BR ‘Nightstars’ in Canada (with photos)

[ghYHZ]

For your viewing pleasure.....the former BR ‘Nightstars’.......now known as the ‘Renaissance ‘ in Canada.

VIA Rail uses the cars on the ‘Ocean’. Here they are at Truro, Nova Scotia......75 min into their overnight 840 mile run between Halifax and Montreal.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
VIA runs a ‘Park Car’ Dome Observation on the Ocean so several of the Renaissance cars have been modified to have a standard North American coupler on the rear so the Park Car or additional NA cars can be attached.

.....and a couple of other shots at Moncton, New Brunswick:

 

[steevp]

We did this last year from Montreal to Halifax at the start of a tour of Nova Scotia, PEI and a bit of New Brunswick. Thoroughly recommend it if you are travelling in that part of the world.

 

[dave12435]

They look great and they don't look to have been modified too much externally in terms of their appearance

 

[gazthomas]

How roomy are they inside compared to other North American continental stock? They do look tiny!

 

[me123]

^ You can get an idea here with the interior shots (there's 360 degree photos inside the trains if you click through).

Very interesting photos though, thanks very much. Partcualrly interesting to see British stock compared to the North American stock - can't think of anywhere else you'd see a BR train attached to a metallic American behemoth!

 

[ghYHZ]

Here’s some interior views of the former Nightstars in service on VIA’s OCEAN

Several of the Sleeping Cars were converted into Dining Cars:

.....and note the BR Oven in the Lounge Car:

The only station the OCEAN uses with platforms level with the car floor is Central Station in Montreal. VIA has added retractable stairs so the cars can serve all other stations along the 840 mile route to Halifax.

And the view from the Dome Car attached to the rear of the train

 

[fgwrich]

Very interesting photos, Thanks for those.

Particularly interesting to note the Metro Cammell bodyprofile of the Nightstar coaches. The follow on from the Mk4s with their tilting profile, while leading to the forerunner of the Adelante & Coradia UK DMU families. If only Alstom were still interested in building stuff for the UK. I almost wonder too if such a thing, if we had kept any (lack of future foresight there?!) could have been useful in a rebuilt form for the Caley Sleeper operations as well.

 

[gswindale]

Thanks for the photos [emoji1]

Looking forward to our trip on it at the end of August.

 

[Muzer]

Very interesting photos, Thanks for those.

Particularly interesting to note the Metro Cammell bodyprofile of the Nightstar coaches. The follow on from the Mk4s with their tilting profile, while leading to the forerunner of the Adelante & Coradia UK DMU families. If only Alstom were still interested in building stuff for the UK. I almost wonder too if such a thing, if we had kept any (lack of future foresight there?!) could have been useful in a rebuilt form for the Caley Sleeper operations as well.

There are some rotting away in Long Marston aren't there? Pretty sure I've got pics of them. Presumably not enough and presumably these there the ones that weren't fully fitted out...

 

[dave12435]

surprising how much like the MK3 sleepers those sleeper cabins still look after the modifications

 

[Johnuk123]

Interesting pictures, thanks.

 

[jamesontheroad]

I rode these from Montréal to Halifax and back in 2006 in coach. I recall that the economy class seats were incredibly firm, and while cosy, the 'sculpted' design of the luggage racks above and below the 2+1 seating seemed to have a lot of hard edges for me to bump limbs against in the night

Of all my overnight-in-coach experiences of a month long trip around the States and Canada, this was one of the least comfortable!

 

[gazthomas]

Great pictures, thanks