# Weight limits on upper berths in Superliner Sleepers



## MDRailfan (Jan 25, 2008)

I'm about 240..Any problems?


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## AlanB (Jan 25, 2008)

Since the beds rest partially on the top of the seats, there should be no issues with weight. Where you might have a problem would be in climbing up to the bed if you are in a roomette. There isn't a huge amount of space between the bed and the outer wall, nor is there an overwhelming amount of space between the bed and the ceiling. If you are in a Bedroom, then you have plenty of space and a ladder to climb.


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## sechs (Jan 25, 2008)

I recall reading somewhere that the limit is something like 500 pounds... far more than I'd expect any upper-bunker to be. The problem is really volume.

I'm not particularly tall, but I have some trouble getting in and out of the upper berth on Superliners. Certainly much easier on Viewliners.


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## GregL (Jan 26, 2008)

I'm 6'2'' 215lbs and I slept in the upper bunk one night of a five night trip. The bed felt secure with me in it, however there is not much room between the matress and the ceiling. My wife and I both slept well. Good luck to you on your trip.

GregL


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## PRR 60 (Jan 26, 2008)

I agree with the prior two replies. The biggest issue with the upper bunk is not the weight capacity but the tight quarters. It requires some dexterity and a little imagination to gracefully get into and out of without causing physical harm to yourself.

Quite seriously, an older person or just someone who is not 100% physically mobile could have some serious issues getting in and out of a Superliner upper bunk. I have found an effective technique is an Amtrak-modified version of the  Fosbury Flop.


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## daveyb99 (Jan 26, 2008)

PRR 60 said:


> It requires some dexterity and a little imagination to gracefully get into and out of without causing physical harm to yourself.


You did it *gracefully*


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## PRR 60 (Jan 26, 2008)

daveyb99 said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > It requires some dexterity and a little imagination to gracefully get into and out of without causing physical harm to yourself.
> ...


And with style and flair!


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## Green Maned Lion (Jan 26, 2008)

My 6'2", 240lb, 61-year-old, ACL torn, arthritic father managed to climb himself up into the upper berth on the AutoTrain, so I'm sure anyone can make it.


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## GG-1 (Jan 26, 2008)

PRR 60 said:


> daveyb99 said:
> 
> 
> > PRR 60 said:
> ...


Now that I gota see sometime.

At 300 or so I tried it without being graceful, or with style or flair :lol: (did not hurt myself, including pride, as no one saw me) I wanted to see if I could leave the roomette set as chairs. Not even close, or rather too close, must be what a submariner feels like. :unsure: What I now do is leave the upper bunk as storage for my computer/camera equipment, and clothing change. Even though I am 6 feet tall there is as much clearance under the bunk, for my head as in a car. Also as I drift off to sleep I see the country go by, thats why I prefer the Roomette over the Bedroom.

Hopefully there's one soon in my future.

Aloha and Mahalo

Eric


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## had8ley (Jan 26, 2008)

Please do NOT try the upper bunk in the accessible room of a Superliner. I used to ride up from Florida with a friend who has MS and of course I had to take the upper bunk. At 5'7" and 175 I don't consider myself oversized but my nose was almost touching the ceiling. Pinnochio would have to find a place on the floor or bunk out on the lower level of the Sightseer Lounge.


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## DesertRat (Jan 26, 2008)

Hm, just how much clearance is there? From the views that the Amtrak site offered it looks like about two feet. Anybody have pictures?


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## MDRailfan (Jan 27, 2008)

My family & I are in a Family Bedroom on the Autotrain. Last time on the Autotrain we had two roomettes and I had one by myself so I had the lower. My wife & daughter shared the other and my wife felt clustraphobic(sp?) in the upper berth. How's the feeling in the family bedroom adult upper? :


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## AlanB (Jan 27, 2008)

MDRailfan said:


> My family & I are in a Family Bedroom on the Autotrain. Last time on the Autotrain we had two roomettes and I had one by myself so I had the lower. My wife & daughter shared the other and my wife felt clustraphobic(sp?) in the upper berth. How's the feeling in the family bedroom adult upper? :


While I've never actually pulled out a tape measure and measured things, I've always felt that there is a bit more room between the top bunk and the ceiling in rooms that are on the lower level when compared to rooms on the upper level of a Superliner car.

That said, the fact that you are in the family room will make a world of difference compared to a roomette, which is what most of us were talking about and describing. It may still be snug for you between the bed and the ceiling, but you will have a nice ladder to assist you in climbing up to the upper bunk, a whole lot more room to manuever yourself into that upper bunk, and you actually have a bit of a view over the rest of the room. This is especially true when compared to what one would find in the top bunk of a roomette.


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## WhoozOn1st (Jan 27, 2008)

MDRailfan said:


> My family & I are in a Family Bedroom on the Autotrain. Last time on the Autotrain we had two roomettes and I had one by myself so I had the lower. My wife & daughter shared the other and my wife felt clustraphobic(sp?) in the upper berth. How's the feeling in the family bedroom adult upper? :


Claustrophobic. Close, but no cigar, MDR! 

And had8ley, I doubt Pinnochio would have a problem unless he started lying. :lol:


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## DesertRat (Jan 27, 2008)

OK, I think I misread had8ley's comments. Didn't realize he meant the room made accessible to the handicapped, not a regular sleeper room.


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## rmgreenesq (Jan 27, 2008)

6' 7" tall, 320 lbs and I've slept in the upper bunk on a superliner many many times. It is awful coffin-like, and getting up there is easier than getting down, especially if you have to go to the bathroom B) .

Rick


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## MDRailfan (Jan 27, 2008)

AlanB said:


> MDRailfan said:
> 
> 
> > My family & I are in a Family Bedroom on the Autotrain. Last time on the Autotrain we had two roomettes and I had one by myself so I had the lower. My wife & daughter shared the other and my wife felt clustraphobic(sp?) in the upper berth. How's the feeling in the family bedroom adult upper? :
> ...


I remember the old Heritige Bedroom upper where you could sit up in the upper. Of course I was a Kid back then. I wish they would have designed rooms of the Superliner that way. Of course your talking double decker vs single and tunnels are so high that a higher roof on the Superliner may not work through tunnels


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## Kaki (Jan 27, 2008)

We will be trying out the roomette on our trip in June. Is there a ladder to get to the upper bunk? If there is, where is it stored during the day?


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## DesertRat (Jan 27, 2008)

My trip in May will be my first ever, but I believe there was a shot in the 360 degree preview on the Amtrak site showing that the little table where they had a box of kleenex actually turn into "steps" at night. Of course they could have changed that to a little ladder afterwards but I'm not seeing that.

Edit: OK, no it was a different website: http://homepage.mac.com/wkaemena/FS/USA/Roomette/. You'll need Quicktime. Shots are courtesy of wkaemena.


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## Kaki (Jan 27, 2008)

ok, I see that in the picture!!!! I wondered about those little "shelves", it just didn't occur to me that they were really steps.


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## DesertRat (Jan 27, 2008)

Kaki said:


> ok, I see that in the picture!!!! I wondered about those little "shelves", it just didn't occur to me that they were really steps.


 Yep, and I can see where the modified Fosbury flop might be handy. Being that I'm 5' 1 1/2", probably not necessary for me. :lol:


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## AlanB (Jan 27, 2008)

Yup, those steps are the "ladder" in the roomette. One thing that may not be clear in the pictures though, is the safety strap on the upper bunk that helps to keep one from rolling out of the bed as the car sways during the night. While useful for the above purpose, it tends to make it a bit harder to climb into the bunk.


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## wkaemena (Apr 21, 2012)

DesertRat said:


> My trip in May will be my first ever, but I believe there was a shot in the 360 degree preview on the Amtrak site showing that the little table where they had a box of kleenex actually turn into "steps" at night. Of course they could have changed that to a little ladder afterwards but I'm not seeing that.
> 
> Edit: OK, no it was a different website: You'll need Quicktime. Shots are courtesy of wkaemena.


The link changed to http://www.kaemena360.net/FS/USA/Roomette/ because my old domain will be shut down soon. Even better would be to view all accommodations on a Superliner here in the complete tour: http://www.kaemena360.com/360/AmtrakSuperlinerTour/ or in this special tour consisting of Superliner Sleeper and Dining Car http://www.kaemena360.com/360/SuperlinerSleeperTour/


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## SarahZ (Apr 22, 2012)

This is how much room you have up there (obviously, this is not me):







The weight limit is extremely generous; however, it can bother anyone with claustrophobia. It's also not very wide, as you can see in the photo.


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## gswager (Apr 22, 2012)

Sorcha said:


> This is how much room you have up there (obviously, this is not me):
> 
> The weight limit is extremely generous; however, it can bother anyone with claustrophobia. It's also not very wide, as you can see in the photo.


Is that Viewliner or Superliner? Superliner is more claustrophobia than Viewliner.


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## SarahZ (Apr 22, 2012)

gswager said:


> Sorcha said:
> 
> 
> > This is how much room you have up there (obviously, this is not me):
> ...


That's a Superliner. The Viewliners have a window at the top instead of that storage thingie.

Edited for clarity.


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## SarahZ (Apr 22, 2012)

Here are a couple shots of it, with the safety strap:


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## Blackwolf (Apr 22, 2012)

Sorcha said:


> Here are a couple shots of it, with the safety strap:


A lower level roomette? The junction between the roof and wall looks pretty sharp.


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## SarahZ (Apr 22, 2012)

Rats. You have a point. I was focusing on showing the strap, not the distance from the bed to the ceiling.


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## white rabbitt (Apr 22, 2012)

Sorcha said:


> Rats. You have a point. I was focusing on showing the strap, not the distance from the bed to the ceiling.


were did u get the photos


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## gswager (Apr 22, 2012)

It appears that the upper bunk bed in lower level has higher clearance than the upper level. Or is the picture eluded me? I can barely put my knees up.


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## SarahZ (Apr 23, 2012)

wabbitt said:


> were did u get the photos


Google Image Search


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## supergrandmother (Apr 27, 2012)

Rats! It never occurred to me that the space between bunk and ceiling was so small. I'll be riding the CS in June. My friend has knee problems, so I generously offered to take the upper bunk. I may live to regret that since I am slightly claustrophobic. I might want to request a lower level roommette just for the "perceived" extra space. Thanks for the pictures.


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## SarahZ (Apr 27, 2012)

Finally found a shot of the top bunk of an *upper level* roomette.  Just looking at the picture makes my chest tight. You would have to drug me to get me to sleep up there. (That's why Brent sleeps up there, not me.)


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## roomette (Apr 27, 2012)

Oh my GOD! Those toes! HAHAHAHAHAH!


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## GG-1 (Apr 27, 2012)

Aloha

How about these?






More on this type of hotel room  :giggle:


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## gswager (Apr 28, 2012)

Thanks Sorcha for upper level roomette picture. It does make a lot difference vs lower level!


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## jis (Apr 28, 2012)

There is a reason that Santa Fe the inventors of Hi-Level cars did not go for Hi-Level Sleepers.  Packing as many as possible in a car and high-ceilinged luxury don;t go together. The _Super Chief_ always remained a pure single level train with Dome Lounges, .... well until of course it got combined with the _El Capitan_.


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## jis (Apr 28, 2012)

GG-1 said:


> Aloha
> 
> How about these?
> 
> ...


Also known as "Coffin Hotels"  Having stayed in one I felt more like being in a dog kennel with TV service.

Perhaps should be considered for low cost sleeping accommodation!  It is possible that such a sleeping car could hold more passengers than a standard Amtrak LD Coach! Pile em up three or four on top of each other :giggle:


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## ehbowen (Apr 28, 2012)

jis said:


> GG-1 said:
> 
> 
> > Aloha
> ...


Budd already tried that. They called it a Slumbercoach....


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## SarahZ (Apr 28, 2012)

No Pod hotel for me. Uh-uh. No way.


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 28, 2012)

Sorcha said:


> No Pod hotel for me. Uh-uh. No way.


But you have been in the "Coffin", aka the Top Bunk in a Superliner Roomette, so that's good practice for a Pod! :giggle:


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## SarahZ (Apr 28, 2012)

jimhudson said:


> Sorcha said:
> 
> 
> > No Pod hotel for me. Uh-uh. No way.
> ...


Nope. BF sleeps in the coffin, not me. Small spaces give me a panic attack. Even just looking at that picture I posted makes me short of breath. (That's not my BF, btw - that came from Google.)


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## AKA (Apr 28, 2012)

Just did a trip on the Coast Starlight, in the H room. The SCA from Seattle had a ladder in the room. She said they have a on of them in LAX. I have no trouble getting in the upper bunk, however with the ladder it was a little easyer.


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## Ana (Apr 29, 2012)

Sorcha said:


> Nope. BF sleeps in the coffin, not me. Small spaces give me a panic attack. Even just looking at that picture I posted makes me short of breath. (That's not my BF, btw - that came from Google.)


I'm with your Sorcha, that picture makes me cringe. I always thought I'd get a bedroom if I ever travelled with someone else (I've always had a roomette to myself and no desire to share it) now I know that I'd rather be in coach than sleep that close to the ceiling, eek.


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## alanh (Apr 29, 2012)

Fortunately I'm not claustrophobic. I'm going to be in an upper Superliner roomette bunk for the next three nights -- I'm taking the TE from Maricopa to Chicago (and the LSL to Boston).


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## TraneMan (Apr 29, 2012)

I'm 6'1, 215 and I get stuck up there myself since my partner is some what claustrophobic, and he won't sleep up there.

I don't mind being up there, yes it is a bit cozy, and too bad there's no window to look out of.


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