VIA Ocean discussion

[railiner]

It's a shame that service to Yarmouth does not run anymore especially since the CAT ferry from Bar Harbor now terminates there, with no good non-car alternatives to travel from Yarmouth .

I recall another transfer point was Truro where one transferred to the train to Sydney in Cape Breton Island. We did that in 1981 transferring from and to the Atlantic. I believe the schedule for the Ocean also allowed this as I recall its impressive consist rolling into the station while we were waiting for the connection. Of course Sydney is the terminal for the ferry to Newfoundland, another car free opportunity now not possible.

At least the line from Truro to Sydney is still there, if VIA Rail ever restores service (won't hold my breath, waiting)....

 

[fdaley]

At least the line from Truro to Sydney is still there, if VIA Rail ever restores service (won't hold my breath, waiting)....

I doubt we will live to see it. Although still there, the northern half of the Sydney line has been out of service for several years now.

 

[Bostontoallpoints]

As late as 1987, if I recall the date correctly, the Ocean was turned, car by car, on a turntable near the VIA station in Halifax. This was a tedious process and I believe it was discontinued when the loop track at the container terminal became available.

The turn table is still there at the CN yard over by the Fairview Lawn Cemetery. It is about 4 miles from the Halifax train station. Not sure if it is in working condition.

 

[WWW]

The turn table is still there at the CN yard over by the Fairview Lawn Cemetery. It is about 4 miles from the Halifax train station. Not sure if it is in working condition.

Google map reference:

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.658193,-63.6244786,310m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

Turn table is centered in image - zooom out for relative distance to Halifax VIA station

Appears that only 1 car at a time could be turned
Most turn tables were set up for steam locomotives engine and tender

Circa a few years ago - - -
Have experienced the turn table with the Milwaukee 261 locomotive and tender at the BNSF Willmar MN
location where only the locomotive and coal/water tender was turned -
all things being well about what seemed to be a 20 minute operation (the turn) -
the safety prep alinement a bit more - the locomotive fit the exact dimensions of the table.

With the VIA train consist not all cars would be needed to turn i.e. baggage
But with some dozen or so cars this could take a couple of hours of midnight maintenance -
And note this would happen every time the Ocean operated (daily?)
A switch engineers nightmare !

 

[crescent-zephyr]

With the VIA train consist not all cars would be needed to turn

Only the Park car would need to be turned. I actually grew up working at a tourist railroad where we had a turntable - was kinda fun to operate it.

 

[jiml]

Only the Park car would need to be turned.

It's not that simple and a good amount of further switching would be required. The consists are currently operating with a baggage car on either end - a Renaissance/transition type on one end and a Budd on the other. This is done to facilitate attaching the locomotives, so have the required couplers, however provide a less than ideal place to locate a Park car. Even with one removed it would mean the most premium space on the train would be at the coach end of a very long train in one direction.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

It's not that simple and a good amount of further switching would be required. The consists are currently operating with a baggage car on either end - a Renaissance/transition type on one end and a Budd on the other. This is done to facilitate attaching the locomotives, so have the required couplers, however provide a less than ideal place to locate a Park car. Even with one removed it would mean the most premium space on the train would be at the coach end of a very long train in one direction.

Oh yeah... I forgot about the transition car. I'm not super familiar with them but that surely adds to the complexity of switching.

The loop doesn't physically exist anymore correct? Probably the best solution is a skyline car with rotating seats.

 

[Bostontoallpoints]

It's not that simple and a good amount of further switching would be required. The consists are currently operating with a baggage car on either end - a Renaissance/transition type on one end and a Budd on the other. This is done to facilitate attaching the locomotives, so have the required couplers, however provide a less than ideal place to locate a Park car. Even with one removed it would mean the most premium space on the train would be at the coach end of a very long train in one direction.

Once the Park car is turned the position of the coaches and sleepers can be swapped by splitting the train.

 

[Brian Battuello]

About ten years ago my son and I did a round trip on the Ocean. We got lucky in that apparently every now and then they pull the whole train in for maintenance and substitute a spare "Canadian" consist. It came with the full service, including a Park car, on board host, full dining car and chef. We had a great time. It's high on my list of "things I'm glad I did when I could".

 

[fdaley]

We rode it nearly every summer or fall in the decade from 1994 to 2003, when it still ran six nights a week with the stainless steel consists and normally had a Skyline car and full diner as well as the Park car. Those were wonderful trips, and we visited lots of places around Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI. In latter years, after our son was born, we especially liked the drawing rooms in the Chateau and Park cars.

By 2004, the Renaissance cars had taken over, and our new business didn't allow us to take trips of that length in the warmer months. So that was the end of that tradition. Somehow the thought of going from upstate New York to Nova Scotia in February, when we had lots of down time, didn't seem that appealing, so we started going west. Maybe when we retire ...

 

[Bostontoallpoints]

Oh yeah... I forgot about the transition car. I'm not super familiar with them but that surely adds to the complexity of switching.

The loop doesn't physically exist anymore correct? Probably the best solution is a skyline car with rotating seats.

The loop does exist but the owner of the shipyard that contains the loop has gotten too busy and crowded and could no longer accommodate the disruption of VIA turning their train. I deduced that the owner of the shipyard was looking for more money from VIA and VIA declined.

 

[railiner]

In latter years, after our son was born, we especially liked the drawing rooms in the Chateau and Park cars.

I recently occupied Room ‘F’ in a Canadian, Manor series sleeper, which was formerly classified as a “Compartment”, but now categorised as another “Cabin for two”, by VIA. I noticed it could be sold as a suite with adjoining room ‘E’.
I am wondering if the 3 bed drawing rooms are also able to combine with an adjoining room?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The loop does exist but the owner of the shipyard that contains the loop has gotten too busy and crowded and could no longer accommodate the disruption of VIA turning their train. I deduced that the owner of the shipyard was looking for more money from VIA and VIA declined.

Ahh.... there's an easy solution then. Maybe the local government could propose a new tax for the shipyard? hmm???

 

[west point]

Ahh.... there's an easy solution then. Maybe the local government could propose a new tax for the shipyard? hmm???

Tax equal to train cost turning 6 days a week? That way VIA would pay nothing? So, each day VIA is allowed to turn with no cost the tax is not collected/abated.

 

[Urban Sky]

Ahh.... there's an easy solution then. Maybe the local government could propose a new tax for the shipyard? hmm???

Tax equal to train cost turning 6 days a week? That way VIA would pay nothing? So, each day VIA is allowed to turn with no cost the tax is not collected/abated.

Sure, if you can name any reason why a local government would propose a tax on a corporation which has enormous leverage over it for the exclusive benefit of a different corporation which does not enjoy any such leverage?

 

[TheMalahat]

I am wondering if the 3 bed drawing rooms are also able to combine with an adjoining room?

Nope.

On the Chateaux C & D "Rooms for Two" have an opening wall.

Annoyingly/amusingly the "Room for 3" photo on Via's booking page for the Ocean/Churchill is actually a "Room for 4" (made up of two Rooms for 2 in what I think is a Manor?)

 

[railiner]

Nope.

On the Chateaux C & D "Rooms for Two" have an opening wall.

Annoyingly/amusingly the "Room for 3" photo on Via's booking page for the Ocean/Churchill is actually a "Room for 4" (made up of two Rooms for 2 in what I think is a Manor?)

I haven’t been in any drawing rooms I can recall, but wonder if any of them (of any origin), might have a folding wall to another room? Imagine a “Drawing Room Suite”, that could accommodate 6 adult size beds! Would be great for large families…

 

[fdaley]

I recently occupied Room ‘F’ in a Canadian, Manor series sleeper, which was formerly classified as a “Compartment”, but now categorised as another “Cabin for two”, by VIA. I noticed it could be sold as a suite with adjoining room ‘E’.
I am wondering if the 3 bed drawing rooms are also able to combine with an adjoining room?

I honestly don't recall whether those rooms had an en-suite wall, though I kind of think they didn't. It has been more than 20 years. I know there was at least one trip where we took a bunch of photos in one of the Chateau drawing rooms, so I'll have to rake those out and see if one of them reveals any detail of the far wall. I do remember that on that particular trip, we had some friends traveling in other rooms in the same car, and at one point in the late afternoon they all came over to visit and hang out in the drawing room because it was spacious.

 

[jiml]

In the drawing room of a pre-Prestige Park car, such as those used on the Ocean, the one lower bunk drops parallel to the window and would restrict the movement of the wall panel at its one end. The other two bunks are attached to the wall next to the lower lounge.