# Viewliner bedrooms



## kendawgbyrd (Aug 14, 2018)

I'm considering a viewliner bedroom for my trip from Washington DC to Chicago.

But I heard that all that separates the rooms are a paper thin "wall" or patricians that do not block nose well.

The train is noisy enough without having to here peoples conversations or radios or laptop movies.

Can people who have rode in these rooms tell me of their experiences? Am I worrying for nothing?


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 14, 2018)

If you are riding the Cardinal ( only runs 3 times a week)between WAS and CHI, you'll be in a Viewliner Sleeper.

The Card has a Diner Lite (Combo Diner and LoungeCar-Cafe )that serves a Very Limited Menu of Convection Oven warmed meals.Theyre OK, but nothing special.( avoid the French Toast Sticks and Rubber Omelettes!)

Viewliner Bedrooms( there are only 2 plus the Apartment like H Room))are OK, but most of us find the Roomettes to be Great,especially if you're by yourself.

The noise level depends on your neighbors,the condition of the tracks and the placement of the Sleepers( rear is better generally) than up front behind the engine.

I haven't found Bedrooms to be any quieter than Roomette, but ear plugs can help if noise bothers you!And you're supposed to use earphones or buds to use electrical devices.Tell your,attendant or the Conductor if a Neighbor is making too much noise, especially after dark when "Quiet Hours" take effect.(10pm-7am)

If you take the Cap Ltd., it's Daily and is the Fastest route to CHI,plus has,Lower Fares than the Card. It uses Superliner equipment, ( 2 Levels), but recently lost its Diner, "Fresh and Contemporary" Boxed Meals are served.(their are 2 on this Route,Dinner and Breakfast)

Bedrooms on Superliners are Much more comfortable than Roomettes,especially when you're with someone,but can be Much more Expensive Generally.


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## jis (Aug 14, 2018)

Noise level also depends on the location of your room relative to the trucks, and whether the truck has one or more flat wheels or not too






On 98 last Thursday, Penny and I had our Roomettes right on top of a truck with a nasty flat wheel. So we got to enjoy the loud thumpa-thumpa-thumpa-thumpa ... all night while getting shaken to our bones.


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## me_little_me (Aug 14, 2018)

As to sound, many, many sleeper passengers are seniors (like I am) and are very quiet. I have never found a problem with music/movies being played in another room or have had a problem with loud conversations.

I think you are worrying unnecessarily. While there always is a chance of a noisy neighbor, seeking intercession by the sleeping car attendant is always an option.

If you are really that paranoid, take along some earplugs or turn off your hearing aids.

Enjoy your trip and avoid worrying about "what ifs".


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## cpotisch (Aug 14, 2018)

While the partitions aren't super ticket or soundproof, they will cut off almost all normal sounds from the adjacent room. For the most part, I would say that you're worrying for almost nothing. Can you tell us what particular train you're taking or planning on taking?


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## pennyk (Aug 14, 2018)

I agree that it depends on your neighbors, but everytime I have been in a bedroom sharing a sliding wall with another bedroom, I have heard the toilet in the adjoining room flush (at the very least). During my trip last month from Texas, I had Bedroom A, which was much more quiet regarding noise from room B, but it was above the trucks (and fortunately no flat wheel) and the ride was not as smooth as in rooms in the center of the car.


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## JRR (Aug 14, 2018)

kendawgbyrd said:


> I'm considering a viewliner bedroom for my trip from Washington DC to Chicago.
> 
> But I heard that all that separates the rooms are a paper thin "wall" or patricians that do not block nose well.
> 
> ...


I have never ridden in a Viewliner bedroom but we did ride in a bedroom on a Superliner on the CL coming back from Chicago last month.

There was a sliding partition between the room we were in and the next room. Presumably you can book adjoining rooms, open the panel and have a suite.

The panel was a “rattler” so I pulled out one of woven coasters I carry and jammed it in. That cured the rattle! Further, we heard no noise from the other room.

I always carry the coasters for that purpose. I have used them on the doors, partitions and also on the upper bunk in a roomette which also sometimes rattles.


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## JRR (Aug 14, 2018)

me_little_me said:


> As to sound, many, many sleeper passengers are seniors (like I am) and are very quiet. I have never found a problem with music/movies being played in another room or have had a problem with loud conversations.
> 
> I think you are worrying unnecessarily. While there always is a chance of a noisy neighbor, seeking intercession by the sleeping car attendant is always an option.
> 
> ...


Being a “belt & suspender” guy, I turn off my hearing aids and use ear plugs!


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## kendawgbyrd (Aug 14, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> While the partitions aren't super ticket or soundproof, they will cut off almost all normal sounds from the adjacent room. For the most part, I would say that you're worrying for almost nothing. Can you tell us what particular train you're taking or planning on taking?


I was looking at the Cardinal WASH-CHI in November.


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## cpotisch (Aug 14, 2018)

kendawgbyrd said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> > While the partitions aren't super ticket or soundproof, they will cut off almost all normal sounds from the adjacent room. For the most part, I would say that you're worrying for almost nothing. Can you tell us what particular train you're taking or planning on taking?
> ...


Yeah, so you're definitely taking a Viewliner. I just wanted to verify since I think you had gotten Viewliners and Superliners confused in another thread you started several months ago.


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## kendawgleroy (Aug 14, 2018)

Bob Dylan said:


> If you are riding the Cardinal ( only runs 3 times a week)between WAS and CHI, you'll be in a Viewliner Sleeper.
> 
> The Card has a Diner Lite (Combo Diner and LoungeCar-Cafe )that serves a Very Limited Menu of Convection Oven warmed meals.Theyre OK, but nothing special.( avoid the French Toast Sticks and Rubber Omelettes!)
> 
> ...


You mean...there is no dining car service in the Capitol Limited anymore?


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## cpotisch (Aug 14, 2018)

kendawgleroy said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> > If you are riding the Cardinal ( only runs 3 times a week)between WAS and CHI, you'll be in a Viewliner Sleeper.
> ...


As we said in the other thread, table service and hot meals have been replaced by a limited selection of primarily cold boxed meals either brought to your room or picked up yourself in the new "sleeper lounge", which has replaced the diner.


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 14, 2018)

As was said,the NEW Fresh and Contemporary Boxed Meals are served either in your room, ( by request of your SCA)or in the Diner, which is available only to Sleeping Car passengers as a "Lounge".

( Coach passengers and Sleeper pax can still buy junk food in the Cafe)

Sleeping Car Passengers also get One "Free" Alcoholic Drink, Unlimited Soft Drinks and a Cheesy Amenities Kit worth maybe $2.50.


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## cpotisch (Aug 14, 2018)

Bob Dylan said:


> ...and a Cheesy Amenities Kit worth maybe $2.50.


That you're not guaranteed to get anyway!


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## Sauve850 (Aug 14, 2018)

I always stay(ed) in a bedroom, superliner or viewliner. My viewliner trips are Washington to West Palm Beach. Its just luck of the draw but I always seem to get mom, dad and two youngsters on the other side of the partition. They are on their way to Disney



Everyone is excited. Its noisy. And thats ok its just a family having fun. So, I switched a few years ago to a roomette and its been peaceful since.

On superliners I ride in bedroom A when possible and dont have the problem of neighbors or toilet flushing and Im happy. I never travel without ear plugs however.


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## RichieRich (Aug 15, 2018)

Bob Dylan said:


> Sleeping Car Passengers also get One "Free" Alcoholic Drink,


Then come by my room! LOL

Yes...I can hear talking thru the "partition". But what's worse it the loud flushing!!! The wall between the bathrooms is really thin. I hate that big "Woosh" sound! But not in the "A" or "N" end bedrooms that do not connect.


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## jis (Aug 15, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> > ...and a Cheesy Amenities Kit worth maybe $2.50.
> ...


I have built a small stash of them since I have gotten one for all my rides on trains where one is supposed to get it.


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## cpotisch (Aug 15, 2018)

Sauve850 said:


> I always stay(ed) in a bedroom, superliner or viewliner. My viewliner trips are Washington to West Palm Beach. Its just luck of the draw but I always seem to get mom, dad and two youngsters on the other side of the partition.


Well since Viewliners only have two standard Bedrooms, so long as you're in the same car (which will usually be the case), you will by definition end up in the adjacent room with the partition.


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## the_traveler (Aug 15, 2018)

Actually they have more standard bedrooms - those are now called roomettes.

When they first came out, they were called standard bedrooms and deluxe bedrooms. Now those same rooms we know as roommates and bedrooms.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Aug 15, 2018)

I like the roomettes on the Viewliners better than the bedrooms, for several of the reasons mentioned above. If you are by yourself, a roomette is perfect (a tight squeeze for two people, though). And on the Cardinal, which is fairly pricey, the roomette would make even more sense.

As for noise, I doubt that you are going to get the party crowd or noisy children running up and down. I rode it a year ago in a roomette (Alexandria to Chicago, and back again, in the fall), and it was one of the most peaceful trains I've ever been on.

The Cardinal is a nicer choice right now than the Capitol Limited if you like meeting other people and having a nice conversation with your meals. The food is basic but okay, and you still get the feeling of being in a dining car on a train.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Aug 15, 2018)

the_traveler said:


> Actually they have more standard bedrooms - those are now called roomettes.
> 
> When they first came out, they were called standard bedrooms and deluxe bedrooms. Now those same rooms we know as roommates and bedrooms.


I assume that when he wrote "standard bedroom", he was simply differentiating it from the one H-room.


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## cpotisch (Aug 15, 2018)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > Actually they have more standard bedrooms - those are now called roomettes.When they first came out, they were called standard bedrooms and deluxe bedrooms. Now those same rooms we know as roommates and bedrooms.
> ...


Yep. Dead on.


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## zephyr17 (Aug 16, 2018)

They were actually "economy bedrooms" and "deluxe bedrooms" originally. Then for a pretty short period they were "bedrooms" and "deluxe bedrooms", but it quickly became apparent that that was confusing. Then they moved to "roomettes" and "bedrooms" nomenclature which is relatively clear. The use of the term "roomette" for the original "economy bedrooms" is relatively recent in Amtrak history (sometime in the early 2000s, IIRC).

I have a small beef because the historic definition of "roomette" is a private accommodation for one passenger. But I do think it is clearer and am okay with it, since the classic roomette is an accommodation which was specifically designed for single business travelers and private accommodations for single travelers are not coming back. One of the funny things that VIA actually operates real roomettes, but no longer calls them that, having adopted cruise ship terminology of "Cabins", the roomette being a "cabin for 1".


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## ParanoidAndroid (Aug 16, 2018)

zephyr17 said:


> They were actually "economy bedrooms" and "deluxe bedrooms" originally. Then for a pretty short period they were "bedrooms" and "deluxe bedrooms", but it quickly became apparent that that was confusing. Then they moved to "roomettes" and "bedrooms" nomenclature which is relatively clear. The use of the term "roomette" for the original "economy bedrooms" is relatively recent in Amtrak history (sometime in the early 2000s, IIRC).
> 
> I have a small beef because the historic definition of "roomette" is a private accommodation for one passenger. But I do think it is clearer and am okay with it, since the classic roomette is an accommodation which was specifically designed for single business travelers and private accommodations for single travelers are not coming back. One of the funny things that VIA actually operates real roomettes, but no longer calls them that, having adopted cruise ship terminology of "Cabins", the roomette being a "cabin for 1".


I assume business travelers aren't traveling on the Canadian any time soon


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## zephyr17 (Aug 16, 2018)

Yes, but the Canadian uses equipment from that era (1955) so the sleeping cars have a relatively a lot of roomettes and sections and fewer bedrooms than would be ideal now. It had good expense account business travel trade when the equipment was originally put into service (and a significantly faster schedule).


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