We are about to embark on a trip from Calgary, Canada to Lake Louise where we will board the Rocky Mountainaire for a two day excursion to Vancouver via Kamloops. Have any of you guys ever taken this trip? I am looking for heads up on best places for photo shots from the train, which side of the train is better for photos or are they equal? We will be travelling along the Fraser River.
Thank you in advance
it was a long time ago so i don’t remember the exact route but i once took the train from toronto to vancouver and we passed through calgary , what i’m not sure of is if we went through kamloops .
what i do remember is that the scenery was spectacular , and it didn’t seem to matter which side of the train you were on as the tracks cross from one side of the valleys to the other frequently (better grades , easier construction ?) . i also recall that we went through some of the best scenery very early in the morning , probably not enough light for photos .
hopefully someone who has made the trip more recently can be of more help . have fun !
Hello,
I took the reverse trip, from Vancouver, BC to Jasper on the Via Silver and Blue (1st class). This is the same route (I think) along the Frasier, etc.). If it is like our train, the conductor will let you know when the picture spots come (usually like 10 min in advance). We parked ourselves in the dome and it was a blast… don’t miss the free champange upon takeoff (meet in the observatory!).
Brian
Dick …
Shelley and I rode the Rocky Montaineer in 2002 from Vancouver to Calgary. We decided to pay top dollar to ride the big first class dome cars. We were assigned seats third row back in the lead dome car giving us great views all the way. First day was between Vancouver and Kamloops, and CN and CP share their tracks on opposite sides of the river with all eastbounds on one side and all westbounds on the other. Second day took us through the Rockies and into Calgary. We had champaign breakfast starting before departure in Vancouver, and nothing but the best of good food thereafter.
You asked about the best side of the train, but both are equal. Midway between Vancouver and Kamloops, the CN and CP cross over each other and switch sides of the river. So if you were on the “bad side” of the train that changed to the “good side” of the train. Kamloops gets very little annual rainfall, and sort of is Canada’s dessert. The Rockies in Alberta look great from both sides.
The Stoney Creek Bridge, although spectacular in pictures, is not too visible onboard while the train is directly on it. It’s kinda neat riding through the spiral tunnels.
The train adheres to freight train schedules which is rather slow in the mountains. That’s okay because you can enjoy the sights and take pictures.
I saw plenty of freght trains on our trip. If I get a chance, I’ll scan pictures in a few days.
In the 1950’s, my Dad took our familiy on a CP trip on this route. It had heaveyweght cars with and open car at the end of the train. Riding in the Spiral Tunnel area, we could smell the pine trees in that car.
YOU WILL ENJOY THE TRIP !!!
Thanks guys for the great info…we are really looking forward to this trip with a group of people from our area. Garry, I would love to see those photos, thank you very much buddy !!
I would think that the sun might be the decider on which side of the train from which to take pictures. it is starting to get lower in the northern hemisphere now.
This photos are from Day 1 of our trip in September of 2002. We rode in one of the large, tall dome cars made by Colorado Railcar for tourist trains. We were seated close to the front window.
These photos are in day 2 of our trip from Vancouver to Calgary. The last photo shows the Banff depot.
After you get done with that trip, you need to come up and ride on the Alaska Railroad.
Hello Otto Ray …
That’s a neat trip up there in AK for sure. I rode the cab of the loco between Anchorage and Fairbanks about 15 years ago. I’ll never forget that ride.
The Alaska railroad is very spectacular for sure. We rode from Seward, right off the dock at seashore, through the Kenai Penninsula to Anchorage, then from Anchorage to Fairbanks, stopping at Denali for a day along the way. Then we travelled through the Yukon to Whitehorse and on to Carcross where we picked up the White Pass RR down to Skagway…that was one totally picturesque ride!!!
Now we are looking forward for the ride through the Canadian Rockies.
Thanks for the great photos Garry,
Here’s one more photo. This is the view from the train as it crosses over Stone Creek Bridge.
