World's Most Complete Transportation System (with photos)

[NS VIA FAN]

For years Canadian Pacific was known as the “Worlds Most Complete Transportation System” with: Trains, Planes, Ships, Hotels, Trucks, Express & Telecommunications. You could cross Canada or reach five continents on a Canadian Pacific ticket.

Back in July 1971 I had just finished high school and was ready for a transcontinental railfan (& air) adventure. The usual route when heading west from Halifax would have been to take one of the long CN trains that ran to Montreal; either the “Ocean Limited” or the “Scotian” But I was travelling Canadian Pacific across Canada so I boarded a RDC Dayliner of CP’s subsidiary; the Dominion Atlantic Railway.

After 4 hours of rolling through the Annapolis Valley on light branch-line trackage, we arrived at Digby NS where I boarded the new CP Ferry “Princess Of Acadia” for the 40 mile crossing of the Bay Of Fundy to Saint John, New Brunswick. Just a month earlier the Dayliner would have backed out onto the wharf at Digby for an across the platform connection with the ferry. The new ferry was now geared more for car and truck traffic and sailed from a different terminal (still under construction in this photo) but was still considered part of the railway division and carried the CP Rail colours on the funnel.

Saint John was the terminus of CP’s “Atlantic Limited” A little five car streamliner that made the 475 mile overnight run to Montreal. The consist was short but still full-service and included an E8 leading a baggage car, coach, Skyline dome/coffee shop/lounge car and two sleepers. I was travelling coach as I planned to spend the whole trip in the dome.

We left Saint John at 9pm and two hours later crossed the US border at Vanceboro for a 200 mile run across the State Of Maine. Customs & Immigration came aboard and checked the coach passengers but the sleeper passengers were just left alone. There wasn’t much to see in the wilds of northern Maine aboard New England’s only Dome Car (unless you count the Boston-NYC Turbo at the time) so I did get some sleep waking just as we crossed back into Canada near Megantic, Quebec at 4am. I was having breakfast in the Coffee Shop when we picked up another coach at Sherbrooke for local traffic and arrived at CP’s Windsor Station in Montreal at 9am. Then it was just a quick walk across the street to check into CP’s new Chateau Champlain Hotel for a couple of nights stay in the city (tallest building is the Chateau.....)

After spending some time riding CP and CN commuter trains I was again back at Windsor Station for another CP Commuter Train ride out to Dorval which is adjacent to the Montreal International Airport.

Continued Below...........

 

[NS VIA FAN]

Here the next leg of my trip began on another division of Canadian Pacific: a CP Air Boeing 737 to Vancouver and we were actually competition for CP’s own “Canadian” stopping en route at Ottawa, Winnipeg and Calgary.

If time (and money) had allowed, upon reaching Vancouver I could have continued even further on Canadian Pacific........across the Pacific on a CP Air “Jet Empress” to Australia, Hong Kong or Japan.

While in British Columbia I did reach manage to get just a bit further west on a CP ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and even considered a quick round-trip on CP’s Princess Marguerite between Victoria and Seattle.

At the end of the summer I returned on the “Canadian”. Money was getting tight and I splurged on a lower berth but only for the first night so I would have access to the Park Car in the Mountains. I especially remember the view from the tail end as we passed through the Spiral Tunnels then on to Lake Louise and Banff. The Canadian was still a respectable train in the summer of 1971, slightly frayed but the service still top-notch. I moved to a coach in Calgary for the next two nights before arriving back into Montreal. Coach passengers still had access to a Skyline dome car and once again I spent most of my time here.

I had planned on staying a night in Montreal to ensure a connection with the Atlantic Limited. But the Canadian was running right on time even after 2870 miles......I could get off at the Montreal West station at 7:40pm and the Atlantic would be along at 8:05pm for an across the platform connection. Then it was on to Saint John overnight in another coach (don’t think I could do that now.....3 nights in a coach!) Ferry to Digby then home on the Dayliner to Halifax.

In earlier times a passenger might have begun their journey in Liverpool England, crossed the Atlantic on a CP “White Empress” Liner to Saint John, Quebec City or Montreal......continued by train across Canada then boarded another CP Ocean Liner to cross the Pacific. But by 1971 the Pacific Liners were long gone and the “Empress Of Canada” would make it’s final Trans Atlantic crossing that November before joining Carnival Cruise Lines as the “Mardi Gras”.

CP Air “Jet Empresses” now crossed the Atlantic, the Pacific and flew to South America. After CP acquired ‘747 Jumbo Jets, the upper deck lounge was actually fitted out to resemble a old style CPR Parlour Car. (Here’s a ‘747 that has just arrived in Halifax from Amsterdam.....)

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Up-date:

- CP Rail’s passenger trains went to VIA.

- CP Rail became the Canadian Pacific Railway once again along with the “Beaver” logo and today even hosts Amtrak trains including the Empire Builder.

- CP Air was acquired by Pacific Western. Became Canadian Airlines then was taken over by Air Canada.

- The Princess Of Acadia still sails the Digby-Saint John route but now for Bay Ferries Ltd.

- CP Hotels acquired the Fairmont chain then adopted that brand name for all their Hotels......the Chateau Champlain in Montreal became a Marriott.

- And I’m still riding VIA and Amtrak

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I have no words to describe how terrific this post is. Thank you so much.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Fantastic! Thanks for the memories as Bob Hope used to sing! I rode First Class in CP Air one time from SFO-VAN, still the best airline meal I ever had! (I think the Salmon was caught that morning it was so fresh and great!)Wonderful,friendly Canadian service! Alas I never got to ride one of their trains or ships but have ridden their tracks herein the US alot! I look forward to riding the Canadian next year and will catch the BC ferry to Victoria so sort of

duplicating your journey! The Ocean trip to Halifax is for next Summer!

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Simply amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!!

 

[Shanghai]

Excellent!! Thank You.

 

[J-1 3235]

I have no words to describe how terrific this post is. Thank you so much.

I'll second that!

 

[Phila 30th St]

One of the best trip reports I've ever seen on ANY website.

 

[NS VIA FAN]

One of the best trip reports I've ever seen on ANY website.

Thanks……I’m having a great time going through boxes of old slides with my new scanner and they’re really bringing back memories. I’ll have some more to post over the Christmas Holidays from a trip to New York and Boston in the early ’70s……Amtrak, PC, EL, LI, B&M, MBTA etc.

 

[Phila 30th St]

One of the best trip reports I've ever seen on ANY website.

Thanks……I’m having a great time going through boxes of old slides with my new scanner and they’re really bringing back memories. I’ll have some more to post over the Christmas Holidays from a trip to New York and Boston in the early ’70s……Amtrak, PC, EL, LI, B&M, MBTA etc.

I think I speak for all of us here when I say that we can't wait!

 

[Long Train Runnin']

One of the best trip reports I've ever seen on ANY website.

Thanks……I’m having a great time going through boxes of old slides with my new scanner and they’re really bringing back memories. I’ll have some more to post over the Christmas Holidays from a trip to New York and Boston in the early ’70s……Amtrak, PC, EL, LI, B&M, MBTA etc.

Well please do share!!

 

[MikefromCrete]

Great report, NS VIA Fan, keep them coming!