# Auto Train Consist Report - round trip October 2020



## JimPhD (Oct 29, 2020)

Here is a trainset/consist report from a roundtrip
on Amtrak's Auto Train during October 2020.

The southbound train is train number 53.
The northbound train is train number 52.

Alas, no guarantee of perfection is offered for the
information I recorded and reported here.

Considering Coronavirus concerns and this writer's
personal preference, dinners were delivered to the 
bedroom. Therefore nothing to report about the dining
experience in the diner. The food was edible, and 
certainly adequate, although it is obviously prepared well
ahead of time and kept warm. Don't expect wonderfully
fresh vegetables on board a train. Each dinner comes with
one complimentary glass of wine.

The lounge cars had every other table marked off as 
unavailable or off-limits, again per Coronavirus concerns.
Every time I lounged in the lounge cars, they were 
notoriously quiet. I tend to read in there, so quiet is
OK by me, but noteworthy.

The southbound train was full. The northbound train was 
about half full - half empty. Normal for this time of year
(fall) when most people want southern warmth, not northern
cold.

The northbound train arrived at Lorton more than an hour 
early. I think it rolled in about 7:40 am. The Lorton people were
not ready to receive the train. Heck, most of 'em weren't 
even at work yet. So the train sat and we watched the 
employees arrive into the employee parking lot. I was lucky
enough to get priority vehicle unloading on this trip. My
car was third off the train. I was driving north on I-95 by
8:25 am. That's a record for me.

Here follows the consist car order and car numbers. With
the exception of the change of the sleeper diner car over the 
weekend between my southbound and northbound trains, I had exactly the same
consist! Makes sense -- my dates were odd then even, only three
days apart, so the same consist (with the noted diner change) 
was still in service and I got the same one both ways!

The "Deluxe Superliner Sleeper" cars, including
32502, 32504, and 32505 vary from
the other sleepers in the following way. The conventional
superliner sleeper has ten roomettes and five bedrooms
upstairs. The deluxe superliner sleeper has ten bedrooms
(and no roomettes) upstairs. They are identical downstairs.

The four-digit car numbers, below, beginning with either
52 or 53 are how they are known for reservations,
ticketing, and boarding. These are assigned based
on which cars are at which positions in the consist.

The five-digit numbers, below, beginning with '3' are the
physical numbers painted on the hardware. Presumably,
these numbers don't change.

North End (motors northbound; car carriers southbound)
32075 Crew dormitory
32114 5345/5245 Sleeper
32092 5343/5243 Sleeper
32502 5341/5241 Deluxe Sleeper
33102 Lounge

Southbound sleeper diner: 38053
(Note the change of diner car over a weekend)
Northbound sleeper diner: 38047

32505 5340/5240 Deluxe Sleeper
32073 5342/5242 Sleeper
32080 5344/5244 Sleeper
32089 5346/5246 Sleeper
34119 5310/5210 Coach
34124 5311/5211 Coach
34129 5312/5212 Coach
37002 Coach diner-lounge
South End (motors southbound; car carriers northbound)


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## Palmland (Nov 11, 2020)

Thanks for the A-T update. Glad to see it was well used. Amtrak was certainly right in keeping it daily. How many other trains would benefit from expanded consists if not return to daily operation.

How was on board service?


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## JimPhD (Nov 11, 2020)

Onboard service was on par with previous Auto Train trips, as far as I can tell. The southbound car attendant was a bit chattier than the northbound guy, but that's just personalities. Service offered and delivered was identical both directions. In both cases, the car attendant brought dinner to my bedroom promptly at the scheduled time, and took care of the bed transformation. I didn't ask much else, so not much else to report! I never set foot in the diner, and the lounge cars were very quiet, so the snack bar attendants were consequently not busy at all.


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## Ferroequinologist (Nov 13, 2020)

JimPhD said:


> Onboard service was on par with previous Auto Train trips, as far as I can tell. The southbound car attendant was a bit chattier than the northbound guy, but that's just personalities. Service offered and delivered was identical both directions. In both cases, the car attendant brought dinner to my bedroom promptly at the scheduled time, and took care of the bed transformation. I didn't ask much else, so not much else to report! I never set foot in the diner, and the lounge cars were very quiet, so the snack bar attendants were consequently not busy at all.



how was room temp in sleeper? too warm?


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## Ollie12 (Nov 13, 2020)

Thank you for sharing! It's great to hear the trip went well and the train was busy!!


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## JimPhD (Nov 14, 2020)

Ferroequinologist said:


> how was room temp in sleeper? too warm?


The room was not too warm. It was quite comfortable for me.


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## Ferroequinologist (Nov 14, 2020)

JimPhD said:


> The room was not too warm. It was quite comfortable for me.



Good. I like it around 68F. It's often too warm for me, worse in winter when the heat is on.


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## seawatch98 (Nov 15, 2020)

JimPhD said:


> Here is a trainset/consist report from a roundtrip
> on Amtrak's Auto Train during October 2020.
> 
> The southbound train is train number 53.
> ...


What is the difference between the sleeper and the deluxe sleeper?


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## RichieRich (Nov 15, 2020)

seawatch98 said:


> What is the difference between the sleeper and the deluxe sleeper?


The Sleeper has half Bedrooms and half Sleeperettes on the upper level. The Deluxe has all bedrooms on the upper level.


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## railiner (Nov 15, 2020)

RichieRich said:


> The Sleeper has half Bedrooms and half Sleeperettes on the upper level. The Deluxe has all bedrooms on the upper level.


Are you trying to rename Roomette’s?

I still think of them as Economy Bedrooms, their original name, until Amtrak renamed them...


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## RichieRich (Nov 15, 2020)

railiner said:


> Are you trying to rename Roomette’s?


OK...it's a "Roomette".


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## gwolfdog (Nov 16, 2020)

JimPhD said:


> Here is a trainset/consist report from a roundtrip
> on Amtrak's Auto Train during October 2020.
> 
> The southbound train is train number 53.
> ...


One trip on Auto Train 12/19. Brought my WC on and occupied a WC Roomette. OK for myself but never want to see my wife, with her own Health Issues have to struggle getting into upper bunk, again. Would leaving WC in van and using Amtrak Transport Chair make a Bedroom feasible? Are there first Level Bedrooms? We didn't leave Roomette. Meals are meals. How were the stations? Masks, probably little chance for distancing. Any tips? Probably go down 1/2, if all the Moons align. Thanks


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## railiner (Nov 16, 2020)

gwolfdog said:


> One trip on Auto Train 12/19. Brought my WC on and occupied a WC Roomette. OK for myself but never want to see my wife, with her own Health Issues have to struggle getting into upper bunk, again. Would leaving WC in van and using Amtrak Transport Chair make a Bedroom feasible? Are there first Level Bedrooms? We didn't leave Roomette. Meals are meals. How were the stations? Masks, probably little chance for distancing. Any tips? Probably go down 1/2, if all the Moons align. Thanks


For the price of Bedroom, you might be able to book two Roomettes, opposite each other on lower level, as an alternative...


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## joelkfla (Nov 16, 2020)

gwolfdog said:


> One trip on Auto Train 12/19. Brought my WC on and occupied a WC Roomette. OK for myself but never want to see my wife, with her own Health Issues have to struggle getting into upper bunk, again. Would leaving WC in van and using Amtrak Transport Chair make a Bedroom feasible? Are there first Level Bedrooms? We didn't leave Roomette. Meals are meals. How were the stations? Masks, probably little chance for distancing. Any tips? Probably go down 1/2, if all the Moons align. Thanks


Bedrooms are all on the upper level, and they also have an upper & lower bunk, not 2 lowers. The Family Bedroom is on the lower level and has 2 uppers & 2 lowers, but one of each is child-sized. It's considerably more expensive, and can be hard to get.


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## Bob Dylan (Nov 16, 2020)

joelkfla said:


> Bedrooms are all on the upper level, and they also have an upper & lower bunk, not 2 lowers. The Family Bedroom is on the lower level and has 2 uppers & 2 lowers, but one of each is child-sized. It's considerably more expensive, and can be hard to get.


It depends on the Buckets in effect for the Trip, I've had the Family Bedroom ( and the H Room too) for Less than a High Bucket Roomette..


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## gwolfdog (Nov 16, 2020)

"there's no such thing as a stupid question" What's a Bucket?


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## Bob Dylan (Nov 16, 2020)

The various levels of Rail Fares and Accommodation Charges that Amtrak has are referred to as "Buckets".

Supply and Demand as determined by a Super Secret Algorithm are used by the Wizards to determine the Fares and Charges.


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## jpakala (Nov 17, 2020)

Be aware that only the single-level Viewliner cars have lavatory & toiler facilities in all rooms (although the new ones will have only the sink). Superliner bedrooms have them but no roomettes and not the family room either, and the handicap bedroom has only a curtain compared to a sizeable bathroom (inlcluding shower) in the Viewliner, and the berths are narrow and the upper has no ladder (unlike the Viewliner).


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## Barb Stout (Nov 17, 2020)

gwolfdog said:


> One trip on Auto Train 12/19. Brought my WC on and occupied a WC Roomette. OK for myself but never want to see my wife, with her own Health Issues have to struggle getting into upper bunk, again. Would leaving WC in van and using Amtrak Transport Chair make a Bedroom feasible? Are there first Level Bedrooms? We didn't leave Roomette. Meals are meals. How were the stations? Masks, probably little chance for distancing. Any tips? Probably go down 1/2, if all the Moons align. Thanks


Doesn't the Auto Train have the H room?


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## Dakota 400 (Nov 17, 2020)

Barb Stout said:


> Doesn't the Auto Train have the H room?



Yes, the sleepers do have the H room.


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## gwolfdog (Nov 17, 2020)

We had a WC roomette if that's the H room (PC Correct?), we stuffed my Electric WC in it, then danced around it when nature called. Upper Bunk not suitable for either myself or wife at this time, with Health and Age. Looking for comfortable AT solution, if it exists.


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## joelkfla (Nov 17, 2020)

gwolfdog said:


> We had a WC roomette if that's the H room (PC Correct?), we stuffed my Electric WC in it, then danced around it when nature called. Upper Bunk not suitable for either myself or wife at this time, with Health and Age. Looking for comfortable AT solution, if it exists.


It's actually called the Accessible Bedroom, or *H*andicapped Bedroom in less PC times. 

Roomettes are the half-width cabins with an upper and lower berth which take up virtually the entire space when deployed. They leave barely enough room to stand up with the door closed.


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