The "Ocean" VIA Overnight Sleeper

I'm thinking about travelling on the Ocean next spring but something I've seen in almost all the reviews and Youtube videos has been the "Transition Car" - i haven't seen an explanation as to what the purpose of this car is. It appears to be a whole lot of empty space to me...

The Renaissance equipment used on the Ocean has European style couplers which are not compatible with the rest of VIA's fleet. The transition car has a North American style coupler on one end to allow a Park car to be attached to the rear of the train.

They are a needed evil due to most of the former UK designed Renaissance cars retain the "screw link and buffers" coupler setup
used by British Rail.
These cars have a regular N. American coupler on one end,"screw link and buffers" on the other.
The Renaissance cars were to be used on a night running train routed thru the "Chunnel" between the UK and Europe,
the "Nightstar" service was never started,were stored until VIA bought the cars and reconfigured them for service in Canada

Ken V wrote:The Renaissance equipment used on the Ocean has European style couplers which are not compatible with the rest of VIA's fleet. The transition car has a North American style coupler on one end to allow a Park car to be attached to the rear of the train.

They also need North American couplers on one end to couple to the locomotives.
Typical Renaissance equipment setup for the Ocean;
(1)baggage car, (2) several coach cars, (3) a dining car bracketed by (3) two service cars, (5)multiple sleeping cars, a (6) transition car and a (7) "Park" Sleeper Buffet-Lounge Dome Observation Car. The Ocean is almost invariably hauled by a pair of London, Ontario-built GM F40PH locomotives, of which all have been upgraded by CAD Railway Industries of Montreal to the F40PH-3 model. During winter months the consist has as few as 14 cars, during the summer months the consist has as much as 21 cars. During most of the year, with the reduction of service to 3 round trips per week, only two consists are needed to operate the Ocean.
Rolling stock roster:
Baggage car 9 7000–7011 Built out of unused sleeping car shells. Use rubber floor mats.
Club car 14 7100–7114 48-seat capacity in a 2+1 configuration.
Coach 33 7200–7232 48-seat capacity in a 2+1 configuration.
Lounge car 20 7300–7316; 7354–7359 Via Rail refers to these as "service" cars.
Dining car 3 7400–7402 48-seat capacity; built out of unused sleeping car shells of single bedrooms.
Sleeping car 28 7500–7589 10 double bedrooms. 29 more were stored at Thunder Bay, Ontario - only 3 are left in storage.
Baggage car/transition 3 7600–7602 Are modified Baggage cars. Carpeted corridor added to rubber mat floors
Note: All the Baggage and Transition cars have European spec couplers on one end, and North American spec couplers on the opposite end.

Having to need just two consists today, the Ocean only requires 2 baggage, 2 transition, 2 dining, 4 service cars, and 2 "Park" cars. the 28 sleeping cars could be divided into 14 such cars per Ocean train depending on demand. The 33 coach and 14 club cars, and the remaining 16 Lounge/Serice cars are also use in corridor service.

Here's the transition to the Park Car and also an interior shot. There's displays on the walls, storage and freezer units for dining car meals. And in summer....it's where the Lobster lives!

Originally, the Chaleur (train to Gaspe) was also to be a Renaissance equipped train, but this was going to require additional cars to be assembled (the sleepers came with a general shell and then had kits for interior assembly). Be it cost overruns, the complexity that would be involved of switching the cars in and out at Matapedia (probably would have had to operate independently), or otherwise the Chaleur retained its Budd equipment.

It's too bad nearly 30 Renaissance shells were left out in the elements at Thunder Bay. I know there's a love hate relationship with the Renaissance cars, but the extra cars stored up at Thunder Bay could have been kept around for expansion (or pending replacements) even though the Ocean basically has a full extra Renaissance consist since going to 3 days a week. I am not even sure if these cars are still up at Thunder Bay. I thought VIA had given the order to basically have them sold for scrap.

In terms of the transition cars, I had advocated that they be turned into a lounge car of sorts. This was before they attached the Park Car on the back. The service cars fall extremely short of providing lounge space.

How is timekeeping on the Ocean this time of year? I am considering an westbound trip in March and wonder if I am likely to arrive in Montreal in ample time to catch a 15:30 flight out of YUL. I know #1 and #2 can run exceedingly late and wondered if that is true of the Ocean as well. Thanks for any advice.

I have been monitoring the arrivals in both Halifax and Montreal for friends who are considering a winter trip. It has been arriving in Montreal on time or just a few minutes late on most days. Occasionally it has been 10 minutes early. So the odds are you should make that flight, but if it was me I would still have travel insurance that would cover a missed connection.

As far as I'm concerned, I have taken the Ocean 8 times:
-Round Trip between Charny and Moncton in may 2009 (Train was 45 minutes late when I arrived in Moncton, but was on time when I got back to Charny)
-Round Trip between Charny and Halifax in October 2010 (Train was 30 minutes late in Halifax, and got back to Charny on time)
-Round Trip between Ste-Foy and Halifax in August 2014 (Train was on time on both directions)
-One way trip between Montreal and Halifax in Janurary 2016 (BOTH my train and my GF's Montreal to Quebec train got stuck for over 2 hours in Drummonville due to ANOTHER Via train, thus both my and my GF trains were over 3 hours late at our respective destinations)
-One way trip between Amherst and Ste-Foy, also in Janurary of last year (Train was on time both in Amherst and Ste-Foy)

So personnal experience, except that one Drummonville fiasco, the Ocean has a much better on time track record (especially westbound) than the Canadian, and even the shorter Montreal-Senneterre and the Montreal-Jonquiere routes (which are pretty notorious for being 2+ hours late everytime)

Although the westbound "Ocean" has been doing very well lately, today it is expected about 4 1/2 hours late into Montreal. I don't know what happened, but the delays started between Moncton and Rogersville.

marquisofmississauga wrote:Although the westbound "Ocean" has been doing very well lately, today it is expected about 4 1/2 hours late into Montreal. I don't know what happened, but the delays started between Moncton and Rogersville.

The train lost even more time and arrived in Montreal five hours and nine minutes late. This is unusual.

New Brunswick had a BAD ice storm...

Thanks for the explanation. VIA is to be complimented for running the train through to its destination even if it is late. The "Canadian" currently en route from Vancouver to Toronto started out on time but as of this morning it is nine hours late in Northern Ontario. It may make up time before Toronto, as it often does, or it could get even later. For several years VIA decided to terminate very late trains and treat the passengers to a long bus ride - even on snow-covered roads. But they have gotten over that nonsense and now only terminate trains if absolutely necessary.

There appear to have been no postings on this forum in 26 days. So I will try to inject some life in it.

VIA is substituting a HEP consist of the "Ocean" ex-Montreal today, Wed. 29th March and the return from Halifax on Friday the 31st. Reservia has been updated to show the change in equipment. This may please trainspotters but paying passengers may not be so happy about it, especially those who have booked single occupancy of a Renaissance double room with shower.

This substitution happened to me several years ago. VIA informed me that my accommodation had been changed from the Renaissance double room with shower to a Château roomette. I said I had paid the (admittedly modest) surcharge for single occupancy of a double and I did not want a roomette. I was told I would have to pay the usual stiff supplement that is charged for a double room on the Budd equipment. A supervisor agreed that I should get what I paid for (minus the private shower, of course) so I was happy. I was lucky to be able to get a double because the Château sleepers have only three double rooms. Some lucky people would have received a drawing room. But most people who have single occupancy of the Ren. doubles are put in roomettes, of which there are plenty.

I'm not sure the reason for this substitution of equipment tonight. The e/b Ocean of Sunday 26th March had engine trouble and one unit was removed at Drummondville, causing a four-hour delay. The train got later and the arrival in Halifax was over six hours late at 00:10. That consist is returning to Montreal today. If I find out the reasons for today's substitution I will post it.

Very interesting - I also am curious as to the reason. Thanks for sharing.

If I knew ahead of time I'd be more likely to book a special trip on the Ocean out east to visit family.