# what is the advantage of being as far back as possible?



## Qbar (Nov 25, 2018)

Hi...nice forum here.

In my reading here and elsewhere, i see references to wanting to be as far back in the consist as possible.  What would be the advantage in this? I would have thought there'd be more "sway" further back.

Also, I've been trying to figure this out from pictures and blogs, anything i can find.  I'm in a Cabin for 1, #3, going west.  Am I correct in thinking that my cabin will be on the south side of the train once we start heading west?

Thanks


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## Urban Sky (Nov 25, 2018)

Qbar said:


> In my reading here and elsewhere, i see references to wanting to be as far back in the consist as possible.  What would be the advantage in this? I would have thought there'd be more "sway" further back.
> 
> Also, I've been trying to figure this out from pictures and blogs, anything i can find.  I'm in a Cabin for 1, #3, going west.  Am I correct in thinking that my cabin will be on the south side of the train once we start heading west?


I would assume that "closer to Park car" and "further away from noisy locomotive horns" are the two main motivators for preferring to be further back in the consist. As for the side on which your window will be, I remember that our windows of the Cabin for 2 was in the direction of travel on the right side, but unfortunately, these car diagrams don't show any Cabin for 1 numbers:

https://www.viarail.ca/en/resources/cabin-one


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## cpotisch (Nov 25, 2018)

The main benefit of being at the back of the consist is usually that there tend to be fewer people (most passengers walk through the train from the front). Other than that I can’t think of any real benefit. And as I understand it, you only really experience extra sway in the last car - it’s not that it gradually worsens the farther back your car is.


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## TinCan782 (Nov 25, 2018)

You can see the train ahead of you when the train is on a curve (without having to turn and look back if you were in a car at the leading end of the train).


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## Qbar (Nov 25, 2018)

Ok, those all make sense.  Thanks.

Urban Sky...were you going west?  the shot I saw of the train layout in a video showed cabin #3 on the opposite site of the cabins for 2. I'm not sure if the south facing window is even important.  I've got the idea that the afternoon light will be better (travelling in the short days of February).


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## cpotisch (Nov 25, 2018)

Also, isn’t the Canadian numbered #1 and #2? Was it just a typo when you said “I’m in a Cabin for 1, *#3*, going west”?


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## Qbar (Nov 25, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Also, isn’t the Canadian numbered #1 and #2? Was it just a typo when you said “I’m in a Cabin for 1, *#3*, going west”?


Boarding pass refers to Unit 3. The cabins for 1 are numbered, unlike the larger cabins which have letters.

Bad layout of info on my part.Yes, the trains are numbered #1 and #2


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## cpotisch (Nov 25, 2018)

Qbar said:


> Boarding pass refers to Unit 3. The cabins for 1 are numbered, unlike the larger cabins which have letters.
> 
> Bad layout of info on my part.Yes, the trains are numbered #1 and #2


Got it. My bad, sorry.


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## PVD (Nov 25, 2018)

also worth mentioning, there are some people who are particularly sensitive to the blowing of the horn for crossings, their preference is often not to be located in  the sleeper closest to the front, for those folks even better when they (the sleepers)are at the rear....


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## Seaboard92 (Nov 25, 2018)

Actually there are four numbers for the Canadian starting next year. 

Train No. 1+2 run the entire route from TRTO-VCVR

And trains No. 3+4 run only EDMN-VCVR. 

Which really irks me that they are cutting a frequency going east. And shifting times to make Winnipeg a less desirable time. 

However doing this does free up some equipment so they can shift the Ocean back to Budd full time. Should free up 11 Manors, two diners, two skyline, and two-three coaches. 

All of which can reequip the Ocean as an all Budd train as it only needs two sets. Could probably do it with four sleepers on each set, the one diner, one skyline, and grab two to three coaches and that's a set. The most you need to find is a baggage car, and three to five coaches.


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## railiner (Nov 26, 2018)

Unsaid, so far, is the safety factor....usually, in cases of an accident, the front car(s) on a train suffer the worst fate...not always, but in most cases....

Probably being about 2/3 the way back is the safest, I imagine...


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## jis (Nov 26, 2018)

An example of an exceptional case being the car you are in decides to fold like a piece of paper, like the Lounge Car did on the Sliver Star, of course. :unsure: Fortunately no one was there in it when it happened in the middle of the night apparently.


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## Qbar (Nov 26, 2018)

oooh, nice!! I need lots more to worry about in my life.  Bring it on, I can take it.   Nah, I'll go back to worrying about the loudness of the horn.  I guess I'm not too sensitive to that noise as I've done a few 24+ hour trips in Coach and don't remember it being an issue.  However. I live many hundreds of kms from a train track so I find train noises to be exotic and romantic


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## Montreal Ltd (Nov 27, 2018)

In March 2017 I was in a Cabin for One, #3, which indeed was on the side opposite the Cabins for Two. I was on the left side facing forward. That was train #2. Next March I have the same room on train #1!


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## Qbar (Nov 27, 2018)

OH wow.  So it must have been comfortable enough, if you're going back for more!  The cabin seems so tiny, so this is reassuring.  I know I likely won't be spending much time there but still I might.  Question for you....is the bed easy enough to put up and down?  Does it squeak?  Am I going to chose to go "down the hall" during the night rather than use my in-room facilities?


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## ehbowen (Nov 27, 2018)

I haven't been in a VIA "cabin for one", but I understand that they are essentially a Heritage Fleet Roomette. Those were designed to have the bed pre-made by the porter and lowered or raised by the passenger as desired. You have to raise the bed to use the in-room facilities, but I believe that VIA's cars do have a toilet down the hall which you can access if you prefer. Just make sure you bring appropriate night attire!

Heritage roomettes were equipped with curtains outside the sliding door. When making the room up for the night, the first step was to zip the curtains shut. Then you closed the sliding door and undressed for bed. Then you would open the sliding door, back into the corridor (with the curtain for privacy) and lower the bed...the bed takes up essentially all of the floor space in the room when down. Then you climbed into bed, pulled the door closed, latched it, and went to sleep. To put the bed back up, reverse the procedure. The porter will keep an eye on your curtains in the morning; when he sees them unzipped he will assume you are awake and have left the room for breakfast and will go in to make up the bed for the next day.

Please note that VIA sleepers (as do Amtrak's) have a communal shower (with associated private changing room) down the hall; if you plan to use it slippers/shower shoes and possibly a bathrobe are suggested.


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