# Trans-Dorm Configuration



## manchacrr (Feb 25, 2010)

I am traveling in room 19, car 5909, on the CONO from CHI-HMD on March 31. I know that this room is in the trans-dorm. Is there any place that has a diagram of the trans-dorm? Where in the trans-dorm is this room?


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## dlagrua (Feb 25, 2010)

trainman668 said:


> I am traveling in room 19, car 5909, on the CONO from CHI-HMD on March 31. I know that this room is in the trans-dorm. Is there any place that has a diagram of the trans-dorm? Where in the trans-dorm is this room?


I've only explored a trans-dorm car once but never stayed in one. The one that I explored had about 20 roomettes and no bedrooms. Are you sure that you have a bedroom? The trans dorm did not seem as well maintained as the standard sleeper coaches as the crew stays in them. Judging from the room number I would guess that you may be near one end of the car.


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## AlanB (Feb 25, 2010)

Room #19 will be the first roomette on the left after walking into the Trans/Dorm. Depending on which variation of the Trans/Dorm you get, there will most likely be an office on your left immediately after walking into the car and the bathroom/shower will on your right. Next on the right is room #18 and as already mentioned, your room would be opposite that on the left.

The Trans/Dorm is always the first passenger car on the train, behind the baggage car if there is one. So you would have to walk through the regular sleeper to reach the Trans/Dorm as well as the rest of the train.

There used to be a online diagram, but the last time I tired the link it was broken.


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## printman2000 (Feb 25, 2010)

Here you go...












Course, this is the version with the H room.


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## printman2000 (Feb 25, 2010)

AlanB said:


> Room #19 will be the first roomette on the left after walking into the Trans/Dorm.


Looks like it is the second room on the left after the office.


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## Shanghai (Feb 25, 2010)

I was in Roomette #19 last year either on the Texas Eagle or California Zephyr.

I liked it and the bathroom had a shower inside. I'd take that room any day!!


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## Acela150 (Feb 25, 2010)

Why is the 15 highlighted?

Steve


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## MrFSS (Feb 25, 2010)

Acela150 said:


> Why is the 15 highlighted?
> Steve


Its an office.


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## battalion51 (Feb 25, 2010)

MrFSS said:


> Acela150 said:
> 
> 
> > Why is the 15 highlighted?
> ...


IIRC the office is down on the "low end" right next to rooms 7 and 8 with the door being right before the stairwell.

In the downstairs are with the booths on the 39000-39002 there are six booths rather than having the captains chairs. All three cars are allocated to Auto Train.


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## AlanB (Feb 25, 2010)

battalion51 said:


> MrFSS said:
> 
> 
> > Acela150 said:
> ...


15 is indeed an office, in my few trips in the dorm, I've not seen it used as such. The conductors usually setup downstairs where they can be together and have more room. Frankly all I've ever seen in 15 is dirty linen and sometimes supplies like the bottled water handed out by the attendants.


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## Tony (Feb 25, 2010)

Are passengers allowed downstairs at all?


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## Ispolkom (Feb 25, 2010)

Tony said:


> Are passengers allowed downstairs at all?


When I've been in the transdorm, I've wandered down there. There was nobody to stop me, but on the other hand there was no sign saying "Passengers Stay Upstairs."


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## AlanB (Feb 25, 2010)

Ispolkom said:


> Tony said:
> 
> 
> > Are passengers allowed downstairs at all?
> ...


Actually it depends on a couple of things.

First, if you get one of the few cars that does not have an H-room downstairs, then passengers are always allowed downstairs, as that's where the showers are.

Second, if you do get one of the cars that do have the H-room, then passengers are discouraged from being downstairs. However, if the H-room is in use, then obviously passengers have to be allowed downstairs.


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## manchacrr (Feb 25, 2010)

printman2000 said:


> Here you go...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the diagram! I've never stayed in the trans-dorm before.


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## GG-1 (Feb 26, 2010)

trainman668 said:


> printman2000 said:
> 
> 
> > Here you go...
> ...


Aloha

What are the 2 red lines showing? Also is the Grey area across from the stairs the baggage area, or something different in this car?

Mahalo

Eric


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## zephyr17 (Feb 26, 2010)

GG-1 said:


> trainman668 said:
> 
> 
> > printman2000 said:
> ...


It was the standard baggage rack in the trans-dorm I was in on the CONO in October.


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## Tony (Feb 26, 2010)

AlanB said:


> ... , then passengers are always allowed downstairs, as that's where the showers are.


Oh, I thought the small "room" off each of the two toilets upstairs, was a shower???


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## AlanB (Feb 26, 2010)

Tony said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > ... , then passengers are always allowed downstairs, as that's where the showers are.
> ...


It depends on which configuration of the Trans/Dorm you get. If you get the one pictured above, then yes the toilet you see opposite room 15 does indeed have a shower off to the left in that picture. It's the side that has no door to the hallway.

However, if you get the Trans/Dorm configuration that has no H-room downstairs, then that bathroom/shower combo shown in the above picture does not exist. Both the bathroom and the shower are missing in that configuration. It's been a while since I was in that car, but IIRC, they are replaced with roomette #16.


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## railiner (Feb 26, 2010)

I haven't been in any of the Superliner transdorm configurations, but I've enjoyed many trips between Denver and Chicago in the old Hi-level transdorm-coaches. Are any of those still in operation?


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## printman2000 (Feb 26, 2010)

GG-1 said:


> What are the 2 red lines showing?
> Mahalo
> 
> Eric


These are scans from a Superliner safety card. I cannot seem to find it right now to see what those red lines are, but I am sure they are pointing out some safety feature. Perhaps locations of fire extinguishers?


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## Ryan (Feb 26, 2010)

railiner said:


> I haven't been in any of the Superliner transdorm configurations, but I've enjoyed many trips between Denver and Chicago in the old Hi-level transdorm-coaches. Are any of those still in operation?


Not with Amtrak, no. Not sure if they're running anywhere else (I doubt it).


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## amtrakwolverine (Feb 26, 2010)

The only hi-Levels in use with Amtrak are the PPC(pacific parlor car) which are the old hi-level lounge sight seers.


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 26, 2010)

Ryan said:


> railiner said:
> 
> 
> > I haven't been in any of the Superliner transdorm configurations, but I've enjoyed many trips between Denver and Chicago in the old Hi-level transdorm-coaches. Are any of those still in operation?
> ...


IINM the Heartland Flyer has a couple of these old coaches that they use on the OKC-FTW run. I was on the TE to CHI when we deadheaded a couple of them going North to be rehabbed according to the OBS on my train?? :unsure:


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## railiner (Feb 26, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> Ryan said:
> 
> 
> > railiner said:
> ...


Do you mean Hi-level coaches or Hi-level transdorms? I'm guessing coach since what need would the Flyer have for a transdorm?


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 26, 2010)

Yeah, they were coaches, I was responding to Amtrakwolverines post about PPCs on the CS being the only Hi-Level cars left on Amtrak, sorry for the confusion, I havent been on a train in over a week! :blink:  :lol:


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## railiner (Feb 26, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> Yeah, they were coaches, I was responding to Amtrakwolverines post about PPCs on the CS being the only Hi-Level cars left on Amtrak, sorry for the confusion, I havent been on a train in over a week! :blink:  :lol:


No problem. I would enjoy riding those also, especially if they still have the original Karpen seats in them.

I haven't been on a train for a whole lot longer....maybe 10 years. 

unless you count the"E" Train, that is.... :lol:


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## Green Maned Lion (Feb 26, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> Yeah, they were coaches, I was responding to Amtrakwolverines post about PPCs on the CS being the only Hi-Level cars left on Amtrak, sorry for the confusion, I havent been on a train in over a week! :blink:  :lol:


They were retired some time ago, although the why of it eludes me. I'm pretty sure they were re-equipped with retention tanks. Perhaps they wore out.


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## AlanB (Feb 26, 2010)

Green Maned Lion said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah, they were coaches, I was responding to Amtrakwolverines post about PPCs on the CS being the only Hi-Level cars left on Amtrak, sorry for the confusion, I havent been on a train in over a week! :blink:  :lol:
> ...


Correct, they were retired in 2007. I don't recall whey they were stricken from the roster, but I suspect that it had more to do with the fact that it was just one more odd car in the shop that had no special purpose that couldn't already be provided via the Superliner equipment coupled with their age and the ability to get parts for them.


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## Green Maned Lion (Feb 26, 2010)

Its not like Amtrak has an overabundance of Superliner coaches.


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## railiner (Feb 26, 2010)

Green Maned Lion said:


> Its not like Amtrak has an overabundance of Superliner coaches.


That's for sure. And with their durable Budd construction, the Hi-Levels could last for a long time to come with minimal maintenance. And for a fraction of the cost of new cars, could be totally modernized with current components.


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## oldtimer (Feb 27, 2010)

railiner said:


> And with their durable Budd construction, the Hi-Levels could last for a long time to come with minimal maintenance. And for a fraction of the cost of new cars, could be totally modernized with current components.


I am retired from Amtrak with 36 years in the mechanical department and let me tell you from experience that the Ex SF Hi-level were maintenance head aches in many ways. Add to that the fact that the parts to repair these cars were very rare to come by. If they were airplanes they would be called "Hanger Queens".

 :angry:


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## railiner (Feb 27, 2010)

oldtimer2 said:


> railiner said:
> 
> 
> > And with their durable Budd construction, the Hi-Levels could last for a long time to come with minimal maintenance. And for a fraction of the cost of new cars, could be totally modernized with current components.
> ...


I am surprised to hear that. Obviously you must know a lot more about these cars than I do. I thought that when they were converted to head-end power, and had their 'enginators' removed, they were pretty reliable. Their stainless steel construction looked pretty solid.

What were the issues with these cars?

As for rare parts.....I would think that the kind of parts that wear out could be replaced by entirely modernized components that are readily available?


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