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  #1  
Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 5:31 AM
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mcminsen mcminsen is offline
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Westcoast Express, Vancouver Waterfront to Coquitlam Centre

I rode the Westcoast Express last week just for the fun of it and to see what I could see between Waterfront Station and Coquitlam Centre. It's quite a mix of spectacular nature and industry mixed together. I saw walking trails, parks, marinas, lumber yards, beaches, sulphur piles and residential developments before arriving at Coquitlam Centre. I then caught an express bus back to the Millennium Line to come back home to downtown Vancouver. The train itself was very pleasant inside but I hardly noticed as I had my nose to the glass the whole time. If you go, catch an early train to be sure to get a seat on the north side of the train for best sightseeing.




Aug.19 '15, my pics

















































































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  #2  
Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 1:08 PM
Hourglass Hourglass is offline
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Great photos mcminsen. I forget what a scenic ride the WCE is.

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Where is this development? From the sequence of photos it looks to be to the west of the Ioco refinery?
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  #3  
Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 1:42 PM
idunno idunno is offline
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Ravenwoods in North Van! It's on the native band property between the Second Narrows Bridge and Deep Cove. Pretty isolated but it's actually quite a nice development.
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Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 1:55 PM
Hourglass Hourglass is offline
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^^ ah, got it. Thanks! From the sequence of photos, I thought it might be east of Indian Arm but realized it shows up clearly in an earlier pic

Last edited by Hourglass; Aug 24, 2015 at 2:56 PM.
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  #5  
Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 3:58 PM
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Klazu Klazu is offline
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I was also confused by the photo because of its order.

Great work, mcminsen! I have never done this ride myself, so this was interesting. What is the travel speed the train takes on this stretch?
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Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 4:27 PM
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cool pics!
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i have no idea what's going on
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  #7  
Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 7:29 PM
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mcminsen mcminsen is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Klazu View Post
I was also confused by the photo because of its order.

Great work, mcminsen! I have never done this ride myself, so this was interesting. What is the travel speed the train takes on this stretch?
The speed varies and it's often fast enough that it can be a challenge to get shots between the gaps in the trees as you speed by. There were a few slowdowns and even a stop for a few minutes while there was a switching delay.

I'd recommend the ride to anyone that hasn't seen that part of Metro Vancouver. I was amazed at how much industry there is beyond the inner harbour and yet it is mixed in with the residential and community uses. Like the people and their dog on a beach next to a gas or oil loading dock (if that's what it was with all the pipes going out onto the dock). I was also very impressed with Coquitlam's skyline. Maybe next time I will do it coming back after going out to Coquitlam on the Evergreen Line after it opens.
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Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 7:38 PM
Pinion Pinion is offline
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Great photos. My wife and I considered living in Ravenwoods (area is actually called Roche Point, Ravenwoods is one of several developments) but there isn't much of a discount for not actually owning the land. It's the closest I can get to my dream area of Deep Cove though.
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Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 8:36 PM
Vin Vin is offline
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They should have a return trip for this service (Like for every 3 rush hour trains, 1 should be a return). That would make me want to ride to Coquitlam and then come back by train just for fun. Return trips should be offered for both morning and evening rush times.
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  #10  
Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 9:50 PM
dreambrother808 dreambrother808 is online now
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Yeah, they should capitalize on that large number of people who want to ride the WCE round-trip daily just for fun.
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  #11  
Old Posted Aug 24, 2015, 9:50 PM
jsbertram jsbertram is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vin View Post
They should have a return trip for this service (Like for every 3 rush hour trains, 1 should be a return). That would make me want to ride to Coquitlam and then come back by train just for fun. Return trips should be offered for both morning and evening rush times.
Next year, the reverse trip can be done by SkyTrain.
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  #12  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2015, 3:54 AM
Kwik-E-Mart Kwik-E-Mart is offline
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Regardless, there will be more people like the OP - though they may not live in the Tri-Cities, but they will be visiting the local hotspots all within minutes of Skytrain access (Rocky Point Park, Suter Brook/Newport Village, Coquitlam City Centre along Glen Drive, and Lafarge Lake).
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  #13  
Old Posted Aug 25, 2015, 7:27 PM
Vin Vin is offline
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Originally Posted by jsbertram View Post
Next year, the reverse trip can be done by SkyTrain.
I know, but you can`t beat the scenic water and mountain views offered by the West Coast Express, as evidenced by mcminsen`s wonderful shots. The skytrains are often crowded, stuffy and stinky in the summer.
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