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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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!

Different approach, NICE

Great job on the video. Well done.

Love It! Now on my personal bucket list

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

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

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!

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

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

Great video. 👍

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

Awesome thanks for sharing!!

That is so awesome!

I love the RDC

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

That is so cool!

thank you for that video :)

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

What fun. What great people.

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

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

what a fantastic entertaining video. Thank you!

Nice!

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

Such a great video! Enjoyed watching!

Fantastic! thanks for sharing!

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

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

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

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

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....

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

where to stay over in White river?

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

Cummins diesel engines power these cars not Detroit diesels

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