# Ocean: Large cabin for 2



## DaveKCMO

We booked a "large cabin for 2" on the eastbound Ocean this September. It's difficult to find a layout for this exact Unit "A" (versus the regular cabin for 2). I assume it's larger than the regular cabin given the title, but what is the bed arrangement?


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## Tennessee Traveler

When I traveled on the Ocean in June 2016, I don't remember a "large cabin for 2". If you are on Renaissance equipment there are two classes of cabin for 2 but all are numbered 1 - 10 and are the same size. If you are in cabin A, you are apparently in a room in the Park dome car at the end of the train or possibly a stainless still Chateau or Manor sleeper car as the ones on THE CANADIAN.


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## Seaboard92

The large cabin for two is room A in the Park car and formerly the drawing room. I just had his room. If you would like photos I can post them.

It has two beds that are not bunked arranged in an L shape.


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## Palmetto

Sleeping cars - Renaissance sleeping car _ VIA Rail.html

I don't see an "A" cabin in the diagram.


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## Seaboard92

The OP is probably in car 1440 or 1540 I'm going to bet.


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## Tennessee Traveler

Palmetto said:


> Sleeping cars - Renaissance sleeping car _ VIA Rail.html
> 
> I don't see an "A" cabin in the diagram.


Palmetto, I think the above postings point out that Bedroom A is not on the Renaissance equipment but instead is in the domed Park car at the end of the train. Each Ocean has one NON-Renassaince domed Park Car at the end of the train. This is the same as the domed Park car on THE CANADIAN.


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## Seaboard92

Select oceans run either as All Budd such as three trains during the Christmas season or when a ren train is down for maintenance as happened spring of 2017. Other oceans in 2017 ran with a single chateau sleeper (I believe as a crew dorm), and sometimes with skyline.


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## NS VIA Fan

Heres a Park Car diagram.

Also.....the westbound Ocean at Truro, NS last Friday, Dec 29/17 with a Park Car and Chateau Sleeper (in crew service) on the end of a Renaissance consist.


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## Palmetto

Thanks for the photos, and clarifications!! Have a great day!


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## railiner

Great shots, thanks!

I noticed in the diagram, they didn't include the writing desk in the obs lounge (next to the steps to the dome), in the room capacity....

I miss all the variations in the old heritage sleepers. In that car, you could also have Bedroom's C and D combined into a Bedroom Suite for four, by opening the folding partition between them.

There were some other heritage sleepers where your could have a bedroom or compartment and drawing room suite, that could sleep up to five adults....


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## Seaboard92

Which Park car was bringing up the markers. I'm pretty sure that's the car we passed in Moncton.


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## NS VIA Fan

Seaboard92 said:


> Which Park car was bringing up the markers. I'm pretty sure that's the car we passed in Moncton.


It's 'Tramblant Park'.....and along with the Chateau Sleeper.....this Renaissance consist also included 5 coaches, 8 sleepers and 2 lounge-service cars bracketing a full diner.

Today's westbound departure from Halifax is the last of the extra Budd Oceans.....and Oh to be in the Dome on that warm and cozy train today! The weather bomb moving up the US east coast will change over to rain when it reaches Nova Scotia but the Ocean will still encounter blizzard conditions as it makes its way through New Brunswick and Quebec's Matapedia Valley tonight!


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## Seaboard92

That reminds me I need to type up my trip report from the all Budd Ocean.


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## NS VIA Fan

Seaboard92 said:


> That reminds me I need to type up my trip report from the all Budd Ocean.


Looking forward to your report!

I had tried to get over to Truro when you would have been passing through but I was working. Didn't even get to see one of the extra Budd Oceans this year....just last Friday's Renn and only because I was in the area.


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## Seaboard92

Room A


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## Green Maned Lion

That looks like the same decor from Silver Streak...


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## Bob Dylan

Green Maned Lion said:


> That looks like the same decor from Silver Streak...


Which was filmed mostly in Canada!


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## Green Maned Lion

I know. I miss Gene Wilder.


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## railiner

And Richard Pryor. And Jill Clayburgh.

In fact, most of the cast of that great picture are now sadly gone.....


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## Seaboard92

The entire movie was filmed on Canadian Pacific equipment built for the Canadian. Most of the lines in the prairies it was filmed on have been abandoned.

But here is the roster for which cars were in the movie.

CP 4070-FP7A scrapped

CP 4067-FP7A still around in bad shape

CP 613-Now VIA baggage/dorm. Now VIA 8613

CP 14311 Burton Manor. Now VIA 8311

CP 14325 Elgin Manor. Now VIA 8325. Gene Wilder was in room C. Jill Clayburgh was in room D.

CP 118 coach. Now VIA 8118

CP 16517 Wascanna Dining Car. To VIA 8417 wrecked at Stewiacke, NS and scrapped

CP 14322 Drummond Manor. Now VIA 8312

CP 108 coach. Now VIA 8108

CP 15407 Kokanee Park. Now VIA 8707. It's not a prestige car so it'll either show up on the Skeena or the Ocean.


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## Green Maned Lion

railiner said:


> And Richard Pryor. And Jill Clayburgh.
> 
> In fact, most of the cast of that great picture are now sadly gone.....


Not to mention Richard Kiel and the inimitable Patrick McGoohan (more as a director than actor).


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## NS VIA Fan

Here’s some links for the filming locations in Alberta: Then and Now:

http://www.bigdoer.com/7046/then-and-now/silver-streak-movie-then-and-now-boarded-up-train-station/

http://www.bigdoer.com/7494/then-and-now/silver-streak-movie-behind-the-scenes/

http://www.bigdoer.com/7030/then-and-now/silver-streak-movie-then-and-now-bridge-jump/

http://www.bigdoer.com/6998/then-and-now/silver-streak-movie-then-and-now-small-town-station/

.....and scroll down here to third photo from the bottom: You can see AMRoad at Toronto Union Station but also the CN Turbo on Track 1.

https://torontoist.com/2009/08/reel_toronto_triple_flashback_special/


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## railiner

NS VIA Fan said:


> Here’s some links for the filming locations in Alberta: Then and Now:
> 
> http://www.bigdoer.com/7046/then-and-now/silver-streak-movie-then-and-now-boarded-up-train-station/
> 
> http://www.bigdoer.com/7494/then-and-now/silver-streak-movie-behind-the-scenes/
> 
> http://www.bigdoer.com/7030/then-and-now/silver-streak-movie-then-and-now-bridge-jump/
> 
> http://www.bigdoer.com/6998/then-and-now/silver-streak-movie-then-and-now-small-town-station/
> 
> .....and scroll down here to third photo from the bottom: You can see AMRoad at Toronto Union Station but also the CN Turbo on Track 1.
> 
> https://torontoist.com/2009/08/reel_toronto_triple_flashback_special/


Great find's! Thanks for posting...


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## Anderson

Seaboard92 said:


> The entire movie was filmed on Canadian Pacific equipment built for the Canadian. Most of the lines in the prairies it was filmed on have been abandoned.
> 
> But here is the roster for which cars were in the movie.
> 
> CP 4070-FP7A scrapped
> 
> CP 4067-FP7A still around in bad shape
> 
> CP 613-Now VIA baggage/dorm. Now VIA 8613
> 
> CP 14311 Burton Manor. Now VIA 8311
> 
> CP 14325 Elgin Manor. Now VIA 8325. Gene Wilder was in room C. Jill Clayburgh was in room D.
> 
> CP 118 coach. Now VIA 8118
> 
> CP 16517 Wascanna Dining Car. To VIA 8417 wrecked at Stewiacke, NS and scrapped
> 
> CP 14322 Drummond Manor. Now VIA 8312
> 
> CP 108 coach. Now VIA 8108
> 
> CP 15407 Kokanee Park. Now VIA 8707. It's not a prestige car so it'll either show up on the Skeena or the Ocean.


I've actually been in Elgin Manor (on one of my _Canadian_ trips, obviously). Boy, it'd be fun to call someone and say "Hey, I'm in Gene Wilder's room from Silver Streak!"


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## zephyr17

I was in Drummond Manor in November.


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## TheMalahat

Seaboard92 said:


> The large cabin for two is room A in the Park car and formerly the drawing room. I just had his room. If you would like photos I can post them.
> 
> It has two beds that are not bunked arranged in an L shape.



Question for ya, although I might just phone Via. But Cabin A shows on their website as "for 3" but I don't see that as a booking option on any trip? I like the idea of a larger cabin, but, do not like the idea of not having a shower. Did you just shower in a Ren sleeper?


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## Palmetto

IIRC, rooms for 3 on VIA were called drawing rooms, and there weren't many of those on each _Canadian._


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## TheMalahat

Yes you're right! I've gone ahead and booked it, but, curious to see if there's actually a Park car in November?

Via can't turn the train in Halifax anymore so needs to run bidirectional - I'm hoping the Park car stays on because of its amenities, and the fact Via let me book it as they're usually decent at keeping the website bookings accurate to equipment.


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## jiml

If they use a Chateau sleeper in the revived consist, it will have a drawing room/Bedroom for 3/Large Bedroom for 2. The latter is usually the term on the Ocean. We've always tried to get one when travelling the Ocean and the Atlantic before it. Three full-size beds when you have a child and in later years, when ladder-climbing is less attractive, two lower beds that position in an "L" shape. The Ocean is the only train where it is an affordable option.

Edit to add: Shower for Park car was in adjacent Renaissance sleeper, however I believe most if not all the Chateau sleepers have one per car.


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## TheMalahat

Thanks! I just looked and was glad to see a large bedroom on the Chateau. Are all the Chateaus still in very dated condition?


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## jiml

TheMalahat said:


> Thanks! I just looked and was glad to see a large bedroom on the Chateau. Are all the Chateaus still in very dated condition?


At last report. When we last took the Ocean (November 2019) our Park car had received the 2017-18 update the Manors have seen, but the one in the other consist had not (pink retro look) and the Chateaus were in the same queue. It's hard to tell what's transpired during the hiatus. The Chateaus were primarily used as crew cars (including one currently on the Canadian), on the Hudson Bay and on the mixed Ocean consist. As has been reported by @NS VIA Fan and others, all Ocean consists are to be mixture of Budd and Renaissance when it returns, so they've had the time to do some work. 

(Of course I'm not including the Prestige sleepers, which are modified Chateaus IIRC.)


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## Seaboard92

Technically the only sleepers based in Montreal of the heritage persuasion are the Chateaus and those do have a Drawing Room which in the streamliner era were three beds in one room. Now VIA likes to sell it as the "Large Cabin for Two" I'm sure that upper bunk is still usable but it's not marketed. 

The only train with the Cabin for Three that I know of is the Churchill train. I assume if the Ocean looses it's Park cars they will put a Park Car on the Churchill train both ways now. 

The Chateau cars on the Canadian for crew are all pretty rough and haven't been remodeled since the 90s and it shows. When I rode the Ocean I showered in the adjacent sleeper and had no problem with it. I doubt many people shower on a one night out train though. Now the Canadian they do but that's way more nights on the road.


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## Urban Sky

jiml said:


> As has been reported by @NS VIA Fan and others, all Ocean consists are to be mixture of Budd and Renaissance when it returns, so they've had the time to do some work.


Time (downtime of the vehicle in question) is not the only resource required for doing renovations. The other is (capital) funding and the initial scope of the HEP heritage fleet programme has not been increased during the pandemic (in fact, it has been reduced, due to the cancelled accessible coach contract with Bombardier, though the cancellation was of course unrelated with the pandemic)...



> (Of course I'm not including the Prestige sleepers, which are modified Chateaus IIRC.)


Correct.


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## TheMalahat

Urban Sky said:


> The other is (capital) funding and the initial scope of the HEP heritage fleet programme has not been increased during the pandemic



Although I'm sure you aren't using the term capital in its literal sense, replacing carpet and wall paper certainly isn't a capital level project. Hopefully Via can run together some pennies for that if the Chateaus are finding full-time service again starting in August. 

I called Via yesterday and was told I'm traveling in a Park car for November. But surely that's just a lack of system update? The call taker was friendly and shared my doubts lol!


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## Urban Sky

TheMalahat said:


> Although I'm sure you aren't using the term capital in its literal sense, replacing carpet and wall paper certainly isn't a capital level project. Hopefully Via can run together some pennies for that if the Chateaus are finding full-time service again starting in August.


There is no question that any parts of the train which break (or have become unsafe) need to be replaced, but for everything which goes beyond that, you need to secure funding, be it for a "State-of-good repair" programme or a full overhaul like the on-going Heritage Fleet programme...



> I called Via yesterday and was told I'm traveling in a Park car for November. But surely that's just a lack of system update? The call taker was friendly and shared my doubts lol!


You are right to suspect that there won't be a Park...


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