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Transportation is an important experience of any journey, and when you get yourself a opportunity to experience a distinctive mode of transport it's better yet. Although today we didn't have the best climate, I went from Ottawa over the bridge to Hull (now officially section of the Municipality of Gatineau), and not far from the renowned Casino duLac-Leamy is the place for the Hull-Chelsea Wakefield Steam Train. That tourist practice runs on the former Gatineau Railway Line, built between 1890 and 1903 by the Ottawa and Gatineau Valley Railway whose purpose was to connect downtown Ottawa with the Quebec village of Maniwaki so that you can accomplish timber transfers. As a result of shortage of funds the complete railway line was never fully completed and passenger service through the Gatineau Valley ceased operation in 1963.

Today the 64 km stretch included in the Hull-Chelsea Wakefield Steam Train winds its way through a lovely landscape wedged between the Gatineau Hills and the Gatineau River. The idea with this tourist train was created by an exclusive and public consortium in 1992, and in 1994 an area businessman, Mr. Jean Gauthier, ordered the tourist train, updated the business and turned it in to a effective vacation opportunity that's since gained many different prizes and honors, including many Grand Prizes given by Quebec Tourism.

The Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train contains an authentic steam engine of Swedish origin, integrated 1907. Sweden used with an whole fleet of steam engines when the countrys railroad system became electrified which they eliminated in the 1950s. They did not discard the old steam engines, but put them in to storage. Due to the danger of the Cold War, they feared that their energy production capacity may be attacked by invaders, and the old locomotives were concealed in shelters, in the event they were needed to provide an alternate source of travel.

By 1990 the risk of the Cold War had subsided and the Swedish government chose to sell its 200 steam engines, among which (the 909) was found by the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield project plus a 1962 General Motors diesel locomotive. Each engine is with the capacity of about 1000 horsepowers and usually both engines are operating, when there are more than 8 coaches connected.

The seven coaches themselves were also built in Sweden throughout the 1940s. The Quebec coach contains a snack bar while the Club Riviera could be the luxury car. The seven other coaches feature comfortable seating and there's limited wheel chair capacity in the Wakefield coach. The Riviera car was improved and restored many years before and comes with a good room and 3 private rooms. It's frequently employed for individual and corporate activities.

As I settled in to a comfortable armchair, I sat right back, and my experience would definitely maintain the blissful luxury Club Riviera coach and thought of the grand old times of train travel. Our tour guide and attendant Maxime accepted us through her wireless microphone in both official languages and our trip had started. We started moving gradually through the north end of Hull and soon Maxime jokingly stated a car museum on our right hand side. Turned out it was a junkyard, I suppose public is yet another, certainly more encouraging way of taking a look at it.

Our dependable water train pulled us gradually northwards and we moved in to a wooded region with the Gatineau River on the right and the forest on the left. Countless trilliums were blooming in the woods and sometimes we heard the whistling of the steam engine. Soon after our departure, Maxime added a variety of baked goods, coffee and orange juice to each table. She described that the Gatineau River is 400 km long and has its source in Northern Quebec. She described the Chelsea Hydroelectric Dam that has been integrated 1927 and ended up creating great floods on the right hand side. Maxime explained that due to the dam the water has become 75 to 80 feet deep.

In Tenaga, a native term for water tank, trains used to fill their water tanks whilst in Kirk's Ferry, Thomas Kirk, an American businessman had created a ferry in the 1850s with horses strolling on both sides of the river, pulling the boats across the river with a pulley system. After the dam was constructed, this became too dangerous and the ferry operation ended.

Maxime also explained that the practice today is propelled by heating oil, not coal. It was one of the security requirements imposed by the Canadian government when they granted the permit for the tourist train. Heating oil isn't only less expensive than coal, it is also less damaging. We chugged by the Morrison Quarry, a abandoned gravel pit having a variety of run-down, yet nearly charming professional equipment. On one other side of the quarry is clearly the highest bungee getting tower in Canada.

Two young musicians, one with a fiddle and one with a, came into our railway car and played some folk music that the audience greatly appreciated. Every outing on the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train features an element of live entertainment. In addition to day excursions, evening excursions are also offered by the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train having a 4-course meal.

After a half and an hour we finally found its way to the village of Wakefield, location of many eateries, tea rooms and souvenir shops. The scene was yet to come: the function of the manual turntable! Once the train reaches its ultimate destination the 93 ton steam locomotive has to be turned around for the drive back again to its original location. The train is slowly driven by the engineers onto a swiveling round system. Then the artists arrive at by hand push the software using handle arms and this becomes the locomotive around in the contrary direction. That is among only two manual turntables left in North America.

A lunch at the Trois Erables Bed and Morning meal was contained in the Riviera Club offer, however, I had already made plans earlier to examine one of the absolute most historic houses in town: the Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa, a historic gristmill just a 10 minute walk outside downtown Wakefield.

Following my development of the Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa it was time to reunite on the practice at 1:30. There are several sound indicators using the steam whistle to announce the departure of the train back once again to Hull and there are 2 departure points within the village of Wakefield. People were finding its way back on the train, significantly soaked from the rainy weather, and quite a few of them had obviously visited some of the crafts shops or chocolate stores around Wakefield.

It was time for the peaceful time and a half trip back again to Hull, and the feeling in the automobile was noticeably quieter. The seats in the Riviera Car are so comfortable that the few guests took only a little rest, myself included. The rhythmic chugging of the practice is definitely an exceptionally relaxing knowledge and made me doze off a few times on the road back.

If we had reached our ultimate destination, I experienced a real treat: the two engineers, Vic and Nikolas, welcomed me into the cab of the steam locomotive for a couple of minutes prior to they were planning to turn around the train around for the meal tour at the train property. I had missed my turn to climb aboard the engine in Wakefield, but now I got to catch up and see this technical beauty up close.

Vic herself is a retired RCMP officer who has found the perfect part-time work. Nikolas, a recently available immigrant from Croatia who is very familiar with steam engines, works on maintaining and repairing the engines during the winter months and drives them in the summertime. Both of these guys clearly love their work, they like working together with this near 100 year old steam engine and take good care of it to ensure it has additional years of life left.

The Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train is a good exemplory instance of what sort of traditional travel experience has been improved and become a major local tourist attraction. It absolutely was the perfect method to spend a rainy day. open site in new window