Canadian Railroads > Oversize windows in the VIA Prestige cars

There have been several postings recently about some visible roof buckling in the Prestige Park cars due to the installation of oversized windows. Coincidentally the January issue of Trains has a story about the restoration of NYC's 20th century observation car Hickory Creek. The author points out that the large windows at the rear affected the cars integrity resulting in some sheet metal bowing that then allowed water to penetrate the carbody. The restoration effort included redesigning the window openings to provide additional support. Sounds a bit familiar.

Someone (George Santayana in particular) once said : Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/15 19:33 by WP17.

I have ONLY seen it for myself on the Park Dome Car - just to be clear.....Not sure if the Chateaus (with the Prestige upgrade) are affected or not. But the Chateaus had the staggered windows to seal up....and contend with.....

The corridor side of the two Château sleepers that I have seen have their original windows. The upper duplex roomette windows must look strange to anyone walking down the corridor. The bedroom side has, of course, six large windows that were cut in. Château Denonville has been at the Toronto Maintenance Centre for the past several days and is visible from passing GO trains. There is no apparent buckling as far as I can see. None of the Château sleepers have yet to see revenue service.

DrawingroomA Wrote:
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> None of the Château sleepers have yet to see revenue
> service.

Prestige sleeper Chateau Lauzon ran in revenue service, coupled ahead of Laurentide Park, in the westbound Canadian that left Toronto on November 18. That was thought to be the first example of this.

While this photo only shows two windows, nothing apparent here. I couldn't see the other side of the car but never thought about how strange it must look if the upper roomette windows weren't lowered to match....especially in the hallway.

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railsmith Wrote:
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> DrawingroomA Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > None of the Château sleepers have yet to see
> revenue
> > service.
>
> Prestige sleeper Chateau Lauzon ran in revenue
> service, coupled ahead of Laurentide Park, in the
> westbound Canadian that left Toronto on November
> 18. That was thought to be the first example of
> this.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. I wonder how many of the six rooms were sold. There was a recent consist of #2 that carried the Prestige Park car and two Château sleepers from Winnipeg to Toronto. That was reported as a VIA managers special section. The regular Park car ex-Vancouver was moved to the front of the train as a deadhead car at Winnipeg. Also, a Skyline car was added ahead of the Prestige cars so there was speculation that the paying passengers were not allowed to use the Park car on that run.

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> While this photo only shows two windows, nothing
> apparent here. I couldn't see the other side of
> the car but never thought about how strange it
> must look if the upper roomette windows weren't
> lowered to match....especially in the hallway.

The upper roomette windows have been blanked over on both sides of the Prestige Chateau cars.

Below is a view along the corridor of Chateau Denonville at the former "roomette end" and a shot on the bedroom side of the same car showing a close-up of how the windows on that side have been covered over.

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De-blue those shot welds...

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