Canadian Passenger Rail Services

Tourist Excursions

The Salem & Hillsborough Railroad operates an excursion train on an 18-km round trip on Sunday afternoons from mid-June to Labour Day. It also runs a fall foliage special, and runs dinner trains several times a year. Trains are also available for charter.

See the Salem & Hillsborough Web site for details of the 1998 operating schedule.

The S&H owns one operating steam locomotive, ex-CN 4-6-0 #1009, built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1912, and two diesel units, an ex-CN MLW (Alco) S-12, #8245, from 1958, and an RSC-14, #1754, built in 1959 and donated by CN in 1995.

View images of 8245 and of 1009 and 29.

The railroad is located in Hillsborough, NB, about 25 km south of Moncton. For further information, telephone (506) 734-3195, see the Salem & Hillsborough Web site.

The Hull, Chelsea & Wakefield Railroad offers an excursion from Hull, QC to Wakefield and back, a 58-km round trip. The railway operates from May to October, with daily runs in July and August, and less frequent operation in the spring and fall. Most trips are powered by a 2-8-0 steam locomotive, built in Sweden in 1907 and imported to Canada in 1992. A Swedish diesel unit may be substituted on occasion.

See the WWW page of the HC&W

For further information and reservations, write to:

Hull, Chelsea & Wakefield Railroad
165 Deveault St.
Hull, QC J8Z 1S7

Telephone (819) 778-7246 or 1-800-871-7246
Fax (819) 778-5007
E-mail hcwrr@cyberus.ca

The York Durham Heritage Railway began operations in September 1996. It operates diesel-powered excursions on a 20 km route between Stouffville and Uxbridge, Ontario, just northeast of Toronto, on tracks which were formerly part of Canadian National's Uxbridge Subdivision. Trains on scheduled service on Sundays only, with Saturday's being set aside for special events. Service commences Sun Jun 3rd and continues until Sun Oct 21st, followed by Halloween and Santa trains to close out the season.

The YDHR operates an Alco RS-11 diesel locomotive, #3612, which was built for the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific Railway in 1956. Coaches include both vintage heavyweights built in the 1910s and 1920s, and lightweight cars from 1954.

For further information, follow the external link to the York Durham Heritage Rail WWW page, or telephone the Uxbridge station at (905) 852-3696.

The South Simcoe Railway runs steam excursions on 6 km of track between Tottenham and Beeton, ON, north of Toronto. Trains run every Sunday and holiday from May 17 to October 25, 1998. Trains also run Monday to Wednesday in July and August and Saturday to Wednesday from September 26 to October 12.

There are four or five trips a day, taking approximately one hour for the round trip.

The railway has two ex-Canadian Pacific steam locomotives, 4-4-0 #136, built in 1883, and 4-6-0 #1057, from 1912. These are used on most trips, though an ex-CP diesel may be used in the off-season.

For further information, follow the external link to the South Simcoe Railway WWW page, or contact:

South Simcoe Railway
P.O. Box 186
Tottenham, ON L0G 1W0

Telephone (905) 936-5815
Fax (905) 936-1057
E-mail info@steamtrain.com

The Waterloo - St. Jacobs Railway runs diesel-powered excursions between Waterloo and St. Jacobs, ON, west of Toronto. There are occasional excursions to Elmira, 16 km from Waterloo. Trains run daily until October 13, and on weekends from October 18 to Novermber 23, 1997. There will be "Santa trains" on weekends from November 29 to December 21.

There are four round trips a day, except on Sunday, when there are three round trips. Day passes allow passengers to ride on any train in a given day.

The railway has two ex-Canadian National/VIA FP9A diesel locomotives, 6508 and 6520, built in 1954 and 1957, respectively. Passenger cars are ex-CN/VIA coaches built in 1954.

For further information, follow the external link to the Waterloo - St. Jacobs Railway WWW page, or contact:

Waterloo - St. Jacobs Railway
P.O. Box 40103, Waterloo Square Postal Station
Waterloo, ON N2J 4V1

Telephone (519) 746-1950 or 1-800-754-1054
Fax (519) 746-3521

Port Stanley Terminal Rail operates diesel-powered excursions from Port Stanley, ON (about 35 km south of London) to Union and St. Thomas. Trains run on Sundays and holidays year round, Saturdays from May to October, and weekdays from Canada Day to Labour Day. The railway's locomotives are former industrial switchers by Whitcomb and General Electric.

For further information, follow the external link to the Port Stanley Terminal Rail WWW page, or contact:

Port Stanley Terminal Rail
309 Bridge St.
Port Stanley, ON N5L 1C5

Telephone (519) 782-3730

The Vintage Locomotive Society operates steam-powered excursions from Winnipeg to Grosse Isle, on the Canadian National Oak Point Subdivision, a round trip of 57-km. Trains leave from the CN St. James station, near Portage Ave. and St. James St. There are two round trips each Sunday from June through September. The Prairie Dog Central is pulled by a 4-4-0 steam locomotive, #3, built for the CPR in 1882.

The Prairie Dog Central did not operate in 1997, since Canadian National will no longer allow the use of its lines. The Prairie Dog Central intends to resume operation in 1998.

View an image of locomotive 3.

For more information, follow the external link to the Prairie Dog Central WWW site.

Telephone (204) 832-5259

Alberta Prairie Steam Tours operates excursions on the Central Western Railway, a short line. Most trips are full-day excursions and include dinner. The runs originate in Stettler, AB (about 150 km southeast of Edmonton) and go to a number of destinations. Trips are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays and some weekdays from May to October. Trips are powered by a 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive, #41, built in 1920 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Jonesboro, Lake City & Eastern Railroad.

View an image of locomotive 41.

For more information, follow the external link to the Alberta Prairie Rail Excursions WWW page,

or contact Cliff Wedgewood by e-mail at cliffw@nucleus.com,

or write to:

Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions
Postal Bag 800
Stettler, AB T0C 2L0

Telephone: (403) 742-2811
Fax: (403) 742-2844

or to:

Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions
Bay 5, 4404 - 12 Street N.E., #22
Calgary, AB T2E 6K9

Telephone: (403) 275-3433

Rocky Mountaineer Railtours runs two-day excursions from Vancouver, BC to either Calgary or Jasper, AB. These trips operate entirely in daylight. The first day, one goes from Vancouver to Kamloops, BC on Canadian National tracks, then on the second day from Kamloops to either Jasper on the CN line or to Calgary on Canadian Pacific. One has the option of detraining in Banff instead of Calgary. Trips also operate in the opposite direction, from Calgary or Jasper to Vancouver.

The Jasper-Vancouver route is the same as that of VIA Rail's Canadian. The Rocky Mountaineer is now the only passenger train operating on the CP route between Calgary and Kamloops.

These trains operate from mid-May until early October. There are three round trips in any two-week period. The trip is sold only as a package including overnight accommodation in Kamloops and some meals.

Trains are powered by General Motors GP40 diesel units. The cars are ex-VIA "Dayniters", i.e. coaches with extra-large reclining seats (52 seats/car). Rocky Mountaineer Railtours has also acquired a newly-built dome car. Seating in this car is offered as a premium service, at additional cost. Additional cars have been acquired in order to permit an expansion of service.

For further information follow the external link to the Rocky Mountaineer WWW page,

or contact:

Rocky Mountaineer Railtours
1150 Station Street - 1st Floor
Vancouver, BC V6A 2X7

Reservations or brochure requests:
Telephone (604) 606-7245 or 1-800-665-7245
Fax (604) 606-7250

Administration:
Telephone (604) 606-7200
Fax (604) 606-7201

The Kettle Valley Steam Railway began operating steam excursions in September 1995. The railway is located in Summerland, BC.

The KVSR operates a 2-truck Shay locomitive, #3. This engine was built by Lima for the Mayo Lumber Company in 1924, and is on loan from the British Columbia Forest Museum in Duncan, BC.

For further information, contact the Kettle Valley Railway Heritage Society by telephone at (604) 494-8422 or by fax at (604) 494-8452.

BC Rail runs steam excursions from North Vancouver to Squamish, BC, a distance of 61 km along the BCR main line. The service operates Wednesday to Sunday, plus holiday Mondays, from early June to mid- September. One can make the round trip by train, or travel one way by train and the other by a boat cruise on Howe Sound.

Most trips are powered by 4-6-4 Royal Hudson steam locomotive #2860, built by the Montreal Locomotive Works for Canadian Pacific in 1940. This engine may sometimes be replaced by a 2-8-0 Consolidation #3716, built for the CPR by MLW in 1912.

For further information follow the external link to the BC Rail Royal Hudson WWW page.

You may also contact:

BC Rail
P.O. Box 8770
Vancouver, BC V6B 4X6

Telephone (604) 984-5246
Fax (604) 984-5505

The White Pass & Yukon Route is a narrow (3') gauge railway from Skagway, AK to Whitehorse, YT. The railway shut down in 1982, but passenger excursions resumed in 1988. There are four to six trips per day, from mid-May until late September. Most trips are only from Skagway to White Pass and back, but there will be six steam-powered excursions to Lake Bennett, BC in summer 1998. The railway is not in service between Bennett and Whitehorse. The WP&YR owns one 2-8-2 Mikado steam locomotive, #73, built by Baldwin in 1947, and several diesel units built by General Electric or the Montreal Locomotive Works.

For further information, follow the external link to the White Pass & Yukon Route WWW site, or contact:

White Pass & Yukon Route
P.O. Box 435
Skagway, AK 99840
USA

Telephone (907) 983-2217 or 1-800-343-7373
Fax (907) 983-2734

Comments and sugestions are welcomed; please eMail Chris Roberts (cnr@chebucto.ns.ca) or Tom Box (cz610@freenet.carleton.ca). Please note that we are not associated with any of the organizations listed above.

Last Update: 23-Apr-2007

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