Advice on cross-country trip!

[Lonestar648]

I carry a small zip lock bag with various items like duct tape, small wood shims, thin cardboard I can fold from a box, screw drivers, needle-nose, Swiss army knife, etc. If the door rattles, I use some items to jam the door tight. Seems to vary what I need to use. This summer, in all three rooms, SL, SWC, TE all the doors were quiet, I was surprised. By the way, I always remove what I have used, and clean up after the duck tape.

 

[Rasputin]

I have rooms E and D on the two main parts of the trip - E west on the Zephyr and D east on the Chief. Any advice on how to deal with rattling door noise? I have heard that can be a problem in the bedrooms.

You may want to take some duct tape and some small pieces of cardboard (or a piece of a cereal box, etc.) that can be folded up and wedged in a place to stop noise or vibration.

I have heard some people complain about rattling noise in a bedroom or roomette but in my experience I have only encountered a bad rattling noise once out of numerous trips and we cured that with a cardboard wedge. I used to carry duct tape on Amtrak for a few years but stopped doing it when I found I never had to use it.

We all have different experiences but I personally think the fear of rattling noise on Amtrak is exaggerated.

 

[casey1956]

I have rooms E and D on the two main parts of the trip - E west on the Zephyr and D east on the Chief. Any advice on how to deal with rattling door noise? I have heard that can be a problem in the bedrooms.

BR D&E have sliding connecting door (as do B&C) that may rattle. You should be able to stuff something (e.g., folded magazine) to dampen the rattle. BR A has no connecting door, but is inferior because a small corner is sliced off to ease the exterior passageway's turn; this necessitates positioning WC in an unhandy way, imho.

 

[Maglev]

You may want to take some duct tape

Please don't use duct tape! It leaves behind a sticky residue. Gaffer's tape is preferable, and is easily available on Amazon.

 

[jiml]

Please don't use duct tape! It leaves behind a sticky residue. Gaffer's tape is preferable, and is easily available on Amazon.

Actually a wad of duct tape, folded into itself with no sticky parts exposed, makes an excellent sleeping car door rattle stopper. Just shape it wedge-like with one narrow end. It is more flexible than many other options.

As someone with a lot of experience with gaffer's tape, be very cautious of some of the stuff sold on Amazon - it is "fake" gaffer's tape, which is little more than black duct tape. Several organizations and businesses I do contract work for have ordered it this way and it is useless. Imagine the residue you refer to on video and audio cables. Do your research carefully or buy the real stuff at an audio supply or music rental store.

 

[tricia]

Actually a wad of duct tape, folded into itself with no sticky parts exposed, makes an excellent sleeping car door rattle stopper. Just shape it wedge-like with one narrow end. It is more flexible than many other options.

As someone with a lot of experience with gaffer's tape, be very cautious of some of the stuff sold on Amazon - it is "fake" gaffer's tape, which is little more than black duct tape. Several organizations and businesses I do contract work for have ordered it this way and it is useless. Imagine the residue you refer to on video and audio cables. Do your research carefully or buy the real stuff at an audio supply or music rental store.

You can also buy, at Lowes or Home Depot or similar stores, a low-residue sort of duct tape. Considerably more expensive than regular duct tape, but leaves no sticky stuff behind if you remove it within a few months after applying it. Fine for a few hours or days on a train.

 

[Rail Freak]

I always use a wash cloth to stuff into the area where the door is rattling. Usually works.

 

[velotrain]

No

I personally think that the Zephyr is the most scenic long distance train. I rate it over the Canadian even. I would reccomend that option.

No doubt the Zephyr also wins the cost per mile contest.

 

[velotrain]

Im too lazy to look up the layover. But if you take the Zephyr I see no reason for going through Sacramento to Emeryville and then back to Sacramento on the Starlight.

Says the man who advocates taking the Bakersfield-LA bus and then the Chief to Barstow just to avoid the Bakersfield-Barstow bus and spending two hours there . . . .

 

[Asher]

The person later stated they were spending a couple of days in San Francisco. But hey, about your bus trip, it was only my opinion man.

 

[davidsdesire]

we are doing a similar trip in November...Boston to LA...then LA to Seattle. We're very excited for it.