overnight in Argentia. After turning in Bonavista the train returned to St. Johns. The thing I remember most about the Newfie Bullet was that the cars did not have tightlock couplers and the cars were constantly banging back and forth due to the slack action and the profile of the track. In spite of this I was in a sleeper and got a very good nights sleep. I meant some of the finest railroaders on my Newfoundland trip i ever found anywhere. Cab rides were with the blessing of the railroad as they knew its days were numbered. And two years later it was shut down.