# Silver Meteor Car 9811 Room 3



## RoometteWithAView

Hello.    We are taking our first lomg distance Amtrak in Jan,    We were assigned car 9811 room 3 on #98 ORL-NYP.     Does anyone know of any pros or cons to the location of this roomette?   We are very excited and were just curious if there was anything we should know (good or bad) about the location of our roomette.      Thanks


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## pennyk

I like room 3.  Car 9811 will be the car next to the car closest to the dining car.  9810 is the first car closest to the dining car.  Next is 9811 and 9812 is after that.


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## PVD

3 is pretty much in the middle of the car which most people seem to like. I don't have a personal preference, but many folks like the middle because you are not over the trucks...


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## Anderson

Also, just thinking about it, I think you'll be on the east side going north (since the standard procedure is to put the sleepers with the handicapped room closest to the diner, placing odd number roomettes on the right side of the train).  That'll give you a nice view of the rivers on the way from Richmond to Trenton (and an excellent view of the "Fire Anderson!" signs at one location on the NEC).  At this time of year you've got a good shot of seeing a sunrise on the Potomac.


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## the_traveler

The first sleeper has the H-Room next to the Dining Car. However, beyond that it could be either way. The 11 car is the second sleeper.


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## ehbowen

I've seen it the other way (diner directly opening to roomette #14) on the _Crescent_. Wasn't supposed to be that way, but it was. What are you going to do, tell the yard crew to take the train back to Sunnyside and flip it around? Sometimes you just play the hand you're dealt.


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## the_traveler

With the old Heritage Dining Cars, there was no Exit or vestibule on the end. That was why the H-Room end faced the DC. Now that the new Viewliner Dining Cars have exits (I think), it’s not that important.


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## Sauve850

I think 3 is fine. Ive been it almost all the rooms and no complaints.


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## cpotisch

the_traveler said:


> With the old Heritage Dining Cars, there was no Exit or vestibule on the end. That was why the H-Room end faced the DC. Now that the new Viewliner Dining Cars have exits (I think), it’s not that important.


ViewDiners don’t have vestibules/exits at the end either. So that hasn’t changed.


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## cpotisch

Guest RoometteWithAView said:


> Hello.    We are taking our first lomg distance Amtrak in Jan,    We were assigned car 9811 room 3 on #98 ORL-NYP.     Does anyone know of any pros or cons to the location of this roomette?   We are very excited and were just curious if there was anything we should know (good or bad) about the location of our roomette.      Thanks


Roomette 3 is in the center of the car, which is good (less truck noise and a smoother ride). 9811 is the second of the three (very occasionally four) sleepers, and therefore second from the dining car. You might want to call and see if you can be moved to car 9810, which is closest to the dining car. That will save you 85 feet of walking, and in maybe 75% of cases will give you first pick (or close to it) at meal times, since when they move through the train offering reservations, they _generally_ start with the first sleeper. Sometimes they start with the rear sleepers, but I would say in most cases it’s the front.


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## TEREB

I seem to remember someone posting roomettes that were located over the wheels. I believe they said to avoid them if you want a smoother ride. Anyone know if it's true and which ones they are? This would be for the Silvers.


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## cpotisch

TEREB said:


> I seem to remember someone posting roomettes that were located over the wheels. I believe they said to avoid them if you want a smoother ride. Anyone know if it's true and which ones they are? This would be for the Silvers.


It is correct that you generally get a smoother ride if you’re farther from the wheels.

On Viewliners (the sleepers used on the Silvers and other single-level long distance trains), Roomettes 11 and 12 are entirely above the trucks, while 9 and 10 are partially above the trucks. Because of this, they have the worst ride of the 12 Roomettes in each car.


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## cpotisch

ehbowen said:


> I've seen it the other way (diner directly opening to *roomette #14*) on the _Crescent_. Wasn't supposed to be that way, but it was. What are you going to do, tell the yard crew to take the train back to Sunnyside and flip it around? Sometimes you just play the hand you're dealt.


Just so you know, Viewliners only have 12 Roomettes.


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## PVD

Folks, there are very good diagrams of the VL sleeper floorplan, and the VL2 will be essentially the same with the exception of one roomette becoming 2 toilets. It's easy to say 14 instead of 12 because the SL has 14 (13 revenue) A VL has 12 revenue, because the attendant room isn't in the regular number sequence, where it is on a sliner


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## ehbowen

cpotisch said:


> Just so you know, Viewliners only have 12 Roomettes.


My goof; I was only on a Viewliner sleeper that one time. But it did have the roomettes opening directly into the dining car for that trip. I was surprised because it was a Heritage diner (May 2012) with no vestibule and my understanding was that they were supposed to have a car vestibule adjacent to that entrance for emergency egress and also for wheelchair access into the dining car from the H-room. But, that's what it was.


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## MDRailfan

On the Silver Star, I have room 1. Where is the attendant located, near me?

Also during thanksgiving and Xmas, does the SS have additional sleepers?

finally are the sleepers in the front or rear..if front would 9111,  be next to engine?


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## pennyk

The attendant will be at the other end of the car, near the shower.  As of now, the sleepers are at the rear of the train.  The 9111 car likely will be the last car before the baggage car (unless an extra sleeper is added, which is possible during busy travel times).


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## MDRailfan

Are they still VL1 w/toilets?


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## pennyk

Guest MDRailfan said:


> Are they still VL1 w/toilets?


yes


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## cpotisch

Guest MDRailfan said:


> On the Silver Star, I have room 1. Where is the attendant located, near me?
> 
> Also during thanksgiving and Xmas, does the SS have additional sleepers?
> 
> finally are the sleepers in the front or rear..if front would 9111,  be next to engine?


Attendant is at the other end of the car, next to Roomette 12. The Star does not typically run with extra sleepers during peak travel times, but on particularly busy days it may. Years ago, the sleepers on the Silvers were at the front (but behind the baggage car), and to be honest I preferred it that way, as it just looked nicer and meant that there was a rail fan window at the rear of the coaches.


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## MDRailfan

I then gather that the baggage car acts like a cab car when backing into Tampa. Must look weird!

They could use one of Amtrak's old non powered Metroliner cab cars as a cab/coach. or hook on a switch engine. Better than conductor standing in the baggage car for those backup miles!


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## AmtrakBlue

Guest MDRailfan said:


> I then gather that the baggage car acts like a cab car when backing into Tampa. Must look weird!
> 
> They could use one of Amtrak's old non powered Metroliner cab cars as a cab/coach. or hook on a switch engine. Better than conductor standing in the baggage car for those backup miles!


91 backing into Tampa

Probably better than having all the sleeper pax watching him/her (like some of us did when 6 was backing into Denver a few years ago)


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## MDRailfan

we have room 1..What is next to room 1 as I see a space between bedroom and roomette 1?


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## pennyk

Guest MDRailfan said:


> we have room 1..What is next to room 1 as I see a space between bedroom and roomette 1?


I believe it is a storage closet (linens, etc.)


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## bratkinson

Guest MDRailfan said:


> we have room 1..What is next to room 1 as I see a space between bedroom and roomette 1?


That's where the water heater is in addition to a clean linens closet.  That's why roomettes 1-4 get hot water very quickly, and it takes seemingly forever to get hot water in the shower!


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## JRR

I’ve been in roomette 2 and 3 ( presently in 9) and all are fine. The call button will summon the attendant so it doesn’t matter how close their located.


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## VTTrain

cpotisch said:


> Years ago, the sleepers on the Silvers were at the front (but behind the baggage car), and to be honest I preferred it that way, as it just looked nicer and meant that there was a rail fan window at the rear of the coaches.


I much prefer having the sleepers at the rear of the train.  If I am paying extra for a comfortable way to sleep I want to be as far away from the locomotive's horn as possible.


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## cpotisch

VTTrain said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> 
> Years ago, the sleepers on the Silvers were at the front (but behind the baggage car), and to be honest I preferred it that way, as it just looked nicer and meant that there was a rail fan window at the rear of the coaches.
> 
> 
> 
> ﻿ I much prefer having the sleepers at the rear of the train.  If I am paying extra for a comfortable way to sleep I want to be as far away from the locomotive's horn as possible.  ﻿
Click to expand...

True, but the Meteor has three sleepers and the baggage car, so IMHO, you could still be plenty far from the horn with the sleepers up front. And to be honest I actually like the faint sound of the horn, so being a decent distance from it, yet not totally out of ear-shot, is definitely my cup of tea. I’m on the Meteor now (car 9810), and I really haven’t been able to hear the horn _at all_ so far. It’s not even quiet, it’s just totally too far away.


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## VTTrain

cpotisch said:


> True, but the Meteor has three sleepers and the baggage car, so IMHO, you *could* still be plenty far from the horn with the sleepers up front.


To each their own.  I’d rather not gamble.


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## Sauve850

cpotisch said:


> True, but the Meteor has three sleepers and the baggage car, so IMHO, you could still be plenty far from the horn with the sleepers up front. And to be honest I actually like the faint sound of the horn, so being a decent distance from it, yet not totally out of ear-shot, is definitely my cup of tea. I’m on the Meteor now (car 9810), and I really haven’t been able to hear the horn _at all_ so far. It’s not even quiet, it’s just totally too far away.


I agree with you. Grew up next to the tracks and loved the trains. I just don't notice the horn that much no matter what sleeper i'm in. And I carry ear plugs just in case but have only really used them for neighbor type noise.


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## VTTrain

Sauve850 said:


> I agree with you. Grew up next to the tracks and loved the trains. I just don't notice the horn that much no matter what sleeper i'm in. And I carry ear plugs just in case but have only really used them for neighbor type noise.


As a business traveler who has decided to try Amtrak in lieu of flying, I’d rather be away from the horn.

It’s quite likely that the majority of sleeper car passengers believe that being farther away from the horn is conducive to a better night’s sleep.


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## Sauve850

Possibly most wish to be away from horn. No matter where you are on the train even if you don't hear the horn you may hear ding, ding, ding, as you pass a road with crossing gate. I have traveled so much Im sure i just got used to it.


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## Mystic River Dragon

I love the horn  . It puts me to sleep. So does thunder. 

But someone talking loud on their phone or with the TV on loud drives me nuts. :angry:

I finally figured out it's the inconsiderate people-driven noises that annoy me, not noise itself.


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