June 15, 2011:

 

I got up shortly after 8:30 am. Dan was already up. I had slept slightly better than the night before. I got dressed. Dan was leaving this day so he gave me his key. I tried it, but it didn't work right away but eventually it did. I told Dan that I was contemplating staying somewhere else the next time I go to Montreal as a result of the lock being troublesome. Plus the air conditioner didn't seem to work much though I didn't tell Dan this.

 

            I went to the kitchen for breakfast. Dan checked it out before he left. I went back to the room and got my stuff together and then caught a bus to Place-Des-Arts Metro station and caught an eastbound green line train to Barri-UQAM. I then transferred to the yellow line. I was going to La Ronde again. I got to La Ronde six minutes after they opened. I bought a ticket and went inside. I wanted to ride some of the rides I hadn't ridden the day before. Plus I didn't have much planned for the morning, so I figured why not?

 

            I first went to Toboggan Nordique which is like “The Fly” at Wonderland. I got on after a few minutes. After, I got off, I photographed it.

 

 

            I then walked over to Boomerang which is identical to “The Bat” at Wonderland. However it wasn't open yet so I walked over to Goliath and rode it a total of three times just so I could say I had ridden it 5 times altogether. I photographed it after I was done.

 

 

            I then rode Tour de Ville which is like “Swing of the Century” at Wonderland back home. After I got off, I photographed it.

 

 

            I then headed back towards Boomerang. I bought some mini donuts at a stand and ate them on the way to Boomerang. When I got to Boomerang, it was open. I lined up and soon got on. After I got off, I photographed Boomerang.

 

 

            It was kinda hot, so I decided to go on Pitoune next. Pitoune is a log ride that kinda reminds me of a log ride that used to be at Wonderland until the end of the 1995 season when it was torn down and Top Gun built in its place. When I go to Wonderland, I sometimes miss that log ride.

 

            After getting off Pitoune, I photographed it.

 

 

 

            I decided to go for one more ride. However, I saw a TV crew walking around interviewing people. I decided to photograph them.

 

 

 I lined up for Auto Tamponneuses which is a bumper car ride but the cars are more like hovercrafts you control with two levels; one on either side of you. After I got off, I photographed the ride.

 

 

            I then decided it was time to go. However, I got a hand stamp in the event I decided to return later in the day. I caught a route 167 bus back to the Metro. I was the only passenger on the bus!

 

            At Jean-Drapeau, I boarded a Yellow line train to Barri-UQAM. I then transferred to the green line and rode to Atwater where I filmed the train leaving. I wondered if I could catch a bus somewhere on the Orange line. I was right. However, I found Atwater was next to a mall which I explored and at one point I had a massage at a coin operated massage chair. After, I caught a route 90 bus to Vendome Metro. I had some difficulty finding the stop but soon did.

 

At Vendome, I looked around for a few minutes and caught an Orange line train to Cote-Vertu and had lunch at a nearby Taco Bell. After lunch, I wandered back to the station and hung around for a few minutes before I got on the Metro and rode to Lucien D'Allier station because when I was there on Monday, I saw some STM Classics parked there.  When I got to the station, I saw an AMT train with an ex GO Transit F59PH still in GO colours in the station. I photographed it.

 

 

            I saw an STM Classic a block away from the station. It turned out to be #14-074. I photographed it.

 

 

 

            Six minutes later I saw two more Classics pull up. They were #14-149 and 15-118. I photographed them.

 

 

 

            Soon another Classic pulled up; #14-136. I watched as the driver parallel parked it in between 14-149 and 15-118. I then photographed 14-136.

 

 

            I figured no more Classics would come so I walked over to the nearby Windsor station which is no longer attached to the line. When Canadian Pacific was running passenger trains, they served Windsor station. I took some pictures.

 

 

This was once the train shed at Windsor station.

 

 

 

 

            I could almost imagine looking out and seeing the Park car of the Canadian outside. I walked back to Bonadventure. I bought an RTL OPUS card and waited for the first route 55 bus to show up. I was the first in line. I decided that if the bus wasn't a 9-000 series Classic, I would let other people go in front of me. However 9-005 pulled up and I got on. The bus soon departed. From the bus, I saw Classics 9-001 and 9-030. I rode it across the river into Longueuil. I got off and filmed 9-005 pulling away.

 

 

            I then walked a few blocks and arrived at the Saint-Lambert VIA/AMT station. I went inside for a few minutes. I picked up Amtrak's latest timetable and filmed an AMT train arriving. I then walked over to the crossing I filmed the Ocean back in 2006. I photographed some AMT trains and a CN freight led by a SD70M-2, GP9, and a slug.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s an instant difference in decades for you!

 

 

            I called Julie a couple times to find out when the Montreal bound Adirondack was due. At first, it was on time, but was soon delayed by 41 minutes. Meantime another CN freight passed. I photographed it and some more AMT trains.

 

 

 

            VIA train 26 passed. I filmed it. It consisted of a P42 and four unrebuilt LRC coaches. Several minutes later, two more AMT commuter trains passed. The Ocean soon passed. I saw that it was running combined with the Chaleur. I filmed it passing. I saw that it had two rebuilt F40s in the consist including 6407 which I believe to be a recent rebuild. It was led by unrebuilt F40 6440. I also saw there was no Park car on the rear of the Ocean so Tourist class hadn't started yet. However, I knew it would begin soon.

 

 

No Park car yet; {sigh}.

 

            Once the Ocean had left, I walked to the bus stop to wait for a bus to Terminus Panama. I decided to head back to the crossing in case the Adirondack came through before the bus arrived. However, I saw the bus in the distance and ran back to the stop. I rode to Terminus Panama and saw one of RTL's new LFS Articulated buses. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            The driver asked something in French that I believed to about why I was taking pictures. I told her “I like buses”. She was okay with that. I rode back to Terminal Centre-Ville and bought dinner in the McDonald's in Central station. I then rode the Metro to Mont-Royal and waited for a bus back to Parc Avenue. While waiting, I saw an orange and white cat that I played with while waiting. The bus came a few minutes after the cat left. I rode back to Parc Avenue and went to my hotel. Since the bus was first generation Nova LFS, I photographed it.

 

 

Back at my hotel the lock on the door was still a little troublesome, but not as much as before.

 

            I went inside and worked on this report some more. I also went on the CPTDB and reported riding RTL 9-005 and seeing RTL 9-001 and 9-030. I also learned that STM's last MCI Classics in the 11-000 and 12-000 series were all retired. No wonder I couldn't find any! I was feeling pretty hot so I walked over to the Dairy Queen a block away and bought a slush. I walked back to the hotel where I stayed there for the rest of the evening.  I charged my cell phone and changed the battery for my camera. I then started packing before I set my phone's alarm to 8:01 am and called it a night.

 

            June 16, 2011:

 

            I got up at 8:01 am and got dressed. I went to the kitchen for breakfast. After I washed the dishes I used, I headed back to my room and finished packing. I then checked out of my hotel and caught a bus to Place-Des-Arts Metro station. I caught a Green Line train to Lionel-Groulx. I filmed the train leaving. I then went upstairs. I saw an orange line train in the station, but it left before I could catch it. I waited for the next train. When it arrived, I saw it was wrapped. I had never seen a wrapped STM Metro train before. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            I rode the train to Bonadventure. I got off and filmed the train leaving. The first six cars of the nine car train were wrapped to celebrate 150 years of public transportation in Montreal. However, the anniversary won't be until late November. September of 2011 will mark 150 years of public transportation in Toronto as well. Horse car service actually started on September 11, 1861. On September 11, 2011, the TTS will be chartering a four car train of H-4 subway cars for a farewell charter as well.

 

            I walked to Central station to await boarding of train 57 back to Toronto. I got there 40 minutes before departure. My ticket for 57 had been faded from being in my money belt for over a month. However when the train started boarding, it was still accepted since it was still legible.

 

            When I got to the platform, I saw Hep1 coach #8127 was in the consist. I hoped I would be in it, but I was in HEP2 coach 4114 which was right behind it. The conductor asked if I wanted to check my suitcase, but I said no. It reminded me of when I rode train 60 to Montreal on my 2009 Halifax trip. There were 7 coaches on today's train 57.

 

            Train 57 departed on time. I started working on this trip report some more. As we went around a curve, I saw the train was being led by a rebuilt F40 and had an ex CP baggage car. The train stopped at Dorval. We were stopped at Dorval for several minutes before we departed. At one point, I saw an STM Classic, but couldn't tell what its number was. I bought lunch just before 11:00 but didn't eat it for over 20 minutes since I wasn't hungry. I also used VIA's Wi-Fi and logged onto the CPTDB and read that STL's 6000 and 6100 series Classics were all retired, but there was less that 0.01% chance one would return in September. I'm going to assume not!

 

            The train stopped in Cornwall. Several minutes after we left, Train 52 passed, but I was unable to film it. We then stopped in Brockville. West of Brockville, I was able to partially film trains 56 and 54 as they were going to be split. I saw that train 56 was being led by rebuilt F40 6402 while train 54 had a P42. I walked into the Hep1 coach in front of my coach and saw the boxes that normally hold HO scale model trains were empty.

 

            The train stopped at Kingston and Nappanee. West of Nappanee, VIA train 60 passed, but I was unable to film it. We stopped in Belleville. While we were stopped, train 44 passed and I ran to the rear door and took a photo of it.

 

 

            Train 57 departed Belleville shortly after. A little while later, I filmed the Memory Junction railway museum as we raced past.

 

            We soon started running parallel to the CP main line. We stopped in Cobourg. While we were stopped an eastbound CN intermodal passed and an eastbound CP freight passed on the parallel CP main. I watched Unstoppable. We soon departed Cobourg.

 

            The train passed through Port Hope non stop.

 

            A little bit later, we passed Durham Region Transit's Oshawa garage. A few minutes later, we passed an eastbound CN freight as we stopped in Oshawa. We left a couple minutes later. It was good being in GO Transit territory again. I saw a GO train with MP40 #614. We passed a westbound CN intermodal. VIA train 64 passed at the Pickering GO station. Train 64 was being led by a rebuilt F40, but I just missed recording it.

 

            West of Pickering we ran alongside Lake Ontario. The train stopped at Guildwood. Just before we stopped, we passed train 46. After we left Guildwood, I began packing in preparation to get off at Union station.

 

            As we passed the TTC’s Greenwood yard, I filmed it. A few minutes later, we arrived into Toronto four minutes early. We pulled in next to train 66 awaiting its 5:00 pm departure to Montreal. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

A Hep1 coach which occasionally shows up on trains 57/75 and 70/60.

 

            Meantime a longer train 83 backed into the station on the track next to my train. I filmed it. I asked a VIA employee if I could photograph the engine. He said I could.

 

 

            I took a couple more photos of train 83 in the station.

 

 

 

                        I then went downstairs and bought a ticket for the next GO train to Langstaff which was scheduled to depart in about 15 minutes. Soon, the platform was announced. I walked up and waited for the train to pull in. I boarded the second car. The train departed on time. As we departed, I saw another GO train with two F59PHs on the head end. I filmed that train. We arrived into Langstaff about 30 minutes later. I took a picture of the train.

 

 

            When the train departed, I took some more photos.

 

 

 

            I then walked over to the Richmond Hill Centre and caught a VIVA bus south to the next stop. I then walked home.

 

Conclusions:

 

            While I had a blast at La Ronde, the transit fanning part of this trip wasn’t so good. However, I am glad I got to ride RTL 9-005 and ride AMT’s green line to Sainte-Rose. I’m also glad I didn’t have any problems at Montmorency.

 

            As for the Hotel Parc Avenue, I will only stay there again if it’s just overnight and not in the summer since the air conditioner in the room didn’t work as well as the lock being troublesome. With the retirement of STM’s 11-000 and 12-000 series MCI Classics and STL’s 6000 and 6100 series Classics, I’m not sure when I’ll come back to Montreal. However, there’s still a chance.

 

            As for me, my next trip will be at the end of the month when I return to Boston and the Seashore Trolley Museum. Until next time…

 

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