Canadian Railroads > My Friday 13th Canadian Ride -- part 1

Two weeks ago, several of us from disparate parts of the US gathered in Vancouver to board the Friday 13th departure of the Canadian from Vancouver. After a day of riding various forms of public transit including the SeaBus to North Van, we headed to Pacific Central Station, and boarded the train. I stowed my luggage in my roomette in Drummond Manor (sorry VIA it still is a roomette regardless of your attempt to call it something else) and headed back to Tremblant Park to enjoy both the view as we left a rainy Vancouver as well as the champagne reception.

The next day was cloudy at first as we left Kamloops but the sky cleared shortly thereafter and we enjoyed great views of the rockies. Arrival in Jasper was an hour or so early. But we did hit oncoming freight traffic after leaving Jasper and arrived in Edmonton about 30 minutes late. Of some note we headed nose first into the station on the west leg of the wye as access to the east leg was blocked. This necessitated a second stop to fuel the locomotives as the fuel truck was waiting at the north end of the train.

As expected VIA food and beverage service was splendid including a dining car menu with upper scale selections that varies on a daily basis. One of my favorite items was crab benedict offered at brunch on the second day -- I have since learned that this particular dish has become a favorite among many other riders.

However by late Saturday evening we started to hear about a CN oil train derailment on the main line north of Capreol; we retired after Edmonton hoping that it would be cleared by the time we would traverse that section late Monday.

Photo 1: VIA 2 in Vancouver in a light rain just before departure
Photo 2: Sailing the rockies
Photo 3: VIA 2 in Edmonton

---

---

---

Our second full day dawns as we reach Saskatoon where we seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to enter the station -- apparently a freight train is blocking the normal access route. We eventually pull out and need to wait for several westbounds before we can make more progress. But the most depressing news is that the derailed CN train is a oil train and some number of cars are now on fire. The train manager comes through the train and informs each of us individually that our train will be terminated in Winnipeg and those continuing to Toronto will be flown there on Monday. We will be able to stay on the train overnight after our arrival in Winnipeg. Spirits, not surprisingly, are much more subdued today, and tend to match the bleak winter weather outside.

The run to Winnipeg is slow as we continue to meet many freights and once we get to Winnipeg we sail through the station and towards Transcona yard to wye the train (apparently covering some rare mileage east of the station). And once turned we then head back to the station.

After a very quiet night in the station, we are served breakfast by the new onboard crew and then have to disembark by 9am to allow the train to be cleaned and made up for the passengers on #1 who are being flown in from Toronto. VIA treats us to a rather good tour of Winnipeg and lunch and then buses us out to the airport for a 5:30 flight to Toronto. Incidentally the Winnipeg east crew accompanies us on the flight as they need to get to Toronto as well. And in Toronto a chartered bus wisks us to Union Station where our trip terminates some 10 or so hours ahead of schedule. My group thought that VIA did an excellent job of managing this unexpected situation; refunds and credits are forthcoming.

None of us had paid much attention to having selected a Friday 13th departure. Next time we may be more careful:-)

photo 4: The Canadian in the remote Saskatoon station
photo 5: A bleak prairie day passing a traditional grain elevator
photo 6: One of our many meets with a westbound train -- mostly container trains

---

---

---

Your experience very closely follows mine of several years ago.
We went to bed in the Winnipeg station, and were surprised to wake up
in the morning to find that we were still there. There had been a derailment
in Northern Ontario.

As you can imagine, there was complete chaos for a while. We were served
breakfast as normal. A meeting was called in the diner for later in the AM.
People were asked what they would prefer. Some elected to wait for the next train,
some wanted to be bussed to close points. Some wanted to get on a plane SAP.
In our case, we elected for the plane in the PM. Lunch was served as usual while the
train was being wyed.

I thought that VIA handled this superbly. We arrived in Toronto early as you say.
With goodies too. Went again the next year, and made it all the way.

Come again, it may not survive too much longer.

Sid.

thanks for sharing! Great photos! To bad you couldn't complete the whole trip! Maybe next time...:D

A relatively minor CN derailment west of Winnipeg caused a major delay - I'm told seven hours - to the already late train #2 which was due into Toronto at 09:30 on Tuesday the 24th. It arrived at 04:30 on Wednesday the 25th - 19 hours late. At least it arrived. Because an extra set of the Canadian is kept in Toronto during the winter, train #1 was able to get out on Tuesday. From my observations arriving on a VIA train, it appeared ready to depart on time (22:00) but I don"t know for sure what time it departed.

Nice series of photos. #2 is great.

Ronda Thomas

Image 2 is a great demonstration of why to ride trains. KO!!

The image at Waldron shows a Grand Trunk Pacific feature. The GTP had the elevators built way back from the main line in case they fell over or caught fire, they would not block the railway. Fires were frequent, and years ago an eastbound trip on the "Super Continental" was only slighty delayed by a collapsed elevator in the yard at Melville SK. The GTP also named the stations west of Winnipeg alphabetically, including X and Z. I think they used the alphabet four times.

Part of the CN transcon celebrates its centenary this year, the Canadian Northern last spike was driven in 1915. In the west, that included the Red Pass Junction to New Westminster BC portion.

Phil
Thanks for the additional detail about the grain elevator. Much appreciated.

Posted from iPhone

Very nice report, Mr. WP17

I believe photo #2 is of Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. It is also featured on the Australian TV adverts for the Rocky Mountaineer.

Rick