Montreal Photo Retake Trip:

 

Prologue:

 

            When I was in Montreal for the last runs of the MR-63 subway train, I inadvertently deleted over 100 photos from the first two days of the trip. I still had most of the photos from the MR-63 trains themselves though I had to ask others for photos of the vintage ads inside the train.

 

            Still, I wasn’t happy in loosing the photos. I made a few attempts to recover the pictures without luck. As a result, I decided to go back to retake the pictures I lost.

 

            There where four things I had lost that I would attempt to retake: Train #62 in Montreal, STM’s electric Nova LFS, the commuter train in Saint-Jerome, and a ride on an STM #22-000 series Nova LFS; the oldest series of buses in service with STM.

 

            My plan was to go back to Montreal in late July. I would end up going on the exact same dates as my 2007 Sudbury Trip. My plan was to ride Train #62 to Montreal and spend two nights there. Coming back, I would take train #33 to Ottawa and then connect to train #47 back to Toronto. The reason I went through Ottawa on the return was that VIA had that route on a discount when I booked it on a Tuesday. I would ride VIA train #62 in Business Class as I was seated close to the front of #62 last time and the Business car is the first coach on the train. The trip unfolded as follows.

 

July 30, 2018:

 

            I left home shortly after 7:00 am. My mom gave me a ride to Langstaff. I bought a ticket for the next train which was the same departure I took back in April when Mark and I went to Montreal. After buying my ticket, I decided to add $10 to my Presto card.

 

            While waiting for my GO train, I photographed a CN intermodal.

 

 

 

            My GO train came 15 minutes later. I photographed it.

 

 

            I took a seat in the cab car. The train departed. Shortly after leaving Langstaff, I heard the announcement “10-33 car 4513.”

 

            This announcement didn’t seem as serious as we weren’t held at Old Cummer or Oriole stations. We did get to Union a little over 10 minutes late. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I then went and checked in at the Business Class lounge. I found a place to work and worked on this trip report a bit. I also went online to learn a charter that I was to attend on August 11^th was cancelled.

 

            Boarding began shortly after 8:50. I went up and photographed the train before getting on.

 

 

 

            I was seated in LRC Business class coach #3475. I had a backwards facing seat on the left-hand side of the train. This would be the first time I rode in a rebuilt LRC Business Class coach! There was a VIA train on the track next to us.

 

            I logged into the Wi-Fi. The train left on time. I filmed the VIA train on the track next to us and went online. I was distracted that I missed filming Greenwood Yard. My ticket was taken.

 

            The train stopped in Oshawa. Somewhere east of Oshawa, we overtook a CP freight on the parallel CP line. The train passed through Port Hope. A westbound VIA train passed, but I was unable to film it. We stopped at Cobourg a few minutes later. We soon departed Cobourg.

 

            We passed a westbound CN freight. As we passed the Memory Junction Railway Museum, I filmed it.

 

            As we passed through Belleville non-stop, we passed a westbound CN intermodal with an ex BC Rail unit trailing.

 

            Another westbound VIA passed and I was unable to film it. We stopped at Kingston awhile later. At Kingston, I photographed D40LF #0833.

 

 

            A westbound VIA train pulled in and I filmed it. We then departed Kingston. East of Kingston, a CN freight passed. I was then served lunch.

 

            We were soon approaching Brockville where train #62 would be separated from train #52. I went back through the economy coaches and photographed the nose of F40 #6446 which would lead #52 after being separated from #62.

 

 

            VIA train #63 passed and I attempted to film it.

 

            The trains stopped and I watched as they uncoupled the two trains and took some photos.

 

 

 

            Train #62 pulled away and rounded a slight curve. I took one more photo of #52.

 

 

            I then returned to my seat. A westbound VIA train passed but I was unable to film it. The train stopped in Cornwall.

 

            The train crossed into Quebec and we passed a few EXO stations. We overtook a CP freight with a single AC4400 leading and a GEVO on the rear. We stopped in Dorval a few minutes later. We started to leave but then stopped again. However, we were soon underway.

 

            From the train, I could see the Exo shops and saw some equipment outside. I caught a glimpse of an ex GO Transit F59PH. We later passed some pieces of rail maintenance equipment.

 

            We slowed down briefly bus soon picked up speed again. We were soon nearing Central Station. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off.

 

            As we passed over a canal, I caught a glimpse of some ex STM MR-63s in a park. I knew there were some in the area of Central station and I hoped to check them out. Train #62 arrived 20 minutes late. I got off and photographed the train as well as train #67 awaiting its departure for Toronto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            This would be the first of my photos to have been successfully retaken. I travelled in Business Class to be close to the front of the train as that’s where I was on #62 last time.

 

            I then left the station and walked to Bonadventure Metro. I once again bought a three-day pass. I boarded an Azur and rode to the Vendome station. I got off and filmed the train pulling out.

 

            I then went upstairs and caught a bus on route #105. I rode three stops and got off. I was once again staying at an Airbnb. I found the place but no one was home. I wasn’t told where a key was. I eventually found a Wi-Fi signal and was able to get my host’s phone number and called him. I eventually got it but I wasted at least 30 minutes.

 

            I then phoned home and headed out. I caught a bus back to Vendome and boarded an Orange line train. I rode two stops to Lionel-Groulx and transferred to the Green line. I boarded a train of MR-73s and rode to Angrignon. I was going to try to ride an electric Nova LFS bus again. Once I got there, I saw there was no electric bus at the charging station. I waited around and took some photos including some in a nearby park right next to the station.

 

 

 

You can’t tell it from this photo but Angrignon station is just to the right out of frame.

 

 

            I waited a few buses, but only LFS diesel buses came on route #36. I boarded the Metro and rode one station to Monk. I waited around and bought a Pepsi from a restaurant a few blocks away.

 

            I was going to catch a bus back to Monk then wait around to see if an electric LFS would show, but I saw an electric LFS coming the other way! I went across the street and photographed the bus before I got on.

 

 

            I ended up riding the bus all the way downtown to Square-Victoria where I took some interior shots of the bus. I had taken interior shots of the electric LFS I rode last time, but they were lost in the deletion of all those photos.

 

 

 

            I then took some photos of the bus and filmed it pulling away.

 

 

 

 

            I photographed the entrance to the Square Victoria station as it looks like it’s out of the Paris Metro.

 

 

            I then boarded the Metro and rode to Barri-UQAM. I got off and transferred to the Green Line. I rode to Radisson station and got off. I was looking for a 22-000 series Nova LFS; STM’s oldest series of buses in service and Radisson was a good place to go. When I got there, I photographed some buses.

 

 

 

            I then photographed an RTL Nova LFS and an STM LFS which turned out to be #22-407.

 

 

 

            I boarded #22-407 and rode to Honore-Beaugard. I got off and photographed the bus.

 

 

            There were quite a few #22-000 series Nova LFS buses at Honore-Beaugard. It reminded me of back in 2007 when Mark and I saw many ETS fishbowls at the West Edmonton Mall. I took some photos before I boarded #22-239 on route #18.

 

 

 

 

            I rode #22-218 to Beaubien Metro station. We passed a few more 22-000 series LFS buses on the way. At one point, we got stuck behind a garbage truck which no doubt smelled AWFUL!

 

            I got off at Beaubien and photographed the bus.

 

 

            I filmed #22-239 pulling away. I had ridden a 22-000 series LFS back in June but once again, my photos were deleted.

 

I then boarded the Metro and rode to Sauvé station where I transferred to the route #121 bus and rode to Cote-Vertu where I walked over and had dinner at a nearby Taco Bell.

 

            After dinner, I walked back to the Metro and rode an Azur back to Vendome station and filmed the train pulling out.

 

            I then transferred to route #105 and rode back to where I was staying. I went inside and logged into the Wi-Fi. I worked on this report before I went out to a nearby convenience store and got some milk. I returned where I was staying before I eventually called it a night.

 

July 31, 2018:

 

            I got up at 8:45 am and got dressed. I left the apartment and walked over and had breakfast at a nearby Subway restaurant. I then caught a bus to Vendome and rode a Metro train to Bonadventure. I was going to attempt to see the MR-63s I saw the day before.

 

            From Bonadventure, I walked over to the park near the canal to where the subway cars were. There were a total of four cars; three end cars and one middle car. The cars are part of an art instillation/café and weren’t on trucks. I photographed the cars and the seats which were laid out in the open.

 

 

 

 

I probably sat in some of those seats on my previous trips to Montreal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then walked back to the Metro and caught an Orange line train to Jean-Talon. I transferred to the Blue line and rode two stops to Parc station. I was once again going to ride the commuter train to Saint-Jerome.

 

            This time, I got to Parc in plenty of time to buy a ticket and not have to scramble. The train hadn’t arrived yet but would board on the opposite platform as I boarded back in June.

 

            I was hoping today’s train would have the same equipment as the train I rode back in June. That train consisted of Exo (formerly AMT)’s newest bilevel coaches pulled by an ex GO F59PH. As it turned out, the train did have the same type of equipment as the train I rode in June. I filmed the train pulling in and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            The train had pulled on the opposite platform where it discharged its passengers. I then pulled ahead. I filmed it pulling out.

 

            The train pulled to a junction south of the station and switched tracks. It then pulled back into the station. I photographed the train as it pulled in.

 

 

            I took a seat in the cab car. The train left a minute late. At Sainte Rose, I photographed STL First Generation Nova #0013.

 

 

            I once again rode all the way to Saint Jerome. No one else sat in the upper level of the car I was in. At Saint Jerome, I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            With this, I had pretty much retaken all the photos I had lost back in June. If the train had different coaches/locomotives, I would have gone by Montreal West station and waited to see if a train would come by that matched what I had ridden, but fortunately, I was able to get on the same type of coaches with an ex GO Transit F59PH.

 

            I got back on the train to head back to Montreal. I helped a few people get on by showing them a yellow button next to the doors. Ironic that someone from Toronto knew more than locals!

 

            I then took a seat in the cab car. There was one other person on the upper level. The train departed on time.

 

            I rode all the way back to Parc instead of getting off one station early to look for a new money belt after the zipper broke back in June. (For the record, I got the money belt repaired but I brought the one I purchased with me just in case the zipper broke again.

 

            Once back at Parc, I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

 

            I filmed the train pulling out heading for the junction then filmed it pulling in. I took two more photos

 

 

 

            I then walked to a nearby McDonald’s for lunch. After lunch, I got back on the Metro and rode to Jean-Talon. This would be the only time I would ride the Blue line on this trip.

 

            From Jean-Talon, I rode the Orange line south to Barri-UQAM. I rode the Yellow Line to Longueuil Universie-de-Sheerbrooke station which was the only Metro station I never visited on my last trip. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I filmed the train pulling into the tail track. I left the Metro and looked around. I eventually got back on the Metro and rode back to Barri-UQAM where I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I transferred to the Green line and rode to Angrignon. I decided I was going to try to ride an electric LFS from Angrignon just because I rode one from there back in June. I photographed a few posters for the electric buses.

 

 

 

            I decided to wait until 5:30 to see if an electric bus would come as the bus I rode yesterday left Angrignon at 5:30. I had gotten there before 4:30 and I saw a diesel LFS on route #36. I walked by Angrignon Park.

 

            The 5:00 departure was a Hybrid LFS. I didn’t get on, but I photographed it.

 

 

            I waited until a few minutes before 5:30 when STM #36-902; the electric LFS I rode the day before came. I filmed the bus pulling up to the charging station and the pantograph descended to charge the bus’s batteries. I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

            The driver asked why I was taking pictures. I gave him an honest answer. He asked if I was done. I told him I planned to ride the bus to Monk. He didn’t say anything.

 

            When the bus finished charging (it takes about 5 minutes), I filmed it pulling up to the stop. I got on and sat down. The bus departed a few minutes later.

 

            Like in June, I rode to Monk Metro station. I got off and photographed the bus.

 

 

            I then filmed the bus pulling away and took one more photo.

 

 

            I the boarded the Metro and rode to Lionel-Groulx. I got off and filmed the train pulling away.

 

            I saw a train of MR-73s on the Green line heading towards Angrignon. I saw some cars that were wrapped. I had photographed those cars back in June but again I lost the pictures. So I photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I then boarded an Azur on the Orange line and rode to Namur. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I filmed the train pulling out. I then left the station and stopped at Wal-Mart. After, I walked to Gibeau Orange Julep and had dinner. I had to have some more of their orange juice.

 

 

 

 

            After dinner, I stopped at a gas station and bought some cereal for tomorrow morning. I then caught a Nova LFS on route #17 and rode to close to where I was staying and then walked the rest of the way back to the apartment. I worked on this report some more and set the alarm on my phone for 6:35. I called it a night.

 

This time in Montreal was a huge success. Click to read about my trip home:                 Returning home by way of Ottawa