Trans-Canada Rail Trek Day 9
Trans-Canada Rail Trek
Day 9 - October 15, 2007 – Monday – On board The Canadian to Toronto, Ontario
With the time change to Eastern Daylight Time during the night and the dark morning we slept in a little later today. We took our time showering and getting ready for the day. We are learning the ways of “train time” – there is no hurry as there is no place to go!
We continued our ride through Ontario with infrequent stops along the way. We had to stop for fuel, water, and change of engineers each time we passed through a new jurisdiction.
We had a chat with Bevin, our dining car supervisor who has worked for VIA Rail and the Canadian Rail line for 29 years. He told us of his experiences on the job and changes he has seen with the industry.
We walked all the way back to the rear car of the train, a domed observation car with a windowed lower deck for a panoramic view of the countryside.
I tried to take a few photos, but unlike the Rocky Mountaineer, our Canadian does not have anyplace one can go outside to take pictures. Taking pictures through the train windows are problematic as they have water/dirt spots and the glass distorts the image.
The morning went fast as we watched the lake country of Canada pass by and at noon we went to our dining car for a light lunch and sat with travelers from Olympia, Washington.
We met Rosalie after lunch and she gave us our instructions for the final two days in Toronto. She also gave us the Vantage evaluation form which we will turn in on our last day.
We stayed in the activity car ready and working on pictures (included picture by Kathy Coleman) until we made a “15” minute stop at Capreol. We were able to get out and walk around and take in the crisp fresh air.
It was 3 PM when we stopped and the crew quickly began to refuel the train. A few people go off but we were not on our way until 3:30. Every stop takes longer than planned, but that is “train time”.
Once we began to roll eastward, Rosalie got some tour members together in her roomette and we were able to recreate the “how many people can you get into a phone-booth/VW” event. Her room was so small but with a little creativity we managed 12 people with room to spare. Obviously, we had more time on our hands than sense!
As we got closer to Toronto, we began to see the beautiful reds, oranges, and brilliance of the colors of the east! With the green of the pines and the white birch, we were reminiscent of the time we spent in New York and the wonderful fall colors!
We had dinner at 7 PM and were joined by a British couple traveling with Saga. It was enjoyable trading stories of their travels in Canada and ours in England’s Lake Region.
We returned to our room, packed all of our carry-on belongings and read while the train progressed toward Toronto. After several stops and much anxiety on our part we entered the outskirts of the city and looked forward to the end of our rail journey.
We arrived at the Toronto station at 10:30 and after waiting for our luggage and the bus, we were on the bus and heading to our downtown hotel at 11:30. We arrived at the Sutton Place at 11:45, grabbed our luggage and went to our room on the 5th floor.
We quickly hooked up to the internet, $16.95 for 24 hours and sent yesterday’s journal. Gennie caught up with her classes for UOP and then we got ready for bed. We are still feeling our rail legs, the rocking motion similar sea legs. We finally turned off our lights at 12:45.
Sutton Place Hotel (B, L, D)
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Trip Map
Dining Room Car
Engine of Canada Northern
Working on the Journal
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