# The Transdorm.



## BenAmtrakServices282. (Sep 24, 2010)

Im in bedroom b, i mean as you may know.

 

anyway. bedroom b in the other car is 222 dollars or so extra.

 

this is the southwest chief im taking down to los angeles.

 

is there a slight chance that that bedroom b in the other car is in the transdorm. i don't think so. is it.


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## Ryan (Sep 24, 2010)

No chance. No revenue bedrooms in the dorm, just roomettes.


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## zephyr17 (Sep 24, 2010)

BenAmtrakServices282. said:


> Im in bedroom b, i mean as you may know.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No bedrooms in the trans-dorm, only roomettes. No chance you are in it. If you were in a roomette, you could go by the car number (0310 is the transdorm on the SW chief I think, in any case, a 30 series line number 0330, 0331 are regular sleepers) or the room number (no roomettes in regular sleeper over 14).

Understand your desire not to be in the transdorm. I avoid them myself. But you need to chill. The very nature of long distance Amtrak travel today is that things happen. Train gets severely late, toilets go out, the diner runs out of the steak, or French Toast, or whatever. Most often things go pretty well, other times one or many things go wrong. And you CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. Let go of the controls, man. If you do, you can enjoy your trip pretty well no matter what happens as long as you don't get bustituted. Even then you can enjoy the train part.


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## daveyb99 (Sep 25, 2010)

zephyr17 said:


> ... Understand your desire not to be in the transdorm. I avoid them myself.


Why. Being there has always a much more subdued atmosphere AND a much smaller passenger crowd.


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## zephyr17 (Sep 25, 2010)

daveyb99 said:


> zephyr17 said:
> 
> 
> > ... Understand your desire not to be in the transdorm. I avoid them myself.
> ...


My experience is they have much poorer service, with the attendant not covering the transdorm nearly as well as the regular sleeper. The transdorm rooms seem to be frequently just forgotten by the attendant. It is also just that much farther from the diner and lounge. What I do like about them is the upstairs shower.

No big deal, just a matter of taste.


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## Bigval109 (Sep 25, 2010)

daveyb99 said:


> zephyr17 said:
> 
> 
> > ... Understand your desire not to be in the transdorm. I avoid them myself.
> ...


I really enjoyed staying in the transdorm.  Everything worked and was in good order. There was very little noise and I take it anytime over maybe one of the other rooms in a regular sleeper.


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## had8ley (Sep 26, 2010)

Bigval109 said:


> daveyb99 said:
> 
> 
> > zephyr17 said:
> ...


I have noticed that the CONO dorm seldom gets a complete house cleaning. That's not to say the rest of the train gets any better treatment at CHI.With the stigma of "not me" and the constant whistle blowing (especially with no baggage car) I can see people's desire to be in the revenue car. Occasionally, I've been the only one in the trans-dorm. I can make due and rap with the crew but I can see where most rev pax would balk.


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## Pastor Dave (Sep 26, 2010)

had8ley said:


> Bigval109 said:
> 
> 
> > daveyb99 said:
> ...


I'll ditto had8ley's remarks. I've been in a transdorm twice. They were not the cleanest cars I've ridden in, but I did enjoy some moments with the crew that I wouldn't have had otherwise.


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## jimhudson (Sep 26, 2010)

My last trip on the CZ#5 from GBB-EMY this summer was in the TransDorm. Great trip of course, but it had been rehabbed, was the only sleeper that didnt have the toliets fail, nice big hot shower,quiet etc. Really good AC and venelation, the SCA told us several of the TransDorms were overhauled this way?Of course your mileage may vary as they say!

We also had our own coffee/juice/ice station in the old conductors "office" that they never used, in fact pax from the other sleepers were coming up to our car to get coffe/juice/ice,use the john etc. Finally our SCA, Ashely( whom was on her last trip before maternity leave!)

put a sign on the vestibule door CREW and ONLY PASSENGERS TICKETED TO THIS CAR PLEASE!!

Evidntly the slacker SCAs that are known to work this train were in action in the other 2 sleepers! (the Denver sleeper was cut out in Denver!)

Enjoyed talking with the Conductors, deadheading RR workers and the OBS also, this was a great crew, not just beautiful scenery! :wub:


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## AlanB (Sep 26, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> Really good AC and venelation, the SCA told us several of the TransDorms were overhauled this way?Of course your mileage may vary as they say!


The SCA was pulling your leg. All of Amtrak's Trans/Dorms are Superliner II cars, and therefore they are the newest Superliner cars around. Amtrak hasn't even finished overhauling the Superliner I cars that are 30+ years old, so they aren't about to start overhauling the far newer Superliner II cars.


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## had8ley (Sep 26, 2010)

AlanB said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > Really good AC and venelation, the SCA told us several of the TransDorms were overhauled this way?Of course your mileage may vary as they say!
> ...


IIRC Alan, there were one or two trans-dorms in the dead line at Beech Grove. Did they get a shot of stimulus money ???


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## AlanB (Sep 26, 2010)

Jay,

I'm not sure how many Trans/Dorms were at BG, but 2 did make it onto the list to be restored to working status. One has already been released from BG back on March 5th.


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## A.J. (Sep 26, 2010)

I was in the transdorm on the CS this past july. it was very clean and very quiet. I loved it!


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## ColdRain&Snow (Sep 26, 2010)

AlanB said:


> Jay,
> 
> I'm not sure how many Trans/Dorms were at BG, but 2 did make it onto the list to be restored to working status. One has already been released from BG back on March 5th.


Here  are a few pictures of #39023 which was on Train 6 of 8/29. It looked refreshed inside and out, and the bathroom/shower room was very nice. It will be great to get these BG cars out on the rails as they get completed!


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## abcnews (Sep 26, 2010)

So when The Cardinal was a Superliner train - I think it only had one sleeper. Was it a Trans Dorm, or did they have another car that did the SL transfomation to the baggage car?


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## Trogdor (Sep 26, 2010)

There is a program to overhaul the Superliner II fleet, but the level of overhaul each car receives is dependent on funding and parts availability.

I haven't been in any of the stimulus-funded Superliner II sleepers (transition or regular), so I don't know how the interiors of those look compared to the rest of the fleet.


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## Ryan (Sep 26, 2010)

abcnews said:


> So when The Cardinal was a Superliner train - I think it only had one sleeper. Was it a Trans Dorm, or did they have another car that did the SL transfomation to the baggage car?


In this picture, it looks like there is no transition - you can see the outline of the vestibule above the baggage car.

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=186356&nseq=78







Edit: Looks like 2 sleepers, too - sleeper sleeper diner sighseer coach coach?


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## jimhudson (Sep 26, 2010)

Thanks for the pic Ryan! Thank you nailed it like you usually do! Jim


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## Ryan (Sep 26, 2010)

The only other Superliner-era picture where you can discern a consist has no baggage car and appears to have 3 sleepers and 3 coaches? This is from 1997, the earlier was from 2001.






http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=314355&nseq=0


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## jimhudson (Sep 26, 2010)

So it looks like there was a CCC since there is no diner and it looks like a SSL?Was there such a thing back in the day or did people just eat in the cafe downstairs?


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## had8ley (Sep 26, 2010)

ColdRain&Snow said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Jay,
> ...


Geee... they even posted the correct number boards !!!


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## Trogdor (Sep 26, 2010)

Ryan said:


> The only other Superliner-era picture where you can discern a consist has no baggage car and appears to have 3 sleepers and 3 coaches? This is from 1997, the earlier was from 2001.
> 
> http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=314355&nseq=0


That photo definitely shows a transition sleeper. Given the arrangement of the lounge, then the diner, it looks like the train may have had its regular sleepers on the rear.



jimhudson said:


> So it looks like there was a CCC since there is no diner and it looks like a SSL?Was there such a thing back in the day or did people just eat in the cafe downstairs?


The CCC didn't exist in those days (first CCC prototype was launched around 2006 I believe). Nonetheless, the CCC and the diner look the same from the outside (CCCs are converted dining cars). That said, both photos have dining cars in them (the dining car is the Superliner with a couple of "missing" windows in the middle of the car).


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## AlanB (Sep 27, 2010)

When I did the Cardinal back in 2000 it ran with only 1 sleeper and the crew used revenue rooms. There was no Trans/Dorm in the consist. It also had a diner and SSL, plus a few coaches. Don't recall how many now.


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## Guest (Sep 27, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> Finally our SCA, Ashely( whom was on her last trip before maternity leave!)
> 
> put a sign on the vestibule door CREW and ONLY PASSENGERS TICKETED TO THIS CAR PLEASE!!
> 
> Evidntly the slacker SCAs that are known to work this train were in action in the other 2 sleepers! (the Denver sleeper was cut out in Denver!)


Sorry, but this is a pet-peeve of mine. :help:

In this case, if the Ashely had a problem with her fellow "slacker" SCA's, then she needs to address this in another manor. A sign like that is putting passengers into the middle of her turf war, and Ashely should *NEVER* being doing that with sleeper passengers.

Hay, for the general case, I have been on enough LD trains in the sleepers, and yea, every once in a while there is a functional problem in one. IMHO, sleeper passengers should be allowed to make use of the resources of the other sleeper cars when the need arises. Turf wars are compatible with First Class service. We are not talking about a coach passenger slipping into a sleeper or transdorm for a few cup of coffee and shower (things a coach passenger did not pay for)!


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## jimhudson (Sep 27, 2010)

Dont think I was clear enough, sorry bro!  I have no problem with pax from other cars with the bathrooms out using the facilities in another car, have had to do it myself! But they were using up all the juice/coffe/ice,taking showers and leaving the bathrooms looking like pig stys. :angry: Ashley also was working a coach clear down the train past the diner and SSL, so she wasnt able to give the service that she felt her FC pax deserved in the Full Transdorm deserved! :help: (There was even pax in the downstairs H room!)


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## NETrainfan (Oct 1, 2010)

Need more info about the Transdorms. Do you know on your ticket if you are in a Transdorm? Are Transdorms on many routes? We will be taking the LSL from Boston to Chicago- will we have a Transdorm? Thanks for any basics about Transdorms.


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## AlanB (Oct 1, 2010)

The Lake Shore will not have a Trans/Dorm, only trains with the bi-level Superliner equipment can have a Trans/Dorm. Basically every route west and south out of Chicago, plus the Capitol Limited and the Auto Train uses Superliner equipment. All routes out of NY do not use Superliner equipment.

One can indeed tell from one's ticket if one was booked into a Trans/Dorm, again assuming that you're on a run where that is even a possibility. If the room number is 16 or higher, then you are in the Trans/Dorm. The regular sleepers are numbered 2-14.


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## NETrainfan (Oct 1, 2010)

Thank you. After the LSL we will be on the SWC round trip and then the CL, so we'll take note of any Transdorms.


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## printman2000 (Oct 3, 2010)

Ryan said:


> The only other Superliner-era picture where you can discern a consist has no baggage car and appears to have 3 sleepers and 3 coaches? This is from 1997, the earlier was from 2001.


Looks to me like it is this order...

P42

Transdorm

Coach

Coach

Coach

Sightseer

Dining Car

Sleeper

Sleeper

When this was taken, I think they were NOT using the transdorm for revenue passengers. It was crew only.


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## Cristobal (Jan 27, 2011)

I just booked a trip on the SWC and got one of the last two remaining roomettes for that date and it is room 18 in car 0340. At first I was a bit hesitant about taking that room (an AGR blackout date kinda forced my hand on the departure date) but after going back and reading the experience that many have had riding in the transdorm I feel that I made the right call. 

Here's another couple transdorm questions that I haven't seen asked yet. Since I don't see any baggage area in the transdorm can I assume that my extra carry-on will have to be stowed in the baggage area of the next sleeper? And my train entry and exit point at any stops is also through the next sleeper?

I'm really looking forward to this trip as part of a week long train vacation beginning and ending at SJC and with a couple of days in CHI thrown in.


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 27, 2011)

:hi: There is a luggage rack downstairs just like the revenue sleepers, since there arent as many paying pax in this car you should have plenty of room! The conductor and other crew hang out in the downstairs "lounge/office", the conductor will open the door downstairs at stops where you are allowed off for a smoke/fresh air break! I enjoy the transdorms, always had good experiences myself!


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## Cristobal (Jan 27, 2011)

jimhudson said:


> :hi: Thers is a luggage rack downstairs just like the revenue sleepers, since there arent as many paying pax in this car you should have plenty of room! The conductor and other crew hang out in the downstairs "lounge/office", the conductor will open the door downstairs at stops where you are allowed off for a smoke/fresh air break! I enjoy the transdorms, always had good experiences myself!


Cool. Thanks!

I was under the impression that the lower level was 'crew only' and that revenue pax weren't supposed to go past a certain point in the upper level. I guess that I could've just waited to have it all explained to me when I board but I always like to kinda know what to expect ahead of time.


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## the_traveler (Jan 27, 2011)

The first photo posted by Ryan could not have been the Cardinal! Until recently, it did not carry a baggage car, and AFAIK it never did when it was a Superliner train!





I only have been in the trans-dorm once, between CHI and STL. It was not bad - except for this guy across the hall from us - right Alan?


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## Ryan (Jan 27, 2011)

That's definitely CVS, and it ain't the Crescent!


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 27, 2011)

Cristobal said:


> I was under the impression that the lower level was 'crew only' and that revenue pax weren't supposed to go past a certain point in the upper level. I guess that I could've just waited to have it all explained to me when I board but I always like to kinda know what to expect ahead of time.


I recently stayed in a transition dorm when I booked the last roomette to Chicago a few hours before departure. If you want to store or access your baggage on the bottom level or take a shower down there or get off at the next stop you're still free to do so, just as with any other sleeper car. There will be a crew lounge or storage area down there but it's not terribly interesting in and of itself. There is a divider on the upper level that separates the revenue compartments from the staff area. If you're curious about the rest of the car I would suggest you ask your SCA if they'd be able to show you around rather than doing any snooping on your own.


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## Mackensen (Jan 27, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> The first photo posted by Ryan could not have been the Cardinal! Until recently, it did not carry a baggage car, and AFAIK it never did when it was a Superliner train!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


According to the October 2000 timetable the Cardinal *did* have a baggage car, but it certainly didn't have it for very long!


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## printman2000 (Jan 27, 2011)

According to the October 2000 timetable the Cardinal *did* have a baggage car, but it certainly didn't have it for very long!

Well, they probably used a baggage/coach car (like the current Texas Eagle). I do not think it ran with a standalone baggage car.


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## Ryan (Jan 27, 2011)

The photo posted above suggests that it did at least once.


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## TVRM610 (Jan 28, 2011)

I don't understand people's complaints about the trans-dorm. If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.

I was in the dorm car of the Capitol this Summer, and got some of the best service from an SCA ever (go Nathan!). Likewise.. my attendant on the Silver Meteor, in a revenue car was lousy. It makes no difference what car your in.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 28, 2011)

TVRM610 said:


> If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great [good] SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than [then] you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there [their] job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your [you're] in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.


I couldn't agree more. At least after I made a few minor corrections.


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## Tony (Jan 28, 2011)

TVRM610 said:


> I don't understand people's complaints about the trans-dorm. If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.


I thought that the transdorm doesn't have an SCA? If you are in the transdorm, you had to "borrow" the services of the SCA from another car (and they either liked or hated the extra work load).

Is that wrong?


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 28, 2011)

Tony said:


> I thought that the transdorm doesn't have an SCA? If you are in the transdorm, you had to "borrow" the services of the SCA from another car (and they either liked or hated the extra work load). Is that wrong?


In my case we had our own SCA so far as I could tell. However, you can have staff with shared duties in _any_ given car depending on the situation. Maybe more employees than usual called in sick or quit or got stuck on their way to work. In any of those cases you might leave with fewer staff than the consist originally called for and the additional duties will have to be shared among the staff that did make it.


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## TVRM610 (Jan 28, 2011)

daxomni said:


> TVRM610 said:
> 
> 
> > If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great [good] SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than [then] you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there [their] job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your [you're] in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.
> ...


Hey! Who called the spelling police? haha. :hi:


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## the_traveler (Jan 28, 2011)

TVRM610 said:


> Hey! Who called the spelling police? haha. :hi:


For your punishment, I sentence you to 3-4 (weeks) riding trains!


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## D T Nelson (Jan 28, 2011)

Tony said:


> TVRM610 said:
> 
> 
> > I don't understand people's complaints about the trans-dorm. If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.
> ...


The one time I rode in the transdorm, the SCA covered the transdorm and the sleeping car immediately aft of the transdorm. It was not a "borrowing" situation, those were his two assigned cars. And since it was the Empire Builder and the SCA was Gul, I got better service from him than I ever have from any other SCA; he was much more attentive than any SCA covering one car.


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## TVRM610 (Jan 28, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> TVRM610 said:
> 
> 
> > Hey! Who called the spelling police? haha. :hi:
> ...


wel dern, i'lll jus hve ta miss-spall morre oftan.

haha.

on topic... D T Nelson made a great point to those who don't know.. the trans-dorm has an attendant, it's just the same attendant that also has a whole sleeper as well. When you get an attendant like Gul on the Empire Builder or Nathan on the Capitol Limited... your in good hands. If you get a lousy attendant, well then it's just no good. But you'd be no better off if you were in that lousy attendants regular car either. (if that makes any sense).


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## had8ley (Jan 29, 2011)

Ryan said:


> No chance. No revenue bedrooms in the dorm, just roomettes.


Tecnically speaking there *are *bedrooms in some of the dorms. There are H rooms in quite a few but are not inventoried for sale and only used in tight situations such as a bad order revenue sleeper.


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## Ryan (Jan 29, 2011)

Absolutely correct - "No chance" referred to the OP asking about bedroom "B". If he were to have been asking about an "H" room, I would have gone the path of your answer.


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## PaulM (Jan 31, 2011)

had8ley said:


> IIRC Alan, there were one or two trans-dorms in the dead line at Beech Grove. Did they get a shot of stimulus money ???


I was on the CZ recently and 4 cars - transdorm, sleeper, SSL, and coach - had the TIGER logo, which I presume indicated stimulus money.


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## Trogdor (Jan 31, 2011)

PaulM said:


> had8ley said:
> 
> 
> > IIRC Alan, there were one or two trans-dorms in the dead line at Beech Grove. Did they get a shot of stimulus money ???
> ...


A bunch of cars are being refurbished with stimulus money. Not everything with the TIGER sticker necessarily came from the dead line.


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## AlanB (Feb 1, 2011)

Mackensen said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > The first photo posted by Ryan could not have been the Cardinal! Until recently, it did not carry a baggage car, and AFAIK it never did when it was a Superliner train!
> ...


I rode the Cardinal in July of 2000 and I can assure you that it didn't have a separate baggage car. I had a bedroom on that train and could like out right over the engine as there was no Trans/Dorm and no bag.

I don't recall if we had a bag/coach however.


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## Cristian (Feb 1, 2011)

D T Nelson said:


> The one time I rode in the transdorm, the SCA covered the transdorm and the sleeping car immediately aft of the transdorm. It was not a "borrowing" situation, those were his two assigned cars. And since it was the Empire Builder and the SCA was Gul, I got better service from him than I ever have from any other SCA; he was much more attentive than any SCA covering one car.


I had Gul on my last week's EB from CHI to SEA, and I couldn't agree more, he is one of THE best SCA I've ever had.


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