Canadian Railroads > Rocky Mountaineer 2016 Season has started...nice to see!

Hello to all,

The Rocky Mountaineer trains have started their runs into Kamloops for 2016.

1. April 19 saw the arrival of the first train from Vancouver, entering Kamloops over the South Thompson River.

2. The next morning the Kamloops to Lake Louise and Banff section heads east on the CP Shuswap Sub.

3. A little later the Kamloops to Jasper section heads out of town on the CN subs to Jasper.

Kamloops will see many RMR train movements and tourists through the season until mid October.

Thanks for looking.

611

 

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The third shot is awesome!  I really like that paint scheme - in concept it could be awful, but it really works.

It'sinteresting how they transitioned the paint scheme from the higher level cars to the lower height cars. That works very well.

This is the first year without "Red Leaf" economy service in ex-Via smooth side coaches. The "Silver Leaf" cars are converted Via CC&F built coaches too.

These shoulder season trains are noticably shorter. Until May 1st, the Rocky Mountaineer is operating on reduced frequency (six trains over a two week period vesus twelve after May)

stevedavis Wrote:
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> The third shot is awesome!  I really like that
> paint scheme - in concept it could be awful, but
> it really works.

Or as I call it, "The Giant Drill Bit!".

eminence_grise Wrote:
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> This is the first year without "Red Leaf" economy
> service in ex-Via smooth side coaches. The "Silver
> Leaf" cars are converted Via CC&F built coaches
> too.

In the second shot, only one of the three single-level cars behind the generator car has the Silver Leaf windows.  Are some Silver Leaf passengers accommodated in Red Leaf cars?

Took that trip last year it was fantastic. The service was supreme and the scenery was the greatest

Wayne Crabb
San Gabriel, CA

Crabbshell Wrote:
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> Took that trip last year it was fantastic. The
> service was supreme and the scenery was the
> greatest

Lots of people claim it was "trip of a lifetime".  Lots of people pay thousands to ride the train. I got paid thousands to run it and see the same scenery the passengers did.  Never got bored with the trips, Prince George to Whistler and return.
I can't seem to warm to the new paint scheme. Think the previous paint scheme looked pretty sharp.   Doug

Hmmmmm......four Gold Leaf cars heading to Banff and only one Silver Leaf? 

Consist is is much shorter than usual. 

In the second shot - looks like:

1) generator car
2) crew car
3) Silver Leaf
4) ???? (single level)
5) Gold Leaf
6) Gold Leaf
7) Gold Leaf
8) Gold Leaf

Obviously they must be pushing the Gold Leaf service........especially since there are not a lot of converted Silver Leaf cars yet......

Compared to previous years, I think Rocky Mountaineer Consists are going to be smaller in General now with Red Leaf gone.....
 

I'm thinking car 4 on the Banff train is car 5749, the on board service crew car, a Pullman Standard car built in 1947 as Frisco sleeper 1451 "Thomas Hart Benton", acquied by CN to become CN 2096 "Topsail Falls", on to Via with the same name and number, converted to a "Dayniter" coach by Via as car 5749, and sold to Rocky Mountaineer who operated it as a coach until conversion into a crew car.  

The other coach behind the generator car maybe another crew car which carries the operating crew. Rocky Mountaineer engine crew work through from Kamloops to Banff using two crews who ride the train, one working, another resting.

In the 2015 season, there was such demand for Silver Leaf service that some Gold Leaf double deck cars were used for Silver Leaf.

Silver Leaf service involves meals which are prepared off train and heated in "airline galley" ovens on board the train. A seperate Armstrong Hospitality Group company , Rocky Mountaineer Catering prepares the Silver Leaf meals in Kamloops.  Two car attendants serve the passengers on Silver Leaf with meals and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

I'm assuming that the Gold Leaf kitchens also have airline galleys.  Thus, the change from Gold to Silver simply involves not using the downstairs dining room and kitchen.

The image shows Rocky Mountaineer crew members in front of car 5749 in Kamloops in 2012



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/16 11:37 by eminence_grise.

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eminence_grise Wrote:
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> I'm thinking car 4 on the Banff train is car 5749,
> the on board service crew car, a Pullman Standard
> car built in 1947 as Frisco sleeper 1451 "Thomas
> Hart Benton", acquied by CN to become CN 2096
> "Topsail Falls", on to Via with the same name and
> number, converted to a "Dayniter" coach by Via as
> car 5749, and sold to Rocky Mountaineer who
> operated it as a coach until conversion into a
> crew car.  

Are the crew cars equipped as dormitory cars, or are they simply day accommodation where the crew can have a breather?
 

The crew cars I was in were just for taking breaks and a breather, comfortable chairs to kick back in. Equipped with a small galley for making coffee and snacks. Also office area & desk for the on board supervisor to do paperwork etc. The train is "non smoking", some of the crew would enjoy a smoke in the second unit or visit us in the lead unit for a chat and puff.  Doug

hoggerdoug Wrote:
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> The crew cars I was in were just for taking
> breaks and a breather, comfortable chairs to kick
> back in. Equipped with a small galley for making
> coffee and snacks. Also office area & desk for the
> on board supervisor to do paperwork etc. The train
> is "non smoking", some of the crew would enjoy a
> smoke in the second unit or visit us in the lead
> unit for a chat and puff.  Doug

The non-smoking part must be difficult for French, Japanese and other tourists from places where smoking is more common. Having convenient smoke breaks would be attractive to some hard core smokers.

looks like the 5749 has had some major changes to the windows arrangemeny since it was a Dayniter

The_Chief_Way Wrote:
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> looks like the 5749 has had some major changes to
> the windows arrangement since it was a Dayniter

Over the years, Rocky has had a variety of crew cars, notably one of the first was an ex-CN and later Via baggage/roomette combination car. These cars were a feature of the Jasper-Prince Rupert train. Usually in Via service, they served as crew sleepers but occasionally as revenue cars. They were substantial rebuilds of CN smoothside sleepers.

In early Rocky Mountaineer service, they served as baggage cars and as accommodation for the on board mechanic and spare parts.

Later on Rocky Mountaineer opted to ship their baggage by highway, and also to convert their trains from steam heat to head end power supplied by generator cars converted to baggage cars.

Before the arrival of "Gold Leaf" domes, the train was all coach and passengers could explore the train.  The next generation of crew car included a smoking area for crew and passengers, and a partitioned off office area for the train manager.

Since then, smoking has been banned on most forms of transport, and the crew cars have become further partitioned to provide separate lounge and office areas for the on board staff.