Kingston Trip:

 

Prologue:

 

            In fall of 2023, VIA began running their new Siemens Charger trains on certain departures between Toronto and Ottawa. I decided I would try to go for the first ride on the trains.

 

            I needed two days in a row to go. As luck would have it I got a Thursday and Friday off in mid February. These were some of the best days to go in my book.

 

            My plan was to ride VIA train #42 to Kingston and spend a night there. The next day I would return home on VIA train #43. Train #42 would have older equipment; either LRC or HEP2. Train #43 is what would have the new trains. The trip unfolded as follows.

 

February 15, 2024:

 

            I left home around 9:45 am. I took the VIVA bus to Finch. I got on the subway and we departed Finch. I saw that due to track work, it might take 5 minutes longer than normal to get to Union. That alone wouldn’t have been a problem as I had plenty of time. It did pose a problem when I learned that there was smoke at track level at Rosedale station. As a result, there would be no subway service between St. Clair and College. This reminded me of a similar incident on my Sault Ste Marie Make-Up Trip when my detour barely got to Union on time.

 

            I got off at Eglinton and boarded Orion 7 #1413 which is one of a few still in the older TTC livery. I rode to Eglinton West Station and caught a train south. When this train got to St Patrick, TTC announced that service on the affected line had been restored. I still got to Union an hour before my train was to depart. At least it was sooner than I got to Union compared to my Sault Ste Marie make-up trip.

 

            I got lunch at the McDonald’s in the station. I joined the line for train #42.

 

            Boarding began around noon. I was seated in HEP2 coach #4114. This coach had been repainted and had seats like the refurbished LRC coaches. I noticed the windows looked foggy.

 

            The train departed on time. I began working on this trip report. As we passed TTC’s Greenwood yard, I filmed it. VIA train #61 passed but I was unable to film it. I logged into VIA’s Wi-Fi and went online.

 

            The train stopped at Guildwood. Train #42 pretty much makes ALL stops between Toronto and Ottawa. I bought a chocolate bar and a Coke when the service cart came by. We stopped to wait for a signal. We were moving a few minutes later.

 

            As we passed Whitby GO, I saw two of the Nova LFS buses DRT had leased from the TTC. DRT leased 10 Nova LFS buses numbered 8650-8659 after they lost 19 buses in a fire at one of their bus garages. I rode one of the buses back in November.

 

            Currently DRT is taking in some second-hand buses and leasing others to fill the shortage caused by the fire.

 

            The train stopped in Oshawa a few minutes later. A westbound VIA train passed on the opposite side of the train so I was unable to film it. My ticket was taken. We stopped at Port Hope. We departed Port Hope and stopped at Cobourg a few minutes later. As we departed, another westbound VIA train passed on the other side of the train so I was unable to film it.

 

            A CN freight passed us. We passed by the Memory Junction railway museum. However, all the rail equipment is now gone. The train stopped at a red signal. We were soon underway. I went to the HEP1 coach behind us but saw the cases that previously held HO scale models were empty. We stopped in Trenton Junction. East of Trenton Junction we crossed a bridge then stopped. The train got underway again. A westbound VIA train passed on the other side so I was unable to film it. We stopped at Belleville. We were running late due to freight traffic.

 

            As we departed Belleville, I photographed a Cando switcher.

 

 

            The train picked up speed. We passed a CN freight with distributed power. We stopped in Nappanee a few minutes later. The train was running 20 minutes late. VIA train #45 passed, but I was unable to film it.

 

            We were getting close to Kingston. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off.

 

            Train #42 arrived 26 minutes late. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I filmed the train departing. I took one more photo.

 

 

            I went to the station and saw a bus heading in the direction of where I was staying. I decided to take a taxi instead. I had a conversation with the taxi driver about VIA trains and how the new trains had a cab car.

 

            I got to my motel. It is not as nice as Great Wolf Lodge, but it’ll do. I went to check in. I had problems checking in because the person in the lobby thought my first name was John!

 

            After getting it straightened out, I went to my room. I went online and phoned home.

 

            I worked on this report for a few minutes. I decided to go out transit fanning. I walked out to a nearby Shopper’s Drug Mart. I was hoping to buy a day pass but could only get a six-ride pass.

 

            I went out to a bus stop and caught a Kingston Transit XD40 on express route #501. I rode to the Kingston Center. I got off and went into a bank and used the Wi-Fi to check to see if any of Kingston’s oldest buses or their electric buses were out. One of the electric buses was out running on route 701/702.

 

            I headed towards the stop. It was snowing pretty heavily. I photographed some buses while waiting for the electric bus.

 

 

 

 

            After 15 minutes electric Flyer #2107 pulled up on route #701. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            I got off at the Frontenac Mall and photographed #2107.

 

 

            I filmed the bus pulling away and took one more photo.

 

 

            I waited for the next bus to come. When it showed up, I got on and rode to the Cataraqui Centre mall. On the way we passed #2107 again. This mall was where on the Kingston Transit #7975 charter almost 20 years ago where the driver offered to sell #7975 for $0.05 after I mentioned how the driver of Niagara Transit fishbowl #7425 offered the bus for $5.00. Interestedly enough, 9-10 years ago, the driver of TTC Orion 5 #9449 offered the bus for $1. So, in the span of 16 years, I could have got a fleet of three buses for $6.05!

 

            I got off at Cataraqui Centre and took some photos.

 

 

 

            I looked around the mall a bit. I had dinner in the food court. I got some milk at a Shopper’s Drug Mart in the mall. When I got to the bus terminal, I saw electric Flyer #2107 go out of service. I then caught a route #7 bus back to my motel.

 

            I got to my room and went online and worked on this report some more. I had to go to the lobby for a minute but then returned to my room where I watched TV and worked on this report. I asked for a wake-up call at 8:00 am and called it a night.

 

February 16, 2024:

 

            I got up and got dressed. I finished packing and checked out of my motel. I walked a block to a restaurant for breakfast. It was annoying having to drag my suitcase through the snow, but I made it.

 

            After breakfast I went to catch a bus to the VIA station. As I made my way to the bus stop, I photographed Kingston Transit XD40 #1363 which is done in the express livery. The back of all Kingston Transit express buses has the line “Express yourself” which is kind of cute.

 

 

 

            My bus came and I rode three stops to the Kingston VIA station. I got off and walked to the station. I had more than two hours before my train. I would use the time to photograph passing trains.

 

            The first trains that came were the combined trains 50 to Ottawa and train 60 to Montreal. I filmed the combined trains pulling in. I then walked to the end of the platform and photographed them.

 

 

            Just as trains 50 and 60 departed, train #61 arrived. I filmed the trains arriving and departing then took photos of the ends of the trains.

 

 

 

            I walked to the front of train #61 and photographed it.

 

 

            Lots of people were boarding #61 today. There were some last-minute passengers. I filmed train #61 departing and took one more photo of it.

 

 

            I went into the station to warm up. I photographed a Kingston Transit Nova LFS painted in the express livery running on route #18.

 

 

            After awhile I went out and filmed train #643 pulling in. I then photographed train #643.

 

 

 

            Someone had written “For sale!!!” and “Gross” on the dirt that had accumulated on P42 #919 which was leading train #643. I filmed the train pulling out and took one more photo of the train.

 

 

            I went back in the station. The next trains that arrived were the combined train 62 for Montreal and 52 to Ottawa. I filmed the trains pulling in. I then photographed them

 

 

            I filmed trains 62 and 52 departing and took one more photo of them.

 

 

            I went back inside. My train was running 7-10 minutes late. I went outside to wait for train #43 which was my train home from Kingston. I saw it come round a curve. I saw that as promised, it had the new Siemens Venture coaches and Siemens charger locomotive. I filmed the train pulling in.

 

 

            The Siemens trainsets run in push-pull configuration. The have a locomotive at one end with a cab car on the other. The cab car was leading #43 today. The trainsets are built in the U.S. My friend Karl in Chicago has seen and photographed at least one or two of the new trains being delivered. I was seated in Siemens Venture coach #2808. I noticed that there wasn’t a luggage rack like on the LRC and HEP2 coaches. I put my suitcase above the seats much like an Amfleet coach. I gained a seatmate right away. The train departed.

 

            I pulled out my laptop and began working on this report some more. I saw there was a screen showing the train and what stops were next like the coaches I rode on Amtrak train #318 on my St. Louis-Chicago trip. I photographed it.

 

 

            I noticed the new trains were quieter than older VIA trains. We passed a couple CN freights. I didn’t see a single freight train while at the Kingston station. We also passed VIA train #40 but I was unable to film it.

 

            The train passed Belleville non-stop. Train #43 would only stop in Guildwood and Toronto. My ticket was taken and I bought lunch. We later were running alongside the CPKC line. We passed an eastbound CPKC freight. It had a mid-train unit that I attempted to photograph.

 

 

            Some point later, we passed another CPKC freight. It had one of the units CP did up for the armed forces as a rear end helper which I photographed.

 

 

            As we passed though Cobourg, we began overtaking a westbound CPKC freight. I photographed various cars.

 

 

 

 

            We also passed VIA train #64 but I was unable to film it. Our train passed under the CPKC freight. I could see that it had a CP unit leading with a KCS unit trailing. I couldn’t photograph it.

 

            The train passed through Port Hope. We slowed down west of Port Hope. We picked up speed again.

 

            Train #42 passed but I was unable to film it. The train passed through Oshawa non-stop. It was good to be back in GO Transit territory again. An eastbound CN intermodal passed. As we passed through Ajax GO station, I saw one of the Nova LFS buses DRT leased from TTC.

 

            We stopped at Guildwood a little while later. As we pulled in, I attempted to film VIA train #44 which was also stopped at Guildwood. A westbound GO train pulled on the track to the right. Both trains departed at the same time. However, we soon pulled ahead of the GO train.

 

            We passed by Greenwood yard but I was unable to film it being on the other side of the train. We were soon nearing Toronto. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off.

 

            Train #43 arrived into Union station 11 minutes late. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            Normally I’d be starting my trip home. However, I went to the skywalk west of Union Station. I was hoping to film the train deadheading to VIA’s Toronto Maintenance Center. As I got to the vantage point past the skywalk, I saw my train was still there. I didn’t have to wait long for the train to leave. When it left the trainshed, I photographed it.

 

 

 

            I filmed the train passing. I then photographed a Union Pearson Express train.

 

 

 

            I then made my way back to Union station. I phoned home and learned that I would have to take VIVA home from Finch. I got on the subway and rode to Finch. I then boarded a VIVA bus and headed to Royal Orchard. I then walked home.

 

Conclusions:

 

            VIA’s new trainsets are pretty nice though from what I’ve seen there’s limited place with storage for suitcases unlike the LRC or HEP2 coaches. The coaches are spacious.

 

            My time in Kingston was good except for the snow. I’m glad I got to ride at least one of Kingston’s electric Flyers.

 

            As for me, I’m not sure when my next trip will be. I do plan to go to Kenosha and Chicago some point this year. Until next time…