headers
MichaelCav | 1 Jun 2005 02:03
Picon
Favicon

Re: Chateau Sleepers

OK, I think I understand.  Almost.  If my wife and I are travelling together, 
do we reserve only the lower berth (since it is apparently the widest bed 
anywhere on Via and could probably sleep us snugly), or does one of us reserve 
the lower and one the upper, and we sleep togethr on the lower if we think we 
fit?  If we do only rent the lower berth, which of the two (upper and lower) is 
entitled to the seat where you can see what is coming up, rather than what has 
passed?

Also, if we do the latter, does that mean we can put luggage on the upper 
berth until it is made up for the day.  And finally, those windows look pretty 
small; am i right in assuming we could sit in the Park car during the day?  And 
is there enough room there for everyone who would want to use it, or is there 
etiquette (or formal rules either) about how long you can stay in the Park car?

Thanks,
Michael Cavanaugh
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease?
Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/Rcy2bD/UOnJAA/cosFAA/8ZCslB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

For help, send an email to Canadian-Passenger-Rail-help@...
Permalink | Reply | 835 comments |
headers
icle_mlr | 1 Jun 2005 02:33
Picon
Favicon

Re: Chateau Sleepers

The choice to purchase only the lower berth,or the entire section is 
entirely up to you,however remember if you only purchase the 
lower,than the upper can be bought by someone else.That would make 
three people trying to sit in the section during the day,and in my 
experience a bit cramped.as well both you and your wife would,when 
not in the park car or the dining car have to sit on the same bench 
seat..
The person who has the lower always faces the direction of travel 
ergo the person with the upper, faces,the direction you just came 
from. 
If you have the entire section to yourselves than no reason why you 
couldn't put luggage in the upper overnight,and if you want to use 
the lower for both to sleep,suggest to the attendent that he ?she 
make a "Single Occupancy Section". 
There is limited space under the berth seats and as well it can be 
reached at night.
Also in Chateau cars there is limited storage space at the roomette 
end of the car just as you enter from the vestibule (often people in 
the sections store their luggage in this area in the car immediately 
ahead of them  .(it is closer)

Thig a Ris

   --- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., MichaelCav <at> a... 
wrote:
> OK, I think I understand.  Almost.  If my wife and I are travelling 
together, 
> do we reserve only the lower berth (since it is apparently the 
widest bed 
> anywhere on Via and could probably sleep us snugly), or does one of
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
railsmith | 1 Jun 2005 02:41
Picon
Favicon

Lower berths (WAS Re: Chateau Sleepers)

--- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., MichaelCav <at> a... 
wrote:
>OK, I think I understand.  Almost.  If my wife and I are 
>travelling together, do we reserve only the lower berth (since it 
>is apparently the widest bed anywhere on Via and could probably 
>sleep us snugly), or does one of us reserve the lower and one the 
>upper, and we sleep togethr on the lower if we think we 
>fit?  If we do only rent the lower berth, which of the two (upper 
>and lower) is entitled to the seat where you can see what is coming 
>up, rather than what has passed?

>Also, if we do the latter, does that mean we can put luggage on 
>the upper berth until it is made up for the day.  And finally, 
>those windows look pretty small; am i right in assuming we could 
>sit in the Park car during the day? 

The person who has the lower berth has the forward facing seat. His 
luggage would go under that seat. Conversely, the person with the 
upper berth has the rearward facing seat and stows his luggage under 
that seat. At night, he would probably take his change of clothes 
for the next day with him into the upper berth, where there is a 
netting to stow such items in.

The seats are intended for one person each, but they are impressively
wide, and two slim people could certainly sit side by side if they 
were on friendly terms.

The window for each section is full-width and quite ample for good 
vision. But you may sit in the Skyline or Park dome to your heart's 
content.
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 4 comments |
headers
MichaelCav | 1 Jun 2005 02:52
Picon
Favicon

Lower berths vs. Double Rooms

OK, now I am really understanding well, but with two remaining questions:

1. If we rent an upper and lower berth, that is more comfortable at night 
because we really like to sleep together.  But are the daytime seats as 
comfortable as the Double Room seats?  And is EITHER of those daytime seats as 
comfortable as a coach seat?

2. Cost is not really the object, though we are frugal people.  But from 
Carl's post earlier, I have the impression we will be overall more comfortable in 
the sections than in the room.  The shower seems bigger, and we don't really 
have to have a toilet in the room (we go to an annual conference at an old 
hotel on Star Island, New Hampshire and have to walk down the hall to go to the 
bathroom during the night; this seems MUCH more comfortable than that.)  So my 
question is whether you think my thinking is sound here.  Oh, also, do the 
bedrooms have better windows for daytime viewing than the sections do, or is that 
a wash?  

Thanks a LOT,
Michael Cavanaugh
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater?
Donate or volunteer in the arts today at Network for Good!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/Tcy2bD/SOnJAA/cosFAA/8ZCslB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

For help, send an email to Canadian-Passenger-Rail-help@...
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 6 comments |
headers
walter | 1 Jun 2005 04:02
Picon
Favicon

Re: Re: OS: VIA 71 Ingersoll

oops, you are right. At least I got the digits right :-)

Walter
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ron 
  To: Canadian-Passenger-Rail@... 
  Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 6:08 PM
  Subject: [CanPassRail] Re: OS: VIA 71 Ingersoll

  Should be 920 on #71. VIA 902 is on tonight's #66 to Montreal.

  Ron.
  Mimico, ON

  --- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., "walter" 
  <wpfefferle <at> s...> wrote:
  > Caught 902 leading 5 coaches through Ingersoll
  > 
  > http://tinyurl.com/dwzru
  > 
  > Walter E Pfefferle
  > Ingersoll, Ontario
  > Rail Past web site http://geocities.com/railpast
  > http://railfan.thegrebs.com/Railpast-Photos
  > http://photobucket.com/albums/y99/railpast/
  > 
  > 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
Charles Varnes | 1 Jun 2005 03:28
Picon
Favicon

Re: Rocky Mountaineer question

Thank you for prompt and useful reply.

We rode VIA  Vancouver-Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal-Quebec round-trip in 
2003. It was great experience!

In Toronto we stayed in Room 904 at the Crowne Plaza. It had a great 
view of the east end of the Toronto Union station. I would return in a 
minute.

Charles

Paul Cordingley wrote:

>>Rocky Mountaineer  question:
>>? Best direction of travel!
>>    
>>
>
>Facing the window?
><bg>
>
>I was glad that we chose the eastwards route on CP, which left the most
>spectacular part until the second day (more to look forward to). The last
>lap in both directions is a bit anticlimactic, but the entry into Vancouver
>is the longer grind after the pretty parts IMHO.
>
>We were in Goldleaf and a bigger issue for me was the timing of meals. The
>windows in the dining area aren't small, but they aren't as good for
>sightseeing as upstairs or on the porch. So you don't want to be eating
>during the nicest parts - and you don't want to just skip the meals, they
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |
headers
rick_foo | 1 Jun 2005 04:03
Picon
Favicon

Re: Lower berths vs. Double Rooms

--- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., MichaelCav <at> a... wrote:
> OK, now I am really understanding well, but with two remaining 
> questions:
> 
> 1. If we rent an upper and lower berth, that is more comfortable at 
> night because we really like to sleep together.  But are the 
> daytime seats as comfortable as the Double Room seats?  And is 
> EITHER of those daytime seats as comfortable as a coach seat?

In my experience, berth seats are the best, coach seats second and 
bedroom seats last.
I like berth seats because they are so amazingly wide, allowing for 
many more seating positions.
Coach seats are a little more restrictive, but at least they can be 
reclined when necessary, and there are legrests that fold out from 
underneath.
Bedroom seats are essentially folding chairs and are among the most 
restrictive kind aboard a Via stainless-steel train. If you're 
worried about comfort, try to ask the your attendant to leave the 
lower bed accessible during the day.

> 2. Cost is not really the object, though we are frugal people.  But 
> from Carl's post earlier, I have the impression we will be overall 
> more comfortable in the sections than in the room.  

If you don't mind seeing passing by as they move about the train and 
not having a door, you should be just fine. In any case, comfort is 
very subjective.

> (...) Oh, also, do the bedrooms have better windows for daytime
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 3 comments |
headers
davidmississauga | 1 Jun 2005 04:54
Picon
Favicon

Re: Chateau Sleepers

--- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., MichaelCav <at> a... 
wrote:
...

  And finally, those windows look pretty 
> small; am i right in assuming we could sit in the Park car during 
the day?  And 
> is there enough room there for everyone who would want to use it, 
or is there 
> etiquette (or formal rules either) about how long you can stay in 
the Park car?
> 
>

Your other questions have been answered, so I will comment only on 
the above.  In the last few years, VIA has increased the number of 
dome cars on full-length trains (usually late April to early Nov.), 
so there is a better chance of getting one of the 24 seats in one of 
the domes.  In addition to the Park car, there is a Skyline dome-
lounge car paired with each of the two dining cars and even with the 
third diner when the train is extra long. 

I'm never been made aware of any official policy for limiting one's 
time in a dome, but after dozens of trips through the Rockies over 
the last 37 years, common courtesy seems to be an informal policy 
adopted by most passengers. 

In the early days of Silver and Blue Class, i.e. in the mid-1990s, 
there was only the Park car as a dome and lounge car for sleeping 
car passengers.  My wife and I remember one eastbound trip that was
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 835 comments |
headers
Tom Box | 1 Jun 2005 05:00

Re: Lower berths

Ian Smith wrote:
> Michael Cavanaugh wrote:

>> Also, if we do the latter, does that mean we can put
>> luggage on the upper berth until it is made up for the day.

I suppose so, but please don't bring all your worldly goods
into the sleeping car with you.  You're going to be on the
train for three days.  Pack what you'll need in one small
or medium bag per person, and keep them under your berth,
both in daytime and at night.  Check any other luggage.

> The window for each section is full-width and quite ample for
> good vision. But you may sit in the Skyline or Park dome to
> your heart's content.

But note that there aren't enough dome seats for all passengers.
You can easily get a dome seat by getting up early, but
you're liable to lose it when you go to the dining car
for your meals.  Many people are weirdly shy about sitting
next to a stranger in the dome, and there are often some
unoccupied seats because of this.  There's no rule of
etiquette forbidding sitting next to a stranger, so do
it, if you can't get two seats together.  This may require
you and your wife to sit apart for a while, but eventually
the person next to you or to her will leave, and you can
move together.

The dome will probably be full when the train first
departs, but many people have short attention spans,
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 3 comments |
headers
davidmississauga | 1 Jun 2005 05:02
Picon
Favicon

Re: Dome Car Use - was: Chateau Sleepers

--- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., MichaelCav <at> a... 
wrote:
...
  And finally, those windows look pretty 
> small; am i right in assuming we could sit in the Park car during 
the day?  And 
> is there enough room there for everyone who would want to use it, 
or is there 
> etiquette (or formal rules either) about how long you can stay in 
the Park car?
> 
>
Your other questions have been answered, so I will comment only on 
the above.  In the last few years, VIA has increased the number of 
dome cars on full-length trains (usually late April to early Nov.), 
so there is a better chance of getting one of the 24 seats in one of 
the domes.  In addition to the Park car, there is a Skyline dome-
lounge car paired with each of the two dining cars and even with the 
third diner when the train is extra long. 

I'm never been made aware of any official policy for limiting one's 
time in a dome, but after dozens of trips through the Rockies over 
the last 37 years, common courtesy seems to be an informal policy 
adopted by most passengers. 

In the early days of Silver and Blue Class, i.e. in the mid-1990s, 
there was only the Park car as a dome and lounge car for sleeping 
car passengers.  My wife and I remember one eastbound trip that was 
made quite unpleasant by an overzealous tour guide.  She was making 
a speech in the Park car to her tour members (a Tauck tour from the
(Continue reading)

Permalink | Reply | 0 comments |

Gmane