Sleeper Familiarization

[Asher]

If they are not mobile then look for something other than train travel.

That's a bit harsh. Amtrak by law is required to make reasonable accommodation for passengers with mobility disabilities, and most Amtrak staff I've encountered (when traveling with my elderly, mobility-impaired father) have been very graciously helpful with this.

Train travel is ideal for folks with certain kinds of mobility problems: You can see a lot without needing to walk very far, and even if you ordinarily use a cane for balance you might not need it on the train--the corridors are narrow, and there are ample things to grab onto to steady oneself along the way.

While I do think that train travel can be great for those with mobility problems, there are a couple points in your post that I don't totally agree with:
While Amtrak is required to make reasonable accommodation for pax with impaired mobility, I've found that that's not always the case. Multiple times, I've seen Amtrak fail to provide necessary equipment (ramps, carts, etc) and assistance to passengers trying to board or disembark from the train. Sometimes the staff aren't helpful, other times the station just doesn't have the necessary stuff onsite.

I do also sort of disagree that passengers who need canes might not need them as much when moving about a moving train. I feel like the sudden motion and swaying of the train really more than compensates for the fact that you have plenty of stuff to grab on to as you walk though it. I just feel like someone who usually needs a cane might as well keep using it while on board. Just my take.

Sorry,I didn't intend to sound harsh, I meant if they were able to get around by whatever means, they would be fine. The fact that they want to take the train tells me they will be OK.

 

[CAMISSY55]

If they are not mobile then look for something other than train travel.

That's a bit harsh. Amtrak by law is required to make reasonable accommodation for passengers with mobility disabilities, and most Amtrak staff I've encountered (when traveling with my elderly, mobility-impaired father) have been very graciously helpful with this.

Train travel is ideal for folks with certain kinds of mobility problems: You can see a lot without needing to walk very far, and even if you ordinarily use a cane for balance you might not need it on the train--the corridors are narrow, and there are ample things to grab onto to steady oneself along the way.

While I do think that train travel can be great for those with mobility problems, there are a couple points in your post that I don't totally agree with:
While Amtrak is required to make reasonable accommodation for pax with impaired mobility, I've found that that's not always the case. Multiple times, I've seen Amtrak fail to provide necessary equipment (ramps, carts, etc) and assistance to passengers trying to board or disembark from the train. Sometimes the staff aren't helpful, other times the station just doesn't have the necessary stuff onsite.

I do also sort of disagree that passengers who need canes might not need them as much when moving about a moving train. I feel like the sudden motion and swaying of the train really more than compensates for the fact that you have plenty of stuff to grab on to as you walk though it. I just feel like someone who usually needs a cane might as well keep using it while on board. Just my take.

Have to agree with Tricia regarding using a cane. I found out quickly on my first LD train trip that I didn't need to use my cane (for the reasons she stated). But more importantly, my fellow passengers were much safer after I figured that out. A cane can become - as it did on my first walk through the dining car - a weapon. I was mortified when a sudden lurch of the train resulted in me (and my cane) whopping a gentleman in the arm, then knocking a basket of salad dressing packets to the floor. Thankfully, the LSA helped stabilized me before I too hit the floor. Lesson learned!

 

[Milw6166]

This septuagenarian would suggest the side by side roomettes on superliners and downstairs for the bathrooms/shower. Also, using a cane seems difficult even tho I do not use one. I do alot of bracing with both arms going from car to car. Better would be a walker to maintain your three point contact for stability at speed. imho.

 

[Manny T]

Wouldn't the accessible bedroom or the family room on the lower level of a Superliner, or the accessible bedroom on a single level Viewliner, be the best options for these folks?

 

[niemi24s]

Wouldn't the accessible bedroom or the family room on the lower level of a Superliner, or the accessible bedroom on a single level Viewliner, be the best options for these folks?

It's an option, but not really sure if it's the best one as either would require one of the adults to get up into the top bunk. Don't believe the shortest of the two is short enough to fit comfortably into the lower child's berth in the Family Bedroom. But they've been sent a link to the sleeper layouts as well as one to this thread so they can judge for themselves.

I tried finding a museum with either or both types of sleepers on static display without success.

 

[cpotisch]

Wouldn't the accessible bedroom or the family room on the lower level of a Superliner, or the accessible bedroom on a single level Viewliner, be the best options for these folks?

They can only book an Accessible Bedroom if either of them are disabled, and as niemi24s said, one of them would have to get into the top bunk. And unless they have a wheelchair, walker, or something like that, there isn't much of an advantage anyway. And remember that on Superliners, the H room is actually just a roomette bed module, tiny windows, an open area for a wheelchair, and a curtained off toilet. It really isn't anything particularly nice. The Family Bedroom offers plenty of space and has a very nice layout, and my dad and I loved it on our cross country trip this year, however they would still have the issue of either both cramming into the bottom bunk, or one of them climbing into the upper bunk. I would also note that if they get a lower level room, they would have to go up and down the stairs whenever they want to go to the SSL, dining car, or anything like that. With an upper level room, they can go up and down the stairs once, and stay on the upper level for the whole ride.

 

[scrollmaster]

My wife and I are almost 70 and travel in bedrooms and have never used the top bunk. We manage just fine sharing the lower bed.

She is cripple from a vehicle accident many years ago but doesn't require a wheelchair. I help her walk up the stairs and she is close to the observation car and dining car. We never do meals to our room because we enjoy visiting new people each meal. I assist her down when we disembark the train.