Niagara Falls Orion 7 charter:

 

Prologue:

 

            Due to COVID-19, the TTS has not had a charter since October 2019 when they chartered two CLRV streetcars for a farewell to the CLRV. They only had online meetings between September 2020 to June 2022.

 

            In the summer of 2022 they announced that they would have a charter in Niagara Falls with a couple Orion 7s. It was originally in early August but was pushed back three weeks. After getting the day off work, I would go.

 

            Earlier in the summer, Amtrak and VIA had quietly brought back the Maple Leaf which hadn’t run to Toronto since the start of the Pandemic. My plan was to ride a GO train to Niagara Falls and go on the charter before taking the Maple Leaf home much like in 2011 and 2012 when I attended charters in Niagara Falls. The trip unfolded as follows.

 

August 27, 2022:

 

            My mom gave me a ride to the Highway 407 station. I had seen that part of the Yonge line was closed for work. I got to Union shortly after 8:30 am. I bought a ticket for the GO train and soon boarded. I boarded the cab car. The train soon departed.

 

            This GO train had 12 cars like when I took the GO train to the 2011 Niagara Falls charter. This GO train had a lot of passengers!

 

            The train stopped at the Exhibition station. The Canadian National Exhibition was happening this year and I had gone there the day before. As we passed VIA’s Toronto Maintenance Center, I filmed the equipment in the yard. The train stopped at Port Credit and Oakville. West of Oakville, I saw two former Grand River Transit Nova LFS buses but I was unable to photograph them. We stopped at Burlington. At Burlington, we stopped to let VIA train #70 and an eastbound GO train pass. We were soon underway and stopped at Aldershot a few minutes later.

 

            As the train passed through Hamilton, I photographed a trio of CN locomotives in the yard.

 

 

 

            The train actually stopped to flag a number of railroad crossings even though they appeared to be working properly. I became annoyed with this and started regretting not taking a GO bus from Highway 407 station instead and transferring on route. However I did know the charter would wait for a late GO train.

 

            We eventually were clear of all the crossings we had to flag and began accelerating. We passed through Grimsby and stopped at St. Catherines. The bridge over the Welland Canal was down though.

 

            We were soon approaching Niagara Falls. I got ready to get off. From the train, I could see VIA train #97; the New York bound Maple Leaf just past the station.

 

            The train stopped. I got off and photographed the GO train and the rear of the Maple Leaf.

 

 

 

            I saw Kevin Nicol across the street and went over. The charter bus wasn’t there yet. Our bus would soon arrive. I photographed Niagara Falls Transit Orion 7 #2368.

 

 

The crowd of people across the street was waiting for a WEGO bus.

 

 

            The large crowd of people was waiting to get on WEGO buses. Other people on the charter said that the people would be there for at least an hour and that due to how full the GO train was, would pay for itself today.

 

            At least one person tried to board our charter bus but was told it was a private charter. We were passed by Orion 7 #2679 which is the same type of bus as #2368. I also photographed a Double Deck Tours Routemaster that had been rebuilt with an open deck.

 

 

The bus soon departed. I noticed a roundabout had been built at the intersection of Bridge and Victoria.

 

            The bus passed through my grandma’s old neighborhood. Our first photo stop was the Morrison and Dorchester Transit hub where I photographed #2368 and three other buses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Eventually two more buses would arrive; an Orion 7 NG and Nova LFS #1397. I photographed the two buses.

 

 

 

            In 2013 I had seen #1397 at the Nova bus factory bus wasn’t allowed to photograph it. We got back on the bus and we soon departed.

 

            #2368 was repositioned and we took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Our next photo stop was the Mount Carmel Hub. I photographed a couple buses in service as well as the charter bus.

 

 

 

 

            #2368 pulled away to get turned around. I crossed the street and photographed the bus when it returned.

 

 

            We got back on and the bus headed off. Next was the lunch stop near Lundy’s Lane and Drummond. I saw that the Wendy’s that previously was there was closed because the restaurant had moved. I photographed the bus

 

 

            I had lunch at a McDonald’s across the street. I then walked to where the bus would pick us up. While waiting for the charter bus to return, I photographed WEGO bus #5209.

 

 

 

            A WEGO passenger was asking other charter attendees and I how to use the WEGO, but since we weren’t on WEGO, we didn’t know.

 

            When #2368 returned. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            Our next photo stop by the Skylon Tower.

 

 

            We then got back on the bus and headed for Main and Ferry. We got off. I photographed the bus and filmed it pulling away.

 

 

            The bus couldn’t stay at Main and Ferry and would return a little while later. While waiting, I photographed various buses in service as well as an old car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            #2368 soon returned. I photographed it before I got back on.

 

 

            We then headed out by the Falls and got off the bus. This was so people could photograph the bus with Niagara Falls in the background.

 

 

            We then walked to the Table Rock WEGO stop to pick up the bus. On the way, I photographed the Incline Railway.

 

 

            At Table Rock, I took some photos and video of #2368.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            We then got back on the bus and soon departed. Along the way, I photographed the remains of the old scowl which had become dislodged in late 2019 by a windstorm after being stuck at its previous spot for over 100 years.

 

 

            I had previously photographed the barge after it had moved a day or two prior to the world shutting down in 2020.  Our next photo stop was in Chippewa.

 

 

 

            We departed and drove past Marineland. At one point, we passed Orion 7 #2679 which was in service. Our next photo stop was near Niagara Square Mall where I photographed a few Nova LFS buses in service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            We then drove over to the Niagara Falls Transit garage where we would be switching over to Niagara Falls Transit Orion 7 #2190. The bus switch was planned. I took some photos at the garage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            We had the group photo at the garage.

 

 

            Everyone got on #2190 and headed out. I took one last photo of #2368.

 

 

            We drove to the Welland Transit bus terminal. I bought a Pepsi from a vending machine before the next pulse of buses arrived. When they arrived, I photographed them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            After leaving the terminal, we headed over to the Welland Transit bus garage. We weren’t allowed inside the garage but could photograph various buses parked outside including Welland Transit’s sole XD35 #1154.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I photographed the Welland Transit logo on the side of the garage.

 

 

            #2190 was then moved and positioned with the Welland Transit logo on the garage.

 

 

 

            We then got back on the bus and headed out. We were now heading back to the train station. At one point, we even got on the highway. We soon arrived at the station about an hour before train #98 was scheduled to depart.

 

            The Maple Leaf was already in the station. Prior to the Pandemic, the train usually consisted of a locomotive, three Amfleet 2 coaches, an Amfleet 1 coach, and an Amfleet 1 café car with Business Class seats. Today’s train consisted of a locomotive, five Amfleet 2 coaches, and an Amfleet 1 café car with Business Class seats. I took some photos including Orion 7 #2679 when it came by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then went into the station to await boarding. I charged my Ipod and worked on this report for a few minutes.

 

            Soon it was time to board. I was seated in Amfleet 2 coach #25102. I noticed since the last time I rode the Maple Leaf that the Amfleet 2 coaches have leather seats similar to what the Amfleet 1 coaches got.

 

            After the Pandemic hit, I kind of regretted not taking an extra day on my Dallas Make-Up trip to ride the Maple Leaf one last time, though I didn’t think something like that would happen.

 

            My friend Mark who was on the charter had bought a ticket for Train #98 while we were on the charter sat beside me. The train left on time.

 

            I worked on this report some more. The café car opened and we went there for dinner. At one point, a westbound GO train passed being pushed by an F59PH. The train stopped at St. Catherines. We passed non stop through Grimsby.

 

            We were passing through Hamilton. I wondered if the Maple Leaf would have to flag the railway crossings like the GO train did this morning. Fortunately what had made the GO train have to flag the crossings was resolved and we passed through Hamilton without stopping. The train stopped at Aldershot a little while later.  At Aldershot, I saw a GO train pull in. A westbound CN freight passed. We sat in Aldershot for several minutes before we departed.

 

            I tried to see and photograph the two ex GRT Nova LFS buses I saw this morning, but I was unable to. The train stopped at Oakville. We departed a few minutes later. A westbound GO train passed.

 

            As we passed VIA’s Toronto Maintenance Center, I filmed the equipment in the yard including the Canadian which had come from its journey from Vancouver. A westbound GO train also passed.

 

            Soon we were approaching Toronto Union Station. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off.

 

            Train #98 arrived into Union Station on time. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

 

 

            Mark and I went to the subway. Although I had come from Highway 407, Mark had parked his car at Finch. We rode to St. Clair where we would have picked up a shuttle bus. However, there was a HUGE crowd of people waiting to get on. After some back and forth, we eventually boarded a streetcar on route #512 and rode to St. Clair West. While on the streetcar, a woman seated behind me complimented my t-shirt. This was the T-shirt I got on my Alabama Trip commemorating the 60^th anniversary of when Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white passenger.

 

            Upon getting to St. Clair West, Mark and I went to catch a northbound train to Finch West. When the train arrived, I saw it was the same train Mark and rode to St. Clair!

 

            We rode to Finch West then took a route #36 bus across to Finch Station before I got a ride home with Mark getting home two hours after train #98 arrived.

 

Conclusions:

 

            Aside from the struggle getting home and the flagged crossing in Hamilton, this day trip was good for things to continue getting back to normal in the form of TTS charters and the Maple Leaf returning. Things are still not 100% but we’re getting there.

 

            As for me, my next trip is less than a week when I return to Sault Ste Marie to ride the Agawa Canyon tour train. Until next time…