The Canadian

Hi there every one!
I have a couple of questions about "The Canadian".
I just booked my brother a roomette on the "Canadian" on Saturday July 21/12 from Toronto to Vancouver,returning on the July 29/12 for 60% off!
Not bad for last minute.
I was wondering if anybody can tell me how many cars are running on the "Canadian" ie: coaches, domes, sleepers, diners will there be when he goes on his trip?
Also does anybody have the line numbers of the cars so I can tell where he is?
Thanks for any info!

During the peak season, meaning until the end of October, VIA will operate the Canadian with two or three coaches and nine to 12 sleepers - and occasionally more - according to demand. Two weeks ago I rode the Canadian from Winnipeg to Toronto and had what I call a typical average consist. I have since seen the Canadian in Toronto and it has been similar, give or take one sleeper. I saw one consist in mid-June that had 15 sleepers. If the passenger loads are light, particularly between Jasper and Toronto, some of the sleepers may be taken out of service but left in place (with line #00) as opposed to being moved up to the front where deadhead equipment is usually carried. Here is a typical consist with the line numbers:

2 F40s
baggage
2 or 3 coaches
Skyline (for coach passengers)
Manor sleeper (10)
Manor (11)
Manor (12)
Skyline
Dining car
Manor (13)
Manor (14)
Manor (15)
Château Sleeper (16)
Château (17) ***
Skyline
Dining car
Manor sleeper (20)
Manor (21)
Manor (22)
Park car (39)

*** Extra sleepers are normally added after this sleeper and will be #18, 19, 23, etc.

marquisofmississauga wrote:During the peak season, meaning until the end of October, VIA will operate the Canadian with two or three coaches and nine to 12 sleepers - and occasionally more - according to demand. Two weeks ago I rode the Canadian from Winnipeg to Toronto and had what I call a typical average consist. I have since seen the Canadian in Toronto and it has been similar, give or take one sleeper. I saw one consist in mid-June that had 15 sleepers. If the passenger loads are light, particularly between Jasper and Toronto, some of the sleepers may be taken out of service but left in place (with line #00) as opposed to being moved up to the front where deadhead equipment is usually carried. Here is a typical consist with the line numbers:

2 F40s
baggage
2 or 3 coaches
Skyline (for coach passengers)
Manor sleeper (10)
Manor (11)
Manor (12)
Skyline
Dining car
Manor (13)
Manor (14)
Manor (15)
Château Sleeper (16)
Château (17) ***
Skyline
Dining car
Manor sleeper (20)
Manor (21)
Manor (22)
Park car (39)

*** Extra sleepers are normally added after this sleeper and will be #18, 19, 23, etc.

Thank you very much!!!

gaspeamtrak wrote:Hi there every one!
I have a couple of questions about "The Canadian".
I just booked my brother a roomette on the "Canadian" on Saturday July 21/12 from Toronto to Vancouver,returning on the July 29/12 for 60% off!
Not bad for last minute.
I was wondering if anybody can tell me how many cars are running on the "Canadian" ie: coaches, domes, sleepers, diners will there be when he goes on his trip?
Also does anybody have the line numbers of the cars so I can tell where he is?
Thanks for any info!

Just wondering what the route is out of Toronto?

gaspeamtrak wrote:
Just wondering what the route is out of Toronto?

Basically......north on the Newmarket Sub to Snider, east on the York to Doncaster then north (west) on the Bala.

NS VIA FAN wrote:Basically......north on the Newmarket Sub to Snider, east on the York to Doncaster then north (west) on the Bala.

Thank you very much!!! :)

Nice diagram, but there's something to change:

Now the Canadian comes in on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings; (Scheduled arrival into Union Station at 9:30 am). It then goes to TMC and then reverses to Union for a 10:00 pm departure the same night.

Tom6921 wrote:Nice diagram, but there's something to change:

Now the Canadian comes in on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings; (Scheduled arrival into Union Station at 9:30 am). It then goes to TMC and then reverses to Union for a 10:00 pm departure the same night.

Even with this same day turn and tri-weekly train schedule, the Canadian needs four consists guaranteed - unlike its former three night schedule where it *could * get away with just three trainsets. VIA just chose to rotate a fourth into the "pack" at Vancouver to ease things up......

Tom6921 wrote:Nice diagram, but there's something to change:

Now the Canadian comes in on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings; (Scheduled arrival into Union Station at 9:30 am). It then goes to TMC and then reverses to Union for a 10:00 pm departure the same night.

Thanks.....I'll change that on my original now. (This was from a trip in 2005)

Cool post, I've heard of this move before but never seen it illustrated. Thanks for posting.

I've advocated in the past that Amtrak do the same in Chicago, give that CUS has one through track, but the lack of rules compatibility throws that one out the window. Evidently turning the long distance trains by looping out of town would add quite a few rulebooks to learn. Also, unlike the Canadian, many people use the long distance trains for timely service to Kansas City or Minneapolis, and an extra hour or two to loop out of town would kill this market.

Close to 7,000 passengers traveling on 10 trains chose The Canadian for holiday travel.

http://www.rtands.com/index.php/passeng ... hannel=281

A 14% increase over last year. Imagine what a daily train could do.

jstolberg wrote:

Close to 7,000 passengers traveling on 10 trains chose The Canadian for holiday travel.

http://www.rtands.com/index.php/passeng ... hannel=281

A 14% increase over last year. Imagine what a daily train could do.

Or if the frequency had remained at 3x per week instead of down toe 2x per week as of last October.

gaspeamtrak wrote:Hi there every one!
I have a couple of questions about "The Canadian".
I just booked my brother a roomette on the "Canadian" on Saturday July 21/12 from Toronto to Vancouver,returning on the July 29/12 for 60% off!
Not bad for last minute.
I was wondering if anybody can tell me how many cars are running on the "Canadian" ie: coaches, domes, sleepers, diners will there be when he goes on his trip?
Also does anybody have the line numbers of the cars so I can tell where he is?
Thanks for any info!

He's booked his trip again this summer!
His train last summer was over 5 hours late into Toronto so he got a 50% voucher for his next trip(only 50% off for the coach portion!)
He 's also taking our niece this year in the middle of July. They each have a roomette round trip for about $4200 including taxes, not bad for high summer season travel.

Is the train ride really good
Have to make sure I take it all the way from Toronto to Vancover

It's definitely on the once in a lifetime trip if you like long distance overnight train travel etc.