by warwgn3
I'm curious as to why they didn't use a Park car like they normally do.
Railroad Forums
Moderator: Ken V
warwgn3 wrote:I'm curious as to why they didn't use a Park car like they normally do.The Park Car only runs during the summer and fall and has for a few years now.....Not year ‘round. It is the “Signature” car on the Ocean when Sleeper Plus (or Touring Class or Easterly Class.....call it what you want) is offered.
XC Tower wrote:What a contrast it must be walking from the smaller Renaissance sleeper to the more spacious interior of the Skyline Dome plus the awesome view from the dome itself! (The second best seat behind the engineer, I consider it.)Personally, I’ll take a Ren sleeper any day over an old Budd! Shake and rattle compared to the smooth riding Rens. But for now you have the best of both worlds…….accommodations in the Rens plus the view from the Skyline Dome!
NS VIA FAN wrote:I'm aware of the seasonal Park car in the summer. But when I took the Ocean both ways in March 2012, both my trains consisted entirely of Budd equipment with a Skyline, and no Park. However this may only be the case when the Ocean was not scheduled to be joined with the Chaleur.warwgn3 wrote:I'm curious as to why they didn't use a Park car like they normally do.The Park Car only runs during the summer and fall and has for a few years now.....Not year ‘round. It is the “Signature” car on the Ocean when Sleeper Plus (or Touring Class or Easterly Class.....call it what you want) is offered.
During the summer regular sleeper passengers do not have access to a Dome so I believe VIA is just trying to preserve this amenity they can charge extra for. But for now.....a Skyline Dome will be available to all sleeper passengers in the off-season.
warwgn3 wrote:I'm aware of the seasonal Park car in the summer. But when I took the Ocean both ways in March 2012, both my trains consisted entirely of Budd equipment with a Skyline, and no Park. However this may only be the case when the Ocean was not scheduled to be joined with the Chaleur.For several winter one of the three consists required for the Ocean was a Budd set and it included a Skyline Dome. The other two consists were Ren only…..without a Dome.
NS VIA FAN wrote:And it will be interesting to see if the third consist eventually goes to the Chaleur (train to Gaspe) - when it does finally get restored as a train all the way to Gaspe. Hopefully it can retain a Skyline Dome Car or Park Dome Car.warwgn3 wrote:I'm aware of the seasonal Park car in the summer. But when I took the Ocean both ways in March 2012, both my trains consisted entirely of Budd equipment with a Skyline, and no Park. However this may only be the case when the Ocean was not scheduled to be joined with the Chaleur.For several winter one of the three consists required for the Ocean was a Budd set and it included a Skyline Dome. The other two consists were Ren only…..without a Dome.
VIA was upgrading the Rens for Barrier Free access and other modifications so one Ren consist would be pulled for the winter and replaced with a Budd. It had nothing to do with combining with the Chaleur.
Only two consists are required now for the Ocean on the new tri-weekly schedule so I don’t imagine a Budd set will be back this winter.
marquisofmississauga wrote:Yes, there is now a dome car year-round. In the peak seasons, roughly mid-June to mid-October and for two weeks near Christmas,there is a Park car. The rest of the time it is a Skyline car at the end of the train. Recently a few runs had a Park car instead of a Skyline, but there was speculation this was because of some damage to one of the Skyline cars. Reservia showed sleeping car space available for sale in some of the Park cars, but not all of them.
The usual off-peak consist is baggage, two or three coaches, service car-diner-service car, four or five sleepers, transition car and Skyline. In the peak season there are usually four coaches and six to eight sleepers. Occasionally a Manor or Château-series sleeper has been operated as well.
NS VIA FAN wrote:Just playing Devil’s Advocate here......There is simply not feasible way to render the service profitable in this area. Let's be honest, even with the greatest marketing campaign a business could put forward, the fact is that the majority of the daytime scenery (past Memramcook until Charlo on route #15) is about as exciting as 3am CBC is going to remain. One could never dare to compare the rich mountaineer's route to the ocean's. without such appeal there is simply no business to be had. The Ocean is a essential public transport method to many remote low income communities and should simply be viewed as such.
Is it time for the Ocean to be privatized?