Railroad Forums 

  • Nova Scotia - Judique Flyer Trail

  • General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.
General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.

Moderator: railtrailbiker

 #713897  by NS VIA FAN
 
Spent some time this Labour Day Weekend biking a portion of CN’s former Inverness Subdivision on Cape Breton Island .....now the “Judique Flyer Trail” and named for the “fast” Mixed Trains that once traveled the line. The track began at Port Hastings Jct. just across the Canso Causeway from mainland Nova Scotia and ran 56 miles along the coast and into the highlands to the old coal mining town of Inverness. Scottish roots run deep here with the music and culture.....even the signs showing the village names are in English & Gaelic! The portion of the line along the shore is called the “Ceilidh (in Gaelic...pronounced “Kay-lee”) Coastal Trail. The track was abandoned in the late 80s but most bridges were left in place along with a couple of the stations.

Here’s a link to my album with timetables and photos (a couple from the late 70s and today)

http://picasaweb.google.ca/ghCBNS/Judiq ... directlink

Former Amtrak President David Gunn, when asked what was his favorite rail trip, said riding the trains along this line to Inverness when he was a kid. (see last paragraph of article here:)

http://www.utu.org/worksite/detail_news ... leid=24927
 #728121  by graftonterminalrr
 
My very first train trip - at the tender age of 4 - took place on a Via Rail "Dayliner" between Port Hawkesbury (where we lived at the time) to Port Hood and back. I was in kindergarten and this was a "day trip" for my class.

I still recall that Port Hood was where our milkman lived and I tried to see his house from the RDC window - of course, I wouldn't know which one was his.

After the trip, we were all given those Via Rail cardboard trains. I think I may even still have mine stashed away somewhere; it was an LRC if I recall correctly.