Sorry - a few extra things I just thought of...
- to clarify, the 'Hudson Bay' stock is the same Heritage fleet as the 'Canadian'
but service is not as luxurious - sleeper fares don't include meals, for instance, but the restaurant car is very reasonably priced. But if you compare dollar per kilometer, the 'Hudson Bay' is much cheaper in sleeper accommodation than the 'Canadian'
- the 'Chateau' sleepers have three kinds of accommodation: single bedrooms (purple in this plan, comparable with Amtrak roomettes), double bedrooms (dark green in the plan) and upper and lower berths (yellow) in plan. The berths convert from wide banquette seats during the day time and privacy from the corridor is offered by thick curtains that can be buttoned closed. You might not appreciate the lack of a door, but berths are the cheapest beds on VIA Rail, and also the widest!
Here are some photos from my trip...
Above: a blurry (sorry) shot of my upper berth. The corridor is passing on the right. The upper berth is cheaper than the lower berth, but doesn't have a window. Access is by a small step ladder. The shower is across the corridor, off to the right of the picture.
Above: a daytime shot of the berths folded away to form wide seats that are open to the corridor. The seats fold flat, the upper bunk is hinged above the window and folds down. A mattress for the lower berth is stored in the closed upper berth during the day.
Above: On the right is the northbound 'Hudson Bay' calling at The Pas. Just visible on the left are the very distinctive blue and yellow ex-CPR cars of the train to Pukatawagan. This is another 'essential service' train that uses very old coaching stock that didn't seem to be in great shape. It goes to some very remote First Nation reserves, and at the time I was there, was not recommended for tourists for reasons of personal safety and lack of either accommodation or things to see at the other end.
Above: northbound 'Hudson Bay' at Thompson.
Above: northbound 'Hudson Bay' at Thompson.
Above: Churchill station
Above: Thompson again, this time heading south
Above: The northbound 'Hudson Bay' passing my southbound train near Sipiwesh