Ocean: Large cabin for 2

[TheMalahat]

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?

 

[Palmetto]

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

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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?

 

[jiml]

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.)

 

[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.

 

[Urban Sky]

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.

 

[TheMalahat]

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!

 

[Urban Sky]

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...