Amtrak Bedroom Suite

[Maglev]

This is about having a bedroom suite for a short segment of the Coast Starlight in February, 2004.

I was living on Maui, and my girlfriend (now wife) and I had visited a friend of hers on Orcas Island, Washington. We had booked a bedroom on the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles, from where we would fly back to Maui. My sister lives in Portland with her husband and son, and they drove to Seattle to meet us. My sister and nephew were going to ride on the train with us as far as Portland, while her husband drove back. After we boarded, our SCA informed us that there were two adjacent rooms available as far as Portland, and he could join them as a suite for the four of us. It was great having plenty of room for everyone, and we could even carry on two separate conversations.

Then there was the time my wife and I rode from Los Angeles to New Orleans with my mother in an adjacent room. We did not even mention the door between the rooms, and quickly changed the subject when our SCA offered to connect the rooms.

 

[FormerOBS]

The Heritage sleepers had an option. The folding (not sliding) partition was locked in the closed or open position by the attendant, using a special key that operated locks in the floor and ceiling. The partition had a secondary small door, so that it was possible to pass from one room to the other, even with the partition in place. It could be locked or unlocked from both sides so that the rooms could be sold separately, as was the usual case.

Amtrak's current sleepers have partitions without the secondary small door. They are sliding (not folding) doors that must be secured in one position or the other by the Attendant using locks in the ceiling and floor. It is essential that both are secured. Unfortunately, some of these ceiling and floor locks become less reliable with age. This was less of a problem with the Heritage cars.

Tom

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

A couple years ago on the City of New Orleans, I had a bedroom and when I returned from dinner or the lounge car, the SCA was in my room re-locking the partition in place. He said that the partition had not been securely locked in place and actually slid open on a curve much to the surprise of my neighbors. So that is one reason I prefer the roomette now since it does not have such partitions and my experience is that roomettes rattle less than the bedrooms.

 

[Shortline]

It does make a huge difference! When wife and son go with me, we always do the two room suite thing. Makes it much nicer! Usually a bedroom when it's me and my son. If just me, I can do a roomette.

Had a last minute trip Kansas City-LAX, all that was available was a family room. That was great having that much space for just me!

 

[EmCee Al]

I prefer the roomette now since it does not have such partitions and my experience is that roomettes rattle less than the bedrooms.

Exactly my experience and preference as well, especially considering the "rattles", at least when traveling solo. But traveling with Mrs. EmCee means a bedroom for the two of us.

 

[FormerOBS]

You can find rattles wherever you go. The sliding doors of economy rooms (now incorrectly called roomettes) often rattle in their pockets. The problem can be cured by stuffing towels between the door and wall.

Tom