Canadian Railroads >

Next October Motor Bus Society is going to Halifax. I think I can use this as an opportunity to visit and ride buses Newfoundland as well as ride a couple of trains in Northern Quebec. My basic itinerary is below, all dates are in October 2015. This schedule is structured in part around Monday Oct 12th being Canadian Thanksgiving and using the Holiday for the busride across Newfoundland.
01 Thursday [Flying]Cincinnati OH > Montréal
02 Friday [VIA Rail] Montréal > Jonquière
03 Saturday [Transit Buses] Jonquière > Chicoutimi
04 Sunday [Intercar (Intercity Bus)] Chicoutimi > Tadoussac > Sept Îles
05 Monday [Tshiuetin Rail Transportation] Sept Îles > Schefferville
06 Tuesday [Tshiuetin Rail Transportation] Schefferville > Sept-Îles
07 - 09 Wednesday - Friday [Rental Car] Sept-Îles (Area Railfanning)
10 Saturday [Provincial Airlines] Sept-Îles > St John's NF
11 Sunday St John's NF (Ride Transit Buses)
12 Monday **[DRL (Intercity Bus)] St John's > Corner Brook ** Note: Canadian Thanksgiving
13 Tuesday [DRL (Intercity Bus)] Corner Brook > Port Aux Basques NF > Ferry
14 Wednesday Ferry [Maritime Bus] > North Sydney NS > Halifax
15-17 Thursday-Saturday Halifax (Motor Bus Society)
18 Sunday [?] Halifax > ???

I guess my question for this group is, is three days enough to drive around the Sept Îles area to look at Cartier, QNS&L and whatever that electric railway is? There aren't a lot of roads so I doubt I would drive too far north (like Wabush) but is there any reason to drive far far north from Sept-Îles. Also as part of the return trip form Halifax is there any chance of the Gaspe peninsula train resuming operation to Gaspe by then? Not sure if I will have friend(s) or if I'll be on this one alone yet. Still early in planning.

Edit: One other alternative I thought of this morning is to fly from Sept Îles to Wabush on the Thursday afternoon or Friday morning then fly from Wabush to St John's the Saturday. This would allow at least day up there without having to drive a rental car excessive amounts of time and kilometers. Like any travel in the remote regions of Canada it is expensive, hence only two weeks for a trip this far away.

TIA

Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/14 05:48 by tq-07fan.

Since I last visited the area in 1992, two major changes have taken place. The "Trans-Labrador Highway" has been completed from Labrador City on the QNS&L east to Goose Bay/Happy Valley NF/LB on the Atlantic coast. Also, the highway along the north shore of the St.Lawrence has been extended far to the east, and may in fact now connect with the "Trans-Lab".

The QNS&L has very little contact with any roads in the Sept.Iles area, and their facilities are behind fences. The railway is more accessible around Wabush/Labrador City. By road, this area is accessed from Baie Comeau, on a highway which parallels the north end of the QCM.

The Quebec Cartier (QCM) facilities at nearby Port Cartier are similarly inaccessible, but the first sixty miles or so of the railway pass through a nature reserve, with a road parallel to the railway in a spectacular river canyon.

I wouldn't waste time trying to fan QNSL around Sept-Iles - except for the spot where they pass under the highway by the plant, there's no clear access to them at all there. When I was there 14-1/2 years ago (how time flies) I did catch some traffic on the nearby Arnaud Railway to Pointe Noire, which is easier to chase if you can find a train running. But your best bet would be to go over to ArcelorMittal (ex-QCM) - lots of access and decent traffic over there.

It's my understanding that sometime in recent years, the park road along QCM was punched through to connect to Highway 289 somewhere up north, which considerably shortens the drive from Port-Cartier to Fermont. But if you want to do QNSL/Wabush Lake up in iron country with as little time as you have, spend the money if you have it and fly up there.

OK, sounds like splitting the days is the way to go. A revision in schedule will be made.
06 Tuesday [Tshiuetin Rail Transportation] Schefferville > Sept-Îles
07 Wednesday [Rental Car] Sept-Îles (Area Railfanning)
08 Thursday [Provincial Airlines] Sept-Îles > Wabush [Rental Car] Wabush area railfanning
09 Friday [Rental Car] Wabush (more) Wabush area railfanning
10 Saturday [Provincial Airlines] Wabush > St John's NF
Several years ago I had planned on more time here but that was before I bought a house. Also a my friend who may be able to join me took a job on GO Transit since then. I was not looking forward to a twelve hour drive through nothing so I think the flying to Wabush to spend a day and half there will work much better. I know it is not enough time to really see the place but that is how is how usually end up rolling anyways. There are just too many trains to be seen and buses to be ridden but work keeps getting in the way.

Thank you for the help eminence_grise and Toledopatch. Anyone else with more ideas or input feel free to chime in.

Jim

Notice there's a road crossing north of Port Cartier leading to the 'Institution' or long term housing facility with tall fencing. If you can explain hanging out there it looks like a decent photo. Google street view shows a decent chance, but not much elevation and not much scenery. The photos from the recent derailment show some incredible scenery, quite a drive though. Some of the comments on the Internet suggest it's not a real 'happy' place out there.