Via Ocean

[Martin w]

I'm off to Aldershot in an hour to take the Via to Montreal. I'll catch the Via Ocean there tonight and arrive in Truro NS tomorrow evening. Driving back at the end of the week when I meet my daughter in Guysborough NS.
Looking forward to a relaxing train ride and time with my daughter.
Martin

 

[slow-poke]

For hops under 500km I actually much prefer to take the train vs. fly, the train is often just as fast when you consider the pre-board times for flying. Train in Ottawa is fantastic, always a pick-up space directly in front of the doors, if you need to park it's 50m away. You can arrive five minutes before departure and you will be on the train.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Enjoy the trip! I find travel by train relaxing. I can't relax as a passenger in a car, plane, or boat. Whenever we go anywhere I always end up driving, but for some reason train travel is the one that allows me to just relax and "get there". I don't know why. Someday I'd like to take the train trip through the Rockies.

 

[Mcgyver]

Enjoy the trip! I find travel by train relaxing.

I find it dangerous.

Forty years ago or so I would frequently take the train to London to visit my bride to be. She'd lovingly be at the station waiting to pick me up. I'd show up after a two and half hour ride in the bar car and just couldn't wait introduce her to all my new found best buddies.

Amazing the crap she put up with. Over the decades she's largely turned me into a civilized man. Mostly.

Someday I'd like to take the train trip through the Rockies.

Likewise, but the CP luxury one, which looks like the nicest is eye wateringly expensive. I think I'd want the luxury if I have to sit for four days

 

[jorogi]

Enjoy the trip! I find travel by train relaxing. I can't relax as a passenger in a car, plane, or boat. Whenever we go anywhere I always end up driving, but for some reason train travel is the one that allows me to just relax and "get there". I don't know why. Someday I'd like to take the train trip through the Rockies.

Been there done that. As a seven year old I immigrated with the family to Victoria from the UK. First week of the adventure was aboard the Empress of England, three memories there. First was the swimming pool, the depth of the shallow end coincided perfectly with my height and second it was not heated, sea water pumped in and flushed out, right nipply as you cruised past icebergs. Last was the long suffering stewardesses whose job it was to keep all the brats entertained, prizes for the games could be legitimately won or had by being an obnoxious noisy brat.

The train was five days, Montreal to Vancouver, boring as all heck for a seven year old. Only two moments of interest there. First was the one hour delay when a buffalo wouldn't get off the tracks but that was at 2 in the morning so I just slept through that. The second was the Rockies, wow. Coming from a hilly country at best, my mind was blown by those rocks. Spent the whole leg of the trip from the foot hills to Vancouver in the front seat of the rear skycar. Watched the front of the train come out of the spiral tunnel before entering it at the rear. It was the only part of that 12 day trip that I wasn't an obnoxious twat.

 

[FatherWes]

I expect trains will be a major transportation link in the future as we strive for reduced fossil fuel consumption and growing populations. Too bad the railways have eliminated rail route after rail route, often turning the land over to real estate developers. Good luck trying to acquire a railway right of way 30 years from now.
The government basically gave those rights of way to the railway companies. If they now choose not to use them as railway corridors, the land should have reverted back to the crown and been preserved as a permanent transportation corridor. Maybe too far-sighted thinking for society today.

 

[trevj]

Yeah, not to put too fine a point upon it, but if the current state of line maintenance by the rail operators, carries on much longer, the only hope for affordable rail transit, is gonna be to build entirely from scratch.

Given the headaches with getting a simple building permit for residential housing, I don't see much future in it.

I was impressed beyond words by the mass movement of people on rail, in London, as well as in Italy. The problem in both cases, is you have to live like one of those crickets in the box at the pet store (feeder crickets) where the only view you have is looking up at three layers of buttholes, trying to make out like it's a good day because it's only three layers.... In both London and Italy, I was pretty happy to leave the crowds behind on departure...

 

[Martin w]

I made it back from Nova Scotia.
I have to say every person who works for Via must love their job. There was not one single person who didn't go above and beyond.
As far as the train ride:
I almost got on the wrong train at Aldershot. Operator error on my part.
Toronto was easy. Except they added another complete train that was going to Ottawa. We got stuck in a gully and couldn't make it up the hill Caused a two-hour delay. They said we may not make the connection in Montreal. In the end they held the train for us. I had to run to catch it.
The Via Ocean is fantastic. Very relaxing and saw lots of scenery. Not crowded. Food was good and reasonably priced.
All in all, was a great trip. 3 guys stole my coat from me in Truro I had to go to value village and buy a cheap one, because it was near freezing.
Spent 2 days in Guysborough and Canso with my daughter. Then we drove home together

 

[Susquatch]

3 guys stole my coat from me in Truro

Wow! NS must have changed a lot since I was there last! Folks in Truro literally left the house and car keys on the car dash. Nobody ever stole anything!

When I asked about it, the locals told me that they take crooks fishing when they act out, so they have no crime there..... Maybe the system is starting to protect the thieves out there now too?

 

[Tecnico]

Wow! NS must have changed a lot since I was there last! Folks in Truro literally left the house and car keys on the car dash. Nobody ever stole anything!

When I asked about it, the locals told me that they take crooks fishing when they act out, so they have no crime there..... Maybe the system is starting to protect the thieves out there now too?

Been a long time since you’ve been out this way! We’ve been doing plenty of catching up. It’s not as bad as more populated points west but not like the old days, still plenty of good people but more of the entitled mixed in with them.

D

 

[pdentrem]

Dad was CNR from 1950 to 96. We used the trains to travel almost every time usually coach, although when we went to Halifax, Dad paid the difference for a roomette.
Mom and dad did the return from Vancouver to Toronto via the train in 2004 after driving out to Whistler with my brother’s new to him car, their old car.
Europe has a much better rail system due to not emphasizing automobiles.
Pierre

 

[Martin w]

Dad served his machinist apprenticeship at the CN yard in Fort Erie. My grandfather worked for the TH&B railway until he retired in 1977
Martin

 

[Susquatch]

Europe has a much better rail system due to not emphasizing automobiles.
Pierre

I don't think that's what happened.

Most of Europe's infrastructure was built around horses. The result was narrow roads and streets with no room for cars and trucks of the future. That also resulted in smaller vehicles. America was wide open spaces and infrastructure built around big cars and big trucks. It wasn't an emphasis of anything. It was just an accident of the timing.

 

[Doggggboy]

Isn't an efficient rail system a function of population density? More people in a small area means more people needing/wanting to go to the same area at a similar time which results in a more efficient rail system which results in less expense which results in more people using the rail system which makes it more efficient and so on and so on?
We've been kinda spoiled here in North America. If we need to make the city able to house more people, we just take up more square miles and let the suburbs and strip malls roll out. We tend to not be bounded by inconveniences like rivers and mountain ranges and those oh so troublesome national borders. Terribly inefficient but cheaper in the short term than building higher, lower or denser.

 

[Susquatch]

Isn't an efficient rail system a function population density? More people in a small area means more people needing/wanting to go to the same area at a similar time which results in a more efficient rail system which results in less expense which results in more people using the rail system and so on and so on?

My comments didn't apply to rail. Only to "not emphasizing automobiles".

I would agree that cost effective rail systems require high population densities. I'd add that they also require a road system that doesn't work well.

 

[trevj]

Isn't an efficient rail system a function of population density? More people in a small area means more people needing/wanting to go to the same area at a similar time which results in a more efficient rail system which results in less expense which results in more people using the rail system which makes it more efficient and so on and so on?
We've been kinda spoiled here in North America. If we need to make the city able to house more people, we just take up more square miles and let the suburbs and strip malls roll out. We tend to not be bounded by inconveniences like rivers and mountain ranges and those oh so troublesome national borders. Terribly inefficient but cheaper in the short term than building higher, lower or denser.

In my limited travels in Italy, I found that the rail service ranged from SuperStar (the high speed, long distance runs) to Suburban, as the little local trains seemed a lot closer in ride and experience, to riding a city bus. Right down to the differences in the accommodation.

I think THAT, is what they got figured out right, they don't cramp the style of the high speed runner, but they also don't cramp the style of the shopping granny! There were choices available for both!

It all seemed so much better run than what I experienced in Canada!