From Vancouver
Romancing the Rails
By Gord Gage
The train winds its way through the mountains. O
f all the journeys to take in one’s lifetime, trav- elling by train across a continent has to be one of the top choices on anyone’s bucket list. VIA Rail Canada, provides the opportunity to see
the country as a continuous kaleidoscope of magnificent vistas unrolling right outside your window. Te scope of this trip was evident from the air as we flew
from the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport to Vancouver to travel back east to Toronto on VIA Rail’s Canadian train. Tough this is only a portion of their ser- vice, it is a journey unlike any other. Te Canadian has been providing passenger service
since its inception in 1955, tracing many of the routes that go back to the building of the transcontinental rail- road that opened up the west with the first trip from Montreal to Port Moody, B.C. back in 1886. Your first experience can only be related to movies you
have seen as you step into the Pacific Central Station and walk beside the rail cars while porters cart your luggage aboard. Te sounds of hissing steam, whistles and clang-
56 • Summer 2015
ing bells disappear as you step up into the train car and are shown to your seat. Te Canadian provides a number of choices when it comes to travel accommodation, in- cluding staterooms such as the Sleeper Plus which of- fers superb luxury for two people, with all the comforts of home. With a final loud whistle comes the inevitable “All Aboard” and, moments later, a tug as the train slowly slips out into the late evening light to begin the journey east into the snow-capped mountains surrounding Vancou- ver. Tere is just something different and special about the feeling you get as you glide through a city on a train, gazing out the window, leaving all the hustle and bustle behind. Not long after getting underway, the porter arrives to
turn down the beds and inquire about your preferred sit- ting time for breakfast. Once again, here is another unique experience – sleeping on a train, something not hard to do as the clickity-clack of the rails and the gentle sway of the car carries you through the rolling hills.
The Hub
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102