Sleeping compartment

[Scala]

I am planning to travel from NYC to Atlanta with my husband and two children (5 and 9). I was wondering if any advice on best way to arrange sleeping: two roomettes opposite each other or a bedroom and a roomette. Does anyone know the best way to be comfortable? Also, is there a place on the train for the 4 of us to stay together to maybe play a board game, etc??

 

[the_traveler]

You must call 1-800-USA-RAIL and speak to an agent if you want 2 rooms across the hall! There is a lounge car where all can be together.

 

[ehbowen]

My experience is that Amtrak's website will try to locate your roomettes close together if you book them all on the same reservation. If not, then you can call an Amtrak agent, explain the situation and see if they can adjust your reservation accordingly.

If the budget will stretch to cover a bedroom, then a bedroom and a roomette would be ideal. When the bedroom is made up for day use there is a sofa which seats three plus a jump seat, so all four of you can share it and have your own private en-suite restroom to boot. Otherwise book two roomettes, and plan to have one adult share each one with one child (two adults in a roomette can be a tight squeeze). If you do book bedroom+roomette, it would depend upon the maturity level of the kids and how well they get along with each other for the sleeping arrangements. Adults in the bedroom and children in the roomette could work well, but it would depend upon your personal comfort level.

 

[PRR 60]

My experience is that Amtrak's website will try to locate your roomettes close together if you book them all on the same reservation. If not, then you can call an Amtrak agent, explain the situation and see if they can adjust your reservation accordingly.

If the budget will stretch to cover a bedroom, then a bedroom and a roomette would be ideal. When the bedroom is made up for day use there is a sofa which seats three plus a jump seat, so all four of you can share it and have your own private en-suite restroom to boot. Otherwise book two roomettes, and plan to have one adult share each one with one child (two adults in a roomette can be a tight squeeze). If you do book bedroom+roomette, it would depend upon the maturity level of the kids and how well they get along with each other for the sleeping arrangements. Adults in the bedroom and children in the roomette could work well, but it would depend upon your personal comfort level.

Do the confirmation e-mails after on-line bookings show the room numbers? Recently, they have not. If you made an on-line booking and wanted to know your room, you had to call and ask.

 

[ehbowen]

Do the confirmation e-mails after on-line bookings show the room numbers? Recently, they have not. If you made an on-line booking and wanted to know your room, you had to call and ask.

How recently? The trip I booked in February and took in May showed this information.

 

[Grandpa D]

I just booked a round trip yesterday and the confirming email showed the car numbers and bedroom numbers.

 

[me_little_me]

My experience is that Amtrak's website will try to locate your roomettes close together if you book them all on the same reservation. If not, then you can call an Amtrak agent, explain the situation and see if they can adjust your reservation accordingly.

I have had no problem getting rooms changed by calling Amtrak even when reservations were made separately online. HOWEVER, I'd suggest calling late evening or late night so agents have time to spend. Also, the rooms have to be available. On ATL from NYP, unless it is a ways out, availability of free rooms to which one can be moved is a real problem.

In the past when room numbers were not provided on online reservations, my guess is that those might have been "reserved" but unassigned allowing more flexibility. However, based on postings in this thread, Amtrak is now assigning and providing room numbers on online confirmation emails. If they used to leave them unassigned and now no longer do so, then changing rooms is a problem.

We even got the agent (after an online reservation for a BR and 2 roomettes) to move us to the closest BR to the roomettes and the closest roomettes to the BR i.e. center of the car. On the return with 3 roomettes reserved online, the agent changed it to 2 across and one adjacent to them. However, there was a lot of availability at the time.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I booked in Spring 2011 for a trip in Nov and the car/room #'s were not in the email. I called and was given the information.

 

[jis]

I booked in Spring 2011 for a trip in Nov and the car/room #'s were not in the email. I called and was given the information.

AFAIK the room/car info has been on the email at least from Jan 2012. There was a period in 2011 and even earlier when this info had disappeared from the email.

 

[AutoTrDvr]

I have had no problem getting rooms changed by calling Amtrak even when reservations were made separately online. HOWEVER, I'd suggest calling late evening or late night so agents have time to spend. Also, the rooms have to be available. On ATL from NYP, unless it is a ways out, availability of free rooms to which one can be moved is a real problem.

I'll call almost immediately after I make the reservation to ensure that I get assigned a room that faces the direction of travel, sitting on the sofa. I've usually not had much of a problem when a room had to be changed if you do it well enough in advance. The confirmation e-mails they send always have the room assignments on them.

 

[gregoryla]

I'll call almost immediately after I make the reservation to ensure that I get assigned a room that faces the direction of travel, sitting on the sofa. I've usually not had much of a problem when a room had to be changed if you do it well enough in advance. The confirmation e-mails they send always have the room assignments on them.

I am not sure it is possible to reserve "a room that faces the direction of travel." My experience has been that cars can be faced either way and that it is impossible to know that in advance.

 

[MrFSS]

I'll call almost immediately after I make the reservation to ensure that I get assigned a room that faces the direction of travel, sitting on the sofa. I've usually not had much of a problem when a room had to be changed if you do it well enough in advance. The confirmation e-mails they send always have the room assignments on them.

I am not sure it is possible to reserve "a room that faces the direction of travel." My experience has been that cars can be faced either way and that it is impossible to know that in advance.

And correct you are. Only until you board the train will you know for sure which way things are facing. Sometimes it can be "guessed" which way they will be as that's they way they are many times. But there are no guarantees.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

And Roomettes are "push me-pull you" with a seat facing each direction. On a Superliner Roomette, for safety, the Attendant should make the beds up feet facing the direction of travel. However on a Viewliner Roomette, feet face the toilet!

 

[Bierboy]

I just booked a round trip yesterday and the confirming email showed the car numbers and bedroom numbers.

We just booked a round trip last week on the TE with a bedroom both ways, and it showed us which room we'll be in...

 

[AutoTrDvr]

I'll call almost immediately after I make the reservation to ensure that I get assigned a room that faces the direction of travel, sitting on the sofa. I've usually not had much of a problem when a room had to be changed if you do it well enough in advance. The confirmation e-mails they send always have the room assignments on them.

I am not sure it is possible to reserve "a room that faces the direction of travel." My experience has been that cars can be faced either way and that it is impossible to know that in advance.

The AT Superliner bedrooms are usually all on the same side, with bedroom windows facing the two stations. Therefore, it is possible to know the direction of travel and reserve the proper room. Although I do now see the problem with other consists on other trains. I guess, with those, it takes a little experience.

 

[Fin]

My husband and I took our grandchildren to Orlando from Philadelphia on the Silver Star, we got 2 roomettes across from one another and it worked out great. We could put the beds down in the one if they wanted to rest and we could go back and forth between the rooms. I would not hesitate to do this again. Everyone was happy

 

[AlanB]

The AT Superliner bedrooms are usually all on the same side, with bedroom windows facing the two stations. Therefore, it is possible to know the direction of travel and reserve the proper room. Although I do now see the problem with other consists on other trains. I guess, with those, it takes a little experience.

While I'll grant that it's been in the past, but on at least 2 occasions I've been in Bedrooms on the Auto Train that did NOT face the station.

Perhaps in the last year or two they've started being more consistent, but frankly I'd be surprised if they were doing so.

 

[AutoTrDvr]

The AT Superliner bedrooms are usually all on the same side, with bedroom windows facing the two stations. Therefore, it is possible to know the direction of travel and reserve the proper room. Although I do now see the problem with other consists on other trains. I guess, with those, it takes a little experience.

While I'll grant that it's been in the past, but on at least 2 occasions I've been in Bedrooms on the Auto Train that did NOT face the station.

Perhaps in the last year or two they've started being more consistent, but frankly I'd be surprised if they were doing so.

I guess I've been 100% lucky, then. I suppose the only chance these days for a change would be if they're swapping out a malfunctioning car or moving cars in/out of the rotation for routine maintenance or something. But, so far, in all my trips, the bedrooms have faced the station.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The AT Superliner bedrooms are usually all on the same side, with bedroom windows facing the two stations. Therefore, it is possible to know the direction of travel and reserve the proper room. Although I do now see the problem with other consists on other trains. I guess, with those, it takes a little experience.

While I'll grant that it's been in the past, but on at least 2 occasions I've been in Bedrooms on the Auto Train that did NOT face the station. Perhaps in the last year or two they've started being more consistent, but frankly I'd be surprised if they were doing so.

Is there a reason the sleeper cars on most long distance trains cannot be assigned a specific directional orientation, barring unforeseen circumstances? Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to figure out which way to build the train. Does Amtrak not have easy access to any turntables, wyes, or half-circle tracks?

 

[AutoTrDvr]

The AT Superliner bedrooms are usually all on the same side, with bedroom windows facing the two stations. Therefore, it is possible to know the direction of travel and reserve the proper room. Although I do now see the problem with other consists on other trains. I guess, with those, it takes a little experience.

While I'll grant that it's been in the past, but on at least 2 occasions I've been in Bedrooms on the Auto Train that did NOT face the station. Perhaps in the last year or two they've started being more consistent, but frankly I'd be surprised if they were doing so.

Is there a reason the sleeper cars on most long distance trains cannot be assigned a specific directional orientation, barring unforeseen circumstances? Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to figure out which way to build the train. Does Amtrak not have easy access to any turntables, wyes, or half-circle tracks?

Not sure. It only really matters for the "full bedrooms" (the only "asymmetrical" accommodations on the train). For the AT, the consist seems to be built toward the side that faces the stations. Which gives views, then, of things like the Quantico Marine base (not visible from the other side), etc. Maybe also a better view of the James River crossing.

If push comes to shove, there is at least one seat in the bedrooms that always faces the direction of travel, but it's difficult to do the entire journey in that little seat. The sofa is much preferred, since it's "there," and much more comfortable.

 

[AlanB]

Is there a reason the sleeper cars on most long distance trains cannot be assigned a specific directional orientation, barring unforeseen circumstances? Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to figure out which way to build the train. Does Amtrak not have easy access to any turntables, wyes, or half-circle tracks?

I'm not sure that I would say that there is a specific physical reason, although there might be a few places where they couldn't easily wye, but rather I think that it comes down to costs and the fact that it's just a make work thing. It just simply requires too much time and effort to worry about which way the cars face. And that means increased costs too.

Plus every time you cut apart a train, you risk a possible accident. In the winter you risk a freeze up on all the cars; in the summer it could take several hours to cool the cars back down. Also during switching, all other work must stop on the train. All cleaners have to sit down and do nothing. Can't load food onto the train, can't load linen's on. All work stops! That can mean the train isn't ready for departure on time and again, it increases costs to have all those other workers basically twiddling their thumbs instead of working, while that switching is going on.

And frankly on most trains, it really doesn't matter which side your sleeper ends up on. Probably the biggest train where it makes a difference is the Coast Starlight. And even there, if you get the views of the Pacific Ocean, then you're not getting the best views of Mount Shasta.

 

[rusty spike]

I would think they would have to wye the LD's consist anyway, to keep the order of baggage, transdorm, sleepers, diner, SSL, chair cars in the right order. Other than the SL sleeper where the Bedroom sofa should be forward facing, all chair car seats are reversible,. I don't see that Superliner cars have a set direction. ICBW. And I'm not familiar with the Viewliners.

 

[Donctor]

I'll call almost immediately after I make the reservation to ensure that I get assigned a room that faces the direction of travel, sitting on the sofa. I've usually not had much of a problem when a room had to be changed if you do it well enough in advance. The confirmation e-mails they send always have the room assignments on them.

I am not sure it is possible to reserve "a room that faces the direction of travel." My experience has been that cars can be faced either way and that it is impossible to know that in advance.

And correct you are. Only until you board the train will you know for sure which way things are facing. Sometimes it can be "guessed" which way they will be as that's they way they are many times. But there are no guarantees.

95% of the time, the Crescent, Silvers, and New York Lake Shore will have sleeper vestibules facing forward.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Is there a reason the sleeper cars on most long distance trains cannot be assigned a specific directional orientation, barring unforeseen circumstances? Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to figure out which way to build the train. Does Amtrak not have easy access to any turntables, wyes, or half-circle tracks?

I'm not sure that I would say that there is a specific physical reason, although there might be a few places where they couldn't easily wye, but rather I think that it comes down to costs and the fact that it's just a make work thing. It just simply requires too much time and effort to worry about which way the cars face. And that means increased costs too.

Plus every time you cut apart a train, you risk a possible accident. In the winter you risk a freeze up on all the cars; in the summer it could take several hours to cool the cars back down. Also during switching, all other work must stop on the train. All cleaners have to sit down and do nothing. Can't load food onto the train, can't load linen's on. All work stops! That can mean the train isn't ready for departure on time and again, it increases costs to have all those other workers basically twiddling their thumbs instead of working, while that switching is going on.

And frankly on most trains, it really doesn't matter which side your sleeper ends up on. Probably the biggest train where it makes a difference is the Coast Starlight. And even there, if you get the views of the Pacific Ocean, then you're not getting the best views of Mount Shasta.

How often does Amtrak typically rebuild their trains? Do they usually build their trains with staff sitting around on board? I figured this was something that was completed by yard staff during the intervening hours and only happened once every few weeks or months for inspection swaps and the occasional unplanned failure.

 

[AlanB]

Is there a reason the sleeper cars on most long distance trains cannot be assigned a specific directional orientation, barring unforeseen circumstances? Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to figure out which way to build the train. Does Amtrak not have easy access to any turntables, wyes, or half-circle tracks?

I'm not sure that I would say that there is a specific physical reason, although there might be a few places where they couldn't easily wye, but rather I think that it comes down to costs and the fact that it's just a make work thing. It just simply requires too much time and effort to worry about which way the cars face. And that means increased costs too.

Plus every time you cut apart a train, you risk a possible accident. In the winter you risk a freeze up on all the cars; in the summer it could take several hours to cool the cars back down. Also during switching, all other work must stop on the train. All cleaners have to sit down and do nothing. Can't load food onto the train, can't load linen's on. All work stops! That can mean the train isn't ready for departure on time and again, it increases costs to have all those other workers basically twiddling their thumbs instead of working, while that switching is going on.

And frankly on most trains, it really doesn't matter which side your sleeper ends up on. Probably the biggest train where it makes a difference is the Coast Starlight. And even there, if you get the views of the Pacific Ocean, then you're not getting the best views of Mount Shasta.

How often does Amtrak typically rebuild their trains? Do they usually build their trains with staff sitting around on board? I figured this was something that was completed by yard staff during the intervening hours and only happened once every few weeks or months for inspection swaps and the occasional unplanned failure.

I couldn't say with any degree of accuracy, but it wouldn't surprise me to find that each LD train has at least 1 car per week swapped out. Oldtimer might be better able to give us a handle on this perhaps.

But between bad ordered cars, 92 day inspections, annual inspections I'd be very surprised if any consist remained intact for more than a month. Engines of course come on and off far more frequently.