Passenger Trains > Rocky Mountaineer- Vancouver Island?

Hello friends, an item of interest:

http://www.rockymountaineer.com/destinations/victoria.aspx

It's very vague about how much train travel is part of this tour. Do they actually run any length of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo railroad or is it strictly a motorcoach (bus) tour of Vancouver Island?

At least one of the tours "Totem Rail Explorer" has a train. (at least it did a couple of years ago when I did it) The description says: "Travel by motor coach, ferry, and train as we take you then length of Vancouver Island."

The tour started with an overnight in Vancouver. The next day (day 2) a crowded tour bus took a crowded ferry to Swartz Bay, stopped at Butchart Gardens, and stopped at the hotel door in Victoria. Day three was up the island by Budd Car to Courtney and bus to Port Hardy. Day four was the BCFerry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. Saw whales and eagles. Free day in Prince Rupert. Rented a car (not included in tour) and drove to Kitimat to tour the aluminum plant. The VIA train from Prince Rupert to Jasper is all daylight with an overnight in Prince George. At the time I did it VIA had just added a new high class service and the tour didn't include that. It was a non-dome car with windows that wrapped over the roof. The tour was in regular coachs with access to the Park Series Dome on the rear. I went forward to see what the new accomodations were like and was told I couldn't stay there. One thing I could tell was that you couldn't see forward or to the rear like you can from the Park car dome. And that ride in the dome is spectacular along the Skeena River, the Fraser River, and across Yellowhead Pass. It was a great motorcoach ride from Jasper to Banff. I've been to Banff/Jasper several times and this was the first time I saw a grizzly. The bus stopped and we watched it for a while. Free day in Banff. The Rocky Mountaineer was a two day, all daylight, trip to Vancouver with an overnight in Kamloops . Two things I really looked forward to were the Spiral Tunnels and Stoney Creek. From the train neither lived up to my expectations. I've hiked into both and you don't get good views of either FROM the train. At Stoney Creek the train stopped on a curve just before crossing but it is much more impressive from the ground.

jb

Edit:
If you are interested in just riding the Budd car on Vancouver Island, try contacting the West Coast Railway Association.

http://www.wcra.org/tours/

They have at least three tours that will include it. If one of those doesn't fit, contact them directly and see if they can do a personal tour for you. The Rocky Mountaineer trip that I took was booked through them.

One other option would be to book this independently. The Pacific Coach Lines Vancouver to Victoria bus will include the ferry to the Island. Due to the Budd car's early departure from Victoria, an overnight stay would be required. The Empress is quite close to the Via station. The following day you could ride to Courtenay, then return to Nanaimo. A few blocks away from the Via station there is located the Greyhound station. The Greyhound bus back to Vancouver includes the ferry for your return trip. Both Pacific Coach Lines and Greyhound serve the Via (ex-CNR) station in Vancouver, where it is easy to make a transfer to the Sky Train, if desired. Be sure to book the Via trip ahead of time. Often, only 1 Budd car is used which makes seat reservations a must (plus one can generally save on Via with an advance booking).

Jeff Geldner
Yosemite National Park, California

As long as you are on Vancouver Island, don't miss the opportunity to (a) visit the former Canadian Forest Products Englewood Logging railway at Woss, BC, about halfway between Campbell River and Port McNeill. You'll cross (under) the tracks about an hour north of Campbell River.

I also highly recommend the BC Ferries ride after a summer dinner from Port McNeill to Sontula, Alert Bay and back.

And the last two Martin Mars firebombers are located at Sproat Lake.

Rail Travel Center's Totem Rail Circle includes the VIA Canadian, the Skeena and the Malahat Dayliner. Details on our program are on-line at http://www.railtravelcenter.com/Totem%202008.htm

The Rocky Mountaineer's Totem Rail Tour does NOT include the Malahat on the island in 2008.

Carl Fowler
Rail Travel Center

When I rode the Malahat a couple of years ago, it consisted of a pair of RDC's. Is that still the case, and if so, do the RDC's have enough power to carry a dome car during peak season? I would be willing to pay more than double the normal price for a dome seat on this train.