This coming Friday evening, I will be boarding the westbound California Zephyr in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. I was at the station this past Friday to see the CZ come through. I discovered that the Mount Pleasant station is now unstaffed (yet still open) on Fridays and Saturdays.
On this day, there were only a small number of coach passengers boarding. These passengers didn't know which coach they should be getting on or where to be on the platform. After the train stopped, a coach attendent about two cars down opened his door and asked to walk down to that coach.
Since there were no sleeper passengers boarding that night, there was no one at the door of either of the two sleeper cars on than train. My question, then, is can I assume that this coming Friday there will be a sleeper attendent waiting for me to board at the door of one of the sleeper cars? Obviously, my reservation will be on an on-board manifest or something. But, without a station attendent in contact with the arriving train saying that I (a sleeper car passenger) am on the platform, should I expect an attendent waiting to assist me? Or, will I be expected to board the train with coach passengers and then make my way through the coach(es), the Sightseer Lounger, the diner, and then into the sleeper section?
This wouldn't be a big deal as I will be traveling light and will have only one small bag. I just don't want to have to hustle down the platform to a coach car if I find there is no one wating to let me directly on a sleeper car. I'm guess this process can vary by train but I'm curious if anyone else has had any similar experiences.
Thanks!
seajay
On this day, there were only a small number of coach passengers boarding. These passengers didn't know which coach they should be getting on or where to be on the platform. After the train stopped, a coach attendent about two cars down opened his door and asked to walk down to that coach.
Since there were no sleeper passengers boarding that night, there was no one at the door of either of the two sleeper cars on than train. My question, then, is can I assume that this coming Friday there will be a sleeper attendent waiting for me to board at the door of one of the sleeper cars? Obviously, my reservation will be on an on-board manifest or something. But, without a station attendent in contact with the arriving train saying that I (a sleeper car passenger) am on the platform, should I expect an attendent waiting to assist me? Or, will I be expected to board the train with coach passengers and then make my way through the coach(es), the Sightseer Lounger, the diner, and then into the sleeper section?
This wouldn't be a big deal as I will be traveling light and will have only one small bag. I just don't want to have to hustle down the platform to a coach car if I find there is no one wating to let me directly on a sleeper car. I'm guess this process can vary by train but I'm curious if anyone else has had any similar experiences.
Thanks!
seajay