Canadian Railroads > Car positioning on the Canadian

OK - I need some help.

How is the car numbering working presently on the Canadian? If I want a sleeper closer to the diner, what car number (ignoring Prestige) should I be looking for. I think the numbering has been reversed, but I am not sure how this would work when more cars are part of the train in say beginning of May..........

For the winter consist it seems that 110 is the first non-prestige car closest to the Park Car. I don't know why this is so complicated, but VIA seems to make it so.

I would be very much appreciated so I can take advantage of the current sales.

The present positioning has the sleepers after the dining car numbered from front to back: 10, 11, 12, then Prestige and the Park car.  When there are sleepers ahead of the diner they are 13, 14, etc. During last year's summer consists - which started at the beginning of May - the car numbers from back to front were 10, 11, 12, dining car, 13, 14, etc. with the first three being 20, 21, 22.  There was often a gap in the numbering as there was rarely a car 19.  As has been discussed previously, last year VIA employees in the call centres were not given accurate information as to the order of sleepers. Perhaps this year they will know for sure. 

So I tried to request from the agent - I want a sleeper car as close to the Park Car as possible. Agent said the closest was car 222 (and I was able to get Room F, not that this was totally what I was going after). Was told this would be right in front of the LAST Skyline in the consist and rearmost Diner. So in another words, from back to front, they were trying to tell me it was Park Car, Prestige Sleeper, Manor (110), Manor (111), Manor (112), Diner, Skyline, Manor (222), Manor (221) etc.

I was hoping for 110, 111, or 112 as that seems pretty consistent. But the agent swore he was looking at a "new bulletin" that had just come out educating them on car "arrangement."

This doesn't seem to make too much sense to me. Course it is a consist when the train first starts to go three days a week in May. If they can't get me in 110, 111, or 112, that's fine. I've been where they are saying Manor 222 has been before, but could this be correct? I am travelling eastbound for a change - switching it up!!!! And boarding the Candian in Jasper (taking a little Rocky Mountaineer adventure from Vancouver and then picking up the Canadian.

I mean seriously, all in all, what do you end up doing on this train (travelling eastbound) - eat dinner, go the Park Car, go to bed. Next day - go to breakfast, camp out in in the Park Car, go to lunch, camp out in the Park Car, go to dinner, camp out in the Park Car, go to bed. So time in the room - minimal. This is why I don't get too upset anymore with trying to get rearmost sleeper. But it's a "nice to have" so one can be in the middle of things.......

And I'll be travelling in May just as the third day come online for the Canadian and the Panorama Car is added. I was in the Panorama Car when it was on the Skeena - aka Rupert Rocket aka train to Prince Rupert. I LOVED when it debutted and was operating four days a week with the Panorama Car between Jasper and Prince Rupert. All Panorama Cars at that time were on the Skeena. I see them having little value on the Canadian when you have the Skylines etc. I was glad to see at least some dates with the Panorama Car on the Skeena once again. Sorry- this train will always be the Skeena to me (the train to Prince Rupert).

And of course when I arrive in Toronto aboard the Canadian, I have booked no travel except for a walk across the street to the Fairmont.

Now let's just think about this one for a minute. It seems there have been VERY little consists this winter whereby VIA has not deadheaded sleepers to/from Toronto and Vancouver. It seems like they just want to keep these cars in motion for some reason. This is COMPLETELY the opposite of Amtrak. People have been commenting on the few cars the "Empire Builder" out of Seattle (or bound for Seattle) has. Last year, I saw the Canadian arrive into Toronto Union Station with at least 8 sleeper deadheading. Consist then turns around takes the SAME 8 sleepers back to Vancouver. Onboard questioning reveals that only one of the 8 sleepers was pressed into service between Vancouver and Jasper eastbound and the same was expected to happen on the eastbound.

Got forbid the Canadian derails with these "dead head" cars in the consist. It's a challenge - although VIA has done it - to rebuild cars that are now 60+ year old cars. Can't remember if they were built in 1950 or 1955 (believe the later).

Amtrak pulled any passenger car they could last winter and this winter (it would save money or they could perform "maintenance"), when VIA seems to be deadheading equipment back and forth across the country.    

It is interesting that agents have information regarding the arrangements of sleepers.  If the location of the cars in the 20s is accurate, it makes little sense.  Last summer the sleeper order was reversed so the numbers from back to front were (excluding Prestige) 10, 11, 12 up to 20, 21, 22. As was discussed previously, in June my friends and I were in car 22 which was 15 cars ahead of the Park car.  Right up to the day before our June trip, the computer was showing the car order in its traditional way.  Even "operations" claimed this was true even though I had observed the train in Toronto more than once with the new order. It will be interesting to see what really happens.

From my observations deadheading a large number of sleepers is rare.  If extra sleepers are needed between Vancouver and Jasper, they are no longer removed from or added to the train at Jasper.  Even this winter there has occasionally been a deadhead sleeper or two arriving and departing Toronto. Consist lists posted on another site have indicated they were in service west of Jasper.  A few years ago in winter it took an hour and a half to remove one sleeper in Jasper. Passengers were not allowed back on the train until this was completed.  Not surprisingly, when the sun went down the temperature plunged.  The station staff put out hot beverages and Peak Frean biscuits to calm the crowd of annoyed passengers huddled in the station. Maybe this is the reason why sleepers are no longer dropped off or added in Jasper - even in summer. Locomotive switches are still done - for the Skeena train - and this seems to be done in a timely fashion.

I wasn't impressed with the Panorama car.  The view from the domes is much better.  Hardly anyone sat in the Panorama car, possibly because the air conditioning wasn't working properly.

DrawingroomA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is interesting that agents have information
> regarding the arrangements of sleepers.  If the
> location of the cars in the 20s is accurate, it
> makes little sense.  Last summer the sleeper
> order was reversed so the numbers from back to
> front were (excluding Prestige) 10, 11, 12 up to
> 20, 21, 22. As was discussed previously, in June
> my friends and I were in car 22 which was 15 cars
> ahead of the Park car.  Right up to the day
> before our June trip, the computer was showing the
> car order in its traditional way.  Even
> "operations" claimed this was true even though I
> had observed the train in Toronto more than once
> with the new order. It will be interesting to see
> what really happens.
>
> From my observations deadheading a large number of
> sleepers is rare.  If extra sleepers are needed
> between Vancouver and Jasper, they are no longer
> removed from or added to the train at Jasper. 
> Even this winter there has occasionally been a
> deadhead sleeper or two arriving and departing
> Toronto. Consist lists posted on another site have
> indicated they were in service west of Jasper.  A
> few years ago in winter it took an hour and a half
> to remove one sleeper in Jasper. Passengers were
> not allowed back on the train until this was
> completed.  Not surprisingly, when the sun went
> down the temperature plunged.  The station staff
> put out hot beverages and Peak Frean biscuits to
> calm the crowd of annoyed passengers huddled in
> the station. Maybe this is the reason why sleepers
> are no longer dropped off or added in Jasper -
> even in summer. Locomotive switches are still done
> - for the Skeena train - and this seems to be done
> in a timely fashion.
>
> I wasn't impressed with the Panorama car.  The
> view from the domes is much better.  Hardly
> anyone sat in the Panorama car, possibly because
> the air conditioning wasn't working properly.

Well - this is kind of my fear - that I don't end up in a car that is FIFTEEN cars away from the Park Car. I don't mind being too far from the LAST Diner or Skyline. But like you, I am VERY skeptical of this line up. Unless they plan on going back to the original numbering scheme, I am not sure how this makes sense. Asking for a change in sleepers at the present time is a little easier than say in April - one month before departure. Not sure if the attendant was trying to make me happy with getting bedroom "F" or if this truly is the line up. It was mentioned that the Moncton Reservation team got a memo stating what the Canadian's sleeper car number lineup would be effective June 1st. I think that is considered the official date of when "busy season starts." However, I travel in May......Not sure if May will be the same as June. I would have expected some sort of notification like this to coincide for whenever the Canadian starts to go three days a week.

I am going to call back on Sunday or Monday and see what's available in 110, 111, 112. I booked a "cabin for two" even though it is just ME. Perhaps if they can confirm even a single cabin in 110, 111, or 112 I should take it! Technically my suitcase should be checked, but last winter they let me take it onboard. I had a Cabin for Two booked then though. With a Cabin for One would want to check it just so I had more room....... Typically in Jasper they are strict with the luggage, so I was shocked they allowed me to take it onboard,,,,,,,Who knows what will happen this time.  

jp1822 Wrote:

>
> Well - this is kind of my fear - that I don't end
> up in a car that is FIFTEEN cars away from the
> Park Car. I don't mind being too far from
> the LAST Diner or Skyline. But like you, I am
> VERY skeptical of this line up. Unless they plan
> on going back to the original numbering scheme, I
> am not sure how this makes sense. Asking for a
> change in sleepers at the present time is a little
> easier than say in April - one month before
> departure. Not sure if the attendant was trying to
> make me happy with getting bedroom "F" or if this
> truly is the line up. It was mentioned that the
> Moncton Reservation team got a memo stating what
> the Canadian's sleeper car number lineup would be
> effective June 1st. I think that is considered
> the official date of when "busy season starts."
> However, I travel in May......Not sure if May will
> be the same as June. I would have expected some
> sort of notification like this to coincide for
> whenever the Canadian starts to go three days a
> week.
>
> I am going to call back on Sunday or Monday and
> see what's available in 110, 111, 112. I booked a
> "cabin for two" even though it is just ME. Perhaps
> if they can confirm even a single cabin in 110,
> 111, or 112 I should take it! Technically my
> suitcase should be checked, but last winter they
> let me take it onboard. I had a Cabin for Two
> booked then though. With a Cabin for One would
> want to check it just so I had more room.......
> Typically in Jasper they are strict with the
> luggage, so I was shocked they allowed me to take
> it onboard,,,,,,,Who knows what will happen this
> time.  

It seems strange to me that the bulletin would refer to the car number line-up starting June 1st. The long trains start at the beginning of May.  That was when the car number order was changed last year.  June 1st is the start of the summer fare season.

When my friends and I were in car 222 last June and found it to be where we knew it would be (even if VIA didn't know that!) the service manager said she could move us closer to the rear.  There were two reasons we didn't take her up on the offer: first, it would not be between the last diner and Park car - more mid-train - and my friends would not be able to get a room "F".  When I travel with my wife we insist on a room "F" or we don't go. The regular bedrooms are just too cramped for two people for four nights.  The cost of two double rooms "en suite" is horrific.  One of many aspects of Renaissance sleepers  we like is being able to get two double rooms at a very reasonable cost - which is because there are no single cabins in those sleepers. I have occasionally splurged on a double room for my own use on the Canadian, but in the past four years all my trips on the Canadian have been on Preference  points and I won't pay double points.

As far as luggage in the cabin I'm sure you have seen the limitation of two cases of a size:

• Max. 11,5 kg (25 lb.) each
• Max. 54,5 x 39,5 x 23 cm
• (21,5 x 15,5 x 9 in.) each

Room "F" could take more, but I suppose they won't bend the rules.  Several years ago (when there were no strict rules about carry-on luggage) my wife and I boarded the Ocean in Halifax.  We had an unusually surly porter and he told us we could not take our two average size cases into the drawing room and he put them on the luggage rack by the vestibule.  A drawing room (or cabin for 3 as it is now called) can easily accommodate two cases under the sofa and two more above the toilet annex.  So when "Mr. Grumpy" wasn't looking we took our cases from the luggage rack and brought them to our room and placed them under the sofa.  He probably didn't even see them when he made down the beds.  No doubt some people try to bring on too much luggage that simply won't fit in their tiny rooms, but I wish VIA would be like cruise lines and say you can bring on anything that will fit comfortably in your cabin.

Well now they are saying the Park Car is 239, then the Prestige Cars (forget what numbers they said for that), then 222, 221, 220 etc. So lower numbers as you get to the head-end.

And I am sure if I call an agent this evening, they will tell me something completely different. So either I find out when I board or they change me when onboard or something else happens!!!