# City of New Orleans Tips?



## TrainGuest (Jan 3, 2022)

We are taking our first overnight trip on the CONO soon, and wondering if anyone here has recent experience traveling on it, and advice to share. We will be in a bedroom. Thanks.


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## Todd (Jan 3, 2022)

I'll be doing CONO in a few months and have read up extensively here...I'll also be in a bedroom...

1. You don't get traditional dining, it will be flexible dining...which unfortunately means microwave meals...decent but not great...
2. The bedroom gives you a lot of room, even with 2, as opposed to roomette...
3, Bring earplugs, duct/gaffer tape, and a power strip/extension cord...
4. Bring books or have downloaded movies, because wi-fi is almost non-existent...cell service is spotty...


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## AmtrakRoometter (Jan 5, 2022)

I've done roomettes a lot and am curious about the duct/gaffer tape...??


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## Rasputin (Jan 5, 2022)

AmtrakRoometter said:


> I've done roomettes a lot and am curious about the duct/gaffer tape...??


Many long-time Amtrak sleeping car passengers swear that you need to carry duct tape, etc. so you can put tape on parts of the room that may be rattling and causing noise. In response I carried duct tape on a number of trips but never found that I had to use it. So I gave up on it and no longer carry it.
On another issue, the CONO has the roughest track in the Amtrak system.


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## me_little_me (Jan 6, 2022)

AmtrakRoometter said:


> I've done roomettes a lot and am curious about the duct/gaffer tape...??


I brought gaffers tape on my last trip and was so thankful for it!

On the Zephyr family car, I ran my extension cord from outlet to over the "closet" door and down the other side where I had left the bench seat's table down for my CPAP and cell phone. Tape fixed that.

On the Zephyr return in a BR, I ran it from outlet up to ceiling and across to my upper bunk for the CPAP on the inner corner of my bed. Tape fixed that.

On the Cardinal outgoing and returning, we had roomettes across from each other because of outrageous and unavailable bedrooms respectively. She was concerned that if I locked my door and had a diabetic seizure, it would take too long to get to me. I was concerned with leaving it unlocked as I'd be asleep with a door that could swing open and shut on its own with the rocking and rolling. So I put some tape on the inside of the door to hold it closed and unlocked but made it long enough to keep door open no more than about 1/2 inch of space rather than fully closed. Enough for a conductor to get fingers in and rip door open or for her to push or cut tape away with anything that would fit that gap.

Now some gaffer's tape wrapped on a dowel from my GIANT 4" reel of it goes with me on every trip, whether for a hotel, on a train, on a cruise - you name it. 

After all, you can never be sure it won't be needed if the wing starts separating from the fuselage on the plane!


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## Dakota 400 (Jan 6, 2022)

Rasputin said:


> I carried duct tape on a number of trips but never found that I had to use it.



I usually have a roll of duct tape with me, but have never needed it when riding a train. I have used it for a variety of other needs at times, like when the top of a walking shoe began to separate from the sole, repairing a slit in a piece of luggage, etc.


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## MARC Rider (Jan 6, 2022)

Todd said:


> I'll be doing CONO in a few months and have read up extensively here...I'll also be in a bedroom..
> 3, Bring earplugs, duct/gaffer tape, and a power strip/extension cord...


I know a lot of people recommend these items, but the only one I've ever really found necessary is the power strip.


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## me_little_me (Jan 6, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> I know a lot of people recommend these items, but the only one I've ever really found necessary is the power strip.


What? I can't hear you. Can you repeat that?

I don't need earplugs at all. After the hearing aids are out, the train is so quiet. The engineer doesn't even blow the horn anymore. The cinders still bother me though.


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## Rasputin (Jan 6, 2022)

I have found a sleep mask to be very helpful, especially when traveling in coach overnight but also in a roomette or bedroom as the curtains sometimes do not close completely.


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## Widfara (Aug 6, 2022)

I was in the family bedroom on the CONO a few years ago, and there is a lot of wheel noise, and being right behind the engine, I can testify that there are in excess of 50,000 grade crossings on the route.


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## Asher (Aug 7, 2022)

Take a bottle of wine.


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## marcoloco (Aug 7, 2022)

Widfara said:


> I was in the family bedroom on the CONO a few years ago, and there is a lot of wheel noise, and being right behind the engine, I can testify that there are in excess of 50,000 grade crossings on the route.


It's just one of those things about riding trains. I have traveled 900,000 miles on Amtrak. Sometimes there's wheel noise, sometimes there's not. Don't judge by just one or two trips, hope this helps


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## Rasputin (Aug 7, 2022)

marcoloco said:


> It's just one of those things about riding trains. I have traveled 900,000 miles on Amtrak. Sometimes there's wheel noise, sometimes there's not. Don't judge by just one or two trips, hope this helps


I believe it has been established as a scientific fact that the City of New Orleans has the roughest track in the Amtrak system by far.


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## joelkfla (Aug 7, 2022)

Rasputin said:


> I believe it has been established as a scientific fact that the City of New Orleans has the roughest track in the Amtrak system by far.


I find that hard to believe after trying to sleep on the Silver Star through GA & SC.


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## Rasputin (Aug 7, 2022)

joelkfla said:


> I find that hard to believe after trying to sleep on the Silver Star through GA & SC.


I guess we will have to send over a team with a Rough Trackometer to check out both trains.


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