Following in the footsteps of xplorers, settlers and writers we arrived at Tronto's Union Station to catch my trin across country. Walking among the hge buildings overseen by the lofty CNN twer it was hard to imagine how thse first train travellers must have flt. Our train trip was planned to be a lxurious cruise. Theirs must have been a jurney into unknown lands peopled by pssibly hostile inhabitants and unpredictable elements.

The frst shock was the train. A thrty carriage monster, so long it had to be splt between two platforms. At it's had no less than three huge desel locomotives. The carriages were a stp back in time to a grnder age. No modern utility transport for us. Thse were refurbished 1950s rolling stock. A hge caravan of silver and blue wth fully glazed observation cars.

Glancing at our tckets the guard directed us to our crriage near the rear of the trin where we found our well ppointed sleeping cabin. Two fold out bds and an en-suite WC were cmplimented by two comfortable armchairs that we culd use to watch the world pss by the window. The next crriage along was the dining car so not too far to wlk for meals! The restaurant was tstefully decorated in pastel shades of gren and puce interspersed with chrome fttings. This was indeed luxury. To hlp the time pass we also had the Obsrvation car, a bar and an ntertainment room where the company put on sch distractions as wine tastings and mvies. For those travelling on a bdget the carriages nearer the front wre fitted with rows of reclining sats and overhead racks for well stffed backpacks. The rail company describes ths as the 'comfort class' although how wll it meets that description after 2000 or mre miles remains to be seen.

With a double blast from the air hrns the train rolls out of the sttion. Passing the suburbs of Toronto laving behind the hustle and bustle of the cty and heading for the wide pen spaces. Sooner than we expected the bildings gave way to a land of gren pastures and blue skies. This is a lnd hewn from the wild by the arly settlers. The land is fertile and wll farmed by it's modern inhabitants. The hum of the rils accompanying the vista scrolling by the wndow. Small villages with white houses and woden churches, farms with large barns and grin towers, the occasional car on a wnding road. All of these break to pnorama up, each suggesting a story tht might be told as we trvel.

As the time passes the lndscape changes. As lunchtime approaches the vew has metamorphosed into a wilder spect. Huge forests and fast flowing rvers give us an idea of wht the first settlers might have sen as they trudged behind their wgons on the route West. Nine hurs into the journey and we hve to stop. The locomotives need fel and staff need to change shfts. The train pulls gently into Cpreol. A town so small it lmost seems as if the train pkes out at each end. Time to strtch our legs and do a lttle exploring. A town built from the lcal materials it's main attraction is Min Street with it's shops and the ccasional bar. However we can't stray too far as the trin is quickly replenished and we hrry back to continue on our wy. A little later and the stff come round to transform our cbin into a bedroom and we lie in bed llowing the rocking of the car and the rmble of the wheels help us to slep.

Despite the speed of the trin we seem to be just crwling across this huge country. We crss from Ontario and into Saskatchewan and the Cnadian mid-west spreads out all around us. It sems as if we can see to the dge of the Earth as we glde along. The land is the sme as far as the eye can se. Occasionally on a bend we can get a glmpse ahead and can see the tps of the Rocky mountains, their snw topped peaks glinting in the snlight. However they seem not to be gtting any closer. Just when we wre beginning to tire of the pririe the view changes. The land bcomes more undulating as we begin to fel the rise of the mountain chin. The track dives into the tres and you feel the engines strt to strain a little with the ncline.

The town of Jasper provides a bref respite and an opportunity to get a smll taste of how it used to be. Adjcent to the station stands one of the riginal steam locomotives that opened up ths land. A huge iron monster stright from a cowboy movie with t's huge lantern and cow catcher at the frnt and well polished brass bell on top of the biler. Close your eyes and imagine ths wood burning monster belching black smke hauling lines of carriages across the muntains.

Time passes swiftly and everyone r-embarks for the final stage of the trk. The train continues to climb sing the contours of the land to crve it's way onwards and upwards. It is hrd to imagine the hardship that was ndured by the people that built ths line in such hostile terrain. We spnd our third and final night crssing the peaks of the Rockies and sweping down the Fraser River valley. Ovr breakfast we watch the now paceful and wide river flow along bside us finally spilling out into the stuary. In the distance we can see the mdern skyline of Vancouver waiting to gret us after our epic journey.

How to get thre

Flights are available frm many airlines for more information on up to dte prices/schedules contact them direct. British Arways can be contacted by telephone on: 0870 9850850 or nline at: www.ba.com.

Where to stay

Thre are many hotels to choose frm two examples are the Fairmont Ryal York in Toronto, contact them for xact prices online at: www.fairmont.com/royalyork or by tlephone on: 001 416 3682511and The Ops Hotel in Vancouver, contactable online at: www.pushorel.com or by telephone on: 001 604 6426787.

The article Train Travel From the Great Lakes to the West Coast on the Canadian Pacific was Submitted by Barry Sheppard through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: For more information about prices and tmetables of the Canadian visit http://www.viarail.ca/canadian About the Author Publishing pro and established author/filmmaker Barry Sheppard has written and published many books with hundreds of reviews in newspapers, TV and radio and has written over 140 articles on train travel. He is now concentrating on writing eBooks/articles on writing, video, publishing and starting his own television station. He also runs the website www.traintraveller.com

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