Riding the Budd Car train into the Bush

[@sbirnstiel]

This is sooo cool, absolutely love this! Thank you for sharing! Just got into winter camping this season and now can't wait for next season.

[@PineMartyn]

I first heard about this about a decade and a half ago in the winter camping section of the Canadian Canoe Routes forum and later on Hoop's Winter Trekking forum, but this video is the clearest description of the logistics I have come across. Great job and thank you for making this video. Cheers, - Martin

[@vmitchinson]

Now I understand. In the 60s when I lived in a small village in Alberta we had passenger service by a "rail liner". It was also called "day liner". Now the trains are no more and the tracks have been removed.

[@cryorig_transit05]

It's a shame they're removed, it should've stayed

[@gcorriveau6864]

Our last passenger service on Vancouver Island was with the Budd Cars ... sadly - no more. It's great to see this service is still operating. Thanks for posting this, Dave. Cheers!

[@davehadfield5906]

My pleasure Grant! Hope all is well.

[@suddenlysolo2170]

I used to ride from Courtenay to Duncan every week back in the early 90's

[@James_Knott]

I rode on that train once. Even though I was a CN employee the CP conductor still honoured my pass

[@siellgee1955]

RDCs (sometimes called Dayliners) have been an amazing mode of transportation. I commuted on a 2-car one for 10 years from Montreal to Ste. Therese every day. The ones on that milk run had vinyl seats, but fancier RDCs (heading from Montreal to Ottawa or Mont Laurier) were equipped with cloth, bucket seats and with foot rests!! There are KZbin videos showing RDCs that were in use for some time on Vancouver Island, including a run between Esquimalt & Nanaimo. Great memories indeed!

[@therandomytchannel4318]

I used to take those Budd RDC when Via had "high speed" service from Edmonton to Calgary, speeding along at 75 Mph, good times and great memories!

[@forrestphoenix318]

I am going to do this one day. Thanks for the video. Riding into the wilderness on a train to go camping, seems too good to be true.

[@alcopower5710]

This is absolutely amazing……..never knew this existed. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@A350flyernyc]

I would LOVE to do this someday. Canada has some excellent trains, from the mighty Canadian to the Budd Car! It would be so cool to ride this into the wilderness and see views of the night sky that you just can’t get where I am.

[@coastaku1954]

Canada doesn't have excellent trains. The Corridor is the only place where trains are somewhat useful but their frequencies and timeliness leave much to be desired, plus the amount of cities in Canada completely unserved but are on a rail network or were even previously served by VIA is staggering. Calgary has no service, neither does Sault Ste Marie or Thunder Bay, or the lack of trains going up north like to Yellowknife and Whitehorse.

[@dougbrowning82]

BTW: The cars on The Canadian were also made by the Budd Company.

[@hcevrim]

Dave, your songs man! Just touching to my heart everytime, and anytime.

[@davehadfield5906]

Thanks Halil!

[@tgv0018]

​@@davehadfield5906that song is amazing! is there a full version on youtube

[@davehadfield5906]

@@tgv0018 No, I haven't properly recorded it yet. I just played a few bars into my cellphone for this video.

[@tgv0018]

@@davehadfield5906 oh alright

[@tgv0018]

​Do you perhaps plan on recording it any time soon?

[@Princesscabinstories]

YOu have a great chuckle Dave! My dad and uncle were CN signalmen. I spent a lot of time in a siding as a young child. Parked waiting on dad to fix stuff. Food came in on the train ... ordered via dispatch. I love Train stuff! Also love the wilderness.

[@user-cf1se1kk5x]

We used to have these on Vancouver Island on the E@N (Esquimalt to Nanaimo) line. They have been gone for about a decade now.

[@mattymieds]

We missed the return train back in 2016...the train was actually on time! We were able to flag down a couple on a service road in Bisco and 8 hours later after getting the truck from Sudbury we were heading home :) I hope this train doesn't stop running when my kids are older.

[@PineMartyn]

I first heard about this about a decade and a half ago in the winter camping section of the Canadian Canoe Routes forum and later on Hoop's Winter Trekking forum, but this is the clearest description of the logistics I have come across. Great job on this and thanks for uploading it Dave. Cheers, -Martin

[@junkboxxxxxx]

My dad used to take fishing trips with his father in law to Biscotasing in the 50s and 60s --- spoke about it all his life

[@suddenlysolo2170]

I used to ride a Via Rail Budd Car from Courtnay to Duncan on Vancouver Island every Sunday in the early 1990's

[@brendatrenhaile1085]

Rode the Budd car many, many times as a young child and teenager from Sudbury to Biscotasing. Loved every bit of it.

[@davehadfield5906]

Did you live in Bisco, or nearby?

[@brendatrenhaile1085]

Yes I did Dave. Lived with my Aunt Mary Kohls from the age of 6 to 15, then moved to Sudbury and lived with my Uncle Gordie and Aunt Vi Kohls to go to high school.

[@rainbowrailroadcrossing7798]

This is something I definitely want to do! I’ve been on a non powered Budd car at lake Winnepesaukee. But uniquely camping from the train and the wilderness is on my bucket list!

[@billblair3941]

I first started working for the CPR in 1968 on The Canadian. The train used the same route as the Budd car but unfortunately it didn't stop if you wanted to get off like the Budd. The train continued on to Thunder Bay and part of the route was on the north shore of Lake Superior which was spectacular.

[@Dbodell8000]

Nice if the Government would support rail on Vancouver Island in the same way.

[@GordMerrick]

I grew up in Sudbury and always thought of it as Northern Ontario until I once worked as a relief telegrapher on Canadian Pacific Railway in the mid 50's between Sudbury to White River. What a wilderness, how remote, how eye opening. Back then, the only way in or out was to arrange in advance with the train dispatchers for a freight train pickup or drop off with a caboose. Then BUDD was introduced and although it was a midget compared to the mighty big freight trains at least it would toddle along like a toonerville trolley and do pick ups and stops. I never forgot the vast wilderness north and west of Sudbury and grew to appreciate just how big and vast the province of Ontario was and is. It's 2/12 times the size of France.

[@TheCanadianFisherman]

I'll be taking the Budd Car to MarMac Lodge this summer!

[@robinsquires7309]

Great job on the video. Well done.

[@loydtromblay411]

That was probably the most informative video. Asked and answered all my questions with no filler or unnecessary. Bla bla bla……..my hats off to you. Very well done. Thank you so very much

[@davehadfield5906]

Glad you like it -- hope you'll ride on it!

[@loydtromblay411]

@@davehadfield5906 oh i will be i just have to figure out the best lake for Pike

[@borysintheforest]

Rode this Budd Car for the first time last October for a 1 week canoe trip thru Ramsey, Indian & Bisco lakes and back to Sudbury..IT WAS AWESOME !

[@davehadfield5906]

Great. Did you ride it back to Sudbury, or canoe down the Spanish?

[@borysintheforest]

@@davehadfield5906 Budd back to Sudbury but both sides of the Spanish are on my list, there's lots on my list...LOL. Have you been down the Spanish?

[@davehadfield5906]

@@borysintheforest Yes. In spring there may be no flow at all from Biscotasi Lake to the west branch. They may have the dam closed.

[@borysintheforest]

@@davehadfield5906 Thx for the heads up, I'll try to remember whenever i go.

[@islandman5802]

June 2024 - My 13 year old son and I just took the budd car from Sudbury to White River and back. We stayed the night in White River. It was such a cool experience! My son keeps asking when I’m going to book tickets again!

[@davehadfield5906]

Great!

[@clovehitch1854]

Excellent. Useful information, entertaining, and good music too. Still some hope for old-timers.

[@lifeoutside1291]

Love It! Now on my personal bucket list

[@MrPhilippeBrun]

Although operated with a different equipment, that video reminds me of a VIA Rail trip from Montreal to La Tuque on the train bound to Senneterre. The train would stop, past Joliette, to remote bush areas at passengers' request. Was an interesting experience for a guy who usually ride VIA's Business class between Montreal Ottawa Toronto :) Nice post and long and prosperous lives to the Budd cars!

[@davehadfield5906]

Yes, VIA is actually required to allow you to do this on many routes, as I understand it -- but they sure don't advertise it.

[@paulie2tanks]

Great down-home customer service!

[@James_Knott]

I used to be a technician with CN Telecommunications and worked in Northern Ontario back in the mid 70s. CN had a similar service called the "mini train", though not with Budd cars. However, I had been on Budds elsewhere. Back then, I also had flag stops, but not your way. As an employee, I had access to the dispatcher's phone. In fact, my work occasionally included fixing that phone. When I needed a ride, I'd get on the phone and ask for a stop, often on a passenger train, including the Super Continental, but more likely a freight. Some of the places I was in also had a food stash and a bunk, just in case it was a long wait. There was one trip where I came back to Capreol on a gas car, of the type the track crews used.

[@paulknisley6439]

I love this idea and thanks for sharing!! Great idea for a small group of like minded experienced group or family 🤠

[@ride-paddle-repeat]

Great video and information, thanks for sharing. Would love to try this sometime for some crown land camping

[@93kronic]

Great video. 👍

[@POUNCEMAN1]

Long Live the Budds .. Great Video

[@64pmd]

That is so awesome!

[@hikeCANOEcamp]

Awesome thanks for sharing!!

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Rode Budd car consist from Montreal to Quebec City and back - circa 1988. Ride was okay but little care for the interiors. The train back had a closed lunch counter!

[@peteaplin8324]

Rode the Bud up to Pogomasing area for some winter camping in 2005/2006 with a bunch from MNR, Smoky and the WCA bunch...nice area and it was cold!

[@davehadfield5906]

Was I on that one? I joined a few of the Deep Freeze trips.

[@annjuurinen6553]

So interesting. Thanks for this video. Seems like a great solution to exploring the North.

[@nikiknox1369]

Such a great video! Enjoyed watching!

[@Outdoorswithmikey]

what a fantastic entertaining video. Thank you!

[@CampingAcrossOntario]

Wow, this is awesome, thanks for sharing! Would love to do this someday...

[@flynorthproductions]

This was a great video! I love this train. 👌👍

[@hughjassole8361]

Nice! I was dropped at Nicholson and picked up in Dalton on the Budd Car back in the 90's. Pure Canadian Wilderness!!

[@lorenjackson8961]

They have the same type of train service out of Talkeetna, Alaska.

[@baronofbeef8970]

The last RDC ran between Calgary and Edmonton in September 1985.

[@nominalbutchery5086]

Hey man, that Budd Car song is legit as fuck. Thanks for that. Big fan.

[@darcygibbons3836]

Fantastic! thanks for sharing!

[@peterrouleau5992]

What fun. What great people.

[@RobertSanders-mp2ef]

Different approach, NICE

[@DerredmaxTRIAX]

That is so cool!

[@cynthiamoreau8748]

Nice!

[@CanoehoundAdventures]

Great little video Dave. I have taken the Budd Car several time from Sudbuy and Cartier as high as Missinaibi... It is an incredible time. I would love to know what the rates are now to take a canoe on the train. I remember it was $20.00 per cane and it has risen in price quite a bit. If you know the current rates, can you post it please

[@davehadfield5906]

No, sorry, I don't. But it's vastly cheaper than driving on logging roads for 4 hours and destroying the suspension of your pickup. Which was how my 2004 canoe trip ended up...

[@Daryl409]

They said it's a $40 luggage fee for a canoe and they can be rented in sudbury.

[@davehadfield5906]

@@Daryl409 Yes. They don't like to charge it. It depends on who's watching.

[@Daryl409]

@@davehadfield5906 and I thoughts it couldn't get any better! Lol

[@clemensziegler1088]

thank you for that video :)

[@TrainBrain-yg8tl]

I love the RDC

[@prayfornathannatureshow]

Awesome video. Very informative. Have you ever taken the Budd car for summer trips or just winter?

[@davehadfield5906]

Summer, yes, hence the canoe pictures. But in recent years my summers have been booked, so to get my wilderness-fix I have to go in winter.

[@budasterisk2167]

Dave any suggestions of an easy couple day canoe camp trip locations? Would love to take my kids but dont want to paddle 30 km a day as an older fart....

[@davehadfield5906]

The Bisco-Ramsey Lake complex. A thousand bays in there. Some small boat traffic, but not much.

[@coastaku1954]

What they should do is add a service from Sudbury to Sault Ste Marie, why an obvious route like that doesn't exist doesn't make sense to me

[@PeterNGloor]

nice report but why was it filmed in portrait format in parts?

[@davehadfield5906]

Because you matter how many times you ask your friends to turn their phones sideways, it doesn't always work.

[@reyzarut822]

History record, appreciated for my.the factory, of Budd company. rey

[@gregjname7227]

where to stay over in White river?

[@davehadfield5906]

I don't know. I've always got off the train and camped somewhere along the line.

[@BlackcloudRailways]

Lovely, but it would have been so much better if filmed in landscape instead of portrait.

[@davehadfield5906]

Yes, and no matter how many times you tell that to your tripmates... ;)

[@joedingman3696]

Cummins diesel engines power these cars not Detroit diesels

[@davehadfield5906]

My research says Detroits, but I have not looked directly at the engines.

[@joedingman3696]

@@davehadfield5906 they had Detroit's from the factory but via rebuilt the in service cars with Cummins engines because the 2 stroke Detroit's were lower horsepower and were no longer being built.

[@davehadfield5906]

@@joedingman3696 Thanks for the correction, Joe.

[@reyzarut822]

My comment is about the experience that I remember from my Country. was excelent, during the years1955 ,they was acquired by the plan to restored the communication thought all states, and today they have some coach running with new motors acquired foreign country, not USA, or by traction from engines Diesel . rey