Via Rail's [The Canadian]

I used the iPhone app myTracks to take GPS readings every 1 KM during the trip. Importing that data (in .kml format) into Google Earth Pro produced the chart below. The yellow dots represent stations were the train stopped for at least 15 minutes or longer so that passengers can exit the train and walk about. The first one after Toronto is in Capreol (after Sudbury Junction). The stop there was 35 minutes, long enough to run into the local Home Hardware store and buy stuff. The longest stops were in Winnipeg and Saskatoon.

The chart (below) displayed at the Winnipeg Via Rail station illustrates the configuration of the train (top ⟹ bottom shows the front ⟹ back sequence of the train cars). See drone video taken in Winnipeg (Manitoba) circa July 2019. Every car has an assigned number (yellow background). In addition, each car has a fixed Via Rail number as well as a name. The two cars in the [Economy] class are chair cars, meaning they don't have sleeping berths. You will need to sleep sitting up overnight. This costs about CAD $700-800. The [Sleeper Plus] class costs about CAD $1,700-3,500 (depending on whether you chose to include meals or not). The [Prestige] class is the high end option, and costs CAD $7,000-9,000.

Re-fuelling

Like a car or a van, the train has to be re-fuelled at certain stations. See below for locomotive 6435 (an EMD F40PH) being refuelled (diesel).

Noise Level

Via Rail cars are old, and highly engineered. They tend to be noisy. Mine was a car of the design Manor named "Cameron Manor" (8314). To sleep better at night, bring noice-cancelling headphones, and extra batteries. It's the things inside the car that rattle. The ride itself is smooth. See suspension system below.

Baggage

Large bags will need to be checked in. That means you will only get access to them at your destination. The checked-in bags are loaded to the baggage car, which is usually the car right behind the two locomotives. As in the case of an airline, carry-on type bags can be kept in the cabin. Make sure their thickness is such that they can be slid under the seat.

CPAP Machines

If you chose not to purchase the more expensive cabins, note that there are power outlets near the door of the car that you can still use. The crew can provide extension cords for your CPAP machine if you use one for sleep apnea. Note that power to the car was cut when they added the additional Panorama car to the train in Edmonton (the train reached Edmonton at night).

Train Time

The train passes through three time zones. Sometimes (for logistical reasons), the train time lags actual local time by hours so that dinner sittings don't get mangled. For example, the train will continue on Mountain Time (until Kamloops, B.C.) even after it leaves Alberta and your cellphone automatically switches to Pacific Time.

Cell Signal

Because of the remote areas the train travels through, cell signals are spotty, especially in northern Ontario, and in the Alberta/BC Rockies. Note that even GPS stops working when the train passes through valleys surrounded by very tall mountains. The prairies are generally good for cell signal coverage. In northern Ontario, wait till you pass through Capreol and Armstrong before catching up with the rest of the world.

Device Charging

One of the biggest drawbacks of the [Sleeper Plus] class is the lack of power outlets to charge your devices. The [Cabin-for-One] and [Cabin-for-Two] cabins provide electric outlets. See below for a photo of the amenities in a [Cabin-for-One] cabin.

Sleep

I opted for the [Sleeper Plus] class with the [lower berth] option. This means that the seats you sit on during the day gets converted to a bed at night as the lower berth. The upper berth is neatly tucked away during the day.

Views

The train had three Skyline dome cars with a recreation area that had tables, device charging outlets, beverages, snacks, magazines. These cars also had an elevated viewing platform with a glass ceiling (dome) and seats that you can go and sit in. I did not find this particuarly great mainly because the frames of the glass ceiling where too thick and got in the way.

In Edmonton, right before the train enters the Canadian Rockies, [Via Rail] added a better viewing platform (the Panorama dome car) to the train which offered much better views.

Food

One of the surprises for me was the high quality of the food they served in the dining car. Brunch and dinner were all of great quality with good options to choose from. There are two dining cars on the train, each with 12 tables that seat four people each. Two of the tables were reserved for the crew. This means that at any given time, they could seat upto forty passengers. When the train is full (especially the Winnipeg-Jasper leg), they schedule three dinner seatings. This also means that the crew ends up seating you with strangers (I was travelling alone) which can be a great, ok or awful experience, depending on the fit of nationalities/personalities involved.

Dining Logistics

Breakfast is served 6:30 am - 9:00 am, brunch 9:30 am - 1:30 pm. Dinner times vary. While breakfast and brunch are first-come, first-served, dinner requires a reservation, in terms of which sitting you choose (two-three sittings per evening). The reservation ticket looks like below (this ticket is for the 3^rd dinner sitting, in dining car B). Make sure you get one for your next meal. Each evening, they will announce over the PA system what times each dinner sittings will be.

Tips

Tips are pooled amongst the crew. The Via Rail crew onboard are friendly, courteous and helpful. They make PA announcements when the train passes interesting locations, such as the potash mines in Saskatchewan, the Pyramid waterfall in the Rockies, and some elk grazing near Jasper. Note that there is a complete crew changeover in Winnipeg.