Canadian Railroads > VIA #3 "Love the Way" along the Thompson River to Kamloops

VIA Rail's new slogan "Love the Way" has appeared in B.C. on the side of F40PH-2D 6454.
Left side lettering = "love the way"
Right side lettering = "la voie qu'on aime"

Consist of VIA 3-09

F40PH-2D 6434
F40PH-2D 6454
Baggage 8609
Coach 8134
Coach 8133
Skyline 8503
Amherst Manor
Bayfield Manor
Abbot Manor
Diner Fairholme
Glass Roof Coach 1720
Franklin Manor
Christie Manor
Monck Manor
Allan Manor
Skyline 8515
Diner Princess
Chateau Lasalle Not Prestige
Chateau Cadillac Prestige
Yoho Park Not Prestige
18 cars total

VIA #3 was approaching Kamloops along the North Thompson River.

Backgrounder on marketing slogan
https://media.viarail.ca/en/press-releases/2018/19-september-2018-renew-your-love-travel-via-rails-new



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/19 00:42 by Marcus.

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Hope they didn’t pay too much for that bit of marketing genius....

Dave

Just curious on No's 3 and 4. Are the Park Car's always not Prestige? Last year when the train ran all the way through they were. If so, is the car still restricted to Prestige passengers during the day? Seems they aren't getting what they paid for with the non-refurbished Park not to  mention the lack of the handicapped room which probably violates some Canadian accessibility mandate. 

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just curious on No's 3 and 4. Are the Park Car's
> always not Prestige? Last year when the train ran
> all the way through they were. If so, is the car
> still restricted to Prestige passengers during the
> day? Seems they aren't getting what they paid for
> with the non-refurbished Park not to  mention the
> lack of the handicapped room which probably
> violates some Canadian accessibility mandate. 

Any Nos. 3 and 4 I've seen in person or in photographs have used Yoho Park.  It's worth noting that Prestige fares are usually not offered for a one-night trip, but this year's operation of Nos. 3 and 4 has allowed an exception.

That said, it's extremely expensive because it's the same fare as would be charged for two nights, such as Vancouver-Winnipeg -- $7,549 including tax. At that rate, I'd expect the single Prestige-class Chateau and its six bedrooms would be sufficient to handle the demand.

As for the protocols of daytime usage of this unPrestigious Park car, I don't know.

What I do know is that this particular car has a special place in Canadian history. It bore the remains of the late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau from Ottawa to Montreal for the funeral. A large window in the lounge had to be removed for the loading and unloading of the casket.

It is good to see this remnant of the third weekly Canadian isn't the 5-6 car stub train I envisioned, but instead a viable service.  The Jasper business must still be there.  Good pictures.  BSB

railsmith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Just curious on No's 3 and 4. Are the Park
> Car's
> > always not Prestige? Last year when the train
> ran
> > all the way through they were. If so, is the
> car
> > still restricted to Prestige passengers during
> the
> > day? Seems they aren't getting what they paid
> for
> > with the non-refurbished Park not to  mention
> the
> > lack of the handicapped room which probably
> > violates some Canadian accessibility mandate. 
>
> Any Nos. 3 and 4 I've seen in person or in
> photographs have used Yoho Park.  It's worth
> noting that Prestige fares are usually not offered
> for a one-night trip, but this year's operation of
> Nos. 3 and 4 has allowed an exception.
>
> That said, it's extremely expensive because it's
> the same fare as would be charged for two nights,
> such as Vancouver-Winnipeg -- $7,549 including
> tax. At that rate, I'd expect the single
> Prestige-class Chateau and its six bedrooms would
> be sufficient to handle the demand.
>
> As for the protocols of daytime usage of this
> unPrestigious Park car, I don't know.
>
> What I do know is that this particular car has a
> special place in Canadian history. It bore the
> remains of the late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott
> Trudeau from Ottawa to Montreal for the funeral. A
> large window in the lounge had to be removed for
> the loading and unloading of the casket.

Couple of surprises with this #3/4 consist:

- Not sure why #3/4 is getting the glass dome coach unless VIA has gone back to switching the glass dome coach in/out of ALL Canadian consists at Edmonton once again? Perhaps that is so, now that the Prince Rupert trains is carrying a glass dome coach for its Touring Class in peak season. That leaves only two glass dome coaches for the Canadian consists. VIA had been assigning them to specific trainsets to operate "the whole way" - Toronto to Vancouver. Anyone know what the cycling of the glass dome coaches really is for the Canadian consists (#1, #2, #3, #4). In a perfect world, VIA would have three more of the singel level glass dome coaches - to outfit the Canadian trains "the whole way" and be able to outfit the two consists of the Prince Rupert trains in peak season. A few times in the winter, while in Jasper I saw the Prince Rupert train operate with just the glass dome coach and the locomotive, as opposed to locomotive, a Budd stainless steel coach, and the Park Car. 

- There are a total of four Prestige Park Cars. Not sure why #3/4 can't also operate with a Prestige Park Car to round things out. Only three consists are now needed for the twice a week Canadian #1/2. Is one of the Prestige Park cars being worked on, or have a bit of a longer term issue thats confronting it from operating? That's a lot of money for Prestige class and to not have the Prestige Park Car for the overnight two night, ONE day journey from Edmonton to Vancouver.