August 25, 2012:

 

            I got up and got dressed. I went to the A&W for breakfast. I was able to find something I liked. I then returned to my hotel and finished packing. I also briefly worked on this report. I then checked out of my hotel and waited for my taxi. My taxi arrived a few minutes early. I got to the VIA station in plenty of time. I paid for my cab and went to the station. I was miles early. I saw the station was closed until 10:15 am. I walked a few blocks to a convenience store and withdrew $40 from an ATM. I then walked back to the VIA station.

 

            I saw that there were a few people there. They looked like they were there for the charter. I turned out to be right. After awhile, I was told the charter bus had left the garage but would be late. The charter was supposed to start at 11:00 am. However, the bus still hadn't arrived. In the meantime, I filmed VIA train 52 when it arrived. I then photographed the train.

 

 

            I then filmed the train departing and took one more photo of the train.

 

 

            The bus showed up a few minutes later. It was GM Classic #8558; one of the two Classics I had ridden the day before. I photographed the bus.

 

 

            There were only nine people on the charter. There were 15 people expected. As a result, I ended up paying $30 for the charter. The bus soon left.

 

            Our first photo stop was on the route 1 on Pitt Street.

 

 

 

            Next, we stopped in front of a Church along Cornwall Transit's route 2.

 

 

 

            Our third photo stop was at the transit centre downtown. #8558 stopped at the same place I boarded it the day before. We photographed various Cornwall Transit buses in service and #8558.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Our next photo stop was by the Cornwall Square Mall along route #3.

 

 

            We waited for the route #3 bus to show up and photographed it alongside 8558.

 

 

 

            Our next photo stop was by the bridge to the U.S.

 

 

 

            We then headed to the Cornwall Transit bus garage. I saw an ex London Orion 2 parked out back. I photographed it, 8558, and other buses in the storage area of the garage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            We were allowed to go into the maintenance area. I photographed Classics #9140 and #9141. I also photographed a mural of a fishbowl on the wall.

 

 

 

 

 

            There are six Classics presently in service with Cornwall transit. Our charter bus is the only GM Classic in service and is ex Quebec City.

 

            In the meantime, Classic #9138 had been backed out of the garage and posed with our charter bus. Classics 8558 and 9138 are the only two buses to lack electronic destination signs. I photographed the two buses.

 

 

            We then had the group photo in front of 8558 and 9138.

 

 

            In the meantime, I got to photograph Cornwall Transit 2003 vintage Orion 5 #0360.

 

 

            Our driver then put Classic #9138 away. We then got back onto the bus and headed out. Our next stop was at the Megabus terminal which was also our lunch stop as there's a Subway restaurant there. I photographed #8558 before I went inside for lunch.

 

 

            A Megabus Double Decker highway coach showed up. We photographed it.

 

 

            I then bought lunch at Subway. We then got back on #8558 and headed off. We stopped #8558 at where the Megabus was earlier and had a photo stop.

 

 

 

            We then departed and had a draw for various items. I won a toque. Since it was over 30 degrees out, it was no use in the short term!

 

            We then got on the highway and drove along it. I noticed the bus was kinda slow. We got off and had our next photo stop in front of the Eastcourt Mall. I photographed the bus with the Zellers in the background as Zellers has been bought out by Target and various stores in my area are having closing sales prior to conversion to Target stores.

 

 

 

            We got back on the bus and headed off. Our next photo stop was by the river near NAV Canada.

 

 

            Many people who were from the Montreal area were photographing the water because it was clearer than in Montreal. We got back on the bus and drove around NAV Canada before we returned to the VIA station so people could catch train #60 to Montreal. I was told that if I rode #8558 back to the garage, I wouldn't make train 65. I decided to get off there. I photographed #8558 before I walked half a block away and filmed #8558 as it left.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then walked back to the VIA station and waited. I had over an hour before train #65 was scheduled to depart. While I was waiting, I photographed an eastbound CN freight and a hi-rail truck.

 

 

 

 

            Train #60 was scheduled to depart Cornwall at 3:51 pm. Close to that time, I saw an eastbound train. At first, I thought it was #60 but it was another eastbound freight. I photographed it.

 

 

 

            Train #60 arrived nine minutes late. I filmed it pulling in and then photographed it.

 

 

            I then filmed the train depart. I noticed it had a HEP 1 coach on the rear. I took one more photograph of the train.

 

 

            I then went back to waiting for train #65. No more freight trains passed. I watched the news   on TV in the station. I learned that Neil Armstrong; the first man on the moon had passed away at age 82. Train #65 arrived six minutes late. I filmed it pulling in.

 

 

            I was seated in unrebuilt LRC coach #3369. The train soon departed. I pulled out my computer and worked on this report some more.

 

            Train #65 has assigned seats and I had a window seat on the right hand side of the train.

 

            We passed through Brockville non-stop. Train #64 passed on the other side of the train so I was unable to film it. We stopped at Kingston a little while later. After a few minutes, we departed Kingston.

 

            Just east of Belleville, we passed an eastbound CN intermodel. We then passed through Belleville station non-stop.

 

            As we passed through Trenton Junction, we passed VIA train #48 but I was unable to film it.

 

            As we passed the Memory Junction museum, I filmed it. Later, we overtook a westbound CP intermodel train running on the parallel CP line. We passed non-stop through Cornwall a little while later. The train then passed through Port Hope.

 

            Later, we stopped at Oshawa. It was good to be back in GO Transit territory again. We departed Oshawa a few minutes later. The sun was setting.

 

            The VIA crew announced we were 15 minutes from Union. However, at one point, they almost said Montreal! The train passed through Guildwood non-stop.

 

            As we passed the TTC's Greenwood subway yard, I filmed it. Not so surprisingly, the lights in the H-4 cars in storage were off. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off at Union station.

 

            Train #65 arrived into Union 12 minutes late. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

            I then went downstairs. I hadn’t had supper yet. The food attendants never came past me while I was on the train. Hopefully this is an isolated incident, but still, it’s annoying. As a result, I bought dinner at the McDonald’s in the station which was a bit cheaper than on the train.

 

            I then phoned home and let my mom know I was back in Toronto. I then got on the subway and rode to Finch. While I was on the subway, I helped some girls by telling them what side of the train the doors open at Dundas.

 

            A little while later, we arrived at Finch. I met up with my dad and we headed home.

 

Conclusions:

 

            There were a couple inconveniences I experienced on this trip. First is that if a hotel is going to offer continental breakfast, they should offer it to all guests or none at all. However, the breakfast at A&W plus the cost I paid on the room was less than a room in which breakfast is included. Second is the food servers weren’t paying attention on train 65.

 

            Aside from these inconveniences, the charter was fun. I’m glad I got to ride 8558 and another Classic in service the day before. Cornwall was a decent place to visit.

 

            My next trip is to go for one more ride on a train I’ve ridden a few times over the years before it’s discontinued. Until next time…

 

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