http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=266798
And I finally got to ride it over Yellowhead!
Nice photo, considering you couldn’t get on the sunny side - the background and the crew make up for that - and it’s kind of an interesting angle down along the car sides. Plus, the shadow side of the loco completely hides the advertising defacement for the Spiderman 2 movie - I really can’t pick it out - and everything else leads the eye elsewhere. Thanks for sharing.
Now, follow-up questions:
- Car types ?
1st is a “baggage & what” at the windows ?
2nd is a what ? coach ?
3rd is an dome observation of some kind - details ?
No diner ?
- How about a little trip report ?
Thanks again.
- Paul North.
Quick answers at this unearthly hour. Unless you’re working third trick.
All of it is ex CPR equipment bought for “The Canadian” from Budd in 1954-55.
1st is a baggage/crew dormitory.
2nd is a day coach.
3rd is a Slyline dome coffee shop car. That is the old CPR name for it, I’m not sure of the official VIA designation. It has limited food service.
Hope this helps.
AgentKid
They’re still Skyline cars, I’ll probably be posting more as time goes on. I’ll probably also post a full trip report once I’ve got more pictures ready =)
It’s a nice shot. Although I would say it’s time for the advertising to come off since that movie was a while back and already sequeled. But it’s interesting if it’s still showing that scheme.
The rear car looks lke a Park car; the rear end seems to be curved around and not squared off. The VIA information is a bit confusing, since it says that Comfort class (the only class in the off-peak season) passengers have access to the Park car in the off season, and that in the off-peak season the Comfort class passengers can buy food in the Skyline car. It also states that there is no baggage car in the off-peak season.
http://www.viarail.ca/menu_repas/en_repa_skee_conf.html
http://www.viarail.ca/classes/en_serv_clas_econ_japr.html
Johnny
I based my assumption last night about the last car being a Skyline car by following links on the Railpictures net to other photo’s of the same train. But upon closer inspection of Train Boy’s photo, it looks to me like the dome is closer to the front of the train. Park car domes are closer to the round end. We now await Train Boy’s trip report to know for sure
It states there is no Checked baggage service during the off season which I presume is the result of a staff reduction during the off season. The VIA crew however, still needs to sleep somewhere, the baggage portion would just remain empty. VIA operates no “old school” passenger/baggage combines.
Awaiting the photo’s and trip report.
AgentKid
Great stuff, Matthew. You always have such nice photos! - a.s.
The baggage-dormitory cars had the dorm part removed in 1980 -81 and are just baggage cars.
The photographer also had a going away shot of this train and you can see it is a “Skyline” car not a “Park” car.The “Skyline” is capable of being used as a dining car, the “Park” car is not.
Did you travel on both lines, the Albreda sub and the Robson sub. The Albreda sub is much higher and gives a nicer view of Mount Robson. The Robson sub is usually used westbound and the Albreda sub eastbound
From the entire set? I recall reading about what life was like in those dorm cars in another discussion group and I was under the impression that they were speaking in the present tense. 2006-2007 or so. Just curious.
AgentKid
I think all the ones VIA uses has the dormitory removed. The Canadian Trackside Guide seems to confirm this.
It is a really nice picture.
This picture has a “skyline” car. In the summer a “Park” car is used. Is VIA using a “Skyline” or is this a one time event?
AgentKid, Johnny, & williamsb -
Thanks for the replies to my questions - a lot of details there !
Now I’m really interested in TrainBoy’s trip report.
Meanwhile, I’ll just look at that photo once in a while.
- Paul North.
I stand corrected on the nature of the dome car and the existence of the baggage car. It may provide additional revenue seating, or it may be a place of refuge for the on-board service crew. The crews may well spend the night in hotels/motels in Prince George, just as the passengers are advised to, so they do not need any sleeping accomodation on the train.
We have gone from Vancouver to Toronto once, and from Toronto to Vancouver twice, and we traveled on the Albreda Sub all the way going east, and on the Robson Sub both times going west. This spring, we hope to go east again. Page 14-11 of the 2007 Canadian Trackside Guide has a map of the trackage of the Robson Sub which shows all the connections between the two subs and the sidings in the area. It also shows shows the sidings and connections to the Tete Jaune (Yellowhead) Sub. On our first trip, I already knew of the junction, but did not remember all the details, and I wondered at all the tracks that came and went on the west side of the Canadian; the map makes it clear what each switch permits.
Johnny
Isn’t that the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?? A locomotive, 1/2 a baggage car, a day coach, and a dome end car. Gee, I wonder why railways got out of the passenger business??? Just how many people were on this train??? probably not enough to pay for the fuel.
That looks like the late (apparently) unlamented Bras d’Or, which ran on the other side of the country. I always had a soft spot in my heart for that train, but never had the money or mobility to get up there and ride it. The article in Trains a while back on it was a personal favorite.
Lets not forget that CP introduced four very short streamliners in the late 1930’s hauled by streamlined 4-4-4 Jubilees.
Al - in - Stockton