My only experience with a drawing room was in '68 on the CZ, Chicago to Oakland with my wife, son, (5) and daughter, (2) and it exceeded my expectations. It was in the observation car and had three beds and a shower. First shower on a train for me. Except to go to the diner, we never had to leave the car. After diner, we could put the kids to bed and if they wanted us, they knew where we were. The dome, lounge or bar. On the other over night trains, we required a roomette and a bedroom as the Cascade and the Empire Builder only had 10-6 cars, so we had to split up at night.
My previous experience with a drawing was on the auto train corporation south bound and a compartment south bound.
The all Budd ocean was a heck of train, a little streamliner with domes and even sections.
Each Park car--and each Chateau car had a drawing room.
I was able to reserve the drawing room from Vancouver to Jasper and from Jasper to Toronto when we traveled in 2009; I had no trouble at all getting a drawing room from Montreal to Moncton on the same trip since the Ocean was equipped with Chateau cars the day we went east from Montreal.
Another couple boarded in Jasper--and they had expected to have the drawing room; they did have a drawing room from Montreal.
Our previous experience in a drawing room had been from Chicago to Albuquerqe in 1973--with five of us in the room. We had expected the two girls to share a berth, but the older girl said that she slept on the floor.
Johnny
Johnny, the drawing room was in one if park cars? We rode the ocean at drawing room wb and a double bedroom going east.
I do not like the Renaissance sleepers that VIA uses between Montreal and Halifax. My primary objection is that you need a key to get inside if the door is closed--unlike every decent sleeper which is lockable from the inside. The diners are not as bad; the other non-sleeper cars are also not bad.
On our last trip on the Ocean, my wife and I had a drawing room from Montreal (Renaisance equipment going back); it was lovely--and every sleeper passenger could take a shower (some of the Renaissance rooms have showers--which are for the occupants of the rooms only).
The problem with new car orders is it seems that they have to reinvent the wheel for each order. Many delays till they get the production issue corrected.
Once this order is completed it could a decade before an order is place. During this the CSR builders and thier suppliers disappear.
In the case of via they have replace much of fleet with non Budd cars, case in point, the ocean which was all Budd was replace with cars from from England. But the Canadian government funds via as well as we do.
A rebuilt 60-year-old car is still 60 years old. It would be interesting to find out how many of those rebuilt cars are in daily service on VIA's Quebec-Montreal-Toronto-Windsor/Sarnia corridor or if they are in less demanding service on the "Canadian".
Is the new order for east coast sleepers and other equipment finished and in operation? If not, why not? The order for this much needed equipment went in some time ago. What was the date?
VIA claims it is able to remodel 1955 Budd cars for use well into the future. If this is true, Amtrak might follow the VIA plan and do major rebuilds of existing equipment rather than order new. While it is hard to believe a much used 60 years old vehicle could be used for many additional years, this seems to be what VIA is doing. It may be a better plan for Amtrak if new orders can not get into service in timely manner. I think that is just what happened with the new car order.
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