# Roomette 007 - Coast Starlight View



## Shazpr (Apr 26, 2018)

Hi there,

Does anyone know if Roomette 007 is upper level and also if it has a view, travelling from LA to Eugene OR.

Thanks

Shazpr


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## Ryan (Apr 26, 2018)

Sadly, you will not be able to know until you get on the train, as the car can be put in the consist facing either direction. Truly luck of the draw.


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## PVD (Apr 26, 2018)

Upstairs yes as to view, see the above post by Ryan, that nails it.


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## Lonestar648 (Apr 26, 2018)

Upstairs room 7 is a good location, but like above, you don't know which way the car is facing until departure. Anyway, your best views are from the Sightseer Lounge and the Dining Cars.


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## zephyr17 (Apr 26, 2018)

It is upper level and has a view. Out of which side, you won't know until you board, as has been pointed out.


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## cpotisch (Apr 26, 2018)

As was mentioned, it is on the upper level. Roomette 7 is in a pretty good location, since it's near the middle of the car, which reduces truck noise and bumpiness. As was also mentioned, Superliners are bidirectional and have vestibules at both ends, meaning the orientation of the car will be whatever is most convenient to the yard crew. On single-level sleepers, odd numbered roomettes are almost always on the right, since Viewliners only have one vestibule, which must be positioned next to the dining car.


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## Tennessee Traveler (Apr 27, 2018)

cpotisch comment may be incorrect. On a Superliner roomette 007 is not near the middle of the car. 007 and 008 are the next to last roomette toward the end of the car with only 009 and 010 next to the end exit of the car. In fact 007 is right over the trucks or just a little forward. As for the view, I have ridden on both sides between LAX and SEA and while the coast is a good view on west side, I find the east side view from San Luis Obispo north is probably better. As you leave San Luis Obispo, you pass the prison and then gain elevation through lots of curve and the view eastward is the most scenic of the Coast Starlight looking out the the Interstate Highway low in the valley while you travel high above. Not that important but most of the rail stations in California north of San Luis Obispo also exit to the east side including San Jose, Oakland, Emeryville, Martinez and Sacramento. In Oregon the exit are mostly on the west side including Klamath Falls, Eugene, and Portland.


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## PVD (Apr 27, 2018)

A quick google search will bring up all the "superliner floorplan" diagrams you will likely ever need....I see 07 as second to the end of the line, had you been talking "viewliner" (single level) 07 would be 3rd to the end of the line, which would be further towards the middle.


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## Lonestar648 (Apr 27, 2018)

My preference on Superliners is 3 - 8, lower the number the better, except 2 which gets noisy on some trips in the morning. One time in 2 the door under the beverage center kept swinging open. I asked the SCA if I could put a small piece of tape on it, she was very happy I had some. I gave her some extra since she was just starting a round trip.


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## Ryan (Apr 27, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> As was mentioned, it is on the upper level. Roomette 7 is in a pretty good location, since it's near the middle of the car, which reduces truck noise and bumpiness.


As has been mentioned, not quite:









cpotisch said:


> On single-level sleepers, odd numbered roomettes are almost always on the right, since Viewliners only have one vestibule, which must be positioned next to the dining car.


Only part of the year. That reverses when the consist is flipped.


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## the_traveler (Apr 28, 2018)

Tennessee Traveler said:


> As you leave San Luis Obispo, you pass the prison and then gain elevation through lots of curve and the view eastward is the most scenic of the Coast Starlight looking out the the Interstate Highway low in the valley while you travel high above.


That is not an interstate highway. I believe that is CA 101.


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## PVD (Apr 28, 2018)

One of the last major active segments of the pre cursor to the Interstate system US 101. The big North/South interstate in CA is I-5, and much of its trip through CA is through the middle (well, more to the West than the exact middle, but East of the mountains, in the valley)


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## KmH (Apr 28, 2018)

Tennessee Traveler said:


> As you leave San Luis Obispo, you pass the prison and then gain elevation through lots of curve


The grade north of SLO is known as the _Cuesta grade_ and was an engineering marvel when the tracks were first installed there.
In 1893-94 workers blasted out 1,100,000 cubic yards of rock for the 17 mile section of the route and tunnels between SLO and Santa Margarita. That's a bit less than blasted out for the footings of Hoover Dam (1,500,000 cubic yards).

Later work making 2 of the tunnels wider/taller brought the total amount of rock blasted out to pretty much equal the Hoover Dam footings.

At the peak 1200 men worked round the clock on the route. In 1893 electric lights powered by a generator were installed to take the place of tallow candles.


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## Dakota 400 (Apr 28, 2018)

I have found that I prefer Roomettes #11 or #12 or Bedrooms B-F. If the Sleeper is the last car on the train, Bedroom A is "great" for access to the "trail fan window". Otherwise, not so much, in my opinion.


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## cpotisch (Apr 28, 2018)

Dakota 400 said:


> I have found that I prefer Roomettes #11 or #12 or Bedrooms B-F. If the Sleeper is the last car on the train, Bedroom A is "great" for access to the "trail fan window". Otherwise, not so much, in my opinion.


But isn't Bedroom A smaller? The only thing A has going for it as that it doesn't have a partition to the next room. Otherwise, I think most AUers prefer Bedroom E because it's near the middle of the car.


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## Lonestar648 (Apr 28, 2018)

11 and 12 are on the lower level, many, but not all, feel has less view. The wall of E is against the hallway with the stairs and has the slide able wall into D.


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## cpotisch (Apr 28, 2018)

Lonestar648 said:


> 11 and 12 are on the lower level, many, but not all, feel has less view. The wall of E is against the hallway with the stairs and has the slide able wall into D.


I've found the lower level to be _slightly_ louder and _slightly_ less scenic. But it's really nice to be so close to the bathrooms, shower, and baggage area. I also kind of like being so close to the ground - I feel like I'm gliding along the tracks. The main drawback of the lower level is that you have to go up and down the stairs whenever you have to go between cars, but that shouldn't be a big deal for most able-bodied passengers.


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## the_traveler (Apr 28, 2018)

Bedroom A is only good for the railfan window IF the sleeper is “roomettes first”. If it is “bedrooms first”, then you must walk thru the ENTIRE car to get from bedroom A to the railfan window.

I have had both bedroom A and roomette 10, with the railfan window right outside my door. Both of these were on 27/28, thus you can’t tell beforehand.


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## PVD (Apr 28, 2018)

Everybody has different preferences, and different rationale. Solo travelers or people who are only sleeping in a space and go to the lounge may not care about A being smaller. Some people like upstairs, some downstairs, middle for ride, end for possible RFW, view vs limited view or the on AT where neither side has much to look at. Near the coffee and upstairs bathroom,or further down the line for quiet. I know people who can't climb to an upper, they take 2 roomettes across from each other. It's what makes the world go round.


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## TinCan782 (Apr 28, 2018)

*Based on my past several trips on the CS*, Roomette 07 will be on the east (inland) side of #14. I say that because I'm usually in bedroom D or E in the which has been on the west side of the train. On #11 the opposite is true. There is still a possibility the car will be oriented in the opposite direction. YMMV.


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## Lonestar648 (Apr 28, 2018)

11 and 12 are on the lower level, many, but not all, feel has less view. The wall of E is against the hallway with the stairs and has the slide able wall into D.


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## cpotisch (Apr 29, 2018)

> Based on my past several trips on the CS, Roomette 07 will be on the east (inland) side of #14. I say that because I'm usually in bedroom D or E in the which has been on the west side of the train. On #11 the opposite is true. There is still a possibility the car will be oriented in the opposite direction. YMMV.


That must have just been a coincidence. Superliners are bidirectional (as was mentioned a thousand times), so the cars are oriented either way. The moment its slightly more convenient for the yard crew, theyll put the odd roomettes on the west side of #14.


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## TinCan782 (Apr 29, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> > Based on my past several trips on the CS, Roomette 07 will be on the east (inland) side of #14. I say that because I'm usually in bedroom D or E in the which has been on the west side of the train. On #11 the opposite is true. *There is still a possibility the car will be oriented in the opposite direction. YMMV*.
> 
> 
> That must have just been a coincidence. Superliners are bidirectional (as was mentioned a thousand times), so the cars are oriented either way. The moment its slightly more convenient for the yard crew, theyll put the odd roomettes on the west side of #14.


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## cpotisch (Apr 29, 2018)

I saw that, but you seemed to be saying that Roomette 7 will usually be on the east side of #14. Thats incorrect - it will just as often be the other way around.


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## TinCan782 (Apr 29, 2018)

Look at the diagram, 7 is on the opposite side of the car as the bedrooms. If, as with my observations from previous trips, I am in Bedroom E on the west side of the train, 7 is on the east. On the return trip, the bedrooms have been on east side of the train so 7 will be on the west.

This is based on my experience riding the CS a few times and yes, I am fully aware the cars may be oriented either way.


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## cpotisch (Apr 29, 2018)

FrensicPic said:


> Look at the diagram, 7 is on the opposite side of the car as the bedrooms. If, as with my observations from previous trips, I am in Bedroom E on the west side of the train, 7 is on the east. On the return trip, the bedrooms have been on east side of the train so 7 will be on the west.
> This is based on my experience riding the CS a few times and yes, I am fully aware the cars may be oriented either way.


I get that 7 is on the opposite side of the car, but, and not to get caught up on this, the car shouldn’t be pointing one way or another. So yes, if the Bedrooms are on the west side of the train, roomette 7 is east, but that’s irrelevant since it shouldn’t be pointed in that direction necessarily.


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## Ryan (Apr 29, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> I saw that, but you seemed to be saying that Roomette 7 will usually be on the east side of #14. Thats incorrect - it will just as often be the other way around.


Not necessarily. While it can be random, there are some tendencies that people with actual riding experience (i.e. not random internet people) can discern.


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 29, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> FrensicPic said:
> 
> 
> > Look at the diagram, 7 is on the opposite side of the car as the bedrooms. If, as with my observations from previous trips, I am in Bedroom E on the west side of the train, 7 is on the east. On the return trip, the bedrooms have been on east side of the train so 7 will be on the west.
> ...


They don't take the train sets apart at each endpoint and randomly put them back together again, so there's more consistency as to which side #7 will be on then there is inconsistency. Then only time it may be reversed is if a car is bad ordered and a repacement car is added to the train set in reverse of what it's replacing.


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## StanJazz (Apr 29, 2018)

Here is a picture from one of my Starlight trips. 1 sleeper is facing 1 way, the other 2 are the other way.


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## Lonestar648 (Apr 29, 2018)

When we rode the CS last summer, two sleepers were one way and one the opposite. I remember the bedrooms back to back as we walked to/ from the PPC and Dining Car.


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## Dakota 400 (Apr 29, 2018)

Responding to a previous poster, no question that Bedroom A is a bit more "tight" than the others. But, it is still comfortable with 2 persons occupying the accommodation.

As to the lower level Superliner Roomettes, the accessibility and number of restrooms as well as the shower are more important to me than having to climb up/down the narrow stairs to the upper level for the use of those amenities. In scenic locations, an upper level Roomette might be better. But, for views from both sides of the train--which I think is better than just from the side of my Roomette--you will find me in the SSL.


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## Guest (May 14, 2018)

Dakota 400 said:


> Responding to a previous poster, no question that Bedroom A is a bit more "tight" than the others. But, it is still comfortable with 2 persons occupying the accommodation.
> As to the lower level Superliner Roomettes, the accessibility and number of restrooms as well as the shower are more important to me than having to climb up/down the narrow stairs to the upper level for the use of those amenities. In scenic locations, an upper level Roomette might be better. But, for views from both sides of the train--which I think is better than just from the side of my Roomette--you will find me in the SSL.


I'm taking a trip next summer!!


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## dogbert617 (Jun 25, 2019)

Ryan said:


> As has been mentioned, not quite:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Almost wish this picture of how the sleepers on Superliner cars were like, was stickied on one of the boards here! I am not sure how one would find this info on the Amtrak website, and sadly to say it sometimes can be a little confusing to find useful info(i.e. normal times when dining car meals are served, etc) in regards to train travel, on their website. BTW I soon will be riding in a sleeper for my first time ever(just going back from Glacier National Park on EB, ugh going out west sleepers were too exepensive....), so am very excited I'll get to experience a sleeper at least one way! If sleepers weren't so danged expensive, I'd consider upgrading to one more often.


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