Vancouver Only Three Sleeps Away In Push-Butto
Published 25 April 1955 ‘Super!”’ ‘That is the best say to describe the Canadian
National Railways’ sumptuous new streamliner, the Super Continental
Limited.
‘On a special tour Saturday afternoon,
a preview of this crack continental flier was afforded Ottawa newspapermen as
the new No. 1 went from Ottawa to Pembroke and Brent.
‘The Super Continental Limited is the new
transcontinental train on the CNR from Montreal to Vancouver via Ottawa.
‘Put in Indian language, the speeded up
schedule makes Vancouver only “three sleeps” away instead of four.
Winnipeg is only one night from Ottawa instead of two, as heretofore. The
Donald Gordon system also insist that their new train offers the fastest time
between Ottawa and Winnipeg.
‘However, this train is not to be measured in time
alone, as the Saturday safari showed. Sharp at 3:05 p.m., it rolled out of
Union Station, Pembroke-bound. Its twin gold and green diesels haul the
train so smoothly through the landscape that one hardly knows when one is
sitting or where it is stopping, Nor is the average passenger aware as to the
high speed he is making. There is no speed up or slow down on the diesel
job as there inevitably has been on the romantic if less efficient steam
power. Anyway, no more insomnia on the Super.
‘The Super Continental has beautiful new pastel
shades for day coaches and parlor cars alike . The trim decor of the
buffet longer car spell sumptuousness, exude luxury.
‘In the dining car, whether one relishes his special
Lobster National salad or munches an a la carte club sandwich, time and distance
seem to roll by effortlessly.
‘Back in the rooms, the new push-button world will
be a revelation to passengers. The whole train, genie-like, becomes the
willing servant of an exacting traveller, literally at a twitch of the finger
tips.
‘The green 6500 and 6600 engines soon had the
train out of Ottawa’s Union Station on a Magic Carpet ride. Up in airy
Alta Vista soared the Super. Poor denizens out there looked up and forgot
their second mortgages as they gaped, wasted the grass seed while their eyes
popped. Then gaining altitude and speed, there was the Bowesville Road,
here the Rideau River, that was Bells Corners, this was Mallwood (sp). Out into
deepest Carleton County, the train purred, as one passed the farm houses where
everybody votes the Tory ticket and goes 100 percent for Drew.
‘To many an Ottawa accustomed to this trip at
night, it was a revelation to learn that the main line of the Canadian National
crosses the Ottawa River not once, but twice, as it takes the short cut cross
country to Pembroke. So at Fitzroy, the Super picked its way across the
miniature Thousand Islands to the Quebec side. Then a quick look at Norway
Bay in late spring, a fast glance at Bristol and here we were crossing the
Ottawa again above Portage du Fort and high-tailing it for Beachburg
Ontario.
‘All too soon it was Pembroke Junction, where a
thousand people turned out to greet the slick new streamliner. Among those
coming aboard to greet Eddie Marsh, The Citizen news editor, and other Citizen
personnel, was Mrs. Clare Brunton and her sister Mae. Mrs. Brunton, as
Jean Logan, was The Citizen’s woman’s editor and feature writer during a
brilliant journalistic career. It seemed like old home week up there in
Pembroke and it was only broken up by the conductor;s inexorable “All
Aboard”. Incidentally, the Super Continental will not stop regularly at
Pembroke Junction.
‘The return trip, with the two dining cars serving up
meals that had the concentrated cunning of great chefs, seemed to take about
five minutes. Before we knew it, here was Ottawa, darn it. We were
back too soon.
‘Super is the word for it. |