Passenger Trains > Renaissance Invaders (2003)

It's 16:40 on June 22, 2003 as VIA 14, the eastbound Ocean behind F40 6421 is arriving at its destination of Halifax, NS.  On Track 3 is a demonstration set of Renaissance cars behind F40 6401 to show us the future of passenger rail in the Atlantic region.  I didn't get a list of car numbers at the time, but it appears that there are three coaches behind the baggage car, a service/lounge car, probably a diner (although it might be a sleeper), and then another coach.  VIA got a real deal on these cars from the UK when overnight service through the Chunnel was scrapped, and the Nightstar cars almost were too.  Sleeper shells (solid green paint) were finished as either sleepers, diners, or baggage cars.  The baggage cars had a North American coupler on one end and the original coupler (NOT screw and buffer) on the other.  Eventually some transition cars (essentially an empty tube that was finished enough that passengers could walk through it) were built for the end of the train so Park Cars could return to the rear end.

It's now 17 years later, and VIA is planning to remove all the remaining Renaissance cars from service by the end of 2020.  The British cars required extensive (and expensive) winterization to operate in the Canadian winters, and even with that some cars had NO working toilets on a trip I took to Montreal two years ago.  The new Seimens equipment won't be ready for the corridor yet, but presumably they can get enough Budd equipment together to run the Canadian, Ocean and Hudson Bay trains by the end of the year.

GTD

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Amtrak needs to buy these cheap to equipt a daily Sunset and use superliner dorm cars as transition for the Eagle section from San Antonio. A quick way to free up more superliners and reduce the chronic "equiptment shortage".

I always like your Hailfax stuff and thought the Ren car deal was an intertesting and remarkable development; too bad they didn't work out better though.  Even though I've never seen one personally I feel bad that they're getting retired.  Maybe the passengers don't share my sentiments?

Andy

For the Renaissance Consist on the right, I think it is:

- Baggage
- Coach
- Coach
- Coach
- Service Car
- Sleeper
- Coach

They only made three diners out of the sleeper shells, so I doubt they'd put a Renaissance Diner on exhibition. 

VIA was pretty good about debuting and trying to introduce the Renaissance series cars. VIA first introduced the overnight Enterprise from Montreal to Toronto - to establish, among other things, a coast to coast "through connection" from Ocean to Enterprise to Canadian (and vice versa). It was the overnight "connection" to/from the Canadian. Was busy in sleeper when I took the train, but leaving Montreal, coaches were largely empty. They did fill the next morning for commuter traffic into Toronto essentially (at least westbound). It was first a Budd consist, then Renaissance cars took over. VIA also kinda used it as the "test" train set to work out kinks on the Renaissance cars/consist, while debuting it to passengers. One of the MOST comfortable overnight journeys on a train I've ever had!!!

VIA also took pride in debuting the refurbished F40s when they cam out with their new green/blue livery. I remember one unit did a coast to coast tour and could be viewed/toured at major station stops. Was on the Canadian and I spotted it at Toronto. 

I will miss the Renaissance cars - or at least the diner and sleepers. I thought the Service Cars could have had a better design. Lot of wasted space. I thought the Service Cars had a bedroom outfitted in it that was ADA accessible, but then it seems it was never used, as VIA had to convert one of the Renaissance Sleeper bedrooms into an ADA room after incurring a lawsuit. But in general, the service car as a lounge car was more to be desired. Need a better setup and more comfortable seating. If the bedroom or ADA space in it was not being used, VIA should have potentially gutted the car and truly put in a nice "lounge." VIA has the general vision for such. 

Those loyal passengers riding the Ocean looked forward to the fish chowder in the ex-CP Budd built Diner and the ex-CP Budd Tail-End Car - the Park Car. VIA accommodated the request to put the Park Car back on the Ocean's consist. VIA developed the "transition" car to allow for passengers to walk between the Renaissance sleeper cars (or any Renaissance car) and the 1950s era Park Car. Although I recall the fish chowder being better when all consists operating were Budd based, VIA did bring back also some sort of fish chowder to be served in the Renaissance Diner. The sleepers felt new, refreshed, and "European!" The Sleepers and the Diner seemed to offer a nice smooth ride. I never rode in the Renaissance coaches. I also never had any issues when travelling in cooler temps. I'll be sad to see the Renaissance cars go.....

When the Renaissance cars were introduced they provided a 33% increase in VIA's equipment availability. The Renaissance equipment outfitted the Ocean's three consists in the Maritimes (at the time - running six days a week) and allowed the ex-CP Budd equipment (Chateau sleepers especially and some Manor sleepers that were around) to be transferred to the Canadian and even the Hudson Bay Train. The Canadian consists were greatly expanded with the extra sleepers!!! VIA had been using former Heritage 10-6 sleepers (dubbed "Northern Spirit Cars") on the Hudson Bay Train, and all too quickly it was discovered they could not withstand the trip to the Arctic! Even after a a nice refurbishment and special wrap on the cars! It was too bad they couldn't have been transferred to even the Chaleur that was still running at the time - to free up any sleepers it was using (course it only used about three sleepers and a spare at MOST). The Renaissance Coaches allowed some "new corridor trains" to be launched, even a "non-stop express train" between Montreal and Toronto (using new P42 locomotives that could reach 110 mph on the corridor too!). 

Recall that some of the Renaissance car shells and "kits" were not totally completed and I think about 30 or so ended up in a storage field up near Thunder Bay - never completed and eventually scrapped... Originally the Chaleur was to be outfitted with a Renaissance consist as well, but it never was. The Chaleur regularly had a Skyline Dome car, but that would not have been, unless VIA did something creative with the transition cars to put a Skyline or Park Car in service. And perhaps they would have considering that the Dome Car doubled as the diner most of the time!

Retirement of the Renaissance cars is going to leave a void in VIA's Long Distance services. VIA's already had to "transfer back" Chateau cars to the Ocean consist, but that's also in light of still having a full Renaissance consist and Renaissance sleepers inter-mixed with the Budd based consist. VIA has talked about potentially turning the sleepers at Moncton to get greater utilization out of the sleepers so the Canadian wouldn't have to lose additional sleepers. Compared to what was when the Renaissance cars were introduced, the Ocean is down to a three day a week operation, not six anymore, and the Canadian is largely two days a week (yes - summer train 3 and 4 from Edmonton to Vancouver), but on a completely inefficient schedule (longer trip times and no real equipment savings in its equipment turn). I only mention this as it will become important in VIA trying to maintain a 20+ car consist for the Canadian in peak season, and 10+/- sleepers for the Ocean. VIA's hinted in one of its annual reports that supply and demand will likely lead to less sleepers on the Ocean, but a price increase to balance out and not lose any additional revenue!!! I wish there was a way to retain the Renaissance Sleepers at least! Wouldn't it be interesting if VIA train 3 and 4 was a Renaissance based train out of Edmonton - seasonally!!!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              .  

I took the Ocean to Montreal that's operating with mixed Budd-Renaissance consist and was able to book a Ren Double Bedroom with Shower....and IMHO....a smoother, more solid ride with better amenities vs. an old Budd Chateau Cabin for 1 (roomette)

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/20 16:04 by ghCBNS.