VIA Rail's Ocean from Montreal to Halifax (in Sleeper!) - Apparently a Trip Report

I am sorry for your loss of that adorable gecko.

unironically dreaming to get on this train with my bf someday, because he's obsessed with trains and he really wants to experience a sleeper cab because he's like "wow that's so weird!!" it's also so gorgeous of a trip i might cry

For more context on why they no longer turn the train in Halifax: They wouldn’t turn on a wye, but on the Halterm Balloon track in the Port of Halifax. That part of the port, which contained the balloon track, was bought out by Port of Singapore Authority and kicked VIA out citing that they were interfering with their operations. This was allegedly the plan even before PSA bought that part of the port. What were left now is a mixed consist where the engines run around the train in Halifax. They had considered putting Skyline cars with changeable seats, but was deemed too costly, as the cars themselves needed more repairs. Great videos and I look forward to seeing your Trip Report on The Canadian!

The Ocean rolling stock was originally intended for the aborted "Night Tube" service through the Chunnel. It's why they're so much slimmer than the old Budd stock.

Miles uploading always gives me the snake in the headlights feeling

So sorry about your gecko. 😢 This is a lovely video! You've carefully included something for everyone: train enthusiasts, foodies, nature lovers, infrastructure geeks, history buffs, channel regulars, singles, couples, people who love to sleep. Bravo!

"The wheels on the bus go round and round!" Not the Kamala reference 💀...whatever Kamala was on that day, I want it! The bridge at 17:00 is the J. C. Van Horne Bridge, it was built between 1958 and 1961 and it crosses the Restigouche River (a name derived from the Listuguj band of Mi'kmaq people around the river; means "good river") to Pointe-à-la-Croix in Quebec. J. C. Van Horne was a New Brunswick politician in parliament who successfully fought for the bridge. The Halifax donair was first invented in the 1970s by Peter Gamoulakos. He migrated to Canada from Greece, and when he arrived, he started selling Greek gyros from his restaurant located off the Bedford Highway. But the gyros with lamb and yogurt just didn’t jive with the palate of the locals, and so they swapped lamb for beef, created a sweet donair sauce, and it became a hit! Halifax made the donair its official food in 2015. The name for the Miramichi River was derived from the Montagnais words "Maissimeu Assi", meaning "Mi'kmaq Land". Amherst's station building was built in 1908! The area of what's now Amherst was called Nemcheboogwek by the Mi'kmaq, meaning "going up rising ground" to reference the higher land to the east of the Tantramar Marshes. Then when the Acadians settled there in the 1670s, they called the village Les Planches. Finally after the expulsion of the Acadians, the village was later renamed Amherst by Colonel Joseph Morse for Lord Amherst, the commander-in-chief of the British Army in North America during the Seven Years' War. Many loyalists fleeing the American Revolution came to Amherst

"One of your commenters said it was not Anglo" I wonder who that commenter was 👀 😂. I'm sorry for the loss of Aleena's beloved crested gecko, as a fellow reptile owner, I've had a bearded dragon named Frank (after Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry) since 2013 who I cherish very much and I understand how she feels. Reptiles are the coolest creatures imo, and I know that gecko loved Aleena as much as she loved it. The wildest thing about those British "Nightstar" Renaissance coaches, when VIA Rail first got three of those coaches in 2000 (the remaining 136 carriages they obtained in December that year), for a trial, they leased a F59PHI locomotive from SOUNDER commuter rail in Seattle! Yes, a SOUNDER locomotive pulling coaches originally for Eurostar, in Canada....Mr. Worldwide. The Bay of Fundy is a corruption of the French word fendu, meaning 'split'. Its tidal range (difference in height between high and low tide) is the highest in the world! All it takes is for the word dessert to be said for Miles to get butter cake flashbacks from the Melrose Diner 😂. The Caprese salad is named after the island of Capri in the Gulf of Naples. The island has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic, a place many emperors and Roman nobles stayed. Roman Empire founder Augustus developed Capri, he built villas, temples, and gardens so he could enjoy his private paradise. Augustus' successor Tiberius built a series of villas at Capri as well and lived there from 27 AD to his death in 37 AD.

If you thought the PEI flag looked like it was made by a child, wait until you see the Liberian county flags that look like they were made on MS Paint! The Quebec flag's white fleurs-de-lis (symbolizing purity) and blue field (symbolizing heaven) come from a banner honoring the Virgin Mary. The white cross made its first appearance during the Crusades and came to represent France during the Hundred Years’ War in opposition to England’s red one. The blue flag with a white cross was adopted by the French Merchant Marine around 1535, and Samuel de Champlain tells us it was still around in the early 17th century. On the Newfoundland and Labrador flag, the flag design is that of etchings on Beothuk and Innu decorative pendants worn hung from a cord around the neck. Blue for water, white for snow, red for effort, gold for their confidence. On the New Brunswick flag, the big lymphad evokes NB's historical shipbuilding industry and the ships utilized by numerous Loyalists to land in the province after they fled the US after the American Revolution. The iconic flag of Canada was adopted in 1965 under Lester B. Pearson which under his term, he launched multiple progressive policies including the world's first discrimination-free points-based system for immigration. He also promoted biculturalism of French and English having equal status. Thus many Canadians wanted distinctive Canadian flag to represent them, to represent the new Canada. Pearson suggested a flag with three maple leaves and bordered by two blue stripes, but this was opposed. George Stanley's design of a giant maple leaf and two red stripes, who was Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College in Kingston, was inspired by the college's own flag!

From 1889 to 1981 and from 1985 to 1994 Canadian trains ran across northern Maine to get to New Brunswick, with a US crew and a few stops in Maine. The boarding or leaving passengers went through a single door; other doors were sealed by Customs for the passage through the US. The Atlantic was cut in a cost-saving move in 1981 and again in 1994.

the most wholesome episode of miles in transit

i love the old punch card room keys thats so neat

omg! a kilometers in transit video about my favourite train, the ocean! I have family out east and I've taken this train a Handful of times and it's amazing! only ever been in coach though. it's not western Amtrak! those seats are rough..

The British carriages were meant to be used on regional night services from across the UK to destinations in Europe. These services would have connected large UK cities such as Glasgow and Plymouth ) to mainland Europe. Ultimately it was decided the costs were too high and the demand was too low(thanks in part to the rise of low cost airlines) and the scheme was scrapped.

The Lima memorial was lovely.

Amazing shot of the eagle.

Loves toast and plain dry bagles. What a sophistocated palate on this guy! 😂

@02:00 i am sending my condolences on your loss a pet of any size or type is a member of the family and i hope you enjoyed your time with them.

So glad you guys are riding the full line now, I’ve been waiting for this video Keep up the great work Miles, you always put out great videos I will be actually riding the Canadian, and just about a month. I’m going from Toronto all the way to Vancouver.

The joy on discovering shampoo in the wash-bag...LMAO!