Yes a very belated trip report my wife and I took the year after we were married, basically our first real vacation, to see Cape Breton Island.
Our original intent was to head to Nova Scotia by train and fly back and we initially set up our trip that way. We planned to ride coach on Amtrak's Montrealer from PHL to Montreal then VIA's Atlantic to Truro NS where we would change to the RDC that was then running from Halifax to Sydney NS. At Sydney we would rent a car and drive to Antigonish where the inn we were staying at was located. I had reserved a flight home from Sydney to Montreal then back to PHL.
Tickets for Amtrak coach on the Montrealer were $73.00. At that time they had a half fare for a spouse traveling with an adult.
The evening of August 28th we boarded the Montrealer which was running a little late. We both found sleeping in the coach seats difficult and swore we would take a sleeper next time. By morning we were in Vermont and headed to the Amdinette for breakfast around White River Junction. We arrived in Montreal with a few hours before the Atlantic departed so rode the excellent Metro to one of the parks in downtown Montreal and relaxed there, then returned to the station for our 1830 departure.
VIA's Atlantic consisted of the following:
FPA-4 3 units A-B-A
Baggage
3 x Coach
Snack bar
Dayniter coach
Sleeper Green Gables 6 roomette 4 bedroom 12 section
Sleeper Green Bush 6 roomette 4 bedroom 12 section
Diner
Lounge / Dorm sleeper Cape Canso 4 bedroom
Sleeper Sable River 10 roomette 6 bedroom (our sleeper, car #1243 Bedroom F)
Sleeper Sisiloo Falls 14 roomette 4 bedroom
Sleeper Greenhurst 6 roomette 4 bedroom 12 section
Sleeper Riviere Raquette 10 roomette 6 bedroom
For those unfamiliar with the Atlantic, it ran by the CPR line (now CM&Q / New Brunswick Southern) line via Megantic across the State of Maine then to St. John NB and on to Halifax. The line to Sydney NS branches off at Truro so we elected to change trains there. The run across Maine happens overnight and IIRC all the cars are sealed except one which is used for passengers alighting or joining at the Maine stops - Greenville, Brownville Jct., Mattawamkeag, and McAdam.
As I recall we were delayed by a slow freight ahead of us and reached St. John about an hour late. I don't remember much about the meals but they were pretty good. The most interesting scenery was when we got to Nova Scotia running near the ocean in spots.
We arrived at Truro and had a little while to wait for the RDC connection to Sydney. While we were waiting the VIA Ocean arrived, that was another impressive train. The Sydney connection train #604 was a 2 or 3 car RDC and arrived on time at 1510. The ride was very scenic especially crossing the Canso causeway that joins Cape Breton Island to mainland Nova Scotia. At Sydney we cabbed to the airport to pick up our rental car.
We enjoyed our time there, doing some fishing and driving around the beautiful scenery along the coast. The one troubling thing was the amount of poverty there, there not being much work other than fishing, tourism, and a coal mining operation which seemed to be more of a make work operation by the government. In the end we decided to cut short our trip a few days so that we could return by train instead of flying. I canceled the flights and reserved train tickets for the return. I was going to try to return by the Ocean but its sleepers were sold out. Fortunately the Atlantic still had sleeper space available.
Atlantic return Sept 7, 1980
Baggage
3 x Coach
Snack bar 750
Dayniter coach 5726
Sleeper Green Bank 6 rmt 4 bdrm 12 sec
Sleeper Greenfield 6 rmt 4 bdrm 12 sec
Diner 1350
Lounge Cape Rosier
Sleeper Clearwater River 10 rmt 6 bdrm
Sleeper Kahabeha Falls 14 rmt 4 bdrm
Sleeper Rideau River 10 rmt 6 bdrm
When we arrived in Montreal I was able to get a bedroom on the Montrealer back to Philadelphia. Sadly I don't have the Montrealer consists for this trip. I recall the attendant was very good.
It is sad that none of these trains exist anymore.
Our original intent was to head to Nova Scotia by train and fly back and we initially set up our trip that way. We planned to ride coach on Amtrak's Montrealer from PHL to Montreal then VIA's Atlantic to Truro NS where we would change to the RDC that was then running from Halifax to Sydney NS. At Sydney we would rent a car and drive to Antigonish where the inn we were staying at was located. I had reserved a flight home from Sydney to Montreal then back to PHL.
Tickets for Amtrak coach on the Montrealer were $73.00. At that time they had a half fare for a spouse traveling with an adult.
The evening of August 28th we boarded the Montrealer which was running a little late. We both found sleeping in the coach seats difficult and swore we would take a sleeper next time. By morning we were in Vermont and headed to the Amdinette for breakfast around White River Junction. We arrived in Montreal with a few hours before the Atlantic departed so rode the excellent Metro to one of the parks in downtown Montreal and relaxed there, then returned to the station for our 1830 departure.
VIA's Atlantic consisted of the following:
FPA-4 3 units A-B-A
Baggage
3 x Coach
Snack bar
Dayniter coach
Sleeper Green Gables 6 roomette 4 bedroom 12 section
Sleeper Green Bush 6 roomette 4 bedroom 12 section
Diner
Lounge / Dorm sleeper Cape Canso 4 bedroom
Sleeper Sable River 10 roomette 6 bedroom (our sleeper, car #1243 Bedroom F)
Sleeper Sisiloo Falls 14 roomette 4 bedroom
Sleeper Greenhurst 6 roomette 4 bedroom 12 section
Sleeper Riviere Raquette 10 roomette 6 bedroom
For those unfamiliar with the Atlantic, it ran by the CPR line (now CM&Q / New Brunswick Southern) line via Megantic across the State of Maine then to St. John NB and on to Halifax. The line to Sydney NS branches off at Truro so we elected to change trains there. The run across Maine happens overnight and IIRC all the cars are sealed except one which is used for passengers alighting or joining at the Maine stops - Greenville, Brownville Jct., Mattawamkeag, and McAdam.
As I recall we were delayed by a slow freight ahead of us and reached St. John about an hour late. I don't remember much about the meals but they were pretty good. The most interesting scenery was when we got to Nova Scotia running near the ocean in spots.
We arrived at Truro and had a little while to wait for the RDC connection to Sydney. While we were waiting the VIA Ocean arrived, that was another impressive train. The Sydney connection train #604 was a 2 or 3 car RDC and arrived on time at 1510. The ride was very scenic especially crossing the Canso causeway that joins Cape Breton Island to mainland Nova Scotia. At Sydney we cabbed to the airport to pick up our rental car.
We enjoyed our time there, doing some fishing and driving around the beautiful scenery along the coast. The one troubling thing was the amount of poverty there, there not being much work other than fishing, tourism, and a coal mining operation which seemed to be more of a make work operation by the government. In the end we decided to cut short our trip a few days so that we could return by train instead of flying. I canceled the flights and reserved train tickets for the return. I was going to try to return by the Ocean but its sleepers were sold out. Fortunately the Atlantic still had sleeper space available.
Atlantic return Sept 7, 1980
Baggage
3 x Coach
Snack bar 750
Dayniter coach 5726
Sleeper Green Bank 6 rmt 4 bdrm 12 sec
Sleeper Greenfield 6 rmt 4 bdrm 12 sec
Diner 1350
Lounge Cape Rosier
Sleeper Clearwater River 10 rmt 6 bdrm
Sleeper Kahabeha Falls 14 rmt 4 bdrm
Sleeper Rideau River 10 rmt 6 bdrm
When we arrived in Montreal I was able to get a bedroom on the Montrealer back to Philadelphia. Sadly I don't have the Montrealer consists for this trip. I recall the attendant was very good.
It is sad that none of these trains exist anymore.
