Canadian Railroads > Trip report - Train #1 Canadian - Part 5

Our last day on the train would put us into Vancouver about an hour late.

We passed by a few lumber mills along the Fraser River, and this large
suspension bridge under construction - pic 1 Car attendant Jeremy gave us
some nice fun facts about the Fraser and the salmon runs, a subject that is
quite foreign to Mrs Murphy and myself. This was the first time since we
got on at Toronto that we didn't see snow. In case you have read the previous
trip reports, we are quite fascinated with snow in quantities we are unaccustom to seeing.

Along the way down the mountain we also passed by a number of yards, none of which
I could give you names for, but there was interesting power at all of them.
Here is a geep-slug set - pic 2

Meets with eastbounds were much less frequent in the last few hours before arrival in Vancouver

The third photo is of a geep with a confusing paint scheme - wonder what they were trying
to accomplish with this one? pic 3

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The 5268 looks rather worn and tattered. Quite the workhorse one may assume.

Soon we crossed the Fraser and entered the suburbs of Vancouver. We were told
this swing bridge is over 100 years old and still operating.

Considering its age, the ride across the bridge was not in the least rough. I really
could not feel when we went over the movable section, even up high in the short dome.

We snaked out way into Vancouver and eventually backed into the station with Revelstoke Park
obs dome car up against the bumper post at the station entryway.

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We bid our new found friends adieu and headed out the front of the station.

I looked back and snapped this photo of our arrival station Pacific Central.

Across the green from the PC station was the SkyTrain station that would take
us to our hotel, so we bought a pair of tickets for the ride and boarded the
next train for Waterfront.

We exit Waterfront and per instructions from the most kind trainorders.com
member andersonb109, we take the suggested exit route that will be closest
to the Pan Pacific Hotel. We both have a rolling case and backpack. We roll
to where there is a staircase and an escalator to take us up to ground level
and there are two escalator repairmen that have the escalator disassembled and
cordoned off with only the stairs left for us to use. I made a comment to one
of them that there are so many moving parts in that contraption, and so many
escalators in all the SkyTrain stations, that his job must never slow down.
He confirmed that fact, and confided that he is well paid and has good job security.
He then offered to carry our bags up the stairs for us. I declined mine but
allowed him to take Mrs. Murphy's up the stairs for her.

When we left him on the street we then looked around and saw a bunch of buildings
but none said Pan Pacific. Another stranger walked up to us, said we looked confused,
and asked if he could help. He quickly pointed to the building that was our hotel
and even suggested when we checked in to ask for a room facing west as that was the
best view.

We wandered about for a bite to eat and came upon this other station just a couple blocks
west of the hotel. It appears to be used for commuter operations, though I believe the
majority of the building is used for office space.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/15 18:49 by WrongWayMurphy.

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After a few days in Vancouver, taking on some non-rail activities,
we boarded the Canada Line train at Waterfront for the final ride
to the YVR Airport. Customs at YVR was simple, quick and automated,
and should be a model for the way all customs activities should be run
at least at DFW Airport .

We flew to Dallas, then a quick hop back to Tyler. Last photo is
approaching our Tyler Pounds Field Airport.

Its always good to be home, but the trip on The Canadian and fellowship with
Canadian railfans made the experience a most memorable one.

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Great series! A lot of information for my own trip in May going the other way....
Thanks!
--Robert

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> We wandered about for a bite to eat and came upon
> this other station just a couple blocks
> west of the hotel. It appears to be used for
> commuter operations, though I believe the
> majority of the building is used for office space.

The red brick building is Waterfront station. It's actually a block southeast of your hotel.

It was opened in 1914 as CPR's third Vancouver station, the terminus of the transcontinental railway. In CPR days, it was simply named Vancouver station. The Waterfront name came along after it became the base for various local transit services.

Today it provides access to SkyTrain, the Canada Line, the cross-harbour SeaBus and the West Coast Express commuter rail service (five trains on weekdays in the peak direction). Since you exited via the west end of the SkyTrain platform, you wouldn't have come into the station; those exiting on the east side would pass through the concourse if they want to reach the street.

As you note, it's mostly used for office space. It's owned by Cadillac-Fairview, one of Canada's major commercial property developers. In the news in the past few weeks is a proposal by that firm to build a tall office tower in the parking lot east of the station. That's the side visible in your photo, a view that will disappear if the tower goes ahead. It's already being called The Blob by its detractors.

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> Our last day on the train would put us into
> Vancouver about an hour late.
>
> We passed by a few lumber mills along the Fraser
> River, and this large
> suspension bridge under construction - pic 1

That's the original Port Mann highway bridge, opened in 1964, and it's actually being dismantled. You are passing under the new bridge (opened 2012) on the left of your photo.

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> Meets with eastbounds were much less frequent in
> the last few hours before arrival in Vancouver

East of Vancouver, in the Fraser and Thompson River canyons, the CP and CN use directional running on each other's trackage, that would account for not many meets in the last part of your trip. Westbound, unless something unusual is happening, all CP and CN trains operate on the CN line (or side of the canyon for the most part), eastbound, all CP and CN trains operate on the CP line.

Thanks for this great series. Looking forward to my trip in May on the Canadian eastbound.

Shane,
Can we expect to see some VIA cars on your new model RR? After all, we did see Australian stuff on the old one.

Really enjoyed your trip report and glad to hear the Canucks were friendly to you and your Mrs.

Rick

Thanks for sharing your trip. We're hoping to take the Canadian across Canada too. I've never been, but my husband and his mother traveled east to west at the end of WW II in a train made up of pre-war cars, pulled by a steam locomotive. He got invited into the cab to "drive" the engine at one stop, I suspect the result of being a cute 5-year-old with a beautiful mother.