On the Road (sort of) Again 2014 # 1

It is just after 6:00 AM.  I just got on the train to Vancouver. The train arrived and left Sudbury on time (surely a first for this train and me).  I am excited to be making this trip. While I would have preferred to have my granddad's dream of seeing all four of my grandchildren the same day come true at least one more time, it was nice to have a more relaxed Christmas (and a few days after) in Sudbury.

The really neat thing about travelling by train is that I will be able to see the same parts of Canada as I did last June and again in August but this time in the full grasp of winter. I am curious to know how much the views will be changed when there are no leaves on the hardwoods; how different will some  of the valleys and lakes look when frozen and covered with snow; if the land between Winnipeg and Edmonton is covered by snow, will it just be miles and miles of unchanging landscape or will it present itself visually as a brand new land; and perhaps most exciting - how neat will the mountains look covered in snow. I think I am looking forward the most to our stop in Jasper. I have passed through the various mountain ranges that most Easterners lump together as the Rockies a number of times  but to see them covered in snow will be truly different.

Of course all  of the above possibilities will be shaped by the difference in light. In June, by 6:30 it is light outside and there is a lot to see. At 6:30 at the end of December it is still dark outside and unless the train is passing through a town, there is nothing that can be seen.

I have never seen the Sudbury Junction train station as busy as it was today. In fact it was so busy that there were two staff on duty. I was surprised. Who in their right mind would want to travel by train this time of year? I guess I am not the only crazy one. I could not see how long the train was but my sense that it was not as long as usual. On the other hand there are as many "cheap seats" cars as usual. There is however no dining car for economy class. When I asked the conductor about a dinning car, he said that there was one six cars back that I could use but it was a really long walk . They were clearly encouraging the economy class people to use the takeout kitchen.  As I have said before, travel in Canada is one place at least where social classes are still separated and no more than on the train. However it appears as if this time, as opposed to just handing prepared snacks, one can order a meal so I might be able to get hot food which would be nice.

While we left Sudbury Junction on time we have been sitting a few miles outside of the city for thirty minutes......perhaps I was being too optimistic about being on time. On the  other hand I would rather be sitting in the train than in the waiting room.