"Call Attendant" button

[UserNameRequired]

I suddenly became curious how the Call Attendant button works as far as alerting the SCA? Is there some light panel with numbers in the roomette the the SCA usually sleeps in (meaning the SCA must always normally be assigned that room number, and it likely would never be assigned to a passenger)? Is there an audible alarm? Superliner/Vl1/VL2 differences? How about the trans-dorm or other one-off bag-dorm type sleepers, where is the alarm panel? Is it wireless in any way? How does it work if the sleeper has no assigned SCA like a trans-dorm or one SCA coverign two sleepers for some reason? Were there small signal lights over the doors of the roomettes/bedrooms/showers/etc? This is just for discussion, I have no particular need for the Call Attendant button but I am curous how reliable I should expect it to be if I ever did need to use it.

 

[Rasputin]

I suddenly became curious how the Call Attendant button works as far as alerting the SCA? Is there some light panel with numbers in the roomette the the SCA usually sleeps in (meaning the SCA must always normally be assigned that room number, and it likely would never be assigned to a passenger)? Is there an audible alarm? Superliner/Vl1/VL2 differences? How about the trans-dorm or other one-off bag-dorm type sleepers, where is the alarm panel? Is it wireless in any way? How does it work if the sleeper has no assigned SCA like a trans-dorm or one SCA coverign two sleepers for some reason? Were there small signal lights over the doors of the roomettes/bedrooms/showers/etc? This is just for discussion, I have no particular need for the Call Attendant button but I am curous how reliable I should expect it to be if I ever did need to use it.

The call button sounds a tone and also lights up a spot on a panel. I can't recall if the panel is in the SCA's room or is somewhere else in the car but others will certainly be familiar with that.

I have rarely had to use it but in those instances where I did use it, it didn't produce any results because the SCA was not in the car, probably they were in the dining car or someplace else. In fact I probably used the call button on those occasions because I could not find the SCA and I thought the button might help. From what I can see (or hear) I think the button does help if the SCA is in the car and paying any kind of attention. Always interesting to see how some people manage to disappear on a train but I will leave the solution up to Agatha Christie.

 

[Maglev]

I recall varying degrees of success with the "Call Attendant" button.

I remember seeing a panel in a Superliner (not sure if I or II) Rm 1 with numbers for each room that lit up when the call button was pressed. Also, the light outside your room that illuminates is also the location of the button to reset the call.

 

[John Santos]

At least on some sleepers, there is a small light on the ceiling of the corridor outside each room. Pressing the call button sounds a tone (once) and lights the light. The SCA can tell at a glance down the corridor which rooms have requested assistance. I think they just press the "call" button again to turn off the light. I don't think the attendant's roomette is different from the other roomettes. There might be a display (most likely behind a panel near the door or coffee station) that indicates which rooms have a currently active call, but I've never noticed this.

On VL sleepers, in the middle where the corridor jogs between the side (with rooms) and center (between the roomettes) if is easy for the attendant to take one or two steps and check for call lights in both directions, but in SuperLiner sleepers they would have to go up or down stairs to check. I wonder if there is a different tone for the call button on the lower and upper level, or if there is a call board near the stairs? Or maybe just a ceiling light at the top of the stairs saying "someone downstairs pressed the call button" and a similar light at the bottom of the stairs saying "someone upstairs pressed call"?

 

[TinCan782]

I recall varying degrees of success with the "Call Attendant" button.

I remember seeing a panel in a Superliner (not sure if I or II) Rm 1 with numbers for each room that lit up when the call button was pressed. Also, the light outside your room that illuminates is also the location of the button to reset the call.

The light (room number) above the door to rooms is what I recall.

 

[cirdan]

At least on some sleepers, there is a small light on the ceiling of the corridor outside each room. Pressing the call button sounds a tone (once) and lights the light. The SCA can tell at a glance down the corridor which rooms have requested assistance.

This sounds fine on single-level cars, but how about Superliners?

Especially as with such a system, the rooms that are most likely to go unnoticed are those on the lower level. These are the rooms often used as accessibility rooms and thus occupied by people who cannot simply get up and look for the SCA?

 

[cassie225]

I recall using it and got nothing lol

 

[joelkfla]

I have noticed a panel with lights for each room on a Viewliner. I don't remember which model Viewliner.

 

[lsfinn]

I recall varying degrees of success with the "Call Attendant" button.

I remember seeing a panel in a Superliner (not sure if I or II) Rm 1 with numbers for each room that lit up when the call button was pressed. Also, the light outside your room that illuminates is also the location of the button to reset the call.

Varying success covers it.

As an aside, on all of the long distance rides I've taken (2-4 a year for the last 20 years) the SCA has occupied one of the standard rooms or roomettes. What that indicates is that equipment with a dedicated room for an SCA is rare.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I recall using it and got nothing lol

Yeah, the paradox of the call button is that an SCA bad enough to need calling over probably isn't paying attention to the call signal anyway. In my experience SCA's repurpose regular bedrooms or roomettes and thus have no way of seeing what's on the panel anyway. Great in theory, but largely ignored in practice.

 

[Asher]

I always thought that button may just be a placebo meant to pacify one for a period of time.

 

[Maglev]

I have pressed the call button and left the room to go to breakfast, hoping the attendant would make up my bed while I was gone. I usually make my own bed, but did this on the last morning of the trip when the attendant needed to change the sheets.

I think this worked, but have some memory of an attendant's also coming back later to see what I wanted.

 

[WWW]

Cardinal - Viewliner? - Roomette - car attendant light just above entry door/curtain.
Didn't use mine but observed others lit up for attendant service ? CHI-HUN-CHI

 

[John Santos]

This sounds fine on single-level cars, but how about Superliners?

Especially as with such a system, the rooms that are most likely to go unnoticed are those on the lower level. These are the rooms often used as accessibility rooms and thus occupied by people who cannot simply get up and look for the SCA?

You cut from that comment:

... in SuperLiner sleepers they would have to go up or down stairs to check. I wonder if there is a different tone for the call button on the lower and upper level, or if there is a call board near the stairs? Or maybe just a ceiling light at the top of the stairs saying "someone downstairs pressed the call button" and a similar light at the bottom of the stairs saying "someone upstairs pressed call"?

Such a light would be trivial to implement, even with 1970's tech.