# Canada coast to coast by train in HiDef and real time



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Take a locomotive eye view right across the country. I'm watching some now on Travel channel - not in HiDef 




> CTV Travel partners with Via Rail Canada for Canada's Greatest Ride
> 6/14/2005
> 
> Toronto ñ Via Rail is on board as the exclusive sponsor of CTV Travel channel's weeklong programming event, Canada's Greatest Ride, premiering Sun., June 26 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and airing 24-hours per day through to Canada Day, Fri., July 1 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
> ...



http://www.cablecastermagazine.com/article.asp?id=44302&story_id=&issue=06142005

:clap:

Cinema verité style -


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Yep, great idea and show. Been watching this afternoon. Everyone should to get an idea of our beautiful country.

Too expensive though to do by train. I can do it via motor home for less than 25% of the ticket cost and meet more people as we overnight. Takes longer but is much more up close and personal.


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## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

Anyone remember this one? The Railrodder with Buster Keaton 

I saw that way back in public school. I thought it was pretty funny back then. I wonder what I would think of it now.
Buster reprised his silent film days in this NFB trek across Canada by rail.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

$1180 Toronto to Vancouver - a bit steep but does include meals.

Now the DEAL is to be over 60 - you get a reduced fare and can take another person for free.
That starts to get interesting.

Umm Sinc you forgot to include the COST of a motorhome in your 25% - not ALL of us have a land yacht  Happy B'Day BTW


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> $1180 Toronto to Vancouver - a bit steep but does include meals.
> 
> Now the DEAL is to be over 60 - you get a reduced fare and can take another person for free.
> That starts to get interesting.
> ...


The cost of the land yacht has been a progression of "trading up" over many years. We know many couples who spent more on cruises and hot weather winter vacations that we did on our motor home.

That being said, I did not know about the "over 60" pricing and I will check that out for sure.

And thanks for the BD wishes. They all were appreciated!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"Canada's Greatest Ride will travel from Vancouver to Halifax via three separate Via Rail Canada trains." I am sure that those in St.John's, NL and Victoria, BC shall be pleased to know that they have again been excluded from "coast to coast" Canada. As well, what about Canada's third coast in the north?????


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## Paul O'Keefe (Jun 3, 2005)

Remind me again why we got rid of our railroad... was it because it was a different standard of tracks?

I remember riding it when I was a kid.


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

*Festival Express*

Some may be old enough to remember the cross Canada train trip in 1970 called the Festival Express: Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Buddy Guy etc., etc., etc., etc.......

The movie 

A write up..


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

Unfortunately Dr. G, those trains have a little difficulty getting across the big pond. But with a run up from Vancouver, you would think they could build a ramp on the east coast and do it Evil Kenevil style!!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Phil, we had narrow gauge rails, so standard width trains could not run on our tracks. Sadly, the "Newfie Bullet" is no more. "Daddy, what's a railroad?"


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Carex, I heard that they were going to build a great bridge from Vancouver, to Salt Spring Island, to Victoria, but could not obtain Mount Macnutt for a crucial leg of this vast railroad line.


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

Carex said:


> Unfortunately Dr. G, those trains have a little difficulty getting across the big pond.


Before the government started tearing up the people's investment in railroads (now look at what trucks are doing to our highways - frieght should be on trains), there were ferries for the trains. You could go Victoria to St John's. 

The notorious Newfie Bullet was indeed on a different guage (standard). I believe the Bullet was sold of to some less developed country...


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

rgray, we had narrow guage, which is far less in width than standard guage. 

The final Bullet departed Port-aux-Basques on the morning of July 2, 1969, having taken on passengers from the William Carson. Its three diesel units hauled a baggage car, four coaches, two diners and eight sleepers. At 8 a.m. on July 3, it sighed to a halt at the St. John's station. 

That run marked the end of an era, and the last opportunity to cross Newfoundland by rail, on a 547.8-mile stretch of narrow-gauge track only three feet, six inches wide, through communities such as Tickle Harbour, Come By Chance, Goobies, Gaff Topsail, Kitty's Brook, Black Duck, and Codroy Pond.

The Railway Society of Newfoundland was created in 1987 when Baldwin Steam Locomotive #593, "Newfie Bullet", was removed from Bowater’s Park to the Historic Train Site at Humbermouth, Newfoundland.


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

Dr.G. said:


> ........... a baggage car, four coaches, two diners and eight sleepers..............


Sounds a bit like "...3 conductors and 24 sacks of mail..." from Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans". Too bad Steve never rode the Bullet........ 

Tho' I do suppose that there are plenty of Bullet songs around....


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

..........and thousands of Newfie Bullet stories, from what I have been told. At times, from what I have been told, it moved along so slowly that you could get off, go pick some blueberries, and get back on the train.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Dr.G. said:


> Carex, I heard that they were going to build a great bridge from Vancouver, to Salt Spring Island, to Victoria, but could not obtain Mount Macnutt for a crucial leg of this vast railroad line.


Just to clarify here....

There is, as of yet...no "Mount MacNutt" on Salt Spring Island. I do own a sizeable chunk of Mount Bruce (the tallest mountain on this island and the location of my magic spring)....but I have not yet managed to have the name changed. But I have cleared a great swath of land and am having my majestic Highland facial profile chisled into the native rock on a scale greater than Rushmore. So it's probably just a matter of time before they rename the mountain in my honour.....

Also:

There was some talk of a bridge to the Big Island a few years back. This loose speculation about a fixed link came to a fever pitch during one of our many ferry worker strikes. I seem to recall that, back in the early nineties, the zoned-out unionised drones who man our local ferry system wanted TRIPLE pay for their dog's birthday off, or something like that. Double pay for their dog's birthday off just wasn't cutting it for them, apparently.

But cooler heads prevailed. The strike ended, the ferries ran again and life returned to normal.

Also...it was pointed out that there were plenty of caches of high explosives here on Salt Spring Island. And it was also pointed out that any bridge to ANY other place would soon be reduced to a twisted bit of rubble that would become a navigational hazard in the channel directly below same former bridge, once it was completed. By a large and unnanounced KaBOOM!

We SaltSpringers need to maintain the moat around our precious green jewel of subtropical paradise, after all. Pretty much everyone who resides here heartily agrees on this point, when pressed. Ferry strikes notwithstanding.

Otherwise the rifraff would rapidly overwhelm us. This goes without saying.

Just the other day I was having a beer with Robin Williams and he was shaking his head and bemoaning how many of the "B-List" Hollywood types were now moving here since it has become one of the 'favored places'. I mentioned the "Bridge Thing" to him and he almost had kittens. Right before my eyes.

Not gonna happen. Ever.

Trust me on this.


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

MacNutt said:


> Mount Bruce (the tallest mountain on this island and the location of my magic spring)


Not to nitpick, but Hope Hill is some 60 metres taller than Mt. Bruce. 

Just FYI.


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## teeterboy3 (May 22, 2005)

Rob said:


> Anyone remember this one? The Railrodder with Buster Keaton
> 
> I saw that way back in public school. I thought it was pretty funny back then. I wonder what I would think of it now.
> Buster reprised his silent film days in this NFB trek across Canada by rail.


We watched that in my first year of Comm. Studies in my History of Film class. It made me long for *Paddle to the Sea* - anyone remember that?


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## BigDL (Apr 16, 2003)

Dr.G. said:


> "Canada's Greatest Ride will travel from Vancouver to Halifax via three separate Via Rail Canada trains." I am sure that those in St.John's, NL and Victoria, BC shall be pleased to know that they have again been excluded from "coast to coast" Canada. As well, what about Canada's third coast in the north?????


Do not blame CTV. Blame Via Rail that a coast to coast rail trip has Vancouver and Halifax as book ends to a coast to coast trip. Blame the Provincial Government of PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador and the Federal Government for the lack of railways on these islands. Blame CN for abandonment of rail main line to Cape Breton. Not sure who sold out the Rail line on Vancouver Island. 

VIA Rail was invented to market passenger rail travel in Canada. The real deal was to take the obligation of passenger rail travel off of the Freight Railways (CN CP) and for VIA to kill rail passenger travel. After nearly 30 years Via has only widdled rail passenger service down. Haven't been able to kill it. Too many Canadians love their trains. Trains were our National Symbol before we could agree on Anthems and Flags

PEI wanted a bridge and NL wanted money for the Trans-Canada Highway. These Provinces sold their rail lines to buy these items.

Blame the Freight Railways (now Railroads re. USA domination) for the abandonment and ripping up of track. Blame Brian Mulroney for Freedom to Move legislation as part of his Free Trade, De-regulation, Privatization Neo Con BS.



Dr.G. said:


> Phil, we had narrow gauge rails, so standard width trains could not run on our tracks. Sadly, the "Newfie Bullet" is no more. "Daddy, what's a railroad?"


Your NYC routes are showing the Canadian question would be "Daddy what's a railway?"  


I like rail travel when given a choice between flying or travelling by train from Moncton to Montreal on business I went by rail every time. Last week I went from Moncton to Halifax by rail. Most relaxing.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"Canada's Greatest Ride will travel from Vancouver to Halifax via three separate Via Rail Canada trains." This trip ignores Victoria, Vancouver island, and the entire province of Newfoundland and Labrador.........since the federal government said that if we ripped up all of our railroad tracks we would get money for our highways and ferry service. We received nothing for our highways yet, and had half of our ferry service cut. We did get a new head office for Marine Atlantic..................in Halifax.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

PosterBoy said:


> Not to nitpick, but Hope Hill is some 60 metres taller than Mt. Bruce.
> 
> Just FYI.


Not to nitpick with the king nitpicker around here PosterBoy...but my guide to SSI claims than Mt. Bruce is the highest peak on the island.

Which is odd when you think about how you seem to look down on it from the viewpoint on Mt. Maxwell.  

Mt. Bruce is a very big part of my backyard. I can hit it with a lazily thrown beer bottle from my back deck (have done...many many times). And I can't even count how many times I've scaled that fifty degree sheer wall of stone and trees to reach my spring...which is 900 feet up the side of Mt Bruce.


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## RobTheGob (Feb 10, 2003)

Rob said:


> Anyone remember this one? The Railrodder with Buster Keaton
> 
> I saw that way back in public school. I thought it was pretty funny back then. I wonder what I would think of it now.
> Buster reprised his silent film days in this NFB trek across Canada by rail.


A few months ago, I grabbed this DVD at the library. I had fond memories of watching it as a kid in the 70's and I wasn't let down. Even my kids liked it. 

The best part of the DVD was the "Making of" featurette. Very interesting...


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

Huh. After a quick double check, the map on my wall is misprinted. Bruce is taller. How embarrassing. ish.


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