Hi From Ottawa A Historic Transportation Adventure On The Hull-chelsea-wakefield Steam Train 701297449037
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Transportation is an integrated experience of any journey, and once you get yourself a opportunity to experience a distinctive method of transportation it's better still. I went from Ottawa over the bridge to Hull (now officially element of the Municipality of Gatineau), and not far from the renowned Casino duLac-Leamy is the radio station for the Hull-Chelsea Wakefield Steam Train, even though today we did not have the best temperature. This visitor practice operates on the all former Gatineau Railway Line, developed between 1890 and 1903 by the Ottawa and Gatineau Valley Railway whose purpose was to link downtown Ottawa with the Quebec village of Maniwaki to be able to facilitate timber like us on facebook transports. Due to a shortage of resources the complete railway line was never fully accomplished and operation was ceased by passenger service through the Gatineau Valley in 1963.
The 64 km stretch included in the Hull-Chelsea Wakefield Steam Train winds its way via a scenic landscape wedged among the Gatineau River and the Gatineau Hills today. The concept for this tourist train was conceived by an exclusive and public range in 1992, and in 1994 a local entrepreneur, Mr. Jean Gauthier, bought the tourist train, restructured the business and made it right into a successful vacation opportunity that's since gained a number of prizes and awards, including many Grand Prizes given by Quebec Tourism.
The Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train includes an authentic steam engine of Swedish origin, built in 1907. Sweden used to have an entire fleet of steam engines which they eliminated in the 1950s when the countrys railroad system became electrified. They did not discard the old steam engines, but set them in to storage. Due to the risk of the Cold War, they feared that their electricity production capacity might be attacked by invaders, and the old engines were concealed in shelters, in case 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 locomotives, certainly one of which (the 909) was acquired by the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield project plus a 1962 General Motors diesel locomotive. Each engine is effective at about 1000 horsepowers and generally both locomotives are in service, when there are more than 8 instructors connected.
The nine coaches themselves were also built in Sweden during the 1940s. The Quebec coach holds a snack bar while the Club Riviera may be the luxury car. The seven other coaches function comfortable sitting and there's minimal wheel chair potential in the Wakefield coach. The Riviera car was improved and restored a couple of years ago and includes a good space and 3 private rooms. It is often employed for corporate and personal activities.
My journey was going to take the luxury Club Riviera coach, and as I settled right into a comfortable armchair, I sat straight back 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 begun. We began running gradually through the north end of Hull and quickly Maxime jokingly pointed out an automobile museum on our right hand side. Turned out it was a junkyard, I assume public is another, absolutely more hopeful method of taking a look at it.
Our trusty water practice pulled us slowly northwards and we moved in to a wooded area with the Gatineau River on the forest and the right on the left. Countless trilliums were blooming in the woods and sometimes we heard the whistling of the steam engine. Immediately after our departure, Maxime brought a variety of orange juice, coffee and baked products to each table. She described that the Gatineau River is 400 km long and has its source in Northern Quebec. She pointed out the Chelsea Hydroelectric Dam which was built in 1927 and finished up creating tremendous floods on the right hand side. Maxime explained that because of the dam the water has become 75 to 80 feet deep.
In Tenaga, an indigenous word for water tank, trains used to refill their water tanks during Kirk's Ferry, Thomas Kirk, an American businessman had made a ferry in the 1850s with horses walking on both sides of the river, taking the ships across the river with a pulley system. This became too dangerous, when the dam was built and the ferry operation ended.
Maxime also explained that the practice today is propelled by heating oil, not coal. It was one of many safety requirements imposed by the Canadian government once they granted the permit for the tourist train. Heating oil isn't only less costly than coal, it is also less polluting. We chugged by the Morrison Quarry, a abandoned gravel pit having a selection of run-down, yet very nearly attractive professional equipment. On one other side of the quarry is clearly the greatest bungee getting tower in Canada.
Two young artists, one with a and one with a fiddle, arrived to our railway car and played some folk music that your audience greatly appreciated. Every outing on the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train features an element of live entertainment. As well as day excursions, evening excursions are also offered by the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train featuring a 4-course meal.
After a half and one hour we finally found its way to the quaint village of Wakefield, place of many eateries, tea rooms and souvenir shops. The vision was yet to come: the function of the manual turntable! Once its final destination is reached by the train the 93 ton steam locomotive has to be turned around for the drive back to its original location. The train is slowly driven by the engineers onto a rotating round platform. Then the artists reach physically force the system using handle arms and this becomes the locomotive around in the opposite direction. This is certainly one of only two manual turntables left in United States.
A meal at the Trois Erables Bed and Break fast was included in the Riviera Club package, however, I had already made plans earlier to examine one of the most historic houses in town: the Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa, a historic gristmill only a 10 minute walk outside downtown Wakefield.
Following my development of the Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa it was time for you to reunite on the train at 1:30. There are many sound indicators using the steam whistle to announce the departure of the train back to Hull and there are 2 departure points inside the town of Wakefield. Individuals were coming back on the practice, notably soaked from the damp weather, and quite a few of these had certainly visited a number of the crafts shops or chocolate stores around Wakefield.
It was time for the peaceful time and a half trip back to Hull, and the feeling in the car was noticeably quieter. The seats in the Riviera Car are so comfortable that the few people took only a little nap, myself included. The rhythmic chugging of the train is definitely an exceptionally enjoyable experience and made me doze off a couple of times on your way back.
If we had reached our ultimate destination, I experienced a real treat: the two engineers, Vic and Nikolas, invited me into the cab of the steam locomotive for a few momemts right before they were planning to turn around the train around for the meal trip at the railway yard. I had missed my turn to climb aboard the engine in Wakefield, but now I surely got to get up and see this physical beauty up close.
Vic herself is the perfect part-time job have been found by a retired RCMP officer who. Nikolas, a recent immigrant from Croatia who is very experienced with steam engines, works on refurbishing and maintaining the locomotives during the winter months and pushes them in the summertime. Both of these gentlemen visibly love their work, they like working with this near to 100 year old steam engine and take good care of it to make sure it has many more years of life left.
The Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train is a good exemplory instance of how a ancient travel experience has been revived and turn into a important local tourist attraction. It had been an ideal solution to spend a rainy day.
