Canadian Railroads > Churchill Train #4

It is now the second day.  We have been on the train for 24 hours.  As well as the slow speed limits, there is a safety practice on the Hudson Bay Railway.  Every 50 miles the train stops.  The second head-end crew member gets out with a heat gun to check the bearings.  The train proceeds slowly forward as the crew member checks one side.  He then crosses to the other side as the train backs up and he checks the bearings on the other side.  On a main line if you are listening on the scanner you would hear an automated voice saying "No defects".

Picture #1 - in an effort to handle the permafrost these pipes were inserted beside the tracks.
Picture # 2 - One of the biggest communities on the Hudson Bay Railway is Thompson Manitoba - population about 4,000 and a mining town.  Actually Thompson is on a 33 mile long spur from the Hudson Bay railway.  We were supposed to be there 5 hours and see the irrailway museum, but the servicing stop including refilling the fuel was cut to one hour to make up time.  The bugs were pretty fierce.
Picture 3 - The whole train is wyed just to the east of town of Thompson before heading back down the spur to the "main" line.  One of the most amazing "dips" I have ever felt was on this spur.  It must have tested the apparatus between cars to the fullest.  Speed limit was mostly 10mph so no safety issue.  Actually my companion is a real nature lover and she was able to identify flowers and shrubs as we sauntered along.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/19 06:52 by CNStratford.

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I have ALWAYS wanted to take this train and just have never been able to squeeze it in...... 

THANKS so much for posting these pictures of your trip. Look forward to any more!!!! 

Great stuff, thanks for posting. Also interesting info about the Museums along the way.

I'd like to ride the train again during polar bear season but I'd also like to be assured that the train would have a dome or two.  Is it standard practice now to run the train with domes?  

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
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> I'd like to ride the train again during polar bear
> season but I'd also like to be assured that the
> train would have a dome or two.  Is it standard
> practice now to run the train with domes?  

The Skyline is subbing for the diner on this route, so they are at least going to be on till VIA can get flush with Diners again. A number of diners are out for refurbishment. I would think the Skylines would be returned to the Canadian, but there's really no reason why the Hudson Bay trains couldnt' run with a Park Car year-round, VIA has enough!