Easterly class season begins June 13

I've finally booked my train tickets in Easterly class!

We will be leaving Montreal on June 14 - only the second day of service this year - travelling in double deluxe accommodations.

Has anyone heard any news about what I can expect? Tips? This is my first train trip out east - and my first trip in a sleeper class - so I am very much looking forward to the whole experience.

The Easterly Class season is shorter than it was last year. On at least one part of VIA's Website they still say that this enhanced service operates from early May to late October.

If you have the double bedroom to yourself I'm sure you will enjoy it immensely. If you are sharing, it will be a bit cramped at night when the upper berth is down. But then a Budd bedroom is quite cramped for two, except of course bedroom "F" which was formerly sold as a compartment.

I've travelled several times in the new Renaissance sleepers and, unlike most railbuffs, I quite like them. I'm not saying they're perfect, but they have many fine qualities. Having a private shower is a good bonus. I like the sofa for day use as opposed to the two chairs in the Budd sleepers. The Ren. rooms can be locked from outside, so you don't feel the need to carry all your valuables with you when you leave. I'm sure you have heard all about the Park car, so I need not go on about that. The new dining car serves reheated meals as opposed to cooked on board, but I found the quality to be better than the supposedly cooked on board food served in the Budd diners. I was very disappointed with my last three trips on the Budd equipment because of the food. The Easterly Class menus aren't yet posted on VIA's Website. The Budd diners are no doubt more attractive, but the Ren. diners offer tables for four and two and the tables for four are bigger than those in the Budd diners.

When boarding in Montreal, you will be able to use the Panorama Lounge for waiting - but don't go into it too early or you may be turfed out as I have been. I believe the time limit is 5:45 p.m. or later. The reason for that is the large number of VIA 1 passengers. There is a small Easterly Class lounge in Halifax. Reservations for the first meal will be made for you when you check in with the Service Manager.

With the Park Car and the Renaissane double deluxe accommodation, this is the only way to travel on the Ocean during this time of season. Last year there was a special attendant assigned to the Park Car to tell passengers about the region we were travelling through. I assume they are retaining that service this year. I spent most of my days in the Park Car - dome or lounge. Even though I booked the double deluxe bedroom (for me only), it was well woth it to have the extra room. It was a great experience, and the Park Car really makes Easterly Class worth while.

It was interesting when I travelled on the former overnight Enterprise with a friend in teh Renaissance double deluxe bedroom - but at least it was just an overnight run - not the longer trip out to the Maritimes. We stuffed the suitcases in the bathroom rather than checking them in the baggage car. But I do encourage checking bags for the extra room in the sleeper. We decided to keep the luggage with us due to the morning transfer from the Enterprise to the Canadian.

As for the Renaissance bedrooms - yes, they are more to be desired in terms of space, but they are interesting unto themselves. They are definitely larger than the Amtrak roomettes (be it Superliner or Viewliner). The bathrooms are quite large in comparison to bathrooms offered on Amtrak and the Budd equipment.

Personally, I couldn't imagine travelling on the Ocean in the off season without the Park Car. The Renaissance Service Lounge Cars just don't do it for me (even though they underwent a renconfiguration). And I couldn't imagine being stuck in my bedroom all day on the trip from Montreal to Halifax! So I welcomed the Easterly Class with the Park Car option.

It's too bad they moved the Easterly Class back to June instead of starting it up in May. I guess patronage dictated the change.

I was hoping a VIA service from Halifax to Sydney (on weekendsperhaps) would have been re-launched this summer with the Budd equipment, but I guess that is not happening. The "tourist service that re-emerged a few years ago" was canned after the rail line's future was very uncertain. But it appears that the line may have gotten some renewed life for another couple of years. I think the service would work on a weekend basis, as opposed to when it was operating on Tuesdays. Oh well!

There will be two of us sharing the space, but I like him well enough so I think we can manage

It is only a weekend trip, so I am packing very light. The only cumbersome item I will have on hand is a small parcel (host gift). Am I better off to bring everything on board? Considering I will only arrive at the station at 5.30 or so, I would like to avoid the whole check-in thing.

Without knowing the dimensions of the parcel, hard to tell. But I would bring it along and see what happens. VIA car attendants always seem to accomodate passengers - and their stuff!

George L. wrote:There will be two of us sharing the space, but I like him well enough so I think we can manage

It is only a weekend trip, so I am packing very light. The only cumbersome item I will have on hand is a small parcel (host gift). Am I better off to bring everything on board? Considering I will only arrive at the station at 5.30 or so, I would like to avoid the whole check-in thing.

There is a reasonable amount of luggage space under the sofa, but the clearance is only about nine inches. Several times I have taken a soft-sided bag that is 10 inches high and I have been able to squeeze it under.

If you have a room with the toilet/shower annex on the corridor side, you could leave some luggage on the floor between the sofa/bed and the wall. As you are travelling with another person, I strongly recommend you get a room with the toilet in that position if you don't already have it. The major design flaw of the rooms with the toilet door on the window side of the room is that when the upper berth ladder is in place it is extremely difficult to get access to the facilities. The doors have the hinges towards the centre of the room. If they were hinged close to the window, access to the loo would be easier. Because of the curvature of the ceiling and therefore the shape of the annex door, it would not be an easy task to reverse the hinges.

The rooms with the better-positioned annex are 2,4,6,7 & 9.