# Microwave and hot water



## lteak (Jul 23, 2012)

Is there a microwave one can use to reheat something I bring? Is there drinking water available? I've ridden once before and I seem to recall that there is water available to fill a cup or glass. I don't recall if there's a microwave. I know there is one in the cafe but I'd suppose the attendant wouldn't want to bother with reheating something.


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## EB_OBS (Jul 23, 2012)

lteak said:


> Is there a microwave one can use to reheat something I bring? Is there drinking water available? I've ridden once before and I seem to recall that there is water available to fill a cup or glass. I don't recall if there's a microwave. I know there is one in the cafe but I'd suppose the attendant wouldn't want to bother with reheating something.


There is drinking water available on all trains that I'm aware of as well as bottle water sold in the lounge car. Some lounge cars have a coffee maker that also dispenses hot water however many don't.

FDA and Amtrak regulations prevent employees from allowing anyone to use the microwave for anything other than an Amtrak product purchased on-board.


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## lteak (Jul 23, 2012)

EB_OBS said:


> lteak said:
> 
> 
> > Is there a microwave one can use to reheat something I bring? Is there drinking water available? I've ridden once before and I seem to recall that there is water available to fill a cup or glass. I don't recall if there's a microwave. I know there is one in the cafe but I'd suppose the attendant wouldn't want to bother with reheating something.
> ...


Thanks!


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## the_traveler (Jul 23, 2012)

If you are in a sleeping car, there is usually a hot water spigot (for like tea and hot chocolate) on the coffee machine!


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## pennyk (Jul 23, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> If you are in a sleeping car, there is usually a hot water spigot (for like tea and hot chocolate) on the coffee machine!


Most of the coffee makers with spigots have been replaced with dedicated coffee makers. It has been quite a while since I have seen a hot water spigot that works - and I have been looking since I am a tea drinker.


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## Bob Dylan (Jul 23, 2012)

pennyk said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > If you are in a sleeping car, there is usually a hot water spigot (for like tea and hot chocolate) on the coffee machine!
> ...


True on the Viewliners Penny, but the Superliner Sleepers still have the Coffee Makers with Hot Water available! Also, a couple of Posters have mentioned that @ night on the Viewliners the Cafe or Diner have the Coffee maker on for the Conductors use during the night, your SCA should be able to let you know if thats the case on your Trains!


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## VentureForth (Jul 23, 2012)

Hi lteak,

As mentioned, they won't let anyone microwave your stuff for you. And, I believe that hot water is a thing of the past, as mentioned. Perhaps in the sleepers, it can be available, but I don't think you can even buy hot water in the cafe. I don't recall if they serve tea or not. A very risky solution is to perhaps bring a water boiler onboard with you and plug it in the lounge. You may get some bad feedback from OBS crew, though.


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## fairviewroad (Jul 23, 2012)

I did a round-trip on the EB last month in sleeper and neither of the coffee-makers on our cars had the hot water

option. (Unfortunately they sometimes did not have a hot coffee option either, but that was a personnel issue, not an

issue with the machine.)

However, Mrs. fairviewroad goes through a thermos of hot water each morning and we have never had a problem

getting that whether in coach or in sleeper. In coach we go to the cafe and just ask. There's no charge, but I usually

leave a tip, especially if we are going to be making the same request the next morning. In sleeper, I just go to the

dining car and ask. We usually wait until breakfast is over or winding down, and it's never been a problem. I expect

you could simply ask your sleeping car attendant but sometimes it's just easier to go get something yourself.


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## alanh (Jul 23, 2012)

I haven't actually seen hot water in the Superliner sleepers -- in my experience, they've got the old coffee urns that make coffee from ground coffee. The Douwe Egberts coffee dispensers (that mix a coffee syrup with hot water) are the ones with the hot water spigots.


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## AlanB (Jul 23, 2012)

alanh said:


> The Douwe Egberts coffee dispensers (that mix a coffee syrup with hot water) are the ones with the hot water spigots.


And they're going bye-bye, if they're not already gone.


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 24, 2012)

jimhudson said:


> True on the Viewliners Penny, but the Superliner Sleepers still have the Coffee Makers with Hot Water available! Also, a couple of Posters have mentioned that @ night on the Viewliners the Cafe or Diner have the Coffee maker on for the Conductors use during the night, your SCA should be able to let you know if thats the case on your Trains!


Do my eyes deceive me? A jimhudson post not rendered virtually unreadable by legions of smileys?? Will wonders never cease??? How refreshing!!


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## PerRock (Jul 24, 2012)

VentureForth said:


> but I don't think you can even buy hot water in the cafe. I don't recall if they serve tea or not.


Last time I was on board one could still buy (Lipton or Red Rose) Tea in the Cafe Cars. When you order it you get a cup of hot water with a tea bag in it, so one could conceivably order a cup of tea but hold the tea.

peter


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## Bob Dylan (Jul 24, 2012)

WhoozOn1st said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > True on the Viewliners Penny, but the Superliner Sleepers still have the Coffee Makers with Hot Water available! Also, a couple of Posters have mentioned that @ night on the Viewliners the Cafe or Diner have the Coffee maker on for the Conductors use during the night, your SCA should be able to let you know if thats the case on your Trains!
> ...


So how are things on the wrong Coast Patrick? :lol: I hope to be smiling when I visit Beautiful California in a couple of weeks, both SOCAL and NOCAL on the Annual Freeloading Trip to Sonoma!


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## Henry Kisor (Jul 24, 2012)

Something like this might be useful aboard a train:

http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Accessories-European-Water-Heater/dp/B000BKET1K/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1343147996&sr=8-8&keywords=cup+water+heater


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## Devil's Advocate (Jul 24, 2012)

No comments about a microwave? Every office I've ever worked in had a communal use microwave. I've also seen them in corner convenience stores before. Does anyone know which specific rule(s) and/or law(s) is/are preventing customer use microwaves on trains?


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## FriskyFL (Jul 24, 2012)

Texas Sunset said:


> No comments about a microwave? Every office I've ever worked in had a communal use microwave. I've also seen them in corner convenience stores before. Does anyone know which specific rule(s) and/or law(s) is/are preventing customer use microwaves on trains?


The AmLavatory would also be considered "communal use"...and we all know how pristine those public use areas are maintained.


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## PerRock (Jul 24, 2012)

I believe it's because the Diner & Cafe are considered among the same lines as a resturaunt. Not an office or a shop. Amtrak did have a car or two that had vending machines & I'm told microwaves, however those are long gone.

peter


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## TampAGS (Jul 24, 2012)

PerRock said:


> VentureForth said:
> 
> 
> > but I don't think you can even buy hot water in the cafe. I don't recall if they serve tea or not.
> ...


Yes, I believe hot tea is still available on Cafe Car menus, so ordering a cup minus the tea bag is at least an option if you are just looking for hot water. 

 

Depending on the Cafe attendant, though, I'd bet if you just ask them for a cup of hot water, they might give you one free of charge. This is certainly true when requesting H2O in the "polar" opposite state, temperature wise... I always ask for just a cup of ice (and nothing from the menu) and they always happily oblige. They've never charged me a cent (though I always leave a small tip).


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## Pam (Jul 29, 2012)

My husband got hot water from the cafe car last week on the Empire Builder. He just tipped him, and made his own coffee at his seat.


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## TravelingGal (Jul 22, 2019)

The last time I was on the train, the Northeast Regional, I purchased tea. I think they sold Lipton but I do not like Lipton. I have my own brand of Earl Gray tea that I like and I absolutely must have my almond creamer. I am definitely going to fill my 64 ounce thermos with hot tea and nurse that for the trip. I am very persnickety when it comes to brands and I like my food just so. Asking for hot water to make your own tea or coffee would be frowned upon because it cuts into the profits of Amtrak.


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## BCL (Jul 23, 2019)

TravelingGal said:


> The last time I was on the train, the Northeast Regional, I purchased tea. I think they sold Lipton but I do not like Lipton. I have my own brand of Earl Gray tea that I like and I absolutely must have my almond creamer. I am definitely going to fill my 64 ounce thermos with hot tea and nurse that for the trip. I am very persnickety when it comes to brands and I like my food just so. Asking for hot water to make your own tea or coffee would be frowned upon because it cuts into the profits of Amtrak.


They have hot water. I'm pretty one can ask for a cup of hot water at a cafe car, although they may charge a nominal amount for the cup as inventory control. I remember once I was charged but the attendant poured more hot water into my own container rather than charging me for two cups of hot water. Said the water was really free, but the charge for the cup tallies how many customers want hot water.


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## TravelingGal (Jul 24, 2019)

BCL said:


> They have hot water. I'm pretty one can ask for a cup of hot water at a cafe car, although they may charge a nominal amount for the cup as inventory control. I remember once I was charged but the attendant poured more hot water into my own container rather than charging me for two cups of hot water. Said the water was really free, but the charge for the cup tallies how many customers want hot water.



I drink from a thermos, so if I ran out of tea I guess I could ask them to refill my thermos and I would give them a few bucks tip for the gesture.


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## oregon pioneer (Jul 24, 2019)

I drink tea, and I like certain brands and kinds. I have tried asking the cafe attendant to put hot water directly into my own travel mug, but they won't do it (health department reasons I guess). They have always given me a cup of hot water free of charge. Then they turn and mark a piece of paper to account for the cup. I always leave a tip for the hot water. I hate having to take a paper cup when I have my own travel mug, which is much more pleasant to drink out of and doesn't instantly become another piece of trash. There have been occasions when dining car staff were willing to fill my travel mug directly.

I am going to try the thermos thing next time. The difference may be that health rules don't expect you to be drinking out of the thermos, so it's presumably not contaminated.


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## Qapla (Jul 24, 2019)

I have never needed hot water ... but, I have asked for ice in my own cup and they had no problem filling my cup with ice.


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## BCL (Jul 24, 2019)

oregon pioneer said:


> I drink tea, and I like certain brands and kinds. I have tried asking the cafe attendant to put hot water directly into my own travel mug, but they won't do it (health department reasons I guess). They have always given me a cup of hot water free of charge. Then they turn and mark a piece of paper to account for the cup. I always leave a tip for the hot water. I hate having to take a paper cup when I have my own travel mug, which is much more pleasant to drink out of and doesn't instantly become another piece of trash. There have been occasions when dining car staff were willing to fill my travel mug directly.
> 
> I am going to try the thermos thing next time. The difference may be that health rules don't expect you to be drinking out of the thermos, so it's presumably not contaminated.


I've mostly ridden on Capitol Corridor where the cafe menu clearly has a 25 cent price for a cup of hot water. One of the senior cafe attendants told me that they really only need to charge for inventory control of the cups. He said if I wanted a refill of the cup I could have one. At least at the time those were the logo cups of their coffee supplier (Peerless Coffee) and they were maybe 8 oz. It was kind of clunky but I poured it out into my own container and then he gave me a hot water refill.


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## BCL (Jul 24, 2019)

I know there's been talk about possibly using something like a mug heating plate or even an immersion heater. I wouldn't recommend either.


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## dlagrua (Jul 25, 2019)

I usually drink Chamomile herb tea before bedtime. Since we are most often traveling in a sleeper, I pour the bottled water in a paper cup (that we take along) and use a 500W immersion heater to boil it. You can buy a good one for about $10. Works every time. The only thing to be careful of is to always keep the heater immersed in the water while its energized and not use a heater rated for too much wattage (as you might blow the breaker). On occasion I have even used the faucet cold water without problems. As long as you boil it you should be OK.


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