Just booked a roomette on 1/SL and was assigned roomette 18 in car 0131. After having consulted Superliner car diagrams and consist listings for the SL it appears that this reservation will be in the transdorm sleeper. Some previous posts had mentioned that the transdorm sleeper cars have the shower on the same level as the roomettes. if that is correct then it would be very convenient when time comes to freshen up. Are there any disadvantages that i should be aware of being in the transform sleeper? The SL consist shows this car as being directly behind the baggage car at the head of the train.Would that have any effect on the ride quality? Welcome any and all comments on this.
Superliner Roomette 18 on Sunset Limited
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greatcats
Engineer
I have ridden a transdorm once, on the Southwest Chief, Flagstaff to Chicago, and I really liked it! You might want to bring ear plugs to shut out some of the noise. Depending on how attentive your SCA may be, you may get very good service from the next car, or it might not be so great. The coffee would be available in the next sleeper. Yes, the shower facilities are very good, on the same level. On my trip I had Linda, a very fine SCA. It is a slightly further walk to the diner, but I would take the Transdorm anytime.
So give advantage to the proximity for the shower but a disadvantage for being so close to the power units. I will have headphones with me for listening to personal electronics so that may help some with the noise. Having the shower nearby is a huge plus IMO.Also, there should be less pedestrian traffic walking through the car compared to other sleeper for increased privacy. Any difference in ride quality being that close to head of train?
I've been in three transdorms, and I enjoyed the trip every time. The extra shower is nice, and since the car is mostly crew, it's pretty quiet. You really don't get much pedestrian traffic, other than the crew walking back and forth.
On trains with only one locomotive, the horn is pretty loud, but earplugs definitely help. I slept just fine.
I didn't notice a difference in ride quality, personally.
On trains with only one locomotive, the horn is pretty loud, but earplugs definitely help. I slept just fine.
I didn't notice a difference in ride quality, personally.
I've ridden in Transdorms many times on LD Superliners and haven't had a bad trip yet!
Depending on the particular car you may have Two Showers and Restrooms upstairs as well as the Regular Shower and Restrooms Downstairs where the Conductors/ Crew "Lounge" is located in place of the Family Room and the usual 4 Roomettes found Downstairs in a SuperlinerSleeper! The Luggage rack is also there as is the H Bedroom which a Crew Member sometimes occupies!
Being on the front of the Train you will notice the whistle more but with the Crew Members being on duty such long hours it will be quiet without heavy passenger traffic in your car!
Some good SCAs set up coffee and juice in the old " office" located by the door where you enter the Transdorm from the Revenue Sleepers, others have you go to the Revenue sleeper for this service!
There will be a Curtain and Sign by the Stairs saying that Crew Members only can go into the front part of the car! ( there are only Roomettes, No Bedrooms)
Other pluses are you're only two cars from the Diner, three to the Sightseer Lounge with the Coaches behind them and if its a TE #421/#422 day, the CHI cutout Coach and Sleeper are on the rear of the Train between LAX and SAS!
Depending on the particular car you may have Two Showers and Restrooms upstairs as well as the Regular Shower and Restrooms Downstairs where the Conductors/ Crew "Lounge" is located in place of the Family Room and the usual 4 Roomettes found Downstairs in a SuperlinerSleeper! The Luggage rack is also there as is the H Bedroom which a Crew Member sometimes occupies!
Being on the front of the Train you will notice the whistle more but with the Crew Members being on duty such long hours it will be quiet without heavy passenger traffic in your car!
Some good SCAs set up coffee and juice in the old " office" located by the door where you enter the Transdorm from the Revenue Sleepers, others have you go to the Revenue sleeper for this service!
There will be a Curtain and Sign by the Stairs saying that Crew Members only can go into the front part of the car! ( there are only Roomettes, No Bedrooms)
Other pluses are you're only two cars from the Diner, three to the Sightseer Lounge with the Coaches behind them and if its a TE #421/#422 day, the CHI cutout Coach and Sleeper are on the rear of the Train between LAX and SAS!
Since I am booked on 1/SL from NOL-TUS the coach/sleeper cars cut away from the TE at SAS will definitely be added to the rear of the SL consist. Sounds like a pretty good deal with the shower nearby and less foot traffic. I will deal with the engine noise with some noise canceling headphones if necessary.Thx as always for the insight and comments from all.
NW cannonball
Conductor
Thinking the transdorm NOL-TUS is probably like the quiet car for roomettes. Only the whistle might disturb. Almost zero thru foot-traffic. The dorm half of the car is OBS, who WILL be sleeping as sound as they can. And the extra showers.
I've copped a transdorm roomette once - single occupancy - ABQ-LAX.
Wonderful quiet ride. West from SAS - there's not a lot of whistle crossings.
I've copped a transdorm roomette once - single occupancy - ABQ-LAX.
Wonderful quiet ride. West from SAS - there's not a lot of whistle crossings.
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Looking at the timetable west of SAS it doesn't look like there is much of anything,including whistle crossings. SAS-TUS is a distance of 920 miles(nearly the entire route of CONO) with only 2 staffed stations(ELP and TUS) along the way.That 920 mile stretch only has 8 stations along the way and 4 of those 8 are flag stops! Clearly there is a lot of open country to be crossed in that SAS-TUS section of the SL.As you said,not a lot of whistle crossings which should make for a good night's sleep.
ehbowen
Engineer
In general (very general), the ride quality is better the closer you are to the locomotive because there is less "slack action". On a freight this was very noticeable; the ride in a caboose could be bone-jarring. On a passenger train with (many) fewer cars and tight-lock couplers this is much less of a factor; back in the day "first class" was normally carried at the rear of the train because separation from the noise and, in steam days, smoke of the engine was considered to outweigh the slight difference in ride quality. It also put the first class passengers closer to the terminal at "stub-end" stations where the train backed in, of which there were many.
the_traveler
Engineer
In the Amtrak FAQ forum, there is a thread for Line Numbers/Consist Listings.
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Are the Transdorm sleepers less expensive than the passenger sleepers? I will assume that Amtrak makes the decision about who gets booked there.
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I believe the transdorm is used for revenue passengers only after all other roomettes are sold out.
I recently booked a trip on #1/Sunset Limited from NOL-TUS. Originally I thought that I would have to ride coach as the price quoted was more than I had budgeted for that part of my trip. Then i read a blog that suggested breaking the trip into two segments on the same train. So I researched a roomette from NOL-SAS and then from SAS-TUS. The total price quoted( and booked) was $153 LESS than if I had booked the NOL-TUS continuous segment on the same train. I was booked in roomette 18 in Transdorm sleeper for both NOL-SAS and NOL-TUS segment. I had thought the lower price might have put me in a sleeper that was cut away from the #421/Texas Eagle through cars that get added to the rear of the consist for #1/Sunset Limited during coupling operations in San Antonio.That would have caused me to move to a different car in the middle of the night. I also would have had to wait for the coupling operations to have been completed before being able to board the new sleeper car but thankfully that didn't happen. Not sure why this worked out less expensive but $153 more in my pocket rather than Amtrak's is a good thing.
When I spoke to the Amtrak reservation agent that helped me with this booking he did inform me that all other roomettes in the regular sleeper cars had been sold out. So it was the transdorm sleeper or coach from NOL-TUS for 35+ hours! Actually I kind of like this booking since there will be less foot traffic in the car plus, I have been told, that the shower is on the same level as the roomette in the transform sleeper. Much more convenient than having to go downstairs as in a regular sleeper. Down side is that the car is closer to the front of the train so may be more noise from train horn at crossings. I'll bring headphones to help out with the noise issue. Hope this info is helpful to you.
tommylicious
OBS Chief
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we rode a transdorm roomette on the texas eagle from st louis to chicago and it was aok.
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