posted
Actually Via Rail will still have bedrooms, but when you go to the new Reservia site, they are now called cabins! Roomettes, bedrooms and drawing rooms were recently known as single, double and triple bedrooms. Via now calls them cabins for 1,2 or 3. Sounds like something you would reserve on a ship not a train. Other changes: Via 1 is now Business Class, and the silly comfort class designation has gone back to being called economy. On the Ocean to Halifax, deluxe bedrooms (they have showers) are now cabins with shower (or not as the case may be).
I fail to understand why Via feels it is necessary to change every few years the names of their various classes of accommodations. This can only cause confusion with potential passengers trying to figure out what they are buying.
To confuse things even more, if you hit the option "classes by region" on Via's home page, the old terminology is still being used, but if you try to reserve space, the new terminology is used. Presumably Via will correct this, but it is bound to confuse the new rail passenger.
Posts: 524 | From: Toronto Ont. Canada | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Maybe they are trying to attract the summer fishing-hunting clientele to the Northland of Canada (people who stay in hunting "cabins" in the woods of northern Ontario maybe)
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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I think these thigs are done by people who have nothing else to do. Look at Amtrak. The economy bedroom has become a roomette. In the past a roomette was like the viewliner...bed, sink, toilet.Different from the superliners.The delux bedroom is now just bedroom. I wonder what they will come up with next.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Surprised they didn't go with Staterooms. How about Chambers (and Chambrettes).
Will Amtrak now follow suit with more of this folly?
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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They should just call them a selection of sleeper accomodations. Choose and pay accordingly. Very simple. But I do recall the fallen flags' passenger accomodations named as open section upper or lower berth, compartments, bedrooms, roomettes, duplexes, etc. There were even a 3 berth rooms. When the berths were opened it was like a 3 level bunk bed. I never really understood the difference in name/space except for the floor plan. By the way the heritage roomette which was designed for one passenger was ideal except for the toilet being under the opened bed during the night. I never traveled on a viewliner sleeper, but I think its roomette for two would surpass the Heritage roomette for an economy sleeper. Then there was the slumbercoach which was designed for thrift sleeper travel to compete with the airlines and the automobile. I think they had less space than a roomette.
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Yes the slumber coach was smaller than the roomette but the advantage was the bed did not cover the toilet as in the roomette. Also the price was very reasonable because it didn't include meals.It was very similar to the present viewliner but smaller. In the double ones people had to really "squeeze" in. We always got 2 singles as my husband said he didn't think we could both inhale at the same time in a double.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Surprised they didn't go with Staterooms. How about Chambers (and Chambrettes).
Will Amtrak now follow suit with more of this folly?
Actually Mr. Norman when Via still had bedrooms and roomettes, in French they were called Chambres and Chambrettes (not sure of the spelling).
Posts: 524 | From: Toronto Ont. Canada | Registered: Mar 2001
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A quick review of Pullman Company room terminology (anyone who doesn't know what the Pullman Company was, stop reading now and don't ask):
Section: consisted of an upper and lower berth, two facing seats by day. Bathrooms down the hall
Roomette: room for one person, with toilet and sink, couch converting to bed.
Bedroom: either a long couch, a short couch and movable chair, or two movable chairs by day, upper and lower berths by night (some crosswise, some lengthwise of the car). Enclosed toilet and sink.
Compartment: long couch and movable chair by day, upper and lower berth by night, enclosed toilet facilities, larger than a bedroom.
Drawing room: Long couch and two movable chairs by day, upper and lower crosswise of the car, lower lengthwise of the car at night. Enclosed toilet facilities.
Master room: two lower berths, toilet room with shower (these rooms were quite rare).
There were also variants such as the slumbercoaches already mentioned, duplex roomettes, "single bedrooms", which were a bit larger than roomettes and had enclosed facilities, and probably a few other variants. But the Pullman Company knew how to do it right.
Posts: 614 | From: Merchantville, NJ. USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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.....Master room: two lower berths, toilet room with shower (these rooms were quite rare).
There were also variants such as the slumbercoaches already mentioned, duplex roomettes, "single bedrooms", which were a bit larger than roomettes and had enclosed facilities, and probably a few other variants. But the Pullman Company knew how to do it right.
Pullman company certainly did know how to do it right. I wonder why Amtrak feels the need to reinvent the wheel (or roomette for that matter). If they followed Pullman standards, passenger comfort would be vastly improved.
I did have the pleasure of a ride in a Master bedroom - on B&O's National Limited. The room was in their classic bow tailed observation (bought from NYC - Southwestern Ltd.). A cocktail in the rear seat in the observation leaving Washington, dinner on B&O's famous china, then in bed in time for the assault on 17 mile grade. It doesn't get any better.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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I notice that upper and lower berths are still called that. Comfort Class was indeed a ridiculous term, especially on an overnight train. Although the previous term for coach - economy - has returned, there was a note on the departure board at Toronto Union tonight about a train to Ottawa: "Coach sold out/VIA 1 available." I don't expect all reference to VIA 1 to disappear immediately, but the term coach hasn't been used in several years. Perhaps VIA is getting ready for the next change.
There have been several changes to fare structures. The most significant are the elimination (without any notice) of the senior + companion offer and the good news is that there are now discounted fares available in peak season on the Canadian and the Ocean.
Posts: 216 | From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2000
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Mr. Palmland, the accommodation you rode aboard the National Limited was a Drawing Room as the three B&O "--River" Obs-Lounges were configured 2 BR,1 CP,1 DR.
Master Rooms were only offered on the Broadway Limited and Crescent..
Mr. Resor, what's a Pullman?
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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thanks, GBN. You are of course correct - my mind was focused on the two lower berths in the MBR rresor mentioned - as did our DR. Those cars had recently been reinstated on No.1/2 by the energetic young managers at the B&O passenger department.
Sadly they didn't last long. They continued on for a short time as the only first class accommodations on a greatly reduced consist when the through sleepers were transferred to the George Washington as a result of C&O/B&O merger.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
There is already a discrepancy on VIA's new names. The drawing room (traditional term) more recently called triple bedroom is now called cabin for 3, except on the Ocean when it's called "large cabin for 2." It is available for three passengers, but it is being sold primarily as a luxury room for two.
Posts: 216 | From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2000
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