Quotes from my trips:
The following are various quotes either said to me or by me on my trips.
“Are you sure you don’t have a wordsearch book?” Young Ruby who was seated near me on train 39.
“I’ll sell it {
Farewell to Amtrak’s Three Rivers:
“You didn’t have a problem, did you?” Member of the high school dance club on the Three Rivers after the conductor stopped them from practicing their routine in the aisle.
Trip on lounge car “Glenfraser”:
“Were you the one asking about this train?” Railfan on Glenfraser shortly after I entered the car, on a post I made a week earlier on the Canadian Passenger Rail Yahoo group.
“Grandma, don’t listen to what this man says” Annoying kid to his grandmother after I asked him to stop bothering me or I would tell his grandmother.
Trip on the Breeze:
“The train leaves at
Farewell to VIA’s
“You make a better door than rug.” Me to a child throwing a tantrum in the aisle of the sleeper.
Washago trip:
“It, {the Northlander} has never run on time since it changed to the new schedule.” A Local railfan, while I was calling to find out the status of the Northlander.
“As Donald Trump would say: You’re fired!” My unsuccessful attempt to tell off someone who kept asking me for $10.00.
“At least homeless people are smarter here than
“I work at Burger King, making flame broiled whoppers…” Employees
at a Burger King in
“Were you the guy taking pictures last year?” Timmins Transit driver after they saw me photographing buses.
“There’s never a Wal-Mart around when you need it!” Me as I looked for a store that sold memory sticks for my digital camera.
“It’ll go when I put my camera away.” My friend Mark while we
were awaiting the Maple Leaf to depart
“Does Wal-Mart say you can go to the
“If you miss it, {the Canadian}, I may be able to put you on a hotshot freight east.” My friend Fred, telling Mark and me “Plan B” if we didn’t get to the station in time.
“Next stop, Oshawa-uhh
“Are the lens polarized?” Person in street mistaking my family for
vendors at a sunglasses stand near
“I’m sitting next to a fat guy!” Me telling a conductor where to look when he was to give me my seat check.
“If you get lost in Cartier, you’ve got problems!” Fellow passenger on VIA’s Sudbury-White River train when I asked about how far away from the train station is the bus stop.
“We were at the Comfort Inn; It’s a Yellow Cab thing.” Taxi driver explaining why they were 10 minutes late. (I was staying at the Days Inn and told them I was there.)
“At some points, the train can do 90 MPH; faster than what we’re doing now!” Dan while the Adirondack was sitting for 45 minutes waiting for a northbound CP freight to pass us.
Parry Sound trip:
“I hope we derail!” A girl who was part of family heading to
Carnival de Quebec by Train:
“Either the freezing rain has started, or this castle is melting!” Me in an ice castle as it started to rain.
“No wonder there’s no Green Line service past
Orillia trip:
“Are you ready for the drum solo?” Weird Al Yankovic during the concert. The “drum solo” turned out to be two notes!
“That could be the other one! {Locomotive painted and lettered for the CNW}” Karl moments after we saw CNW Dash 9 #8701.
“Either we’re approaching
Surprise
“Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” Me when I heard someone shouting while waiting for Canadian Customs to finish clearing the Maple Leaf.
“This train is getting shorter all the time!” Amtrak employee in
Chaleur trip 2009:
“I’m going for a ride!” Me to Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board user SMS when RTL Classic #9-007 pulled up.
STO 7901 Charter:
“It will be called an altercation with the wash-rack.” Fellow charter attendee after our charter bus broke the mirror of STO Nova Classic #9402.
“Why are you taking pictures of yourself?” Woman at Metro Transit’s Bridge Terminal as I was photographing a bus.
Montreal 2009/Westjet trip:
“Those not going to
Chaleur trip 2010:
“Don’t forget to get back on!” VIA crewmember as I was filming the Chaleur coupling up to the Ocean.
“First time I’ve manually wyed a trolleybus!” Fellow charter attendee after we finished dealing with the problem of dead wires.
Washington-Lancaster trip:
“This isn’t as easy as
TTS 2010 Transportation Weekend:
“Someone needs to mow the Classic!” Me when I saw former STM Classic #13-068 with grass all over its front end.
Cardinal dome trip:
“What happens in the dome stays in the dome.” Another railfan’s remark to an Amtrak conductor in the dome car.
“Still fighting the system like a true modern day Robin Hood.” John Schneider and Tom Wopat’s slight change to the song “Good Ol’ Boys”; the theme song to the show “Dukes of Hazzard”.
“Last silver train.” VIA
employee when the Ocean arrived into
“I haven’t seen anything older than 1994!” Me during my search for an 11-000 or 12-000 series Classic.
“We’ve lost the {
“If I see the Orion {T754} in service tomorrow, I’ll buy a lottery
ticket!” Me to the
driver of our charter in
Amtrak 40th Anniversary trip:
“We had four drivers call in sick this morning, so we’re scrambling.”
“This is my bus!” Me pointing to the Maple Leaf after Doug Shields told me that I should line up for the GO bus outside.”
“This is my house and I am not famous!” Local resident reacting to our charter at one of our photo stops.
Farewell to VIA trains 68 and 69:
“What happened to all the passengers? Did you scare them off?” VIA conductor to me after seeing how empty the coach was.
“I have nothing better to do!” Me
deciding to ride Amtrak train 355 to
“This is CSI Mumford.” Someone pointing out a damaged newspaper box that was apparently hit by a bus.
“Sounds like 16!” Me when I heard a GM fishbowl engine start up.
“I would have liked to gone on the
Sarnia-London trip:
“If this were
“SWING!” Fellow charter attendee as we passed by a golf course.
“You must really like buses!” Driver
of Cornwall Transit Classic #9137 while I was taking a few photos at the
transit center in downtown
Farewell to the Northlander;
“And I thought it was bad that raccoons got into the garbage!” Me seeing a sign in Moosonee telling residents about precautions to prevent bears from getting into their garbage.
“My son’s really into trains.” Father
of a local railfan who I met while riding the Mattapan line in
“I have the same first and middle name as you!” Jetblue employee who I was speaking with in regards to my lost suitcase.
Farewell to CTA’s 2200s Charter:
“We don’t speak of the curve.” My friend Greg as the charter train went around the curve that was the scene of the 1977 fatal El crash.
Bus History Association Convention 2013:
“This bus wasn't built when we first came here. Now it's
preserved!" Fellow charter attendee on ex STCUM 1985 GM Classic
#55-001.
“You picked the right day to visit” Volunteer at the
“I remember when {the C-Train} ran from
VIA Rare mileage trip:
“I guess you're not flying on Jetblue in the foreseeable future." My
uncle in
“I didn’t know this was here.” Me when I discovered the indoor water park across the street from the Windsor International Transit Terminal.
Streamliners at Spencer:
“If it was on this track, there would be a head on collision.”
Conductor
of the Maple Leaf to passenger asking what track the Lakeshore Limited would be
on.
"I feel like a celebrity." Me after a member announced that I had ridden
BBC #189 in service in
Six Flags Make Up Trip:
“YYYYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Me cheering after finally riding Kingda Ka; the world’s highest and North America’s fastest roller coaster.
“We've provided paper towels if the windows fog up, but if you don't breath, you won't have to use them." Tim from Discovery Tours on the charter.
“I have meat but no buns!” Hot dog vendor as I had stopped only for a drink.
“Oh, there’s a steam train here!” Person at my motel when I told them about #611.
“Close your eyes and pretend it’s a fishbowl!” Des as I was going to board Bombardier built bus KE35 which has the same engine as a TTC fishbowl.
“Lucky!” Me in line for VIA train #52 as people who were part of the Rapido special walked past me.
“Better get on bus fan!" Helpful police officer allowing me to ride the historic Old Look on display for the 60th anniversary of Rosa Parks' refusal to move.
“We've never had a charter like this!" Fellow charter participate at the Northgate Mall photo stop when it
was snowing pretty heavily in April.
N&W #611 excursion 2016:
“Too bad I didn't know you yesterday. We could have switched {dome coaches}!" Me to someone who was on the #611 excursion the next day saying he wished he was in my car and I said I kinda wished I was in his.
San Francisco Trip:
“It usually runs frequently like the Pacific Electric {painted PCC}.”
Person at the
Comic Con
“…B-I-N-G-O. And Bingo was exterminated.” Dalek (from Doctor Who) on display at Comic Con that interacted with visitors.
“I’m going to Zellers!” Me as I arrived at one of two existent Zellers stores in 2017.
Virginia Trip:
“By any chance were you at the Air and
Transit
“You don’t see this everyday!” Fellow charter attendee when we posed our Orion 6 with former Grand River Transit Orion 3 #534 which is privately owned.
Farewell to STM’s MR-63s:
“Nothing happens without a reason!" Me to Mark after he got a Super NES Classic at a Toys R Us after I brought him to the restaurant with what I consider the best orange juice.
End of the Line for STM’s MR-63s:
"This is the last time I can touch them." Transit fan as the now retired MR-63 was sitting in the station before returning to the yard.
“Ironic this Torontoian know more about this than these people!" Me after I explained how to use the yellow buttons to open the doors on the commuter train.
“I cannot allow you to respond in similar fashion as people on the river”.
Conductor on the California
Zephyr explaining that sometimes people might show inappropriate body parts.
"I'm the good witch of VIA Rail." VIA employee in a wig and a witch hat
prior to reboarding the Maple Leaf in
“Room with a view of ION.” Me to Mark looking out the window of our hotel room at the new ION light rail line.
ERA Convention 2019:
“If you were here last week, 4614 was out everyday." John Landrum after we learned PCC 4614 had more mechanical problems.
“This could be my last ride on a Classic {in revenue service}.” Me while riding STO Classic #9136 on the second day of my trip.
"Now the moment of truth..." Me right after I got to my hotel room checking McKinney
Avenue Transit Authority's website to see if PCC #4614 was running. It was and
I rode it.
Sudbury-Sault Ste. Marie Trip:
"This was the ship to last speak with the Edmund Fitzgerald" Me pointing out the ship Arthur M Anderson.
“Just like the old days!" Me to a VIA employee mentioning there was no seat assignment on the train.
"This train paid for itself today!" Someone on the charter after everyone had disembarked
from the 12 bilevel coach GO
Train I had come in to
Sault Ste Marie Make-Up Trip:
"I didn't bring my fishing gear!" Me to an
Montreal-Gander Trip:
“Will we be landing soon?” Seatmate on VIA train #62 who seemingly believes trains “land”.
"My partner was left behind!" Me explaining to the Carnival employees on the “Glisse Urbaine” slide after coming down alone.
“Go break the kid’s fingers!” Passenger awaiting the reboarding of VIA train #98 as a kid played the piano badly. (Don’t worry, not one tried to!)
Chateau
"I feel like I'm at the cottage, not a luxury resort!" Me to my mom after I came back to the Chateau Montebello.
St. Louis-Chicago Trip:
“I have a model railway! I know what I’m doing!” Me attempting to get others to stop interfering with me attempting to rerail a model of the Polar Express train.
Great Wolf Lodge Trip:
“If it’s free, I might as well take it!” Me when a Great Wolf Lodge employee offered me a free upgrade to my room.
“There it is and it’s got the new equipment.” Me when I first saw VIA train #43 come into view with the new Siemens Venture trainset.
