Attempting to bag the Northlander

[Anderson]

This is looking like a mild nightmare of a trip to shove together (both because of relatively short notice and because of the mess that is getting through NYP). In an ideal world, I'll actually grab the Polar Bear Express as well (which will "knock out" all of ONR while a 500-mile bus ride isn't involved in the round trip), though this is negotiable.

Here's the wrinkle: The only week I can make it is the week of the line closing, making such a round trip a rather close proposition. I have an unavoidable Accounting exam on Sept. 19 and a science fiction convention I'm attending in DC on the weekend of the 21st-23rd. This does, however, have a plus in the form of getting me up to DC "to begin with" and potentially letting me get up as far as Albany on the day before continuing on to Canada.

So...let's start marking out options:

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

The big questions here are:

1) How late do I want to shove my departure? I can look at a 4:30 to 5:00 departure from WAS or a 7:30 to 8:00 departure from WAS. The latter gives me flexibility when leaving my con in DC, but will put me in my hotel room rather late, to say nothing of possible trouble catching a cab.

2) Should I look into the Acela and make this a points run? I'm inclined towards "yes" on this count.

3) The other option: Should I consider using either 190 or 66 to get up to NYP early in the morning? This option will avoid the "missed train" risk from oversleeping in a hotel in Albany, but will also render me a bit of a zombie for my ride north.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

1) Maple Leaf or Adirondack (and why is this even a question):

-The Adirondack will have the Great Dome on Monday. This is a big plus.

-The slightly later departure might be desirable on this front as well.

-I can wedge a bit of VIA in this way. Not a "must", but it at least offers some options in terms of my trip. This might also help me fill out a "dead" day (see below).

-On the other hand, the Maple Leaf puts me into TWO and saves me a bit of hassle there.

LATER

For obvious reasons, I can't plan on being back in TWO any later than September 28. Something about not wanting to be on a bus...so that brings about the big question here: Do I want to try and spread things out to be on that last train? The answer here: Absolutely, if I can. Also, am I prepared to consider (*gulp*) flying back home on Saturday to avoid disrupting my life any more than I would be doing already? Again...yeah, I am, but only for the privilege of being on that last run. What can I say? In at least one way, I'm a romantic and I'll consider it the "price" of being there, and as an added plus, the "heresy" of flying will let me make a 7 PM kickoff at William and Mary.

So, with that nasty block of text...how do I set this up? To come back on Friday, Sept. 28 I have two options:

-Leave TWO for Cochrane on the Northlander on Wednesday. Overnight in Cochrane. Polar Bear Express Cochrane-Moosonee-Cochrane on the 27th. Overnight in Cochrane. Northlander back to TWO on Friday.

-Leave TWO for Cochrane on Thursday. Overnight in Cochrane. Northlander back on Friday.

Either option gives me a "recovery" day on Tuesday, which can be used either for an MTR-TWO run on VIA or for doing...well, something in Toronto. The second one also gives me Wednesday to burn as well. I might be up for a touristy thing or two, but...well, I'm a lousy tourist.

So...I'm looking for advice. In general, returning to RVR/NPN is impractical, so I'm regarding myself as being "stuck" in DC. I can put off my departure by a day or so if need be (though I would prefer to avoid pulling the 2150-68 trick again if it can be helped), but what I really want to avoid is burning a night in Manhattan. Yes, I've got the points to get a free night at the Penn Station Holiday Inn (and/or a rebate card to get the cost returned to me), so that's an option...it's just far from ideal.

Thoughts on what to do here?

 

[OBS]

One factor to consider, that may influence your plans, they (ONR) told us that seat availability will be no problem on Tor-Coch train. However the Polar bear express tends to sell out this time of year. This may make a difference on what you plan...

 

[yarrow]

This is looking like a mild nightmare of a trip to shove together (both because of relatively short notice and because of the mess that is getting through NYP). In an ideal world, I'll actually grab the Polar Bear Express as well (which will "knock out" all of ONR while a 500-mile bus ride isn't involved in the round trip), though this is negotiable.

Here's the wrinkle: The only week I can make it is the week of the line closing, making such a round trip a rather close proposition. I have an unavoidable Accounting exam on Sept. 19 and a science fiction convention I'm attending in DC on the weekend of the 21st-23rd. This does, however, have a plus in the form of getting me up to DC "to begin with" and potentially letting me get up as far as Albany on the day before continuing on to Canada.

So...let's start marking out options:

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

The big questions here are:

1) How late do I want to shove my departure? I can look at a 4:30 to 5:00 departure from WAS or a 7:30 to 8:00 departure from WAS. The latter gives me flexibility when leaving my con in DC, but will put me in my hotel room rather late, to say nothing of possible trouble catching a cab.

2) Should I look into the Acela and make this a points run? I'm inclined towards "yes" on this count.

3) The other option: Should I consider using either 190 or 66 to get up to NYP early in the morning? This option will avoid the "missed train" risk from oversleeping in a hotel in Albany, but will also render me a bit of a zombie for my ride north.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

1) Maple Leaf or Adirondack (and why is this even a question):

-The Adirondack will have the Great Dome on Monday. This is a big plus.

-The slightly later departure might be desirable on this front as well.

-I can wedge a bit of VIA in this way. Not a "must", but it at least offers some options in terms of my trip. This might also help me fill out a "dead" day (see below).

-On the other hand, the Maple Leaf puts me into TWO and saves me a bit of hassle there.

LATER

For obvious reasons, I can't plan on being back in TWO any later than September 28. Something about not wanting to be on a bus...so that brings about the big question here: Do I want to try and spread things out to be on that last train? The answer here: Absolutely, if I can. Also, am I prepared to consider (*gulp*) flying back home on Saturday to avoid disrupting my life any more than I would be doing already? Again...yeah, I am, but only for the privilege of being on that last run. What can I say? In at least one way, I'm a romantic and I'll consider it the "price" of being there, and as an added plus, the "heresy" of flying will let me make a 7 PM kickoff at William and Mary.

So, with that nasty block of text...how do I set this up? To come back on Friday, Sept. 28 I have two options:

-Leave TWO for Cochrane on the Northlander on Wednesday. Overnight in Cochrane. Polar Bear Express Cochrane-Moosonee-Cochrane on the 27th. Overnight in Cochrane. Northlander back to TWO on Friday.

-Leave TWO for Cochrane on Thursday. Overnight in Cochrane. Northlander back on Friday.

Either option gives me a "recovery" day on Tuesday, which can be used either for an MTR-TWO run on VIA or for doing...well, something in Toronto. The second one also gives me Wednesday to burn as well. I might be up for a touristy thing or two, but...well, I'm a lousy tourist.

So...I'm looking for advice. In general, returning to RVR/NPN is impractical, so I'm regarding myself as being "stuck" in DC. I can put off my departure by a day or so if need be (though I would prefer to avoid pulling the 2150-68 trick again if it can be helped), but what I really want to avoid is burning a night in Manhattan. Yes, I've got the points to get a free night at the Penn Station Holiday Inn (and/or a rebate card to get the cost returned to me), so that's an option...it's just far from ideal.

Thoughts on what to do here?

good luck realizing your noble goal

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

I am think about the last run south myself, however getting a seat / full house is my concern.

Can not book in to Monday afternoon. Don't ask.

Anderson head north out of DC find a cheap room. Get to station early and take 190/150 to NYC then grab the maple leaf.

Getting a taxi at Albany is easy. Getting back to the station that the trick.

 

[OBS]

I am think about the last run south myself, however getting a seat / full house is my concern.

Can not book in to Monday afternoon. Don't ask.

Anderson head north out of DC find a cheap room. Get to station early and take 190/150 to NYC then grab the maple leaf.

Getting a taxi at Albany is easy. Getting back to the station that the trick.

we were told they were adding extra cars for last trip and they don't expect seats to be a problem...

 

[Anderson]

Ok, is there any way to reserve seats, or are the trains completely unreserved?

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

One factor to consider, that may influence your plans, they (ONR) told us that seat availability will be no problem on Tor-Coch train. However the Polar bear express tends to sell out this time of year. This may make a difference on what you plan...

I read your posting, have yet to call myself. BUT you stated Tor-Coch will have seat availability. I am going Cochrane to Toronto, details are the important.

 

[AlanB]

Getting a taxi at Albany is easy. Getting back to the station that the trick.

It's not that hard, most hotels have a taxi service on speed dial. Plus there is bus service from downtown Albany over river to the train station in Rensselaer.

 

[Anderson]

One factor to consider, that may influence your plans, they (ONR) told us that seat availability will be no problem on Tor-Coch train. However the Polar bear express tends to sell out this time of year. This may make a difference on what you plan...

I read your posting, have yet to call myself. BUT you stated Tor-Coch will have seat availability. I am going Cochrane to Toronto, details are the important.

Alright, I'm going to call ONR and ask about booking. Does anybody know if they actually reserve seats or if it's all unreserved? Getting stuck in Cochrane, Ontario is not my idea of a good time.

 

[AlanB]

Nope, they don't reserve seats. When I rode it a few years ago, the group leader had an hard enough time just trying to get them to promise that our group would be seated all in one car.

 

[Anderson]

And in the latest saga of my collapsing railway trips (these seem to happen about twice a year), I'm now committed to a local event that Tuesday. Which means...yep, this is a bust (not that my nerves about my accounting class were helping...and of course I find out that I could have shuffled sections for a week after I commit to this "You really want to come"-esque event).

The flipside is that I got express clearance from my professor to extend my trip at the Gathering to avert any conflicts (definitely a good thing, avoiding any antics with bailing at Atlanta, for example), but this...is something I suspect I'll always regret not being able to pull together, and it really is hard to express that regret adequately in words.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

I am have issues myself.

.

 

[Anthony]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/09/28/sby-last-northlander-ride.html

 

[fairviewroad]

Here's another article with a very nice 3-minute video. Watch the video full screen, it has some great train shots on board and in the engine.

A real shame that it's been cancelled.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1264235--ontario-s-northlander-train-makes-its-final-run

 

[OBS]

Just some quick observations. Traveled with family members NB to Cochrane on Wed. from Toronto. By first stop, Washago, we were 1.5 hours late due to CN freight interference. arrived 1.25 down into North Bay and same into Cochrane.

Train had 3 coaches and lounge on rear that served a variety including "tray meals". Was shocked by fact that lounge was VERY similar in layout to the old 3100 series lounge cars I used to work when Amtrak still ran them. The three coaches were pretty well full with on/off's at every station. Probably about 20 people did whole three day routine that we did.

Thursday, did a r/t to Moosonee, about 30 min late NB and 15 late SB. train had four coaches with slightly different lounge set up manned by 2 people and car had larger kitchen/galley area. Train also had baggage car, self service box car where people loaded/unloaded atv's etc. on their own. Also carried a couple flat cars for peoples autos as well as a couple boxcars for local freight shipments. Fascinating operation, including the observation that they either have different hours of service rules or work around them somehow, as same conductor worked the whole trip...Train also relatively full with one coach used for enroute boardings exclusively.

Friday, the final SB had four coaches, with food service on rear. We only went as far as North Bay, but train was packed and had protesters at every station regarding the train coming off and blaming Ontario govt. leaders. We were about 20 min late into NB IIRC, mainly due to extreme ridership and photo work being taken advantage of at each stop.

There was no dome service on any train, although we saw two in yard at North Bay.