Canadian Railroads > Planning a trip to Halifax

My wife and my son and I are toying with a combined Amtrak/VIA trip from Albany, NY to Halifax in the next month or two.  In the best of worlds, I'd like to do the Montreal-Halifax leg in one direction on VIA heritage equipment, and the other on the UK equipment (can't remember the marketing name for that right now). 

Any suggestions on how to accomplish this would be most welcome. 

Ny suggestions on what to,do,and see in Halifax for a few days would be welcome as well. 

Thanks in advance. 

Both consists of the Ocean are identical.  At present there are only Renaissance sleepers in service.  Starting in May there will be one Chateau sleeper and in June there will be two. Based on information available from VIA, a typical consist in June will be:
Baggage
Crew sleeper (Chateau)
Chateau sleepers (line #41, 40)
3 HEP-1 Economy coaches
Transition car
Ren.. Economy coach
Service car
Diner
Service car
4 Ren sleepers (line #30, 37, 38, 39)
Ren. coach (indicated as crew car but it is reported to be used as a lounge for sleeper passengers.)
Baggage

As for Halifax, I don't know what would interest you, but I have always enjoyed walking along the boardwalk, visiting the Maritime Museum, the Citadel, taking the ferry over to Dartmouth..
 

The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 was really good and worth a visit.

DrawingroomA Wrote:
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> Both consists of the Ocean are identical.  At
> present there are only Renaissance sleepers in
> service.  Starting in May there will be one
> Chateau sleeper and in June there will be two.
> Based on information available from VIA, a typical
> consist in June will be:
> Baggage
> Crew sleeper (Chateau)
> Chateau sleepers (line #41, 40)
> 3 HEP-1 Economy coaches
> Transition car
> Ren.. Economy coach
> Service car
> Diner
> Service car
> 4 Ren sleepers (line #30, 37, 38, 39)
> Ren. coach (indicated as crew car but it is
> reported to be used as a lounge for sleeper
> passengers.)
> Baggage
>
> As for Halifax, I don't know what would interest
> you, but I have always enjoyed walking along the
> boardwalk, visiting the Maritime Museum, the
> Citadel, taking the ferry over to Dartmouth..
>  

That's a nice option to have at least a Renaissance coach car as a lounge car. Hmmmmm......... Maybe with further confirmation of that, I would consider a ride from Montreal to Halifax on the Ocean for an extended weekend trip just to re-visit some old stomping grounds in Halifax and the southern shore line. I just want to be able to get OUT of my room and not be stuck there for the whole trip!!!!! Even a coach seat with a table and the Renaissance coach windows would help allow for versatility. I do applaud Amtrak for "trying" to come up with a better lounge or "area" for sleeper passengers. Just saying! 

rwullich Wrote:
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> The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 was
> really good and worth a visit.

Indeed, I don' t know I forgot that.  I have no excuse given that my mother and my mother-in-law arrived in Canada form the UK through Pier 21.  When the museum first opened we took my mother to the resource centre and bought a copy of the immigration records and a photo of their ship.  I have visited the museum a few times since then.  There is always something new to learn.

A friend has reminded me that a visit to the Titanic section of Fairview Cemetery is worth a visit for those interested. 

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> That's a nice option to have at least a
> Renaissance coach car as a lounge car.
> Hmmmmm......... Maybe with further confirmation of
> that, I would consider a ride from Montreal to
> Halifax on the Ocean for an extended weekend trip
> just to re-visit some old stomping grounds in
> Halifax and the southern shore line. I just want
> to be able to get OUT of my room and not be stuck
> there for the whole trip!!!!! Even a coach seat
> with a table and the Renaissance coach windows
> would help allow for versatility. I do applaud
> Amtrak for "trying" to come up with a better
> lounge or "area" for sleeper passengers. Just
> saying! 

From the reviews I have read, the Learning Coordinator, who used to be in the Park car, gives talks in that coach.  This is in peak season only although that coach is on the train rear-round.  For those in the Chateau sleepers, it is a long walk back to that coach.  Even the diner is a long walk for those with mobility issues. 

Due to the lack of a dome car I don't ride the Ocean as often as I used to, which was annually.  But my friends and I have always been able to get a seat in the service car lounge except for the short time before meal sittings when it is standing room only..  There is space in what was originally the immigration officer's cabin and the prison cell to put more seating.  It is just wasted space. 

Never understood why VIA never re-did the Renaissance Service Cars - at least those for the Ocean - with a bit more of a pleasing atmosphere and one that had greater utility.......

So it's a simple matter to ride a chateau car in one direction and a Renaissance car in the other?

The immigration museum will be a must. My wife's ancestors mostly came to the US through Ellis Island, and that museum meant a lot to her. (...and ironically, the exception was a grandfather who apparently originated in Sweden, arrived in Canada and snuck into the US in the 1920s). My side had mostly arrived before the revolution. 

I just did a one way trip on the Ocean from Montreal to Halifax and loved it. I slept in a HEP Sleeping Car. Unfortunately the days of the Park Car on the Ocean are over and probably won’t be returning for the foreseeable future. By 2035, VIA Rail plans to retire all of its legacy rolling stock assigned to the long distance network. There is talk about including something like a dome car in the next generation order. Park cars can only be used when the consist of the train is being wyed. Unfortunately the Port of Halifax does not allow VIA Rail to wye the consist of the Ocean. The engines run around the consist in Halifax to be positioned correctly for the westbound trip to Montreal the next day.

Halifax is an amazing city. The VIA Rail Halifax station building looks amazing-very nicely restored. A ferry ride to Dartmouth is scenic. I took it. I’m also a ferry buff. By the way CN does have a right of way through Dartmouth along the river.

Posted from iPhone

Does the WYE in Halifax even still exsit? I think it's fallen victim to urban renewal...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/26 21:27 by nonamemal.

If there was a wye in Halifax it was before my travels.  I have been told there is a short wye at the Fairview ocean terminal area, but only long enough to turn locomotives.

For many years VIA used the wye at Windsor Junction, about 15 miles from Halifax station. After arrival in Halifax the Ocean would be backed to that junction. That wye was removed several years ago. More recently the train was turned on the "balloon track" in the container terminal just south of the station.  As we know, that is no longer possible because the terminal is using at least some of  that space for containers.