Stainless Steel "Ocean"

[timberley]

Later yesterday I was able to get confirmation that the Budd consist will indeed be on until some time in mid-May. There isn't an exact date yet, because it seems to be a bit in flux based on when the MMC thinks they can have the work on the other Ren set done. Apparently the issues are related to trainline wiring, which was causing problems with things like bearing monitors, door indicators, etc. Sounds like they may have had to go through each car individually to try to identify where the issues were. I certainly hope they've had the chance to do a bit of cosmetic work while they were at it (I believe that's the set that suffered quite a bit of damage during an ice storm in New Brunswick this winter), but we'll see.

The Canadian will indeed be up to 4 consists as of the start of May, but will they really need all of the Manors right away? I had in mind that the earlier peak season trains were still a little bit shorter and expanded as the season progressed and traffic picked up anyway. When I was on #1 last week we only had 6 Manors (plus one Prestige sleeper), so 4 sets at that length would only need 24 of the 40 in-service cars.

Even with 3 of them in service on the Ocean, VIA could still run up to 9 Manors per Canadian consist. As long as they only keep running them on the Ocean for a few more weeks, there really shouldn't be an issue. But of course they could always swap in a few more Chateaus - there are definitely plenty sitting around, though I don't know how many are close at hand. I saw quite a few in Winnipeg and Vancouver.

[marquisofmississauga]

...
The Canadian will indeed be up to 4 consists as of the start of May, but will they really need all of the Manors right away? I had in mind that the earlier peak season trains were still a little bit shorter and expanded as the season progressed and traffic picked up anyway. When I was on #1 last week we only had 6 Manors (plus one Prestige sleeper), so 4 sets at that length would only need 24 of the 40 in-service cars.

Even with 3 of them in service on the Ocean, VIA could still run up to 9 Manors per Canadian consist. As long as they only keep running them on the Ocean for a few more weeks, there really shouldn't be an issue. But of course they could always swap in a few more Chateaus - there are definitely plenty sitting around, though I don't know how many are close at hand. I saw quite a few in Winnipeg and Vancouver.

That may be the case. In previous years I have noticed a considerable increase in the length of the Canadian at the end of April. That is normally when the second diner is operated and also a Skyline car adjacent to each diner. When the third consist starts from Vancouver on the 30th of April the Park car restrictions also start. There is ample accommodation available (as most users of Reservia know a maximum of 6 beds can be checked - or three in Prestige as they are double beds) on the trip ex-Vancouver and also on the first "third weekly train" from Toronto on the 4th of May, except roomettes of which there is only one. It will be interesting to see if those Manor sleepers remain on the Ocean for a while or if they are replaced with more of the Château-series.

[timberley]

Appears they've changed up the Ocean's Budd consist a bit - today there's only 2 coaches on again, and still 6 sleepers - but it's now a single Manor up front followed by 5 Chateaus. Guess they did want to send those other two Manors back to Toronto for the Canadian. Actually kind of surprised there's still a Manor on there at all.

[NeoArashi]

So do I, but as I just booked a Cabin for 2 trip for early May, I hope they won't try to pull off the same s*** they tried to pull on the TC. Granted, it's only for the going trip. Booked a good ol' regular bench for the return trip, so I'll gladly take a budd if that's what they have to offer.

What dates are you travelling? If you follow the current rotation, you can figure out if that would be Budd or Ren. Right now the Budds will be on #15 out of Halifax tomorrow, and then on #14 out of Montreal on Friday. Since there are only two sets of equipment running, it will be a simple back and forth (i.e. each date at each end will alternate equipment types, so from Halifax this Wednesday will be Budd, Friday Renaissance, Sunday Budd, Wednesday Renaissance, etc...opposite for Montreal)

Once it's uploaded into the online system you can see by selecting a trip and looking at the drop-down for sleeper accommodations (if you see berths and cabins for 1, it's Budd), but so far only trains up to next Sunday have been updated. I've been told it's a very slow manual process, so it could take a while to get them all in.

Right now the last trains that I know for sure are supposed to be Budd equipped will be #14 on April 26th and then #15 on April 28th. But that could change as the date approaches, depending on just how much work they need to do on that Ren set...

Doing Montreal-Halifax in a "Cabin for 2- Shower" on may 5th
Doing Halifax-Sainte-Foy in econimy class on the 10th of may.

Update: I received a call from Via. They said they have to change equipment, and that I was assinged another cabin. However, from what they said, I'm still getting a cabin for 2 and the cabin itself is going to be slightly bigger than what I was supposed to get... So yay?

[timberley]

Update: I received a call from Via. They said they have to change equipment, and that I was assinged another cabin. However, from what they said, I'm still getting a cabin for 2 and the cabin itself is going to be slightly bigger than what I was supposed to get... So yay?

Yes, your train has been showing as HEP equipment in Reservia for about a week now. Only that 14 and the returning 15 on Sunday show up so far, which could be the last trip, or they might still have a few more. Wait and see...

That's consistent with what they've been doing all through this substitution. People have been getting called very shortly before the trip, and anyone with existing bookings has been moved to Budd Cabins for 2 (bedrooms), either in the Manors or Chateaus. Looks like they dropped down to just one Manor in the consist, so you're more likely to be in a Chateau.

What is your room assignment, if you don't mind me asking? The "slightly bigger" might just be a note that the Manor and Chateau rooms are larger than the Renaissance rooms, but if you have the Manor bedroom F it's actually quite a bit larger. Some people have been bumped to the "Cabin for 3" (drawing room - room A in the Chateaus), and that's a huge increase in space...but I suspect they've tried to do that with couples or maybe with people on the same reservation taking up multiple rooms, I don't know.

Enjoy the trip! One note: don't expect the dining car meals to be any better than the Renaissance options, because even though they have a full diner, supper and lunch are still the catered Renaissance meals. Some decent options, still. Breakfast is being cooked fresh on board - I can recommend both the eggs and the french toast, as I had both between my trips 2 weeks ago, and both were excellent.

[NeoArashi]

http://i.imgur.com/anQSfyO.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Link above is a pic showing my going trip.

Car 38
"Seat" D

EDIT: Apparently, I'm on a steel bud car called "Chateau Roberval"

So I'm willing to guess I got a Chateau room as you suspected?

[timberley]

http://i.imgur.com/anQSfyO.jpg

Link above is a pic showing my going trip.

Car 38
"Seat" D

EDIT: Apparently, I'm on a steel bud car called "Chateau Roberval"

So I'm willing to guess I got a Chateau room as you suspected?

Hope you enjoyed the trip! And hopefully the rain and fog will clear up a bit while you're here! Welcome to spring in Halifax...

From the room assignment alone, I wouldn't have known for sure if it was a Chateau or a Manor sleeper, as they both have rooms numbered A through D, though room A in the Chateaus is a drawing room (cabin for 3), and rooms B to D are bedrooms. The Manors also have rooms E and F, so the only way you'd know for sure which car you had in advance was if you had one of those rooms (or if you asked a ticket agent, since the VIA system shows them the specific cars). Anyway, hope you enjoyed the ride in Roberval!

It looks like this weekend's trip was the last one with the Budd set. Wednesday's 14 is still showing Renaissance, and all other trips had been updated in the system sooner than this. So I'm guessing that means the Ren set is ready to go for Wednesday.

[NeoArashi]

I just walked in the Atlantic Superstore literally next to the Halifax train station, and it seems this train will take me back on the 10th

http://i.imgur.com/OdDRpH2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

These don't look like renaissance cars. Please tell me this isn't one of them LRC cars. Those are the worst in term of... Well pretty much everything. So darn uncomfortable.

[Ken V]

The train in the photograph is definitely a Ren set and not LRC.

[timberley]

I just walked in the Atlantic Superstore literally next to the Halifax train station, and it seems this train will take me back on the 10th

http://i.imgur.com/OdDRpH2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

These don't look like renaissance cars. Please tell me this isn't one of them LRC cars. Those are the worst in term of... Well pretty much everything. So darn uncomfortable.

Those are 100% Renaissance cars. LRCs have never operated on the Ocean (or any long distance train, for that matter), and the only times I'm ever aware of LRCs ever even visiting the east coast was back and forth to Moncton when they were being refurbished at IRSI...and then they were just moved as deadheads. I don't think any have ever come to Halifax.

The Budd set you came down on left Sunday, and even if it were still running (unless Reservia is unusually slow getting updated this time, it looks like that was the last run and we're back to all Renaissance tomorrow), you would still have had the Renaissance set (the Budd set would have been leaving Montreal tomorrow).

[timberley]

My VIA contacts have confirmed that tomorrow's #14 will be back to the usual Renaissance equipment. So the Budd trips this past weekend were the last ones for now.

[NeoArashi]

I was under the impression that all ren were grey, and not green like that. I got my doubt when last night, I went to the Tim Horton next to the station, and could get pretty close to the train... I could notice that one side of the train had single seats.

You guys confirmed my doubts. Thanks, not I know I'll be in for a pretty comfy return trip, even if not in a cabin =)

[timberley]

Grey? Nope, the Renaissance cars have always had that two tone green/teal scheme. Coaches with the light green above and dark green below the yellow stripe, baggage/dining/sleeper/transition cars with the dark above and light below, and the service cars with the half-and-half. That's the scheme that was devised for the UK-European Nightstar service that the cars were built for, and VIA just added the yellow stripes and logos when they bought the cars. The introduction of the Renaissance scheme, and the subsequent repainting of F40s and LRCs with that green/teal colour was the result of bringing in the Renaissance cars.

The LRCs are the only VIA cars that are grey, aside from the refurbished Business Class cars, which are mostly green.

[marquisofmississauga]

Our "group" of eight had a delightful round-trip to Halifax on the Renaissance equipment. Most of us have made countless trips to the east coast by train and all were impressed. Those who were on our last trip in September of last year noticed an improvement in the meals. Since the Westin Nova Scotian hotel started providing the meals for the westbound train there was a noticeable improvement and the meals were even better this time.

VIA has a new supplier in Montreal. The service co-ordinator (aka dining car steward) told me the name of the company but I was not familiar with it and can't remember it. All eight of us agreed that the meals were better even out of Montreal. I was surprised that one of my friends, a railway retiree who is usually a complete reactionary, commented that the re-heated meals were better than the traditional dining car meals in the latter years prior to Renaissance. This was my experience and I well recall the meals (without fondness) on the last round-trip I made with the Budd equipment. "Bring on the Renaissance" was my attitude - and I was not disappointed. The dining car meals on the Christmas HEP extra trains get good reviews, so I am not referring to them as I have not travelled on those runs.

As I don't sleep soundly on trains I saw the last HEP-equipped Ocean at the meet on our eastbound trip. There is a rumour amongst the crew that the Ren. consist we were on will be temporarily replaced by a HEP consist when the peak season is over. If it needs work it wasn't obvious. The present Ren. consists are not yet full-length. Our train had three coaches and five sleepers. My experience in peak-season is four or five coaches and eight sleepers.

The SM on the eastbound train told us that sleepers were sold out. As is usual in off-peak, most sleeper passengers had detrained by Moncton. There was a much larger sleeper load out of Halifax than we had arriving.

All of us were in agreement that we would like to do this again soon. We have a trip on the Canadian in autumn and some of us have an ocean voyage to look forward to, so it won't be this year. Pity!

[timberley]

Glad you had a great trip! Always good to hear about positive experiences like that, shows the efforts that VIA has continued to put into running a good service are paying off Also nice to hear you had good meals out of Montreal. My experience from that end has been rather hit-or-miss lately, with some meals excellent and some really awful, so glad yours were the former!

There have been a couple of sleeper sell-outs on recent eastbound trips, which is always good to see. I'm a bit surprised they haven't expanded the consists quite yet, as they should be getting up to peak length by around this time. I'd expect that to happen before the end of the month. 4-5 coaches and 8 sleepers is indeed the peak norm, with some trains getting up to 9 or even (in a few rare cases) 10 sleepers.

I've also heard the rumours about pulling the second Ren set in the fall for work. The interiors are generally in ok shape (depends a lot on the specific rooms/cars you're in), but the major issue is the same problem that sidelined the other set and has been causing serious issues for the Corridor sets - corrosion. As that works its way into the trainline wiring (the issue on the other set), you can start having all kinds of serious problems that affect the operation of the train, so it's better to deal with before it becomes a major issue. The second set hasn't got quite to the point of needing to be pulled immediately, but there's no reason to expect it's in much better shape. So a fall overhaul when HEP equipment is freed up from the Canadian would be worthwhile. VIA needs to keep those cars going...