A passenger by the Canadian Pacific Railway gives an interesting sketch
of the travelling arrangements on this latest trans-continental line.
We learn that the locomotives have a haul of about one hundred and
twenty to one hundred and thirty miles in each division of the line,
when they are changed, and fresh ones put on. The continent is crossed
from Montreal to Vancouver, in British Columbia, in five days and
fourteen hours; and this will soon be reduced to one hundred and twenty
hours. Good time is kept. The first east-bound trans-continental train
that was met in transit, passed Sudbury, going eastward, at 4.17 P.M.,
after being about five days on the journey. Before its arrival, there
was some curiosity to learn whether it was in time, and bets were made
on the time it would arrive. This train, after travelling a distance of
two thousand five hundred miles, arrived only fifteen seconds behind
time. The railway route from Montreal to Vancouver covers two thousand
nine hundred and nine miles; and the through sleeping-coaches attached
to the train run the entire distance without change, which is a great
comfort to the traveller. Every week-day, a train starts from each
end of the line, leaving the eastern terminus at Montreal at eight
o’clock in the evening, and the western terminus at one o’clock in
the afternoon. On Sundays, the trains do not start; thus making six
trains each way every week. The west-bound train is called the Pacific
Express; and the east-bound train the Atlantic Express.
The Pacific Express, in which this correspondent travelled, was made
up of five coaches. At the head was the luggage, mail, and express
coach, which carried the baggage. The next is the colonists’ coach, a
third-class carriage with seats arranged so that they can be turned
into a double tier of berths on each side for sleeping accommodation.
The train carries passengers at three rates. The ordinary American
first-class passenger coach follows the colonists’ coach, which
usually takes local travellers along the line. Following this is
the dining-coach, which usually accompanies the train only from
seven o’clock in the morning till nine o’clock at night. Following
the dining-car is the through sleeping-coach, which is constructed
with six sections on each side. In the aggregate, twenty-six persons
can be given sleeping accommodation in this car; while at one
end, toilet-rooms and a bathroom are provided. At the rear of the
sleeping-coach is a large open apartment with a good outlook, which can
be used as a smoking-room, and where passengers may have a view of the
line passed over.