The Rocky Mountaineer concept was created by Harry Holmes, (CN Locomotive Engineer) and Pat Crowley (tourism entrepreneur) both of Jasper, Alberta, together they developed a business plan which they presented to Via Rail prior to Expo 86. Designed as an all daylight sightseeing train pulled by the steam locomotive retired CNR 6060 (Bullet Nose Betty class) in the Canadian Rockies. Originally in 1988 it began as a once-weekly Via Rail Canada daytime service between Vancouver and both Calgary and Jasper. The first departure was on May 22 1988 with a special train for the travel industry and for the traveling public on June 9, 1988, called the Canadian Rockies by Daylight.[1] To maximize scenic views, this service operated only during the day, with an overnight stop in Kamloops. These were express services, with no intermediate stops.[2] On June 4, 1989, Via began its second season of the service, renaming the service the Rocky Mountaineer.[3] The final summer Rocky Mountaineer under Via branding departed Calgary and Jasper on October 12, 1989, and arrived in Vancouver on October 13th.[4] Rocky Mountaineer was removed from schedules and marketing in May 1990.[5] After two financially unsuccessful seasons there was to be a change in approach. The Federal Government decided to see if the private sector could do a better job. The then Minister of Transport and the Minister of FinanceMichael Wilson decided to sell of the route, equipment, branding and book of business in the fall of 1989. In early November 1989 advertisments were taken out in a number of newspapers soliciting interest in the Rocky Mountaineer.
Private operation of the Rocky Mountaineer
The federal government curtailed the subsidies to Via Rail in 1989, dramatically reducing services, especially the transcontinental service. The Rocky Mountaineer was a tourist service, and as such the government felt the funds could be better spent on other priorities. They asked then Via Rail and CN Rail CEO Ron Lawless to organize the sale of the route, equipment and book of business to the private sector. The marketing of the Rocky Mountaineer sale started November 12, 1989. The sale process was run by recently retired CN Executive Charles Armstrong. Submissions of interest demonstrating financial and operational capabilities were required by January 15, 1990. Initially there were 20 interested parties, after phase one of the bidding process, that group was reduced to three parties left to make a financial bid. One bidder was Westours Holland America, subsidiary of Carnival cruise line. The other two were a group of Via Rail executives and a Western Canadian entrepreneur.
After the end of the bidding process, in March 1990, the route's equipment, book of business, 12 coaches, two baggage cars, plus assorted equipment and some branding was sold to Vancouver businessman Peter R.B. Armstrong's Armstrong Hospitality Group Ltd. It ran its first train on May 27, 1990.[6]
Awards
Under private ownership Rocky Mountaineer has become a Canadian Icon, hosting millions of guests from around the world, over the past three decades. these guests spend time in BC and Alberta creating a lot of economic benefits.
Rocky Mountaineer has been awarded the "World's Leading Travel Experience by Train" at the World Travel Awards seven times for its GoldLeaf service as well as the "World's Leading Luxury Train" award 3 times[7] and was recognized by National Geographic Magazine as one of the "World's Best Journeys" in 2007. The Society of American Travel Writers, the world's largest organization of professional travel journalists and photographers, rated the Rocky Mountaineer as the world's top train ride in 2009.[8]
Equipment
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2016)
The Rocky Mountaineer boards passengers at Banff, Alberta, showing its former liveryTwo Goldleaf double-deck panorama wagons of the Rocky Mountaineer in the station at Jasper
Rocky Mountaineer operates over 75 railcars in its fleet-
Rocky Mountaineer currently operates train journeys on four routes, with three in Canada and one in the United States. Two additional routes (one in Canada and one international) are no longer operated.
Journey Through the Clouds: This route travels between Vancouver and Jasper with an overnight stop in Kamloops. It operates primarily on Canadian National Railway trackage, although directional running through the Fraser Canyon means that eastbound trains use Canadian Pacific Railway tracks in that area.[11]
Rainforest to Gold Rush: This route travels between North Vancouver and Jasper, with overnight stops in Whistler and Quesnel. It operates on Canadian National Railway trackage, including ex-BC Rail tracks between North Vancouver and Prince George.[11]
Rockies to the Red Rocks: This route travels between Denver and Moab with an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs. It operates on Union Pacific Railroad trackage. Announced in November 2020, this route was initially set to begin service in fall 2021, but this was pushed up, and the first train ran on August 15, 2021.[12]
Former routes
Whistler Mountaineer/Whistler Sea to Sky Climb: This route was a day trip operating between North Vancouver and Whistler on Canadian National Railway trackage. It was discontinued after the 2015 season and incorporated into the overlapping Rainforest to Gold Rush route.[13]
Coastal Passage: This route was a day trip operating between Seattle and Vancouver on BNSF Railway trackage, intended to provide travellers from the United States with easier access to the other Vancouver-based routes. It was discontinued after the 2019 season due to low demand.[13]
Service levels
Upper level of Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeafLower dining level on GoldLeaf
GoldLeaf
Operating on all routes except the Rockies to the Red Rocks, Rocky Mountaineer's GoldLeaf service is a custom-designed, bi-level, glass-domed coach with full-length windows and reclining seats that can be rotated to accommodate groups of four. Guests are offered hot meals prepared on board the train, served to them in the lower level dining car.[14][15]
GoldLeaf service is not offered on the Rockies to the Red Rocks route because the coaches exceed the loading gauge; this mainly has to do with the coaches being taller than the Amtrak Superliners and double-stack container trains that frequent the route.[16]
Rocky Mountaineer SilverLeaf
SilverLeaf
Operating on the same routes as GoldLeaf (and being the only service offered on the Rockies of the Red Rocks route), Rocky Mountaineer's SilverLeaf service is a custom-designed, single-level glass domed coach with oversized windows and reclining seats. Guests are offered breakfast and lunch served at their seat.[14][15]
Trip structure
Rocky Mountaineer trains operate exclusively during the day; no sleeper service is offered. All trips include overnight stops at which passengers disembark and stay in hotels.
As Rocky Mountaineer is primarily a rail-tour service, all journeys are end-to-end. Between their origin and destination, trains only stop for overnight layovers, and no passengers may begin or end their journeys at these stations. The one exception to these provisions is the First Passage to the West route, which has an intermediate stop at Lake Louise station, where westbound passengers may board and eastbound passengers may disembark. No tickets are sold solely for the Banff–Lake Louise portion of the trip.
Trains only operate in the tourist season of April to October.
Rocky Mountaineer train journeys often include bus connections between stations and hotels. Packages may also include bus connections to nearby cities (such as from Banff to Calgary).
While several cities—including Vancouver, Jasper, and Denver—are served by both Rocky Mountaineer and other passenger rail services (such as Via Rail Canada and Amtrak), no single-ticket rail connections are available.
References
^Greenlaw, Christopher (2007). Via Rail. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing. pp. 116–121. ISBN9780760325292.
^Via: Canada's passenger train network. System Timetable. Montreal: Via Rail Canada. May 1, 1988. p. 51.
^1989 Via Rail Annual Report(PDF). Ottawa: Via Rail Canada. December 31, 1989. p. 14. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
^Via National Timetable (Summer–Fall ed.). Montreal: Via Rail Canada. April 30, 1989. p. 51.
^Via National Timetable. Montreal: Via Rail Canada. May 27, 1990. pp. 24–25.
^Johnston, Bob (February 2016). "It takes more than scenery". Trains. Vol. 76, no. 2. p. 50.
^ ab"Rocky Mountaineer: 25 Years of Life Changing Experiences". Canada Train travel Guide. 2015. p. 19.
^Johnston, Bob (November 23, 2020). "Rocky Mountaineer targets California Zephyr scenery with SilverLeaf cars". Trains Magazine. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
^"2021 fact sheet" (PDF). rockymountaineer.com. rockymountaineer. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
Further reading
Antonson, Rick (2023). Train Beyond the Mountains: Journeys on the Rocky Mountaineer. Vancouver: Greystone Books. ISBN9781771644860.
Doughty, Geoffrey H. (2002). Canadian Treasures: Two Trains Across Canada. Forest, VA, USA: TLC Publishing. ISBN1883089786.
Grescoe, Paul (2010). Trip Of A Lifetime: The Making of the Rocky Mountaineer (3rd ed.). Vancouver: Rocky Mountaineer. ISBN9780986554308.
Saddy, Guy (2015). The Unforgettable Journey: Stories from the Rocky Mountaineer. Vancouver: Echo Storytelling Agency. ISBN9781987900002.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rocky Mountaineer.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Rocky Mountaineer.
Official website
Rocky Mountaineer UK Agent
August 23, 2023
rocky, mountaineer, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, major, contributor, this, article, appears, have, close, connection, with, subject, require, cleanup. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia s content policies particularly neutral point of view Please discuss further on the talk page July 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article contains content that is written like an advertisement Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view July 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian rail tour company based in Vancouver that operates luxury scenic trains on four rail routes in British Columbia Alberta Colorado and Utah Rocky MountaineerOverviewHeadquartersVancouver British Columbia CanadaReporting markRMRXLocaleBritish Columbia and Alberta CanadaColorado and Utah U S Dates of operation1990 1990 presentTechnicalTrack gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in standard gaugeOtherWebsitewww wbr rockymountaineer wbr com Contents 1 History 1 1 Via Rail Canada 1 2 Private operation of the Rocky Mountaineer 2 Awards 3 Equipment 4 Routes 4 1 Former routes 5 Service levels 5 1 GoldLeaf 5 2 SilverLeaf 6 Trip structure 7 Connecting services 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksHistory EditVia Rail Canada Edit The Rocky Mountaineer concept was created by Harry Holmes CN Locomotive Engineer and Pat Crowley tourism entrepreneur both of Jasper Alberta together they developed a business plan which they presented to Via Rail prior to Expo 86 Designed as an all daylight sightseeing train pulled by the steam locomotive retired CNR 6060 Bullet Nose Betty class in the Canadian Rockies Originally in 1988 it began as a once weekly Via Rail Canada daytime service between Vancouver and both Calgary and Jasper The first departure was on May 22 1988 with a special train for the travel industry and for the traveling public on June 9 1988 called the Canadian Rockies by Daylight 1 To maximize scenic views this service operated only during the day with an overnight stop in Kamloops These were express services with no intermediate stops 2 On June 4 1989 Via began its second season of the service renaming the service the Rocky Mountaineer 3 The final summer Rocky Mountaineer under Via branding departed Calgary and Jasper on October 12 1989 and arrived in Vancouver on October 13th 4 Rocky Mountaineer was removed from schedules and marketing in May 1990 5 After two financially unsuccessful seasons there was to be a change in approach The Federal Government decided to see if the private sector could do a better job The then Minister of Transport and the Minister of Finance Michael Wilson decided to sell of the route equipment branding and book of business in the fall of 1989 In early November 1989 advertisments were taken out in a number of newspapers soliciting interest in the Rocky Mountaineer Private operation of the Rocky Mountaineer Edit The federal government curtailed the subsidies to Via Rail in 1989 dramatically reducing services especially the transcontinental service The Rocky Mountaineer was a tourist service and as such the government felt the funds could be better spent on other priorities They asked then Via Rail and CN Rail CEO Ron Lawless to organize the sale of the route equipment and book of business to the private sector The marketing of the Rocky Mountaineer sale started November 12 1989 The sale process was run by recently retired CN Executive Charles Armstrong Submissions of interest demonstrating financial and operational capabilities were required by January 15 1990 Initially there were 20 interested parties after phase one of the bidding process that group was reduced to three parties left to make a financial bid One bidder was Westours Holland America subsidiary of Carnival cruise line The other two were a group of Via Rail executives and a Western Canadian entrepreneur After the end of the bidding process in March 1990 the route s equipment book of business 12 coaches two baggage cars plus assorted equipment and some branding was sold to Vancouver businessman Peter R B Armstrong s Armstrong Hospitality Group Ltd It ran its first train on May 27 1990 6 Awards EditUnder private ownership Rocky Mountaineer has become a Canadian Icon hosting millions of guests from around the world over the past three decades these guests spend time in BC and Alberta creating a lot of economic benefits Rocky Mountaineer has been awarded the World s Leading Travel Experience by Train at the World Travel Awards seven times for its GoldLeaf service as well as the World s Leading Luxury Train award 3 times 7 and was recognized by National Geographic Magazine as one of the World s Best Journeys in 2007 The Society of American Travel Writers the world s largest organization of professional travel journalists and photographers rated the Rocky Mountaineer as the world s top train ride in 2009 8 Equipment EditThis section needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information February 2016 The Rocky Mountaineer boards passengers at Banff Alberta showing its former livery Two Goldleaf double deck panorama wagons of the Rocky Mountaineer in the station at JasperRocky Mountaineer operates over 75 railcars in its fleet GP40 2L locomotives ex Canadian National Railway SD70M locomotives leased from Union Pacific because the GP40 2L locomotives are non compliant with positive train control 32 RedLeaf Canada Car and Foundry single deck coaches ex Canadian National Railway 9 6 SilverLeaf single level dome coaches rebuilt from RedLeaf coaches 9 16 GoldLeaf Colorado Railcar bi level Ultra Dome coaches with wrap over view windows on the top level 9 10 GoldLeaf Stadler bi level glass domed coaches with restaurant and kitchen in the lower level 10 As of 2021 they have made changes to their railcar fleet factsheets 1 Previous equipment included GE B36 7 locomotives leased from BC Rail citation needed Routes EditRocky Mountaineer currently operates train journeys on four routes with three in Canada and one in the United States Two additional routes one in Canada and one international are no longer operated First Passage to the West This route travels between Vancouver and Banff with an overnight stop in Kamloops and an intermediate stop in Lake Louise It operates primarily on Canadian Pacific Railway trackage although directional running through the Fraser Canyon means that westbound trains use Canadian National Railway tracks in that area 11 Journey Through the Clouds This route travels between Vancouver and Jasper with an overnight stop in Kamloops It operates primarily on Canadian National Railway trackage although directional running through the Fraser Canyon means that eastbound trains use Canadian Pacific Railway tracks in that area 11 Rainforest to Gold Rush This route travels between North Vancouver and Jasper with overnight stops in Whistler and Quesnel It operates on Canadian National Railway trackage including ex BC Rail tracks between North Vancouver and Prince George 11 Rockies to the Red Rocks This route travels between Denver and Moab with an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs It operates on Union Pacific Railroad trackage Announced in November 2020 this route was initially set to begin service in fall 2021 but this was pushed up and the first train ran on August 15 2021 12 Former routes Edit Whistler Mountaineer Whistler Sea to Sky Climb This route was a day trip operating between North Vancouver and Whistler on Canadian National Railway trackage It was discontinued after the 2015 season and incorporated into the overlapping Rainforest to Gold Rush route 13 Coastal Passage This route was a day trip operating between Seattle and Vancouver on BNSF Railway trackage intended to provide travellers from the United States with easier access to the other Vancouver based routes It was discontinued after the 2019 season due to low demand 13 Service levels Edit Upper level of Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Lower dining level on GoldLeafGoldLeaf Edit Operating on all routes except the Rockies to the Red Rocks Rocky Mountaineer s GoldLeaf service is a custom designed bi level glass domed coach with full length windows and reclining seats that can be rotated to accommodate groups of four Guests are offered hot meals prepared on board the train served to them in the lower level dining car 14 15 GoldLeaf service is not offered on the Rockies to the Red Rocks route because the coaches exceed the loading gauge this mainly has to do with the coaches being taller than the Amtrak Superliners and double stack container trains that frequent the route 16 Rocky Mountaineer SilverLeafSilverLeaf Edit Operating on the same routes as GoldLeaf and being the only service offered on the Rockies of the Red Rocks route Rocky Mountaineer s SilverLeaf service is a custom designed single level glass domed coach with oversized windows and reclining seats Guests are offered breakfast and lunch served at their seat 14 15 Trip structure EditRocky Mountaineer trains operate exclusively during the day no sleeper service is offered All trips include overnight stops at which passengers disembark and stay in hotels As Rocky Mountaineer is primarily a rail tour service all journeys are end to end Between their origin and destination trains only stop for overnight layovers and no passengers may begin or end their journeys at these stations The one exception to these provisions is the First Passage to the West route which has an intermediate stop at Lake Louise station where westbound passengers may board and eastbound passengers may disembark No tickets are sold solely for the Banff Lake Louise portion of the trip Trains only operate in the tourist season of April to October Connecting services Edit En route between Banff and KamloopsRocky Mountaineer train journeys often include bus connections between stations and hotels Packages may also include bus connections to nearby cities such as from Banff to Calgary While several cities including Vancouver Jasper and Denver are served by both Rocky Mountaineer and other passenger rail services such as Via Rail Canada and Amtrak no single ticket rail connections are available References Edit Greenlaw Christopher 2007 Via Rail St Paul Minnesota MBI Publishing pp 116 121 ISBN 9780760325292 Via Canada s passenger train network System Timetable Montreal Via Rail Canada May 1 1988 p 51 1989 Via Rail Annual Report PDF Ottawa Via Rail Canada December 31 1989 p 14 Retrieved February 2 2019 Via National Timetable Summer Fall ed Montreal Via Rail Canada April 30 1989 p 51 Via National Timetable Montreal Via Rail Canada May 27 1990 pp 24 25 Johnston Bob February 2016 It takes more than scenery Trains Vol 76 no 2 p 50 Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Service 2012 Retrieved November 23 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Travel writers select the world s top 10 train rides Travel Industry Today July 16 2009 Retrieved February 9 2014 a b c Fact Sheet PDF Rocky Mountaineer October 2013 Retrieved February 14 2015 Stadler Goldleaf PDF Stadler August 2016 Retrieved March 10 2019 a b c Routes Rocky Mountaineer McGough Will August 16 2021 Canadian luxury scenic train line debuts its first US route CNN Retrieved August 17 2021 a b Rocky Mountaineer Axes Seattle Vancouver Route Latte Luxury News June 28 2019 a b Rocky Mountaineer Rocky Mountaineer a b Rocky Mountaineer 25 Years of Life Changing Experiences Canada Train travel Guide 2015 p 19 Johnston Bob November 23 2020 Rocky Mountaineer targets California Zephyr scenery with SilverLeaf cars Trains Magazine Retrieved November 24 2020 2021 fact sheet PDF rockymountaineer com rockymountaineer Retrieved April 10 2023 Further reading EditAntonson Rick 2023 Train Beyond the Mountains Journeys on the Rocky Mountaineer Vancouver Greystone Books ISBN 9781771644860 Doughty Geoffrey H 2002 Canadian Treasures Two Trains Across Canada Forest VA USA TLC Publishing ISBN 1883089786 Grescoe Paul 2010 Trip Of A Lifetime The Making of the Rocky Mountaineer 3rd ed Vancouver Rocky Mountaineer ISBN 9780986554308 Saddy Guy 2015 The Unforgettable Journey Stories from the Rocky Mountaineer Vancouver Echo Storytelling Agency ISBN 9781987900002 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rocky Mountaineer Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Rocky Mountaineer Official website Rocky Mountaineer UK Agent Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rocky Mountaineer amp oldid 1170062866, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
