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

 

[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.

 

[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...

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[Sauve850]

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

 

[cpotisch]

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.

 

[cpotisch]

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.

 

[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.

 

[cpotisch]

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.

 

[cpotisch]

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.

 

[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

 

[ehbowen]

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.

 

[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?

 

[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).

 

[MDRailfan]

Are they still VL1 w/toilets?

 

[pennyk]

Are they still VL1 w/toilets?

yes

 

[cpotisch]

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. 

 

[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!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

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)

 

[MDRailfan]

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

 

[pennyk]

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.)

 

[bratkinson]

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!