PASSENGERS board the Credit Valley Explorer for an afternoon excursion through some of Southern Ontario’s most scenic landscape. —— With just a light dusting of snow on the ground, the first snow train of the season for the Credit Valley Explorer left the new Orangeville train station Wednesday morning with passengers filling two coaches.

Passengers enjoying the three-hour tour down the former CPR lined to the north end of Brampton had the option of riding on the coach or dining car. Alight lunch is served on the coach car, while the dining car hosts a cash bar.

“It was fantastic,” said Janet Laba, who received a ticket, along with her husband Ren Moffatt, from her brother, David, as a Christmas gift. She also found the trip relaxing.

Mr. Laba, who accompanied them on the trip, noted the meal was above his expectations.

“It [the tour] was more scenic than I expected,” he added.

His wife, Catherine Fleming, said her favourite parts of the trip were the stop at the Cataract and the meal.

The tour travels south from Orangeville past some Caledon hills, through Cataract and Forks of the Credit to Inglewood then on to the former Snelgrove station in north Brampton, then returning to Orangeville.

Highlights of the 70 kilometer (km) tour include a scenic 1,146 foot long railway trestle bridge that spans the West Credit river, as well as the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park at Cataract.

The next tour is scheduled for Feb. 3. All tours depart from the Orangeville station, which is expected to be in service as a waiting room and ticket counter, as well as offices for Cando Contracting, which operates the Orangeville-Streetsville portion of the former CPR line between Toronto and Owen Sound for its owner, the Town of Orangeville.

The Explorer offers three different types of tours. From May until October there are dinner tours. Sunday brunch tours are offered from September until April and the scenic tour is offered all year.

With picture-windows that offer panoramic views, restored 1950’s classic rail cars, complimentary refreshments and heated/air conditioned cars, passengers are sure to enjoy their round trip.

With the remains of the old CPR bunkhouse/restaurant having been destroyed by a fire in March, the Orangeville Railway Development Corporation’s board of directors decided to construct a new station in the rail yard. Work began in mid- September and is now expected to be completed by mid-January.

The local architectural firm Dickinson & Hicks designed a station reminiscent of its predecessor. It’s 1,300 square feet with a waiting room, rest room and a ticketing office. There’s already a new concrete loading platform.

The cost of the building is expected to fall between $200,000 and $220,000, some of which came from fire insurance carried by the Town.

All seats on the trains are reserved. Ticket prices for the return fare is $32.50 for adults and $22.50 for children 12 and under, meals and drinks extra.

For tickets, you can visit the Explorer website at www. creditvalleyexplorer.com