Question about Luggage

[Kapwned]

I am planning on going off to college this summer. And since I do not have a car (my prospective new college town is easy to get around by foot or by public transport) I figured I'd just take the train. My plan was to make an attempt to fit my necessities into two 28-29 inch suit cases. I looked online for the route in which I'd take and the first half of the trip I would not be able to check my luggage but on the train after my transfer I would.

I was wondering how Amtrak workers might feel about this? Do you think a worker would be willing to assist me with getting the bags onto the train? I could probably roll them perfectly fine. But I don't think I could just easily waltz onto the train with both of my bags in hand, but at this point this is my cheapest and most convenient option besides flying.

 

[BCL]

Sounds like they'll be well within the limits for carry-on luggage. However, you're expected to bring it on yourself unless you specifically need aid. Once I saw a somewhat overweight mom with a kid, a stroller, a roller, and a kid-sized roller. This station had a sizable gap between the platform and train as it was curved. She yelled for help, but this wasn't a route with red caps and frankly she was able to get all that stuff on the train herself. If you have to, bring one bag up yourself and then get the other one. They're not going to take off without you, as that would mean a lot of paperwork should you be injured.

What route? Some may be able to give you better specifics about.

Also - theoretically you're not supposed to bring on stuff specifically for any kind of moving, but how the heck are they going to know? It's some strange rule that items brought on board must be for use on the trip. I suppose gifts for someone at the destination would be OK, as would bringing back souvenirs.

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

that rule is a joke. If you want to get in to semantics . they need to define what a move is vs a longggggggggggg vacation !

typical suit and ties at there finest . :help:

I am retired college student and have used the train to move a entire dorm. If you want to just ship it . amtrak express is a way to sent a pallet of stuff DIRT cheap! .

If where you are going is near a full service station you perhaps can use that express service too! . I did 800 Lbs on a pallet for 300 ish USD from middle of the USA at Kansas city station to LAX .

 

[StriderGDM]

One other note. In theory the maximum baggage weight is 50 lbs. I've never really seen that enforced for carry-on luggage. (And only once hit that with checked myself, fortunately I was able to break it up into 2 bags, of about 40 and 15 lbs each

 

[caravanman]

Amtrak seem to be fairly relaxed about luggage, in my experience.

It is quite possible that another passenger, if not the car attendant, would assist you. So long as you don't put too much weight into the cases, the sizes you mention are quite reasonable, I have seen massive suitcases taken aboard with no problems. I am not familiar with Amtraks options for sending luggage ahead... I guess that if there is no checked baggage option, then they won't offer any freight option from your boarding station. Precisley because there is no checked baggage option, I imagine that staff would be used to having to accomodate passengers extra bags, somehow?

Don't get too hung up on exact rules and regs, reality of Amtrak baggage s a lot more flexible than you might fear.

Ed

 

[Kapwned]

I just wanted to be respectful, I suppose. I can bring them on myself, I'd just feel embarrassed having to do it in two trips and hold up the line as my 5 foot self loads two bags half the size of myself onto the train. I could definitely lift them myself but not both at the same time. I'm short, so lifting big things (from my perspective) can be awkward for me.

And when I say moving. All I will really have is my clothing, toiletries, shoes and other things. It's not like I will be lugging around a computer, lamps, and other bedroom accessories. I suppose I will just look like someone who overpacks for a trip.

Oh and I will be traveling from Detroit, MI to Syracuse, NY.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

What trains are you looking at? Looks like you'll be taking a bus to ?Toledo? then getting on the LSL (48). Or are you taking a train to Chicago, then boarding the LSL?

If you're taking the train to Chicago, then, as long as you can get the bags on the train, you'll be fine. If the station has a high platform, then you should be able to roll the bags onto the train (jumping the gap). If it's a low platform, you'll have to climb the steps. Hopefully someone would help you with that. I had to climb the steps once with my roller bag (which had a couple of smaller bags attached to it, and one of the other passengers helped me.

 

[caravanman]

Sounds like you will be fine, don't worry about holding up the line, they will work around you.

Have a nice trip, and good luck at college!

Ed

 

[RailRide]

My two annual trips are conducted with two suitcases of the size you mention, plus a laptop backpack and a tote bag roughly 1/3 the size of the aforementioned suitcases. No problems stowing the suitcases and tote bag in the overhead racks. The backpack sits on the floor in front of me (Amfleet II coach) with room to spare.

One trick I use for wheeling around the two suitcases is to link them together with a pair of bungee cords I use short ones about 1' long (one end hooked through the handle buckles and the other end looped around the handle and hooked to itself, but depending on how the top handles are anchored to your particular suitcases you may be able to use a single longer one. The tote simply perches atop the lead suitcase and the two trail along like a double-trailer semi

You only need to separate them to get them up in the train if boarding/exiting from/to ground level.

---PCJ

 

[Chey]

I struggled to lift my heaviest bag at a station that had no baggage check service. The attendant saw my struggle and grabbed it - with a smile - and set it on the luggage shelf for me. You better believe I tipped that person extra when I disembarked.

 

[Palmetto]

Yes, some Amtrak personnel are more attentive than others. It's just the nature of things, I guess. I had a sleeping car attendant take my bag up to the Club Acela in New York. There were Redcaps, but they were tied up with other passengers, so he just took it upon himself to get me and my luggage upstairs.