A Trip on The Rocky Mountaineer (Calgary, AB – Vancouver, BC)
(Scroll down for images) – Photos of the Rocky Mountaineer’s route begin at pic #15
Routes shown:
The Canadian (Toronto, ON – Edmonton, AB) -1st leg of trip The Rocky Mountaineer (Calgary, AB – Vancouver, BC) -2nd leg of trip Alberni Pacific Railway (Port Alberni, BC) -3rd leg of trip Plus return trip on The Canadian (Vancouver, BC – Toronto, ON)
The Canadian (Toronto, ON – Edmonton, AB):
‘The Canadian’ is VIA Rail’s Western transcontinental train. For a description & pictures of the Canadian please see page on The Canadian.
There are rental car or Red Arrow Bus Lines/Co-Op Taxi Edmonton connections between Edmonton & Calgary for passengers wishing to connect to the Rocky Mountaineer tour train after an overnight stay at the Palliser Hotel in Calgary.
The Rocky Mountaineer (Calgary, AB – Vancouver, BC):
The ‘Rocky Mountaineer‘ is a tour train that operates over a portion of the Canadian Pacific (CP) mainline on a 2-day journey from either Calgary, Banff, or Lake Louise, AB, to Vancouver, BC, via Kamloops, BC, where an overnight stop-over is made (passengers can overnight in a hotel included in the price of the tour). The train began operation in 1990.
Equipment on the Rocky Mountaineer includes ex-Canadian National coach cars plus custom-built dome cars with dome seating above & a dining area & open observation platform below. Both types of cars offer meal service. Motive power consists of 3,000 hp General Motors GP40-2 diesel locomotives.
The route of the the Rocky Mountaineer is a scenic one. From Calgary the train departs west on the CP line through the front range of the Rockies, past the Three Sisters mountain range & along the Bow river to Banff & on past Castle Mountain & Morant’s Curve (named after CP photographer Nicolas Morant who took many pictures at this location), past Lake Louise station, over the continental divide near Stephen, through the famed Spiral Tunnels & on to Field, BC & the Kicking Horse Canyon, over Stoney Creek Bridge, over the Columbia River at Revelstoke, past Mara Lake at Sicamous before arriving at the overnight stop at Kamloops. The next day finds the train passing through the Thompson & Fraser river canyons on its way to the Pacific Coast at Vancouver, BC.
The Rocky Mountaineer is the only way for tourists to travel on the CP line from Calgary to Kamloops. For the remainder of the westward journey to Vancouver, the train travels on the CN line. Details of the tour can be found at RockyMountaineer.com
Note: The Rocky Mountaineer has its own station in Vancouver. Rental cars are available in VIA Rail’s nearby Pacific Central Station for passengers wishing to continue by car & ferry to Vancouver Island. Accommodations are available at The Best Western in Port Alberni and Best Western Tofino on Vancouver Island.
The Alberni Pacific Railway is a steam-powered tour train that operates from Port Alberni to McLean Mill.
Equipment on the Alberni Pacific Railway includes ex-CN transfer cabooses converted into enclosed coaches or open-air observation cars. Motive power includes an ex-Campbell River Timber 2-8-2 tank engine built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1929. This steam engine produces 29,100 lbs of tractive effort.
The route of the Alberni Pacific Railway is a pretty one with the train departing the yards at Port Alberni, over grade crossings & trestles on a journey rising from sea level to almost 365 feet on its way to the McLean Mill National Historic Site.
For great scenery & the opportunity to ride a steam train on Vancouver Island, ride the Alberni Pacific Railway in Port Alberni.
1 LEAVING TORONTO IN THE DOME OF THE PARK CAR ON THE WESTBOUND CANADIAN2 MEET WITH A FREIGHT LED BY CN C44-9W #2625, FOLEYET, ON3 THE CANADIAN PASSING A LAKE, GOGAMA, ON4 DOWNTOWN WINNIPEG, MB, FORT GARRY HOTEL TO THE LEFT5 CP PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE STATION6 GRAIN ELEVATOR, RIVERS, MB7 CROSSING A TRESTLE IN THE QU’APPELLE RIVER VALLEY8 LEAVING THE TRAIN AT EDMONTON VIA STATION9 DOWNTOWN EDMONTON10 CALGARY, AB11 CANADIAN PACIFIC 2-10-4 TYPE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE #5931, CALGARY, AB12 THE BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL13 VIEW FROM THE BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL14 BANFF, AB15 AERIAL VIEW OF ROCKY MOUNTAINEER ROLLING STOCK FROM PALLISER HOTEL, CALGARY, AB16 CALGARY TOWER, BASE OF WHICH IS BOARDING LOCATION FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER TOUR TRAIN TO VANCOUVER17 THE THREE SISTERS, CANMORE, AB, AS SEEN FROM WESTBOUND ROCKY MOUNTAINEER18 TRAVELLING ALONG THE BOW RIVER19 CP STATION, BANFF, WHERE MORE PASSENGERS ENTRAINED20 MOUNTAINS WEST OF BANFF21 ALONG THE BOW RIVER22 MOUNTAINS EAST OF LAKE LOUISE23 CASTLE MOUNTAIN24 THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER AT MORANT’S CURVE, NAMED AFTER CP PHOTOGRAPHER NICHOLAS MORANT25 CP STATION, LAKE LOUISE, AB26 HEAVYWEIGHT PASSENGER CARS AT LAKE LOUISE STATION27 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER WEST OF LAKE LOUISE28 PASSING SIGNALS NEAR STEPHEN, BC29 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER NEAR STEPHEN, BC30 THE LOWER SPIRAL TUNNEL, THROUGH WHICH OUR TRAIN WILL PASS31 THE YOHO VALLEY32 THE KICKING HORSE PASS, NAMED AFTER THE PACKHORSE THAT KICKED SURVEYOR JAMES HECTOR33 MOUNT STEPHEN34 ENTERING THE LOWER SPIRAL TUNNEL35 KICKING HORSE RIVER36 CP STATION AT FIELD, BC, CREW CHANGE POINT FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER37 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER RUNNING ALONG THE KICKING HORSE RIVER38 LEANCHOIL, BC39 THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER ENTERS A TUNNEL IN THE KICKING HORSE CANYON40 PASSING DEMOLISHED ROAD BRIDGE, KICKING HORSE CANYON41 THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER IN THE KICKING HORSE CANYON42 CROSSING MOUNTAIN CREEK TRESTLE IN ROGERS PASS43 CROSSING THE STONEY CREEK BRIDGE44 GLACIER, BC45 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER EAST OF REVELSTOKE46 MEET WITH A FREIGHT LED BY CEFX AC44CW #1057, REVELSTOKE, BC47 MEET WITH THE ROYAL CANADIAN PACIFIC TOUR TRAIN LED BY CP FP9 #4107, REVELSTOKE, BC48 CP CABOOSE, REVELSTOKE, BC49 CROSSING THE COLUMBIA RIVER LEAVING REVELSTOKE50 IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER DOME CAR, VICTOR LAKE, BC51 MARA LAKE, SICAMOUS, BC52 KAMLOOPS, BC, BACK ON THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER AFTER AN OVERNIGHT STAY53 BIGHORN SHEEP54 COYOTE, LEFT OF CENTRE IN PHOTO55 THOMPSON RIVER, SAVONA, BC56 HOODOOS, ASHCROFT, BC57 BALD EAGLE58 VIEW FROM BACK OF TRAIN AT A ROCK SLIDE FENCE IN THE BLACK CANYON, THOMPSON RIVER & CP LINE TO THE RIGHT59 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER IN THE THOMPSON RIVER CANYON60 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER IN THE THOMPSON RIVER CANYON61 PASSING THROUGH A TUNNEL AT LASHA, BC62 PAINTED CANYON REGION OF THE THOMPSON RIVER CANYON63 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER CROSSING THE FRASER RIVER & CP LINE AT CISCO, BC64 A LOOK BACK AT THE CISCO BRIDGES65 HELL’S GATE CANYON & AIR TRAM, NARROWEST & FASTEST FLOWING PART OF THE FRASER RIVER66 LOOKING ACROSS THE FRASER CANYON AT A TUNNEL ON THE CP LINE67 IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER DOME CAR, TRAVELLING THROUGH THE COAST MOUNTAINS68 CP ES44AC #8868, THORNTON YARD, PORT MANN, BC69 ROCKY MOUNTAINEER CROSSING THE FRASER RIVER, KING GEORGE HWY TO THE LEFT, VANCOUVER, BC70 PULLING INTO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER STATION, VANCOUVER71 LION’S GATE BRIDGE, VANCOUVER, BC72 INNER HARBOUR, VICTORIA, BC73 TRAIN STATION IN PORT ALBERNI, BC, VANCOUVER ISLAND74 ALBERNI PACIFIC 2-8-2T TYPE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE #775 ALBERNI PACIFIC STEAM TRAIN WITH #7 ON THE POINT76 FORMER CANADIAN PACIFIC RS-3 #8427. PORT ALBERNI, BC77 A CAB RIDE ON #7, ENGINEER TO THE RIGHT78 FIREMAN79 GRADE CROSSING80 ON A TRESTLE81 SMOKESTACK82 OIL IN THE FIREBOX83 CLEAR TRACK AHEAD84 MCLEAN MILLS STATION, END OF THE LINE85 MCLEAN MILLS, LAST OPERATING STEAM-POWERED SAWMILL IN NORTH AMERICA86 BACK ON THE STEAM TRAIN, #7 COUPLED TO THE OTHER END, BOILER FACING THE COACHES87 RETURN TRIP IN COACH88 CROSSING A TRESTLE89 PULLING INTO THE YARDS IN PORT ALBERNI90 TOFINO, BC91 BEST WESTERN TIN WIS HOTEL, TOFINO92 VIEW FROM HOTEL, TOFINO, BC93 ON THE FERRY FROM NANAIMO TO VANCOUVER, PASSING OTHER FERRY RETURNING TO NANAIMO94 THE EASTBOUND CANADIAN AT VANCOUVER CENTRAL STATION95 PASSING MOUNT ROBSON, HIGHEST PEAK IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES, ON THE CANADIAN96 THE CANADIAN SKIRTS THE SHORES OF MOOSE LAKE97 MOUNT FITZWILLIAM, AS SEEN FROM THE CANADIAN98 EASTBOUND CANADIAN BEING SERVICED AT JASPER, AB99 PASSING ROCHE MIETTE ON THE CANADIAN100 MEET BETWEEN EAST & WESTBOUND CANADIANS, HORNEPAYNE, ON
