September 14, 2013:

 

            I got up at 8:00 am and got dressed.  I went to the lobby for breakfast. After, I returned to my room and finished packing. I then checked out of my hotel and walked to Banff Trail C-Train station. I bought a ticket and boarded the next train. I rode to City Hall station where I filmed the train pulling out.

 

            Earlier this year there was a flood in Calgary. Trevor and Mary weren't flooded but the flood did disrupt C-Train service for days. It even partially washed out a railway bridge and derailed a train travelling across it. Fortunately no one was injured. I took some pictures of pictures from the flood.

 

 

 

 

            The route #202 C-Train arrived and I got on. I didn't see anyone from the charter until Marlborough station. We talked a bit before we got off at Rundle. There were a couple other people attending the charter at Rundle. I walked over to a nearby gas station and bought a Pepsi to drink and then walked back.

 

            Slowly more people joined including Kevin Nicol and a guy named Shaun who I know at TTS. When I graduated from SAIT and returned to Toronto back in 2003, I showed Shaun a picture of Calgary Transit fishbowl #1122 because he knew that I liked GO Transit fishbowl #1122. When he say the number he said, “1122, oh no!” However, Calgary's #1122 was retired in 2004 or 2005 unfortunately.

 

            Soon, I saw our charter bus. It was fishbowl #1156. I photographed it.

 

 

 

            We got on the bus and we headed out. I bought the 2013 Streetside Guide for a friend for $25.00.  I saw that David Onodera, who was working for Timmins Transit back in 2006; was also on the charter. There was someone who remembered me from the Kingston Transit fishbowl #7975 charter back in 2004!

 

            Our first photo stop was at an “auto trap”. Calgary installed auto traps at various locations to regulate traffic. They are designed to stop cars from entering an area by trapping them in a small pit. However, buses can safely pass over them.

 

 

 

            #1156 was signed up for route #33. When I was at SAIT, I rode fishbowls on the #33 on several occasions. We then filmed our charter bus passing over the auto trap safely.

 

 

            We then photographed a D40LF passing over the auto trap.

 

 

            We got back on and headed out. We drove on a really bumpy road near the Calgary Zoo. Some people on the charter joked that the rear end of the bus would fall off! Our second photo stop was near Sultana C-Train station. We posed the bus with the elevated section in the background and waited for the first train to pass.

 

 

            We then went over to the Sultana station itself and photographed our charter bus.

 

 

            Next, we stopped on 7^th Avenue and photographed #1156 with service buses and C-Trains.

 

 

 

 

            We then drove through Calgary Transit's Victoria Park garage non stop. I did snap a couple photos from the bus.

 

 

 

            Next, we drove up a very steep hill. On a previous charter (which I wasn't on) the bus barely made it up the hill and the bus had fewer people than our charter bus! Our charter bus struggled to get up but fortunately, it didn't stall nor did black smoke come out. Once at the top, we posed the bus with the Calgary skyline in the background.

 

 

 

 

I don’t know how this photo turned out like this, it just did.

 

 

 

            I overheard that residents on that street don't like it when buses come. Fortunately, no one gave us trouble. However, it did remind me of a charter using a Mississauga Transit Orion 6 that went into a cul-de-sac and an annoyed woman came out wielding pinking shears! I wasn’t on that charter, but read about the woman on the Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board.

 

            We then drove through a Southland yard and then stopped at another. At this yard were several Classics and New Flyer D40 high floors which came from Vancouver. One was still in the Vancouver livery! I got to go for a brief ride on one of the D40s. This was the first time in years that I rode a D40hf. I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Our charter bus was moved beside one of the Classics. I took some more photos.

 

 

            The group photo was also taken at the garage.

 

 

            We then headed out. We passed a yard with a Provost Highway coach in it. A few minutes later, I photographed and ex Calgary Transit fishbowl that had been converted to a burger stand.

 

 

            We then got on the highway. I filmed part of the highway portion. We got stuck in traffic for a few minutes.

 

            Our lunch stop was next. We had lunch at the Westbrook Mall which is near Westbrook C-Train station; now the only underground station on the C-Train network. I took some photos before I went inside.

 

 

 

            The place I had lunch had a woman who didn't seem very bright. She completely messed up my order, but fixed it when I told her. We then returned to the bus and headed out.

 

            Our next photo stop was at the 69^th Street station.

 

 

 

 

            I spoke with someone from Calgary. I told him how I lived there and that I remembered when the C-Train ran from Fish Creek to Brentwood. He said he remembered when it ran from University to Anderson.

 

            Our next photo stop was by a pair of auto traps that routes 4 and 5 run past. Unlike the auto trap we visited earlier, this one had a bypass for buses in the event a car did get stuck. However, there have been occasions that a car got stuck in both traps at the same time from what I've heard!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Our next photo stop was at the Spring Gardens bus garage. This wasn't the first time I've been to that garage. Back in 2002, I had been looking for fishbowl #1122 and when I found it, I photographed it. The driver why I was taking pictures and when I gave him an honest answer, he asked if I would like a tour of the bus garage. How could I say no? However, since I left, Spring Gardens has apparently undergone renovations.

 

            Two buses were pulled out. The first was fishbowl #1046. #1046 is the last fishbowl in service to wear the two tone blue livery. #1046 was parked beside our charter bus.

 

 

            The second bus was D40hf #7001. Calgary only bought 10 D40hfs back in the early 1990s and only #7001 is still active. When I was going to SAIT, I rode the D40hfs in service a few times and photographed them a couple times.

 

 

            I then photographed 1156, 1046, and 7001 together.

 

 

            I also photographed Calgary Transit CNG Nova LFS demo unit #8204 and a XN40 demo bus.

 

 

 

            A security guard approached us because he didn't know we were allowed to be there. However, we convinced him. I was under the impression that we'd be taking #1046 back to Rundle station. However that wasn't the case. They put #1046 and #7001 away. I did take a couple more photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            We got back on #1156 and drove to the back of the garage. When we got back there, we photographed some retired fishbowls and Classics.

 

 

 

Click here to see a tribute to fishbowls in Calgary between 2002 and 2013:          Calgary fishbowl tribute

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            We then left Spring Gardens and returned to Rundle. The charter was now over. I took some more shots of #1156.

 

 

            I waited for the bus to leave. When it did, I filmed the bus pulling away and took one more photo.

 

 

            I decided to go into a nearby mall to see if there was a TD Canada Trust in there but there wasn't. I had been to that mall a few times when I was at SAIT. I then walked back to the C-Train and caught a train downtown. I got off at 6^th Street and walked a couple blocks to a TD Canada Trust and used the ATM. After, I stopped in a Max's store and bought what would be my supper and a drink. I then walked back to the C-Train. I noticed there were a lot of ladybugs crawling around the C-Train downtown.

 

            When the train arrived, I got on and rode two stops to Sunulta. I photographed the train after I got off.

 

 

            I then filmed the train pulling out. I then walked to the Greyhound terminal. Once inside, I phoned my mom's cousin Garth. Garth was living in Calgary when I was going to SAIT but he retired some point after I graduated and moved to Edmonton. We had arranged for him to meet me in Edmonton. I asked him if I should get off in downtown Edmonton, or the stop on the south side. He told me downtown.  I then bought a ticket to Edmonton. After, I ate my dinner and waited for my bus to board. I worked on this report for a few minutes.

 

            Boarding began around 5:50 pm. I was in a Greyhound bus in the new livery with leather seats and Wi-Fi on board. The bus departed on time. As we drove through downtown Calgary, I filmed the CP office with an old steam locomotive out front. A few minutes later, we were running alongside the route #202 C-Train and I filmed a train at the Calgary Zoo station. We then got on Edmonton Trail and headed north. I attempted to use the Wi-Fi but found it worked sporadically. I also worked on the report during the ride.

 

            The bus stopped in Red Deer. We were allowed out to stretch. While I was outside, I photographed the bus.

 

 

            I couldn't get inside the terminal building, so I stayed close to the bus. I then got back on and the bus departed. I worked on this report and watched a DVD. The sun went down.

 

            Awhile later, we were approaching Edmonton. We ran alongside the CP line and ran beside a CP intermodel. We stopped at Edmonton South. The stop was quick and we soon departed. A few minutes later, we crossed the Saskatchewan River and went into downtown Edmonton. We passed Jasper Avenue which looked barren without the trolleybus wires since trolleybus service {stupidly} ended in May of 2009.

 

            The bus arrived into Edmonton a few minutes early. I got my suitcase and went outside. I filmed the CN building where the CN wet noodle logo lit up in stages. Garth wasn't there. I phoned him and told him my bus was early.

 

            Garth arrived a few minutes later. We headed up to the hotel I was staying at which was a Howard Johnson. I checked in. Garth told me he'd call me tomorrow about going to Fort Edmonton Park. I then went to my room and worked on this report for a few minutes. I then walked over to a 7-11 and bought some milk. I then returned to my hotel. I eventually called it a night.

 

Click here for my trip to Fort Edmonton Park:     Edmonton part 1