Canadian Railroads > Consist of VIA Train 2, the Canadian at Jasper May 7

6458 = power
6441 power
Yoho Park - deadhead
Coach - deadhead
8608 Bag
8106 Coach
8119 Coach
8509 Coach Skyline
Fairholme Diner
8516 Sleeper Plus Skyline
Sleepers:  210  Butler Manor
211 Douglas Manor
212 Draper Manor
213 Sherwood Manor
214 Elgin Manor
215 Blair Manor
216 Monk Manor
217 MacKenzie Manor
218 Carlton Manor
Sleeper Plus Skyline
Louise Diner
Thompson Manor - crew sleeper
Chateau Denonville Prestige
Chateau Jolliet Prestige
Glacier Park

Notes:  This was a huge train with 160 in Sleeper Plus and 10 of 12 rooms sold in Prestige!  Train had to be split at Winnipeg for servicing which delayed departure.  Big fun to sit in Park Car dome watching this long train.  Sleeper numbers now reversed from my west bound consist.  I was fortunate as I had been assigned space in the 211 car  now way forward but they reassigned me to the 218 car being that I am slightly handicapped.  Trip report to follow in a few days;  playing catch-up now at home!!




 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/22 11:03 by viatrainrider.

I'm wondering if one of the VIA experts on this board can explain the change in car number ordering between the two consists reported by viatrainrider. Is this something that normally happens during the first week of May.

WP17 -- most curious

I for sure do not know the reason they reverse the car numbers but have experienced it before.  But yes, seems like at this time of year.  Maybe it happens at the time of change from low  season to high season which is about now.

Thanks for the information. Train # I on which I departed Toronto four weeks ago had most of the cars that were on these two trains. Having 160 sleeper plus passengers in nine sleepers is a high occupancy load these days. From my experience the upper and lower berths are not as  popular as they used to be and many people take cabins for 2 for single occupancy.  I hope it was possible to have just two sittings for lunch and dinner in the diners.

From my observations and travel experience, the change in the order of sleeper line numbers coincides with the transition from having one dining car to two in late April or early May - and back to one in late October or early November. Although this can be inconvenient, car 110/210 is always (I say always with some trepidation!) the first sleeper ahead of or behind a diner. Except when Prestige was not operated, there are no Sleeper Plus sleepers behind the last diner.

DrawingroomA Wrote in part:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> From my observations and travel experience, the
> change in the order of sleeper line numbers
> coincides with the transition from having one
> dining car to two in late April or early May - and
> back to one in late October or early November.
> Although this can be inconvenient, car 110/210 is
> always (I say always with some trepidation!) the
> first sleeper ahead of or behind a diner. Except
> when Prestige was not operated, there are no
> Sleeper Plus sleepers behind the last diner.

Thanks for sharing your observation about what appears to be VIA's practice when the consist includes a second diner. However that practice strikes me as unfavorable to the passengers who booked first (and were assigned space in cars 110/210) are now furthest from the Park Car. I would hope someone at VIA would have realized the consequence of such re-ordering:-(

WP17

Thanks DrawingroomA.  The 160 number was given to me by a passing crew member.  Maybe that included Prestige, I don't know.  But I do know numbers must have dropped after Jasper.  I took first sitting for lunch at 2:00 PM leaving Jasper because I was more than ready to eat which meant early sitting for dinner at 5:30 PM which was fine with me with only five people.  However, it meant the rest of Sleeper Plus and Prestige would be taking second sitting.  This meant that the Park car dome would be empty and quiet for a time.  Fine as far as I was concerned!!  And a quiet diner for dinner was very nice!