Again, amazing how Rocky Mountaineer and VIA have taken 50 to 60 year old cars, stripped them down to bare bones and then rebuilt them into the “Silver Leaf” cars or “Prestige Cars” that now bring in premium money for both these railroads. Could frames be salvaged and the cars rebuilt into all bedroom sleeper cars - thus giving Amtrak the much needed high end revenue and sleeper capacity it needs for the LD trains. The Superliner Trans/Dorm sleepers need to be converted into “all roomette revenue sleeper.” Complete out room 15 and convert the crew lounge on lower level into a large family bedroom.....
Again, VIA’s Ocean and VIA’s Canadian, during peak season, and sometimes in off season, sells MORE sleeping berths than what Amtrak can offer. Amtrak might be operating two or four sleeper cars in a given Superliner trainset, but VIA is running at least 10 cars on the Ocean, and a LOT more than that on the Canadian, thus giving it an advantage on a per berth basis........
SImply:
Ocean - 10 cars x 2 berths per room x 10 rooms per car = 200 berths for sale (Renaissance trainset, which VIA will match at minimum with the mix Renaissance and Budd Chateau Sleepers
Lake Shore Limited - 3 VIewliners x 2 berths per room x 15 rooms per car = 90 berths
VIA houses its onboard staff in a special Chateau sleeper adjacent to the Park Car. I’ve not even considered rooms VIA sells in the Park Car. I’ve also not deducted rooms that Amtrak uses for its now diminishing onboard staff. But the Ocean is selling and filling 200 berths as opposed to half that being offered on the Lake Shore, and that’s with a train with 3 Viewliner sleepers.
