Let someone else do the driving, sit back and discover how much water there really is in northern Ontario.
The people encountered during the Budd Car trip mean there's much to share in this instalment.
You can’t escape it, there is that distinctive rhythmic clacking of the wheels on the tracks. This creates a soothing backdrop as the landscape blurs past the windows. There is a gentle sway like when you were once in a parent’s arms.
There are only three stainless steel rail cars, symmetrical in their appearance.
The constant gentle rocking motion lulls passengers into a meditative state as they watch the Canadian Shield roll by. The low rumble of the electric diesel engine is a constant companion, its power has a distinctive hum.
Lost in thought with the natural scenery, the slow pace of the journey allows the mind to wander for eight hours and a bit. The next day, the weather changes the scenery, and the experience repeats with a different spatial perspective.
Sudbury to White River
It is informally called the “Budd Car” but this heritage stainless steel “dayliner or railliner” (Rail Diesel Car-RDC), train #185(west)/186(east) runs northwest from Sudbury to White River. It is not a tour train per se, but a Canadian passenger/service train operated by VIA Rail serving communities along this rural route, three times a week. The Sudbury to White River train has become the last remaining RDC run in North America.
It is one of only two flag stop trains in Canada, where people can wave down and board the train and the second most subsidized operating runs with ridership for the year just more than 7,000 patrons. It is a three person train crew, with two engineers who double as baggage handlers. VIA said, “The ridership on the tracks has always remained relatively low with no notable spike outside of the pandemic-induced drop. For reference there was 7142 passengers in 2023.”
The train provides the 301 (484 km) mile service, to many remote locations only accessible by rail on the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline in Northern Ontario.
Occasionally, the train’s horn announces its presence to remote places on the back roads. Stops were once thriving places, related mostly to lumber mills; on the line include Amyot, Swanson, Franz, Lochalsh, Dalton, Nicholson, Chapleau, Nemegos, Kormak, Sultan, Metagama and Benny. Most are now camps/cottage access points, canoe route access points and demarcation points for tourism lodges. Chapleau, about half way, is a remaining town as are the small villages of Biscotasing and Missanabie with better road access. For a portion of the trip the train skirts the boundary of the Chapleau Game Preserve, established in 1925, 2 million acres of protected land the largest in the world. That’s one reason, along with the common denominator of remoteness, as to why you see moose, bear and wolves along the way, and we did.
Rail Diesel Car
The VIA Heritage Association (VHA) was contacted before the September excursion. Christopher Greenlaw is a “railway buffer” with the association. He wrote the historic book VIA Rail the story of the passenger rail company in 2007.
He said, “For myself and a lot of the VHA members, it’s to reconstruct the trains we rode as kids. It’s all an important piece of Canadian history and there currently isn’t an organization exclusively dedicated to the preservation and promotion of railway passenger service in Canada. The VHA fills that gap. We’re currently assembling and restoring a train of blue and yellow VIA equipment in time for their 50th anniversary in 2028.
“You’re going on an exciting trip on heritage equipment. There are a few neat things about the route you’re taking. For starters, it’s the only remaining VIA train entirely on CP tracks and a portion of the old route of trans continental trip called The Canadian.
“The equipment is unique too. The Rail Diesel Car (RDC) for short (also known as Budd cars), were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, PA in the 1950s. The concept behind the RDC was to make branch line and short passenger routes more profitable by having a self-propelled rail coach rather than a traditional diesel or steam engine and rolling stock. Naturally, less equipment to run required less personnel, so there was a cost savings for the railroads in that way, too. It was hoped that the RDC would save rail travel from the stem of passengers to the air and road modes of transportation but alas, it wasn’t to be.
RDCs are direct-drive machines unlike a diesel electric locomotive. The engines are connected direct to the gear boxes in the trucks. Both CP and CN had fairly large fleets of RDCs until the creation of VIA in 1976. VIA inherited the lot and they ran all across Canada on short routes, such as Saint John to Halifax, Peterborough to Toronto, Calgary to Edmonton, and on Vancouver Island. All of these routes are discontinued, mostly in 1990. Once the Vancouver Island operation ceased about 10-15 years ago.” In essence #185/#186 is a heritage trip.
Then when I saw the canoes being loaded on the middle rail car the following made sense. He said, “Among the RDCs used on the train you’ll be on, there’s one configured entirely for baggage. That’s called an RDC-4 and it’s shorter than the other RDC types. They’re particularly less common as there weren’t as many made.”
The riders
Boarding is at the 1907, Elgin St. Sudbury train station. It has those historic high back oak seats in the waiting area, a retro drinking fountain, and there is a ticket agent.
Stepping onto the yellow ground safety stool with a rubber grip mat, climb three steep steps up, gripping the handrails, into the RDC car, and then into spacious seats that recline on the passenger car. It is bright and open, not like the confinement of a plane. Then there is that initial lurch from the car coupling, The conductor calls out, ”Tickets!” and the exciting trip northward begins.
It is not a tour train but since the TVO documentary (below) more people have taken to riding #185. Some are called “buffers.” Those that are a railfan, train fan, rail buff or train buff - railway enthusiasts. Rob McClintock is one of those, a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems.
The Sarnia resident manages a Home Depot; with his wife Alicia (a Winnie the Pooh fan) they have been on the infamous Rocky Mountaineer train excursion in B.C., and the Polar Bear and Agawa tour trains along with several in Europe.
He has been fascinated with trains since childhood.
“We’re here to visit Winnie and experience this before electric trains die off completely,” he said.
Torontonians Patrick Winter and Rober Fisher exited the train with their canoe at Sinker Creek, an Ontario Parks’ Spanish River access point.
They were paddling downstream on this segment of the river with Class I and II rapids, about 80 km to “The Elbow,” the take out near Cartier and Fox Lake Lodge (the outfitter).
I contacted Ontario Parks but they had no conclusive information as to needed park permits and riding the train. Dave Hunt Market Development Specialist provided: “The VIA route provides access to a number of wilderness rivers for remote, back country paddling. Spanish River Provincial Park and Biscotasi Lake Provincial Park are two popular destinations. Mississagi River Provincial Park is a non-operating provincial park that can be accessed from the train.”
Avid canoeists of Algonquin Provincial Park, they annually plan a September trip when their families are back to school and there are “no bugs.” They both said, “the train was the lure to have an unique canoe experience.” Rob said, “There’s something naturally special about getting off the train in the middle of the wilderness.” And that’s what happens, the RDC stops and quickly the gear and the canoe are unloaded; it is a flag stop.
A retired community health nurse, Teresa Taillefer who has lived in a number of northern Ontario communities and has now retired to a property near Mattawa. She has always been an artist and took the train, with her husband and friends, for some inspiration.
“The Budd Car trip was magical! The train itself had a day-gone-by feel to it bringing you back in time. As we travelled along the train sounds created a lullaby and the gentle rocking on the rails was soothing. The landscape was a painters palette of forest greens, lake and sky shades of blue and the landscape teased you with hints of autumn hues. It was hard to look away from the windows.” The description is appreciated from another set of “train” eyes.
“The hospitality of the conductor was heartfelt and every train question was answered with enthusiasm and kindness, no matter how silly the question.”
She commented on the interaction with “buffers.” “The people along the journey created a sense of community. There is a train enthusiast (Karlos) in Chapleau who daily radios the conductor to chat on every trip up and back. He meets the train and waves proudly as we pulled out of the station.
“There were proud fishers returning from a trip with their catch. There were paddlers heading out on the Spanish River in clean gear and a returning paddler with a big grin and a sun-baked face.
Her own motivation to take the train was to capture photos of the landscape to paint later in her studio. “In my mind’s eye, I was a member of the group of seven travelling to remote northern Ontario locations to find the perfect composition, perhaps a tamarack nestled on the shore of a lake with just the right skyline! I have so many photos to work with! My thought is one of gratitude for the experience and the kinship of my travel mates.”
The conductor
Robin Robichaud was the conductor/service manager for this trip and he made an experiential difference. The train is his responsibility and within this prose description the pronoun “he” can’t be used enough in a complimentary way.
There is the definition of being a “people person.” Sure it’s his job but then there is the exemplary ones who you recall.
“There are now more ‘buffers’ riding the train since the TVO documentary (below) and tourists,” he said.
The 23-year VIA employee, resident of Alban, has been on the train for six- and one-half years. He is a “railroader” alright part of a time-honored working culture.
Robin knows the regular patrons en route and one stop is for a wheel-chair bound person, getting on in Cartier and off at a wilderness camp flag stop. Remember getting on and off the train has steep enough steps and the chair has to be recovered from the baggage car. It is a careful process to watch. It was more than customer service.
He takes the time to continually chat and answer questions. He ensures the fishers at the Esnagami Lake stop have their coolers of fillets loaded. Robin alerts the canoeists of their departure stop. “Have you got everything?”
By memory alone he knows who is getting on and off where and when. Robin alerts you to delays as freight trains trump passenger trains for the right-of-way. “There’s a mess of trains in the Chapleau yard.” He radios in a small forest fire. He talks of sightings of moose and wolves and how the winter train, which is most often empty, he recommends it is a journey to repeat.
He calls ahead and then Robin directs everyone assuredly to their accommodation in White River and was back on the train in the AM.
Then there was that poignant moment with Karlos in Chapleau (as explained by Teresa above). It is an emotional moment by someone who cares for another - who has challenges – the train being the highlight of his day. Robin cares.
When he says, “I like the people who ride the train,” it is more than just a true statement. A deeper meaning applies here beyond the deftness of a person with interpersonal relations. There’s no “all aboard,” but “enjoy the train ride on one of northern Ontario’s unique experiences.”
TVO Documentary
If you can’t make it to the train there is the ‘TVO Original TRIPPING Train 185.’ It is the fourth installment of the hugely successful TRIPPING series.
It is a three-hour immersive documentary that first aired on April 7, 2023.
The documentary contains no narration and no music. The only audio is from the journey itself.
For TRIPPING Train 185, a helicopter was the only possible way to get aerials.
I had previously contacted Executive Producer Mitch Azaria about the most recent French River, fifth production, a Back Roads Bill story to talk about why they used this expensive, but classic old-school technology for the train video.
“In a few short years these air spiders have driven the camera-toting helicopter almost entirely out of business. But, is there still need for a helicopter filming? For this documentary and the wilderness setting a helicopter was the only possible way to get aerials.” They also mounted a sophisticated, very heavy cumbersome and heavy camera by drilling holes in the front end of the RDC. There is distinctive winter footage in this production, a stark contrast of what you see in the other seasons.
Importance
Angelo Bazzoni is the former long-standing Mayor of White River, (he can’t remember but it is more than 30 years) and the recipient of a 25-year Long-standing Service Award from the Province of Ontario, a driving force behind the Winnie the Pooh attraction. As a businessperson, the query was about the importance of the train to the community.
“The train is an asset to the community and the remote tourism industry for four seasons.” He said it has never been marketed properly but with media attention is slowly becoming a tour train. He added, “It remains a lifeline for medical appointments and for college and university students in Sudbury.”
White River Air (since 1951) has a number of fly-in outpost camps along the line and is the only fly-in outfitting air service out of White River serving an area of ten thousand square miles. Brother and sister owned since 1986, Brandi MacLachlan said, “The train provides an alternative service for clients that want to fly in and train out to compliment their wilderness stays, through two different modes of transport.” For the other lodges the train is a way to bring in needed supplies. “The train is part of our northern community.”
Reflection
I have been on The Polar Bear Express Passenger Train and the Agawa Canyon Tour Train. One is a journey through the boreal forest, with the Moose River crossing as a highlight along with Moosonee and Moose Factory. The other mesmerizes you with the fall colours, dramatic relief and the canyon.
Why did I wait to experience this hidden gem?
This meandering excursion is a transition from the exposed rock outcrops and mixed deciduous forest in the south into the northern conifers, lovely black spruce and tamarack. It is about biodiversity; it is “a” most varied landscape to behold.
It is though the sheer quantity of water that takes you aback. The countless creeks and rivers, the small lakes and larger water bodies and the diverse nature of the wetlands. As it passes by it often shimmers, and presents a spectrum of colour phases as it passes by. You may close your eyes for a moment, but the next view has something to do with water. We have a generous water endowment that we seem to take for granted?
There is history as you pass through Biscotasing and Grey Owl country. The Chapleau Game Preserve creates a setting of wilderness and the lack of roads and development underlines this context. In Chapleau thoughts return to the Indigenous residential school story as the train passes the hill where young children were buried “out of sight, out of mind. There is the railway heritage to appreciate. And you are easily part of all of this from your seat.
Truly you never want to take your gaze away from the window. There is something about riding the train, you see everything, way different from airlines or the bus. Your senses have a workout.
Tips
Some tips. There are limited snacks on the train, coffee and chips and chocolate bars. Consider taking a small cooler and a thermos. You do not get off the train until White River. The temperature on board may vary so a pillow and light blanket may help.
When you arrive in White River you have to get to your hotel, there’s no taxi service. The walk with baggage can be a short challenge. The train crew stays at the Continental Hotel in White River and it has a shuttle service. And it has a good restaurant. Make sure your hotel of choice will pick you up at the station. (It is an early start back on the train the next day, check to see what is open at 6 AM or go back into that cooler for the day two return. )
White River has the Winnie the Pooh monument on Highway 17 and you will want some pics taken here.
Two recommendations for VIA, one to clean the outside windows of the train for each trip; two, clean the entrance area outside the downtown station that borders a Greater City of Sudbury parking lot (not sure who is responsible).
Things happen. The Algoma Central Railway abandoned its Soo-Hearst passenger train – the Algoma Spirit - July 13, 2016. The fall colours are here, another reason to ride this heritage-service-tour train.
Looking forward to returning and taking in the contrast of the moments of the winter landscape. Take the “Budd”- RDC car, it may disappear and have a look at all of that water that you cannot access any other way. It is a pleasure, this.
