Budds back on the Enterprise

It's been noted elsewhere that a Budd set has crept into service. The consist was (6418)-8615-8142-8211-8225-8711. It was on #51 Friday night/Saturday morning.
Reservia says it has also been used on #51 Monday and will also be used Tuesday on #50.

Hopefully this will last. Is their a reqason for this?

In the first year or so of the Renaissance-equipped Enterprise, there was a third train set kept as a back-up. Since then, if a consist gets bad-ordered, a Budd set has to be used.

According to Reservia, tonight's run from Montreal to Toronto and tomorrow's return is the last with Budd equipment; the Renaissacne set resumes Wed. from Montreal. Nothing, of course, is guaranteed.

I miss having a sunrise breakfast up in the dome. It would be nice to do that again. But a plus side of the new equipment: if travelling alone, you get a real break on the fare for a double room because there are no singles. Strangely, the rate for one in a Renaissance double bedroom is $2.00 less than the rate for a tiny Budd duplex roomette (now called single bedroom by VIA.)

I observed tonight's consist in the yards today. There is a baggage car, one coach, one Chateau sleeper and "Revelstoke Park." Reservia shows availability as only two upper berths, two lowers and two roomettes. The doubles and drawing rooms are sold out. So business is a little better than on some runs I've been on.

marquisofmississauga wrote:I observed tonight's consist in the yards today. There is a baggage car, one coach, one Chateau sleeper and "Revelstoke Park." Reservia shows availability as only two upper berths, two lowers and two roomettes. The doubles and drawing rooms are sold out. So business is a little better than on some runs I've been on.

Still, with only one Chateau and the Park car, there's not much "Constellation Class" space available.

At worst, two Renaissance sleeping cars will provide accommodations for a maximum of only 20 single travellers (one per room). At best, there's room for a maximum of 40 travellers (two per room). The norm is probably somewhere in between -- 30-ish, perhaps.
A Château car has a maximum capacity 23, a Park car has room for 9. That's 32.