GaynorHerrod972
Transportation is an integrated experience of any journey, and whenever you obtain a possiblity to experience an original method of travel it's better yet. Even though today we didn't have the best weather, I drove from Ottawa over the bridge to Hull (now officially section of the Municipality of Gatineau), and not far from the popular Casino duLac-Leamy is the train station for the Hull-Chelsea Wakefield Steam Train. That tourist train operates on the all former Gatineau Railway Line, developed between 1890 and 1903 by the Ottawa and Gatineau Valley Railway whose goal was to link downtown Ottawa with the Quebec town of Maniwaki so that you can accomplish lumber transports. Due to a shortage of funds the whole railway line was never fully accomplished and operation was ceased by passenger service through the Gatineau Valley in 1963.
The 64 km stretch covered by the Hull-Chelsea Wakefield Steam Train winds its way via a lovely landscape wedged in between the Gatineau River and the Gatineau Hills today. The idea for this tourist train was designed by a personal and public range in 1992, and in 1994 a local businessman, Mr. Jean Gauthier, ordered the tourist train, updated the business and made it in to a successful vacation enterprise that's since gained a variety of prizes and honors, including many Grand Prizes given by Quebec Tourism.
The Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train contains a geniune steam engine of Swedish origin, integrated 1907. Sweden used with an whole fleet of steam engines which they phased out in the 1950s when the countrys railroad system became electrified. They did not discard the old steam engines, but put them into storage. Due to the danger of the Cold War, they feared that their energy production capacity might be attacked by invaders, and the old locomotives were concealed in shelters, in the event they were needed seriously to offer an alternate source of transport.
By 1990 the danger of the Cold War had subsided and the Swedish government chose to provide its 200 steam engines, one of which (the 909) was picked up by the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield project plus a 1962 General Motors diesel locomotive. Each engine is effective at about 1000 horsepowers and generally both engines are operating, when there are more than 8 coaches connected.
The nine instructors themselves were also built-in Sweden throughout the 1940s. The Quebec coach keeps a snack bar while the Club Riviera is the luxury car. Comfortable seating is featured by the seven other coaches and there's minimal wheel seat capacity in the Wakefield coach. The Riviera car was upgraded and restored many years ago and comes with a good space and 3 private rooms. It's usually employed for private and corporate events.
My journey would maintain the blissful luxury Club Riviera coach, and as I settled right into a comfortable armchair, I lay right back and thought of the great 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 begun. We began rolling gradually through the north end of Hull and soon Maxime jokingly stated a car museum on our right hand side. Ended up it was a junkyard, I suppose museum is yet another, absolutely more upbeat means of taking a look at it.
Our reliable steam train pulled us gradually northwards and we moved in to a wooded region with the Gatineau River on the forest and the right on the left. Countless trilliums were blooming in the woods and occasionally we heard the whistling of the steam engine. Right after our departure, Maxime produced an assortment of orange juice, coffee and baked goods to each table. She explained that the Gatineau River is 400 km long and has its origin in Northern Quebec. On the right hand side she pointed out the Chelsea Hydroelectric Dam which was integrated 1927 and finished up creating tremendous floods. Maxime explained that because of the dam the stream is currently 75 to 80 feet deep.
In Tenaga, an ancient term for water tank, trains used to refill their water tanks during Kirk's Ferry, Thomas Kirk, an American businessman had produced a ferry in the 1850s with horses strolling on both sides of the river, taking the ships across the river with a lever system. Once the dam was constructed, this became too risky and the ferry operation ended.
Maxime also explained that the practice today is powered by heating oil, maybe not coal. This is one of many safety requirements imposed by the Canadian government if they issued the permit for the tourist train. Heating oil is not only less costly than coal, it is also less damaging. We chugged by the Morrison Quarry, a abandoned gravel pit featuring a number of run-down, yet very nearly beautiful professional equipment. On one other side of the quarry is obviously the highest bungee moving system in Canada.
Two young musicians, one with a and one with a fiddle, arrived to our railway car and performed some folk music which the group greatly appreciated. Every trip on the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train features an element of live entertainment. Along with day excursions, the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train offers evening excursions featuring a 4-course dinner.
After one hour and a half we finally found its way to the charming town of Wakefield, site of several eateries, tea rooms and souvenir shops. The spectacle was yet to come: the operation of the manual turntable! Once the train reaches its final destination the 93 ton steam locomotive has to be turned around for the drive back to its original place. The train is slowly driven by the engineers onto a swiveling round system. Then the artists arrive at manually push the software using handle arms and the locomotive is turned by this around in the opposite direction. This really is one of only two manual platters left in The United States.
A meal at the Trois Erables Bed and Break fast was included in the Riviera Club deal, however, I had already made plans earlier to examine one of the absolute most historic properties in town: the Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa, a historic gristmill just a 10 minute walk outside of downtown Wakefield.
Following my development of the Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa it was time to reunite on the train at 1:30. There are many sound signals using the steam whistle to announce the departure of the train back once again to Hull and there are 2 departure points within the town of Wakefield. People were finding its way back on the train, fairly soaked from the wet weather, and quite a few of them had certainly gone to some of the crafts shops or chocolate stores around Wakefield.
It was time for our peaceful hour and a half journey back again to Hull, and the mood in the vehicle was noticeably quieter. The seats in the Riviera Car are so comfortable a few people got a little nap, myself included. The rhythmic chugging of the practice is definitely an acutely relaxing experience and made me doze off a few times in route back.
Even as we had reached our final destination, I experienced a genuine treat: the two engineers, Vic and Nikolas, invited me into the cab of the steam locomotive for a couple of minutes prior to they were likely to turn around the practice around for the dinner excursion at the train property. I'd missed my turn to climb aboard the engine in Wakefield, however now I surely got to catch up and see this beauty up close.
Vic herself is a retired RCMP officer who has found an ideal part-time work. Nikolas, a recent immigrant from Croatia who's very knowledgeable about steam engines, works on keeping and renovating the engines during the winter months and drives them in the summer. Both of these men clearly love their job, they like dealing with this near to 100 year old steam engine and take excellent care of it to make sure it's a lot more years of life left.
The Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train is a superb exemplory case of how a traditional travel experience has been improved and become a important local tourist attraction. It absolutely was the right solution to spend a rainy day. via
