February 8, 2023:

 

            I got up and got dressed. I went downstairs and got breakfast. I took it back to my room. After breakfast, I went online for awhile before I headed out. I walked to the store and bought another RTC day pass. I then went across the street and boarded a Nova LFS on route #1. I rode to the transfer area downtown.

 

            I got off and waited for a Van Hool. One eventually showed up on route #4. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

 

            I was able to take some interior shots of the bus.

 

 

 

            The bus soon departed. I rode a few stops before I got off and filmed the bus pulling away.

 

 

 

            I then boarded a Nova LFS on route #86. I rode a distance past the Fleur-De-Lys mall. We crossed over a rail line; most likely the line VIA uses into Quebec City. I got off and then boarded Nova LFS #0727 on route #74. I rode it to near the McDonalds I ate dinner at the night before and photographed it after I got off.

 

 

            I filmed the bus pulling away. I heard a train whistle, but didn’t see anything. I had lunch. After lunch, I caught a route #802 bus to where it meets route #801. I just missed a bus on route #801. I waited for the next bus. The next bus came and I rode to the Parliament stop. I knew all the afternoon express bus runs would stop there.

 

            I waited for awhile. I saw the first express buses would arrive in about an hour. I decided to kill time by heading to place Jacque-Cartier to try to photograph a Van Hool. I boarded a bus on route #801 and rode two stops. I got off and waited around. I eventually saw a Van Hool running on route #1. I photographed it.

 

 

            I then caught a route #800 bus back to where I was. I waited for the express buses to show up. I had gone there because I knew some older buses would probably be used on the express routes. I photographed various buses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Eventually RTC Nova LFS #0604 showed up. I figured it was as good as it gets that its two older active sisters would not come out. I photographed the bus before I got on.

 

 

            I rode the bus to the North side of Quebec City. I attempted to film #0604 as it pulled away after getting off.

 

            I then had to get back to downtown Quebec City. I saw Nova LFS #0605; RTC’s fourth oldest bus. I attempted to board but found it was on a school special. I photographed the bus and filmed it pulling away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I missed a bus on route #72 which would take me to a terminal to connect to the route #801. I waited awhile. I the choice of routes #3 and #72 and would ride the first bus. Route #72 came next. I photographed it.

 

 

            I rode to the terminal and got off. I photographed other buses in the terminal.

 

 

 

            I boarded a bus on route #801. I got off where route #801 meets #802. I boarded a bus on route #802 and rode to the Fleur-De-Leys mall. I was going to try to have dinner at the food court. However, I found it to be closed despite the fact it wasn’t quite 6:00 pm! I was a little annoyed, but I knew I had two fallback options for dinner in the area. I had a massage at a coin operated massage chair before I left the mall. I had dinner at an A&W a couple blocks away.

 

            After dinner I caught a route #802 bus back to my hotel. I walked back and went online. I worked on this report some more. I went out to a nearby Subway restaurant and bought a bottle of Pepsi. I then headed back to my hotel and worked a little more. I packed and set the alarm on my phone before I called it a night.

 

February 9, 2023:

 

            I got up shortly after 6:00 am and got dressed. I went downstairs and got breakfast. I took it back to my room. After breakfast I finished packing.

 

            I proceeded to check out of my hotel. I left and had to dash for the route #1 to the VIA station. I barely made it but still made it. I could have waited for the next bus and still made my train however.

 

            I got to Gare de Palais and waited. I got a chocolate bar from a vending machine. I lined up to board. At one point, another passenger in line began playing the violin!

 

            Eventually, I was able to board the train. I was seated in LRC coach#3369. My train had a P42 and three LRC coaches. I photographed the train before I got on.

 

 

            I had a window seat on the right-hand side of the train. The train left on time. Shortly after we left, I saw the Fleur-De-Leys mall. At one point, I photographed a train trestle.

 

 

            We passed a CN freight outside of St. Foy. We stopped in St. Foy. I attempted to photograph the Quebec Bridge.

 

 

 

            The Quebec Bridge is the longest cantilever bridge in the world. It is known for having collapsed twice during construction. The train crossed over the bridge and then stopped at Charny.

 

            West of Charny we passed VIA train #20. I filmed it from the back vestibule of the train. It had an F40 and Renaissance cars. I went back to my seat. I worked on this report some more. The train stopped at Drummondville. West of Drummondville, train #22 passed. I attempted to film it.

 

            A little while later, we stopped in Saint-Hyacinthe. We soon departed.

 

            The train stopped at St. Lambert a little while later. We were running less than five minutes late. At St. Lambert, an eastbound CN intermodal freight passed. We departed St. Lambert. We crossed over the St. Lawrence Seaway. I attempted to photograph equipment in the yard.

 

 

            We were approaching Montreal. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off.

 

            Normally train #35 would continue beyond Montreal to Ottawa. However, the VIA crew announced that passengers continuing west of Montreal would need to get off as passengers would be getting on a different train set. I was getting off in Montreal regardless. Train #35 arrived into Montreal 18 minutes late. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I then went upstairs. I phoned home and let my mom know I was in Montreal. I then had lunch at the McDonalds in the station. I wasn’t going to attempt to go to Gibeau Orange Julip again. The only thing that would have made me consider is if my train arrived an hour early into Montreal.

 

            I stopped in a convenience store in the station before I joined the line for train #67. Boarding began shortly before 1:00 pm. I was seated in LRC coach #3350. Someone was sitting in my assigned seat. It took a couple minutes to convince him he was seated in the aisle seat but he eventually moved. The train departed on time.

 

            I logged into VIA’s Wi-Fi. At one point, I got up and photographed equipment stored in a rail yard.

 

 

 

 

            I worked on this report some more. VIA train #62 passed, but I was unable to film it. The train slowed to a crawl. However we soon picked up speed again. We were running parallel to the CP main line which meant we were getting close to Dorval. We stopped in Dorval a few minutes later. The crew did an inspection of the train at Dorval. The HEP was turned off as well. Several minutes later, HEP was restored. The train departed at 2:00 pm.

 

            The Wi-Fi was working again. We passed a couple CN freights. We stopped at Cornwall. It was good to be back in Ontario. It was raining outside. We soon departed Cornwall. We passed an eastbound CN freight.

 

            VIA train #64 passed, but I was unable to film it. We passed a CN freight with either an original BC Rail locomotive or CN’s BC Rail heritage unit as a trailing unit.

 

            We passed an eastbound VIA train; presumably train #42. We also passed an eastbound CN intermodal.

 

            The train stopped in Kingston a little while later. We soon departed.

 

            Train #44 passed, but I was unable to film it. An eastbound CN freight passed and then overtook a westbound CN intermodal. 

 

            East of Belleville, I saw the Grand Trunk GP38 I had seen on Monday but was unable to photograph it. We stopped at Belleville a few minutes later.

 

            VIA train #46 passed around Brighton but I was unable to film it. I did film what was left of the Memory Junction museum. VIA train #66 passed, but I was unable to film it. I bought dinner. We stopped at Cobourg a few minutes later.

 

            As we left Cobourg, I saw two women running. It looked like they have missed the train. It sucks for them. Hopefully they could be on the next train if this is the case.

 

            The sun went down as we passed through Port Hope. West of Port Hope we overtook a westbound CN freight.

 

            Train #68 passed, but it was too dark to film it. We stopped in Oshawa a few minutes later. It was good to be back in GO Transit territory.

 

            West of Oshawa we stopped to let a freight train pass. A few minutes we were underway again. The train passed non-stop through Guildwood.

 

            When we passed the TTC’s Greenwood subway yard, I attempted to film. We were soon getting close to Toronto Union station. I readied my stuff in preparation before I got off. One of my gloves had fallen in behind the seat, and getting it back was a bit hard with how the seat was, but I was able to get it back.

 

            Train #67 arrived 11 minutes late. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I phoned home and arranged to meet at Finch. I got on the subway having just missed a train. The train was held a York Mills for a couple minutes then was slow between North York Center and Finch. I did make it and met my sister before I headed home.

 

Conclusions:

 

            Other then train 26’s lateness, this trip was fun. Compared to the last two trips, this trip was in between. I’m glad I got to Gibeau Orange Julip on the first day and that I got to ride RTC Nova LFS #0604. I would have liked to have ridden its two older sisters on the third day of my trip as well.

 

            As for me, this now makes up for the two years I lost the CNE due to COVID-19. I still have one Covid related trip which I hope to take in early April when I get three days off work. I plan to visit the United States again to “test the waters”. Until next time…

 

Click to go home: