Grey Cup’s infamous 1948 train ride party to be recreated

The year was 1948. Louis St. Laurent had just become Canada’s 12th Prime Minister, gas was 26 cents a gallon and you could buy a loaf of bread for 14 cents.

And oh yes, a horse was apparently ridden into the lobby of the Royal York Hotel following the Calgary Stampeders 12-7 win over the Ottawa Rough Riders at Varsity Stadium as the winner’s fans, most of whom arrived in town on a train from the Western Canada city, partied on the street in front of Union Station.

The three-day trip aboard a 14-car train named the Stampeder Special with 250 fans, chuckwagons and horses made national headlines.

It will happen again if a group of football fanatics have anything to say about it. To help celebrate the 100th Grey Cup, the infamous train ride is being recreated by members of the Calgary Stampeders Grey Cup Committee.


Read the rest: http://www.thestar.com/sports/football/ … -recreated

If I were a CFL fan from Western Canada, and I could fit it into my schedule, I’d totally want in on that.

Great idea, so much history with the Grey Cup and stories.

what fun that would be :thup:

I am very very tempted

Now I wished that I live out WEST... :lol: :thup:

THANKS for this article , PiCat :thup:

So fly west and take the train back. You won’t regret it. :wink:

If we only had $6000.00 to spare, my wife and I would already be booked.

Check it out.

http://dashtours.com/tours/2012greycuptraincalgary.pdf

FANTASTIC! Stamps fans, YOU ROCK. :rockin:

The media should be all over this. Somebody make a documentary! Or better yet, live updates from the train! Book a bunch of famous musicians and turn it into Festival Express in reverse!

And don't forget about the horses.

And here inlies one of the greatest problems in our fair country…

I would if my wife and I were rich :wink:

Thanks to Pierre Elliot Trudeau it is sadly true the only passenger trains out of Calgary go West and are at prices the only ones who can afford them are the rich. Prices start at just over $1000.00. Via rail ended service to and from Calgary in 1981.

Man, I had some epic cross country trips on VIA. The most memorable was a Christmastime trip from Ottawa to Vancouver and back. I was in school at the time so I wrote an essay on the way there, and one on the way back. Using my portable Brother typewriter no less. In the bar car all day until they booted me out. :lol:

Never, ever do a 4 day train ride in coach class. If you don't get at least an upper birth you're going to regret it.

I remember that I could only afford coach, which is really nothing more than a padded bench that seats two people. When there was room I would lay on the bench and sleep. Once we stopped somewhere in Ontario and a bunch of people got on. Clearly the conductor/ticket guy took pity on me because of my long journey with nothing more than a bench to sleep on and let me sleep while making some poor lady on a much shorter trip sit up and make room. I felt a little guilty about that, but was very thankful to that kind man on VIA. I got to see a lot of the country though! Very memorable.

Unfortunately, I never got the chance to do the “Southern route”, through the spiral tunnels. I did go East out of Calgary but have only done the CN route out of Edmonton to Vancouver. Still a great trip.

Can you explain how Pierre Trudeau is responsible for the lack of train service? Am interested in hearing as to why we don’t have that anymore. Seems kinda foolish…

“In 1981, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s government endorsed Minister of Transport Jean-Luc Pépin’s plan which cut Via’s budget, leading to a 40% reduction in the company’s operations. Gone were frequently sold-out trains such as the Super Continental (which reduced Via to operating only one transcontinental train, The Canadian) and the popular Atlantic, among others.” (quoted from Wikipedia)

The Super Continental was the service that ran through Calgary. Ironically, though rail service was decreased in the West, funding was increased for rail service in the central core. This is one of many Trudeau attacks on regions that spurned him in the polls. (my opinion solely)

Governments of Chretien and Mulroney are also responsible for reductions in rail service across the Country and don’t deserve a free pass but the particular route that served Calgary was eliminated under Trudeau’s watch.

Thanks for the info. Definitely an interesting read. With that being said, HOW INCREDIBLY STUPID!!! :x :x :x Can’t believe they cut those services when according to what you provided there was very much a high demand. Can those routes ever be brought back? The demand would surely be even higher today.

Need ... cash ... for ... this ... :frowning: