To Churchill to See Polar Bears by VIA Rail

--an adventure in travel!

We are headed north, from Winnipeg to the end of the line, Churchill, Manitoba, located on the western shore of the Hudson Bay where we hope to see Polar Bears. The VIA Rail engine is shown above at our stop in Daulphin, Manitoba. 

                                      

Dauphin, Manitoba, Railway Station.  At a few of the train stops we had 30-45 minutes to explore the streets around the station.  At other times, there was enough time to stretch our legs and we would be on our way again.

Above, you see my VIA Rail home for the three days of travel from Winnipeg to Churchill.  The distance is 1000 miles or 1500 kilometers, which is approximately two days and nights of travel. Flexibility in your schedule is an important aspect of relaxing while traveling north on the railway. Passenger trains are sometimes delayed due to on-coming freight trains that share the same tracks. Most of these delays are built into the schedule, but occasionally, the unexpected throws things off.

In general, freight trains have priority over passenger trains in northern Canada, primarily because the freight trains are carrying essential supplies for isolated communities.  Passenger trains move off the tracks onto a side rail and wait until an on-coming freight train passes. Depending on the timing of the two trains, this sometimes requires a wait.

Above, you see my cabin's lavatory with two water faucet compartments--right side for drinking water, the left for washing, and below the faucets, a pull-down sink bowl.  The sink is shown in its open position below.

When you lift the bowl back toward the wall, the water empties.  A toliet is located below the sink and has a cushioned seat over it so it can conveniently double as a visitor seat. 

Above, my passenger seat, and below, the wall above the bench showing the bed's pull-down door. By turning the handle, and tugging a bit, the bed pulls down and covers the entire sleeper cabin. As you lower it, you have to step out of the cabin. into the hallway to give it room.  The bed covers the entire cabin, including the toliet.  In all, the cabin measured about 3' by 5'. 

This sleeping cars was constructed in 1953.  When you think about the overall efficiency and comfort, plus durability, this is pretty impressive feat of engineering.  

My luggage compartment is shown below where I stored my camera bag and a 22" duffle bag. These two bags fit nicely and snuggly.  No room for anything more.  There were two hooks for coats, and the rail line furnished towels and tolietries.  This cabin was the "step-up" cabin. The one-person cabins alternate between step-up style and cabins that are even with the hallway floor. Those that are even with the hallway have beds that slide across the cabin from the opposite direction and storage is underneath the bed instead of in an overhead compartment.  I had the second arrangement on my return trip and I found the "step-up" style more comfortable and convenient.

A very nice shower was located just down the hall with a dressing area, laundry shoot, hot water and good water pressure!  A spacious public bathroom was also located close to the shower.

Next, I'll show you the deluxe cabin!

This is the eighth post in a series on my journey to Churchill, Manitoba, to see Polar Bears including a visit to Riding Mountain National Park.  Click the journey to Churchill link to see all the posts.  The most recent post will appear first.  When you reach the end of the page, click "older post" to continue with the series.

Hudson Bay Buggies and Bears with Rail Travel Tours
Learn about Polar Bears