Thread by @bjornradstrom

I'm heading home from the #CUTA2023ACTU conference in Saskatoon. Decided to take the train home because it was <1/2 the price of flying, and I thought I could work, relax, and read during the 14 hour trip.

It was supposed to leave here at 7 am and arrive in Winnipeg at 10 pm.

When I woke up this morning, it said it was delayed till 1:15 pm - over 8 hours! Then the estimated departure kept on getting earlier and earlier, so I headed to the station and made it just in time for the newly-estimated 11:45 departure.

The station is basic, but functional.

The train finally arrived at 11:50, went past the station, sat there, and then backed in to the station.

I was finally able to get on board at 12:15, and I think we'll be leaving by 1:15.

Economy isn't very full, so I got two seats all to myself. The seats are really wide, recline a lot, and have leg rests.

There's definitely way more leg room than it looks like there is in business class on an airplane.

It'll be a fun and interesting journey, but I'm not looking forward to getting to Winnipeg at 2-3 am instead of 10 pm.

There is a live train tracker on the @VIA_Rail website, and it's hilarious how train trips in western Canada are so long that I could start tracking my train as it left Vancouver... two days before I was going to board in Saskatoon.

tsimobile.viarail.ca/#2%20(05-08)

And we're off! Departed at exactly 13:14.

Farewell #Saskatoon! I thoroughly enjoyed my time visiting your city. It was a great conference, and it was wonderful to explore your city by bike.

Speaking of which, I rode over a second suspended AT bridge (under the Gordie Howe Memorial Bridge) a few days ago, and just now got to see it from the train.

Very neat to see it from both perspectives.

Everyone says the prairies are boring, but I think the big skies and endless expanses are amazing.

They are almost out of hot food to sell, so the attendant strongly recommend I order something now and not wait till suppertime.

Folks, I present to you the third last mac and cheese on The Canadian (Via Rail train no. 002).

It's also hilarious that we only have two cross-country trains... train no. 1 (westbound) and train no. 2 (eastbound).

It says a lot about the abysmal lack of rail service in western Canada.

Only two trains per week in each direction.

STOPPED! We are just outside of Melville, and we are being told it's because there's a breakdown in a locomotive on the freight train in front of us.

At least it's pretty here in Goodeve, Saskatchewan.

Freight train moving in the opposite direction, so this might mean progress!

Trains passing

As a certified transportation nerd, one of the most interesting things I get to see is the railway signals changing from Proceed to Stop just as the lead locomotive passes them.

Thanks to Calvin & Hobbes, the name Melville will never not make me laugh

They just blew the horn and called out All Aboard at the Melville stop! So ridiculously quaint.

Also, it’s hard to describe how massive these locomotives are. You really just need to stand next to one, especially when it’s running.

We’re on our way.

See you later Melville!

Prairie sunsets are simply beautiful

More Saskatchewan sunset photos before it gets too dark

They just let us know that when we arrive in Winnipeg at 3 am, we’re going to stop 50 feet short of the platform, refuel the locomotives for 20 minutes, and then pull into the station so we can get off. 🤦‍♂️

Spectacular little river valley at sunset near Gerald, Saskatchewan

Of course we roll into the beautiful Assiniboine River Valley right after sunset so it was too dark to see much of anything.

And I’m home.

The train pulled into #Winnipeg at 02:45 but we had to wait till 03:15 to get off because the place where they refuel is 50 ft short of where we needed to be for deboarding.

And on my way to work, after arriving by train into Winnipeg at 3 am