September 3, 2022:

 

            I got up and got dressed. I was about to have breakfast when I saw I had overslept and my taxi was there. I scrambled to get ready. Thankfully the taxi waited for me. I skipped breakfast at where I was staying.

 

            The taxi took me to the train station. I paid and went in. I could see Sault Ste Marie Transit #162 was sitting outside. I attempted to photograph it.

 

 

            I went to a nearby restaurant I heard would be open hoping to have breakfast. I had a small bowl of fruit. I photographed a handcar inside the station.

 

 

            I went out and waited for the train to arrive. I photographed #162 again.

 

 

            Soon the train pulled into the station. I photographed it and filmed it pulling in.

 

 

            I was seated in coach #5701, a coach acquired from the Denver Ski Train which is an ex-VIA Tempo coach. My coach is also named “Montreal River”.

            The Tempo coaches were acquired from CN when VIA first started up. They ran in the Corridor between Toronto and Windsor and Toronto and Sarnia. They even made it on the International before they were retired in the mid 80’s.

 

 

Here’s a Tempo coach still in VIA colours as late as 2001.

 

            I took a seat on the right-hand side of the train. Other passengers soon boarded including a large family of 19 people including several children. The train departed seven minutes late.

 

            Shortly after leaving we went around a tight curve. I used the opportunity to photograph the train.

 

 

 

            As we passed the yard where the Agawa Canyon Tour train equipment is stored, I filmed the equipment in the yard. The train crew announced that the yard had an indoor turntable which is one of only two in existence.

 

            The coaches all had screens that showed a head-end view from the lead locomotive. We soon left Sault Ste Marie behind. We passengers were informed how the train was in the Canadian Shield and how it was formed.

 

            I went to the snack bar car and bought something to eat to go with the fruit cup I had earlier.

 

            I first heard of the Agawa Canyon train when I was a kid. However it was using different equipment than was it presently uses. The Agawa Canyon Tour Train made it into one of my elementary school math textbooks being used as an example of division. The train passed beside a highway which may be the Highway #17 which is how I came into Sault Ste Marie last time. The highway and the rail line separated and we passed over a trestle. I took a photo.

 

 

 

 

 

            The train passed by Searchmont which originally was a logging town until the sawmill was closed. However, the town became a ski resort which continues to this day with four chairlifts and 18 runs. I took a photo.

 

 

            The crew then began telling a history on Sault Ste Marie and the Algoma Central Railway. The train passed by various lakes which I photographed throughout the journey. The crew said that there were lots of fish in them. At least one lake has fish supplied by a local hatchery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            The train passed by Mongoose Lake. The lake was named that because it looked like a mongoose. There aren’t any in the lake.

 

 

 

            I then photographed a couple more bodies of water as we continued north.

 

 

 

 

            The train passed over the Montreal River (which my coach is named after) on a high bridge. This bridge is used for promotional pictures for the Agawa Canyon Tour Train. I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the many monitors where you can get a view of what the engineer sees.

 

 

 

 

            The train crew had been providing bits of history throughout the journey. The Algoma Central Railway was built in the early 20^th century. In the late 90’s it was taken over by the Wisconsin Central. The Wisconsin Central was taken over by CN in 2001.

 

            I ate the lunch I bought the day before. It is similar to what I’d eat on VIA’s Quebec City-Windsor Corridor; which the Tempo cars ran on in VIA service.

 

            The kids in the family of 19 were loud and rowdy. They were constantly blocking the aisle of the coach and I couldn’t hear announcements the train crew were making at least one time.

 

            We were soon approaching the Agawa Canyon Park. I photographed a waterfall.

 

 

 

            The train arrived. We were told to board at 1:35 pm; 90 minutes after we arrived. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I photographed an old passenger car that is used as a souvenir car. It happened to be closed when I was there.

 

 

 

            I took pictures of the scenery in the immediate area of the train.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can make out Santa Fe on the coach.

 

 

 

 

Just before I took this photo, two kids from the family of 19 mentioned earlier were climbing on top of this sign.

 

 

 

 

            I then took the trail to Bridal Veil Falls which was the waterfall I saw from the train. I took some photos along the way including a canoe which was sticking out of some bushes.

 

 

 

 

I’m not sure why this canoe is here.

 

 

 

 

            Along the way I spoke with an employee from the Agawa Canyon train. I told him how I fish sometimes and pointed out the obvious that I didn’t have my fishing gear with me. We then went our own ways and I made it to Bridal Veil Falls and photographed it.

 

 

 

            I then left Bridal Veil Falls and took a couple more photos.

 

 

 

            I then made my way to Black Beaver Falls which had a southern falls and a northern falls and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

            There was also a lookout trail that gave people a good look over the canyon. However one would have to climb 300 stairs to get there and was advertised for more fit people. I wasn’t sure if I could handle it after when I visited the Alhambra in Spain back in 2015 so I didn’t even try to go. I then took some more photos around the park.

 

 

 

            I then photographed the train in its entirety.

 

 

Click here to see the train in its entirety:     Photo Roster of Agawa Canyon Tour train

 

 

 

            I then took a few more photos including a 99 year old building called “Canyon Lodge”.

 

 

 

 

            I saw some old speeders and some benches and tables fashioned from railway trucks/axles. I photographed them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I took a few more scenic photos and of the souvenir car again.

 

 

 

            I reboarded the train a just before 1:20 pm. The train actually departed at 1:38 pm. However it appeared that everyone was back on board.

 

            The train was now being led by F40PH #112. The screens were now showing the view from F40PH #112 instead of #110 as on the northbound trip. I saw the locomotive was producing A LOT of smoke!

 

 

This locomotive must think it’s an Alco!

 

            The kids in the family of 19 were loud and all over the aisle again. At one point, I walked one car back to Tempo coach #5706. If the departure I would have been on last year wasn’t cancelled, I would have ridden in coach #5706. Even if the kids were well behaved, I still would have gone to #5706 just to try to ride in the car.

 

            From #5706, I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            We were soon approaching the Montreal River. I filmed the train and photographed it passing over the bridge.

 

 

 

            I then made my way back to my coach. A little while later, I decided to walk to coach #5705 which was 7 cars in front. Along the way to the coach I photographed an older photo of the Agawa Canyon train crossing over the Montreal River.

 

 

            I then made it to #5705 and sat down for a few minutes. The reason I decided to go to #5705 was that I have a model of it on my electric train set. I also wanted to say I rode in that coach as well.

 

            I then made my way back to my coach. At one point I bought a Pepsi and a chocolate bar from the snack car.

 

            From my coach seat, I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

            The train passed through Searchmont again. We were soon running alongside the highway.

 

            A little while later, we were on the outskirts of Sault Ste Marie. We passed over the crossing near where I was staying. As we passed the yard, I filmed the equipment and took a photo.

 

 

            I photographed a Wisconsin Southern SD40M-2 leading a train that was waiting for us to pass.

 

 

            I then filmed the train going around the curve.

 

 

 

            A few minutes later we stopped at Sault Ste Marie. We were 12 minutes early. I got off and asked how long the train usually sits in the station. I was told 10 minutes. I photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I saw a person walking on the tracks who had taken his shirt off. An Agawa Canyon employee went to check it out but he soon got off the tracks and walked away. I think he may have some mental problems. Fortunately he didn’t directly cause problems to people.

 

            Once the man was gone, the train departed the station. I filmed it pulling away and took one more photo of the train as well as one of the cars on display at the station.

 

 

 

            I then photographed Sault Ste Marie Transit Nova LFS #135 at the bus garage.

 

 

 

            I didn’t see #162 and wondered if it was in service. I caught a route #3 bus to the downtown terminal and waited to see if it would show up. It did not. I boarded a bus on route #2 and rode to the Station Mall. I wanted to have dinner in the food court, but found it closed. I then walked to a nearby Subway restaurant and bought dinner there.

 

            I then walked back to the bus terminal. I would be heading back to my Airbnb unless I saw #162 on this pulse. I photographed a couple Nova LFS buses on the pulse, but no #162.

 

 

 

            On weekends after 7:00 pm, Sault Ste Marie Transit is now “On demand”. I was informed I had to phone a number after 7:15 pm and book a bus. I was eventually able to call and book a bus. The person who booked it said I would be on bus #180.

 

            When #180 came, I got on alongside one other passenger. The bus departed the terminal and made a roundabout route picking up two additional passengers before heading back to the terminal! We then left the terminal again and dropped one passenger off. We then headed to the Wal-Mart on Great Northern Road and picked up three people. Only after that did they take me to where I was going. I got off and photographed the bus.

 

 

 

            The first Sault Ste Marie Transit bus I rode in 2021 was a Nova LFS. It’s only fitting the last bus on this trip is a {different} Nova LFS.

 

            I then walked to the convenience store I had gone to the day before and bought some more milk and a chocolate bar. I then walked back to where I was staying.

 

            I talked to my host and he said he would drive me to the airport the next morning. I told him the flight times and asked if it was still okay. He said it was.

 

            I went online and worked for a few minutes. I set two alarms to not oversleep again and eventually called it a night.

 

Click to read about the End of my trip.