September 24, 2022:

 

            I got up and got dressed. I went out looking for breakfast. I tried to go to the A&W I had breakfast at the day before, but it was closed. I did manage to find somewhere else for breakfast nearby. I then went to catch a route #747 bus to the airport.

 

            I found my pass didn’t work on the #747 but I had taken out a roll of toonies from my bank a few days prior just in case. I rode the bus to Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport. The reason I went to the airport was that it was the only place in Montreal I could rent a car as all the car rental places downtown were sold out. The pandemic forced car rental places to see much of their inventory so with things getting back to normal their fleet was strained.

 

            I had booked a compact car with Alamo car rental from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. They gave me an additional hour for free since it was still technically one day.

 

            Like in previous trips when I booked a compact car, I got a free upgrade to a Hyundai Kona. I then headed out.

 

            I made a couple wrong turns but soon felt I was on the right path. However I drove further and further east of Montreal looking for my next turn I began to wonder. I eventually pulled off and into the parking lot of an IGA grocery store. I also looked in a bank and found I had gone way off course. I had bad directions. I’m not sure if it was Google Maps’ fault (not the first time Google had misled me) or I didn’t copy the directions down properly.

 

            I headed back west and got into a detour. I eventually pulled off the road at a Wendy’s and had lunch. I photographed my car

 

 

Here’s my rental car a Hyundai Kona.

 

            I used the Wi-Fi and got a bearing on where to go to get to Exporail. I headed out but missed a turn and had to drive seven km to the next exit to turn around. I then was able to finally get to Exporail three hours after I left the car rental place when it should have taken about 30 minutes.

 

            I photographed a steam locomotive on display in the parking lot which was the same lot the TTS charter bus parked in 2010.

 

 

            I then walked around to the front entrance and paid my admission. I then went in and photographed former AMT Galley cab car #900 which they got a few years ago.

 

 

            I photographed former AMT coach #1101 which is a former GO Transit single level coach. However the car is not a cab car.

 

 

            I photographed more equipment nearby.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then headed towards a display barn. I saw the John Molson steam locomotive running. I filmed it and photographed it.

 

 

            I then went into the display barn and photographed a couple ex CN locomotives.

 

 

 

            Exporail has a reputation of painting CN locomotives in their Olive and Green livery. They’ve even painted locomotives in that livery that never even worn that livery! Some railfans believe that while the livery is nice, other CN and even VIA liveries deserve to be represented. Rapido Trains paid for a CN FP9 in a museum in British Columbia to be painted in CN’s 1961 Zebra Strip livery which did make the locomotive look sharp.

 

            A museum member was showing people around. He pointed out that a number of streetcars were operational. I photographed them

 

 

 

            I asked if former Montreal PCC #3517 was operational and was told it wasn’t. #3517 is one of only 18 PCCs built for Montreal and the only surviving car. #3517 was the last streetcar in the order and thus was Montreal’s youngest streetcar at the time the system stopped running in 1959. I photographed the car.

 

 

            I then photographed CP Selkirk locomotive #5935 whose class was the biggest steam locomotives in the British Empire. However, Union Pacific’s Big Boy locomotives were much bigger.

 

 

            I then photographed other streetcars and locomotives in the barn.

 

 

 

            I then photographed British A-4 “The Dominion of Canada”. This locomotive in 2014 was actually shipped to England in 2014 for a reunion of the surviving A-4s. In England, it was repainted blue before coming back to Exporail.

 

 

 

            I then photographed more equipment in the barn.

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed equipment outside the barn.

 

 

 

            I then photographed former CN narrow gauge equipment that formerly ran in Newfoundland. It was wrapped in plastic wrap similar to how the Toronto Railway Historical Association wrapped many of their equipment back in 2007.

 

 

 

            I then attempted to photograph what was in the display barn not open to the public by using windows and cracks in the door big enough to slip my camera through. I could make out former Toronto Peter Witt streetcar #2300 which was still under wrap as well as former TTC track plow TP-10. TP-10’s sister TP-11 is preserved at the Halton County Radial Railway Museum and is presently operational.

 

 

 

TP-10 can be seen third from the left.

 

 

 

Here’s TTC 2300 back in 2007 when it was leaving Toronto for Exporail.

 

 

 

            The Halton County Radial Railway has expressed interest in acquiring TTC 2300, but Exporail has declined. HCRR presently doesn’t have any cars they could trade for #2300. Despite the fact HCRR has Montreal and Southern Counties interurban #107, Exporail probably won’t bite if offered. I then took some more photos of equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed former CD RDC-4 #9250 and VIA LRC locomotive #6921.

 

 

 

            I’m not sure if Exporail will acquire an LRC coach in the future. If they did, they wouldn’t be allowed to use it to carry passengers due to how complex maintaining them would be.

 

            I then photographed former Montreal streetcar #1959 which was running that day.

 

 

            I then photographed a former TTC line truck the museum acquired from the Halton County Radial Railway Museum prior to my last visit in 2010.

 

 

            I then went inside the main display building and photographed models of Montreal streetcars.

 

 

 

            I then went to the main display hall. I photographed Sibley Park and former VIA FP9 #6309.

 

 

 

 

 

            Sibley Park’s dome has since been uncovered since the car was moved inside. I then went to photograph former STM MR-63 #81-502.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks weird seeing a steam locomotive out the window of a STM Metro car!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            #81-502 was the first subway car delivered to Montreal. It of course was on the last train of MR-63s as it made its last run on all four Metro lines. After the car retired, it was painted in its as delivered livery. The MR-63s were painted like the MR-73s when the cars were rebuilt in the 80s.

 

            I then photographed former Montreal and Southern Counties interurban #611.

 

 

 

            I then photographed former CN boxcab electric locomotive #6711 which used to run through the Mount Royal tunnel.

 

 

            The Halton County Radial Railway Museum is in the process of trying to acquire #6711’s sister electric #6714 which is preserved in a trolley museum in Connecticut. Upon regauging it to the TTC track gauge in which HCRR presently runs, the locomotive could be made to run on the museum’s line.

 

            I then photographed some steam locomotives including CPR Hudson #2850 which pulled the royal train earning the title “Royal Hudsons”.

 

 

 

            I went upstairs and photographed Sibley Park.

 

 

 

            I then photographed other equipment from the equipment from up top.

 

 

 

 

            I went back downstairs. I photographed some exhibits.

 

 

 

            I then photographed various pieces of equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I went outside and photographed former Montreal streetcar #1959 before I got on.

 

 

            I rode the car around the museum grounds. After my ride, I photographed CP SD40-2 #5903 which they acquired a couple years ago.

 

 

            I then photographed equipment outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I went into the first display barn I went into. Some of my photos were blurry so I deleted them. I retook the photos and a couple more of streetcars in the barn.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed diesel locomotives in the barn.

 

 

 

 

            I then headed towards the miniature railroad. Along the way, I photographed various pieces of equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I missed a departure for the miniature railroad. So I waited for the next departure. When the train returned, I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            The train line runs in a figure 8. I took a few pictures on the train.

 

 

 

 

            We soon returned at the starting point. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I then waited for the train’s next departure and filmed it pulling away. I then photographed streetcar #1959 and filmed it pulling away.

 

 

 

 

            #1959 seemed to remind me of the Hamilton Street Railway’s 500 series cars. The body of one car exists at the Halton County Radial Railway Museum and is being cosmetically restored.

 

For one day, I took a lot of photos. Click to read about the rest of my day at Exporail:  Exporail continued