August 21, 2011:

 

            I was woken up in the middle of the night by someone in the next room snoring. It was that loud! I had some earplugs but they didn't help too much. I was eventually able to get back to sleep.

 

            I got up at 6:50 am and got dressed. I went to the lobby and made breakfast. I then went back to my room and finished packing. I then went to check out.

 

            The cab came 15 minutes later. I saw there was another passenger in the cab. Apparently four drivers had called in sick and they were scrambling. I was told they would be picking up a third person at the nearby Hilton hotel.

 

            At the Hilton, the person we were picking up wasn't there. Over the cab's radio, the dispatcher told the cab driver to return to the hostel and drop me off and pick up more people. I would be taken by another cab. That is just what happened. I had never had this happen. However, the second cab showed up a few minutes later and took me to the Amtrak station. Right after I got off, the driver peeled away which made the station caretaker call the company to complain!

 

            I checked in and waited for the bus to come. Unlike back in March when I rode the Ocean, I haven't covered the route the Vermonter takes prior to this trip. Other people began arriving.

 

            The first of a total of three buses arrive around 8:50 am. I would be on the first bus which was a Setra highway coach. I photographed it and the second bus.

 

 

 

            After awhile, we were allowed to board the bus. I was the first to get on. I noticed the seat fabric on the bus was the same as in GO Transit’s 1999 Provosts and 2000 vintage Orion 5s. The bus ended up leaving 19 minutes late. After several minutes, we were on the highway. We bypassed the first two stops and stopped at Randolph. We left a few minutes later.

 

            When we stopped at White River Junction, I photographed the Green Mountain Railway excursion train and a Boston and Maine steam locomotive on display at the station.

 

 

 

            An Amtrak conductor said our bus would make only one more additional stop at Brattleboro. We hit the highway again. I took a nap and woke up outside of Brattleboro.

 

            At Brattleboro, a couple people got off. A lot more got on and I gained a seat mate. We departed a few minutes later and were on the highway again. I had another nap. I woke up a little while later.

 

            Soon, we were approaching Springfield. We got off the highway and soon we arrived at the Amtrak station. I got off the bus and photographed it.

 

 

            I then retrieved my suitcase and went into the station. I saw an Amtrak train which turned out to be a Shuttle train consisting of P42 #63, an Amfleet 1 coach, and a former Metroliner cab car. I photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I realized train #449; the westbound Lakeshore Limited was due in a few minutes. I filmed the train pulling in and then took some photos.

 

 

 

 

            I noticed the train had only a single P42 leading. I figured a second locomotive would be added in Albany. I filmed train 449 departing.

 

            There was a thunderstorm happening outside. I went back in the station and asked when the train would arrive. I was told boarding would begin around 3:10 pm. Since Amtrak is busing people between Springfield and St. Albans, they decided they could save a train set and have the northbound Vermonter be turned in Springfield to become the southbound. However, the northbound Vermonter is scheduled to arrive into Springfield 8 minutes after the southbound leaves.

 

            When the northbound Vermonter arrived, I filmed it pulling in. I saw a bolt of lightning as I was filming the train. I noticed the train had one more coach than normal and that it had P42s 106 and 9 bracketing the coaches. I had ridden behind both these units on previous trips. I then photographed the train.

 

 

            I was eventually seated in Amfleet 1 coach #82516. I had an aisle seat. The train left about 30 minutes late. I pulled out my laptop and worked on this trip report some more.

 

            Just before the conductor took my ticket, the cafe car opened. I went to the cafe car and bought lunch.  A northbound shuttle train passed us. I ate my lunch at my seat. The train stopped at Windsor Locks. After, I began working on this report some more.

 

            We stopped at Hartford. It was raining very hard at Hartford.

 

            The train stopped at Berlin, Meriden, and Wallingford. After we left Wallingford, the conductor announced we were 15 minutes from New Haven.

 

            We passed some ex Amtrak MHC cars and were soon running along the Northeast Corridor. A northbound Regional train passed. We stopped in New Haven. New Haven was a smoke stop. This was also where the two P42s were removed and had an electric locomotive take over. I stepped onto the platform and photographed the train as well as another Amtrak Shuttle train and some CDOT commuter trains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I watched as P42 #9 was uncoupled and replaced with two AEM7s. I filmed the AEM7s being coupled to the train. I then filmed P42 106 reversing through the station before I got back on the train.

 

            We soon departed. As we departed, I filmed some Amtrak power on a siding as well as the CDOT yard.

 

            I then phoned my friend Dan. We kept getting cut off, but I finally got through. I told him the train was late. He said there was the chance that the Vermonter could make up some time. In the meantime, we arranged to meet at Newark station.

 

            The Hep went out for several seconds, but came back on. The train stopped at Bridgeport. We then crossed over a river. An Acela Express train passed. Another northbound Regional train passed us.

 

            The HEP went out again for several seconds and then came back on. Later, a Metro North commuter train caught up to us, but we soon overtook it.

 

            I went to the cafe car. The train stopped for over 10 minutes to let some Acela Express trains pass. We finally started moving again.

 

            I went back to my coach seat. My seatmate was gone, so I sat in the window seat and remained there for the rest of the ride.

 

            Soon, we were approaching New York. I could see La Guardia airport in the distance. We crossed over Hell Gate Bridge. As we passed Amtrak's Sunnyside yard, I filmed it. We then went into the tunnel and stopped at New York's Penn Station. I saw a southbound Acela Express depart. I saw a northbound Acela a couple tracks over. During the stop, I photographed the Acela and a New Jersey Transit commuter train on the track next to the Vermonter.

 

 

 

            After awhile, the Acela departed. Moments later, the Vermonter departed. We passed through two tunnels before emerging outside. It was raining pretty hard. I phoned Dan and let him know where I was. He said he'd meet me on the platform. We passed a northbound long distance Amtrak train. I filmed it.

 

            The Vermonter arrived into Newark on time. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

            Dan was on the platform. We moved to the end of the station and I photographed the locomotives.

 

 

            I filmed the Vermonter depart two minutes late. Dan and I then left the station. It was still raining. Dan told me the long distance train I had seen was the New York bound Silver Star. It had one electric locomotive, a baggage car, two Viewliners, a dining car, a lounge car, and six coaches.

 

            Dan drove me to my hotel. Like on my Dayton-North Carolina trip, I was staying at the Howard Johnson near Newark Airport.

 

            This time Dan knew where to go. We got to the hotel and I checked in. We went to my room. I showed Dan some pictures from my previous trip and of the 40^th Anniversary train. Dan left about 30 minutes later and I phoned home.

 

            I had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. I charged my cell phone and watched TV as I worked on this report some more. I asked for a wake-up call at 7:00 am and eventually called it a night.

 

August 22, 2011:

 

            I got up just before 7:00 am. I got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. After I went back to my room and finished packing. I then went downstairs and checked out and requested a shuttle to the airport. The shuttle came at 7:47 am and left 14 minutes later. It took us to a monorail station where we had to catch the monorail to the terminal. While waiting, I photographed a Continental Airlines Boeing 737 painted in a retro livery.

 

 

            I then got on the monorail and rode to Terminal B. I would be flying on Porter Airlines. Porter Airlines started out in 2006 flying out of Toronto City Center airport after Air Canada Jazz had been evicted a few months prior. Initially, they started flying from Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal, but they've added additional destinations within Canada and the U.S. They fly Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft exclusively.

 

            I checked in and went through security. I had a minor problem with the people having to check inside my money belt, but it was okay and I was able to continue.

 

            I then went to the terminal area and photographed an Air India Boeing 777, a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340, and an El Al Boeing 777.

 

 

 

 

            I went back to waiting, I searched for an outlet and plugged my laptop in and worked on this report some more. Porter changed the departure gate from B51 to B52.

 

            The plane I would be flying arrived just before 9:30. I photographed it.

 

 

            I went back to waiting. I charged by Ipod. I overheard that the flight was full.

 

            Boarding began a few minutes later. Porter's planes all have leather seats and I was seated in the fifth row from the front of the plane. From the plane, I photographed another Porter Bombardier Q400.

 

 

            We left the gate on time. I took one more photo of the Air India Boeing 777.

 

 

            We taxied to the end of the runway. I photographed two Continental 757s as they took off and a Continental Connection Bombardier Q400 as we waited for permission to take off.

 

 

 

 

            I filmed the takeoff run and from the train, I could see a New Jersey Transit commuter train on the Northeast Corridor as well as the PATH yard. I was given a form to fill out for Canadian customs. I filled it out.

 

            The flight was uneventful. The flight attendants passed out snacks and I got a bottle of water. I saw Buffalo's airport from the plane. Moments later, we began our descent into Toronto Island airport. My ears began to pop at this point, which made that leg uncomfortable  At one point, we flew over the former terminal for the Breeze fast ferry that briefly ran between Toronto and Rochester. With the Breeze having been gone for over five years, it looked sad and abandoned. I photographed it from the plane.

 

 

Here’s the former terminal for the Breeze fast ferry.

 

            We made a shaky landing. As we landed, I filmed the landing. We got off the runway at the last possible exit and taxied to the terminal. As we taxied, I photographed the terminal with a Porter and an Air Canada Bombardier Q400.

 

 

            Air Canada returned to Toronto's Billy Bishop (Island) airport with a new fleet of Bombardier Q400s, though right now they only fly from Billy Bishop airport to Montreal.

 

            We soon arrived at the terminal. However, it took a few minutes before we could get off because we were waiting for a customer service representative to meet us. After a few minutes we were allowed to deplane. I took two more photos of the plane.

 

 

I was seated above the “o” in Porter.

 

 

            I then went inside the terminal and proceeded to customs. When it was my turn, I had no problems. The agent, however, gave me a survey and envelope to fill out. I then went to the baggage claim and got my suitcase almost right away. I then handed in my form and headed out. I went to catch the ferry back to the main land. On the way, I passed a TV that had the news on and I learned that NDP leader Jack Layton had died from cancer.

 

            To get to the main land, I had to take a ferry. There was a medium line up for the ferry which arrived moments later. I got on.

 

            The ferry to the island airport takes less than two minutes to make the crossing. When we got to the main land, I photographed the ferry.

 

 

            I then took a complimentary shuttle bus to the Royal York hotel which is across the street from Toronto Union Station. The Porter shuttle uses El Dorado do Ez-Riders. I photographed the bus after I got off.

 

 

 

            I walked over to Union Station and used VIA's automated Kiosk to print off tickets for my next trip. I then went to a McDonald's in the station and bought lunch. I then got on the subway to Finch and caught a VIVA bus home.

 

Conclusions:

 

            Aside from the bustitution, this trip was excellent. I wish I had ridden either an STL MCI Classic or an RTL Classic in Montreal. As for the hotel I stayed at in Montreal this time, I'm undecided if it's better or worse than the Hotel Parc Avenue which I stayed at the last few times.

 

            The 40^th Anniversary Train was cool to see so it made this trip worth it. Porter Airlines is a decent airline and I may fly with them again.

 

            My next trip is a day trip to Niagara Falls for a Classic charter in less than a week. Until next time...

 

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