This story came from Nila Randell in Searchmont :
Hi Don,
I've lived in Searchmont all my life. In 2001, when my grand daughter was visiting from SSM said she had never been on a train I realized that I had never rode the train to the Sault. We bought our tickets and chose a rainy fall evening to go to the abandoned train station in Searchmont to wait. While standing at the station a friend named Jeff yelled across to us, ..."Make sure you get right out in the open and wave to let the engineer know you want him to stop or he will travel right on by"... So, upon hearing the train my granddaughter of 6 and I waved the train down successfully. The conductor was dressed just like a 'real conductor' and positioned a step stool for us to climb on the train. The lights were dim and we found a seat. Other passengers smiled and greeted us quietly. Everything had a burgundy hue and when the train started to move I said to my granddaughter, "I feel like I'm on the Orient Express." Having not travelled very far in her six years, she responded, "I feel like I'm in Sudbury." As we travelled she proceeded to use every feature offered for the passengers; she put her gum in the garbage container that hangs on the wall, she enjoyed her little turkey sandwich on the flip down table and got warm so had to hang up her jacket on the special 'train coat hook'. She noticed people standing in the next car with a moose from a successful hunt up north and said if I wanted to go for a smoke she'd come with me". What surprised me most was she never once thought about a bathroom. We arrived in downtown Sault Ste. Marie at the Station Mall after dark. It was cold and rainy and it was sad to have to depart from the cosy car.
Nila Randell and Maddi Simpson - still in Searchmont
Hi Don,
I've lived in Searchmont all my life. In 2001, when my grand daughter was visiting from SSM said she had never been on a train I realized that I had never rode the train to the Sault. We bought our tickets and chose a rainy fall evening to go to the abandoned train station in Searchmont to wait. While standing at the station a friend named Jeff yelled across to us, ..."Make sure you get right out in the open and wave to let the engineer know you want him to stop or he will travel right on by"... So, upon hearing the train my granddaughter of 6 and I waved the train down successfully. The conductor was dressed just like a 'real conductor' and positioned a step stool for us to climb on the train. The lights were dim and we found a seat. Other passengers smiled and greeted us quietly. Everything had a burgundy hue and when the train started to move I said to my granddaughter, "I feel like I'm on the Orient Express." Having not travelled very far in her six years, she responded, "I feel like I'm in Sudbury." As we travelled she proceeded to use every feature offered for the passengers; she put her gum in the garbage container that hangs on the wall, she enjoyed her little turkey sandwich on the flip down table and got warm so had to hang up her jacket on the special 'train coat hook'. She noticed people standing in the next car with a moose from a successful hunt up north and said if I wanted to go for a smoke she'd come with me". What surprised me most was she never once thought about a bathroom. We arrived in downtown Sault Ste. Marie at the Station Mall after dark. It was cold and rainy and it was sad to have to depart from the cosy car.
Nila Randell and Maddi Simpson - still in Searchmont