Large Scale Central

Rocky Mountaineer

I’ve been talking to wife about taking the train through the Canadian Rockies, so we finally did it.
The scenery is, of course, spectacular - this is Two Jacks Lake, which we visited on the coach ride from Calgary to Banff, where the trip started.

They have several options besides just booking the 2 or 3 day trip through the mountains. You can go either direction, though at the moment Jasper is out-of-action due to the fires.
We booked a week, arriving in Calgary, coach to Banff (with side trips,) then a free day in Banff. Two days on the train and then a free day in Vancouver.

Banff was spectacular, though I got altitude sickness after a trip on the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mtn (7500 ft.) This flag was made from the side of an old boxcar, and is on the wall at the center at the top. [It was snowing and 36 deg so we stayed indoors.]

The train was waiting for us. a trio of SD-40s, refurbished from somewhere. Lots of refurbished cars for HEP, etc.

This is the inside of our new (not refurbished) dome car. (I think the same ones are used by cruise ships up in Alaska?) We had “Gold Leaf” service, where you have a separate dining room downstairs.

The line is pretty curvey, so I got shots of the train. There’s an end platform out in the open air which facilitates reflection-free photos.

After Banff and a brief stop at Lake Louise, we climbed the mountains and crossed the Continental Divide at about 5,400 ft. (Lake Louise is at about 4,800, I think.) There was a lot of rail traffic, and we kept being diverted in to sidings [put in the hole,] so that trains could pass going the other way. We were here for 30 minutes while 3 long freights went by. Double-stacks, oil tankers, ore cars, you name it , but mostly unit trains. I think the second unit is a KCS?

You spend a night in Kamloops, BC, and as there are no sleepers, they bus you to a hotel. The railyard is their maintenance hub too. The scenery changes to semi-arid desert here.

For some part of the Thompson River Canyon we got a break from opposing trains, as the CP and CN run either side, and have an agreement to share tracks so they run east on CP and west on CN. Here’s a long auto-rack train on the other side of Thompson Lake.

This is Hells Gate on the Fraser River. The CP track is just above on the hillside.

And finally, here’s the largest railyard in BC [Canada?] - included for obvious reasons: Thornton Yard, Vancouver.

Vancouver was a fun place to visit. #374 is in a little museum - it was the first loco to arrive when they finished the trans-canada.

And down in Gastown, for you live steam fans, is a Live Steam Clock. This video shows it much better than my photos.

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Afterthoughts. The trip isn’t quite as fabulous as you might think. Anyone contemplating a trip should read the reviews on Tripadvisor.

There are two major things to be aware of: this isn’t a regular train and has no internal corridor, so you can’t walk to the next car. And it doesn’t stop, so you can’t get off and stretch your legs. It is a tribute to the car designer that we survived two 12 hr days in those seats! We could move around, but still. .

The other issue is that they schedule everything for an early morning departure so you get to a hotel late and have to find your outfit for the next day, get some sleep, and get on the bus early the next day. Out of the 7 days, we were sleeping on 5 different hotels and only had 2 break days, when we didn’t have to get up and leave before dawn. [We stayed on EST which compensated a little.]

Thanks Pete,

I’ve got a significant B’day coming up in a few years soon. I’ve hinted to family that doing the Canadian transcon is a bucket list thing so your post is very timely.

Cheers
N

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I believe the “Canadian”, the transcon run by Via Rail, is a different kettle of fish.

Royal Canadian Rockies Experience

This exclusive 4 night, 5 day rail excursion begins in Calgary, Alberta- a city rich with beautiful landscapes, picturesque skylines and urban vibrancy. Departure Date(s): At this time we are not able to confirm when our luxury tours will resume. Please join the waiting list for the trip you are interested in to be contacted once dates are confirmed.

Duration: 4 Nights, 5 Days

Departs From: Calgary, Alberta

Starting At: $14000 CAD / person

Explore

Limited to 24 guests

Yessiree a total difference. I look into it a couple years back

Also note that they have three separate itineraries, each priced accordingly:

Royal Prairie Express

This luxury excursion is 3 nights and 4 days. The Royal Prairie Express luxury excursion departs from the Vancouver area. Departure Date(s): At this time we are not able to confirm when our luxury tours will resume. Please join the waiting list for the trip you are interested in to be contacted once dates are confirmed.

Duration: 3 Nights, 4 Days

Departs From: Vancouver, B.C.

Starting At: $11500 CAD / person
And last but not least

Royal Pacific Express

This luxury excursion is 3 nights and 4 days. Departure for the Royal Pacific Express luxury Excursion departs from Canadian Pacific’s Corporate headquarters in Calgary Alberta. Departure Date(s): At this time we are not able to confirm when our luxury tours will resume. Please join the waiting list for the trip you are interested in to be contacted once dates are confirmed.

Duration: 3 Nights, 4 Days

Departs From: Calgary, Alberta

Starting At: $11500 CAD / person
Make it a trip to remember. :innocent:

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Hollywood,
At those prices I’d want to be awake for every minute and at the end of the trip be frustrated that I hadn’t experienced the gentle rocking of the coaches while I slept.

That’s kinda what daredevils ( sometimes :rooster: 's ) say after the ambulance ride to meet the med-A-vac chopper flight arriving at the trauma hospital.

With the
’ Please join the waiting list for the trip you are interested in to be contacted once dates are confirmed.’
note, I’d say it may take a little while to get enough passengers to fill a train.
Then again you might could have a whole car to yourself if they have a set schedule. Just thinking out of hand. JMHO YMMV :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: :smirk: :innocent: :sunglasses:

That’s one of the problems with Amtrak’s and these other cross-country trips. The best scenery may be in the dark while you are asleep.

Seems to me somewhere along the line I heard mentioned that the reason the Canadian run was the better choice was because it times its runs through the scenic areas for daylight hours running from east to west travel. I could be wrong.

The Rocky Mountaineer runs either way, and only in daylight, so you don’t lose any scenery. The Via “Canadian” and the Amtrak “Southwest Chief” both trundle along at night.

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Thank you Pete, so the rocky mountaineer is the way to go.

Depends on the direction, last trip we were a little late so saw things that should have been during O’dark:30. Some trains what you see in daytime in one direction , you go thru that area at night other direction , the 2 most scenic rides are the California Zephyr and Empire Builder. zephyr goes thru Rockies daytime in both directions, the Empire builder , you miss Idaho and parts of Montana overnight but short to Glacier National Park in morning and thru it during day eastbound, westbound it’s nighttime , but the cascades and Snowqualmie are daytime . So get most , but miss some of it! Best to do a round trip!

Yes, if you can handle the issues I described, like 12 hrs in one seat.

I hear you on that Pete and I know if there had been a room you’d have gone that route

OK…but what if it was 12hrs in a lazyboy recliner with a TV in front of you. Would that make a difference?

Wait,
Edit: to answer my own question…

YES,
You would wake up half way through the trip because someone turned off the TV and then be pissed off because you missed the rest of the game and 1/2 of the train trip then bitch about that!

Pete, thanks for all the travelogue and insights.

Linda and I took the California Zephyr from Sac to Reno a couple years ago. Daytime through the highest parts of the Sierra’s, wonderful.

Too short though! So this year, as part of our 40th, we’re taking the Zephyr from Denver to Chicago, and then Chicago to DC. Both legs have some sun time, then night time, then more sun time.

You will have seen many more spectacular scenic views then we will on our trip. Even so, this has been on our bucket list as well, for a long time. And perhaps we’ll be able to rail across Canada some day. Thanks for that inspiration.

I have ridden several long distance routes, Southwest Chief from Chicago to Flagstaff, and Texas Eagle/Sunset Ltd both ways from Phoenix( Maricopa 40 miles south) to Chicago and from Chicago to Phoenix. Enjoyed almost everything about the trips. We have done coach, roomette and bedroom( shower/ toilet in room and where the beds are is the big difference). Last trip onTx Eagle was last year and we had the “Flex” dining , Heat it up food that definitely was a huge step down from their regular dining . Roomette your bed is either head and feet in direction of travel, while bedroom the beds are 90degrees to the travel, some people have issues with that .

I’ll try to unread that, Pete. :grinning:

[edit]

Those are great insights, Pete, thank you.

That has me wondering about the potential middle of the night conversations on board…

Good thing though is that my wife got (through her doctor) some legit prescription sleeping pills, just for this trip. And I might acquire a mini bottle of Fireball for the same purpose… :thinking:

I thought laying 90 degrees to railway travel was only an issue in Canada?!

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