Superliner vs Viewliner personal opinion

[jis]

In a bedroom since the bunks are breadthwise, the entire top bunk is not under the curvature of the roofline, thus giving more space above the top bunk

 

[Cina]

I've never taken a viewliner anything anywhere, but this discussion made me realize a misconception I had about viewliner roomettes. I always assumed the toilet was rather enclosed or shielded from view. After digging up photos, I see it's just...out there. So you could look out the window and wave at people while...huh.

I'm never looking in viewliner roomette windows if I see one pass by.

 

[tommylicious]

downstairs on a superliner is extremely loud.

 

[tommylicious]

yes when i took viewliner roomette the toilet grossed me out in that if you think about it, the seats/beds/other surfaces are probably coated in "overspray", and not necessarily just from yourself (for the fellas), but previous passengers as well.

 

[user 6862]

This thread is becoming quite 'realistic' if not a little gory. I also had the same thoughts so made sure Rosie had the top bunk and I slept with my feet at the toilet end.

The other side of this is, are we all becoming too precious and sanitised about hygiene, several days on and my feet haven't fallen off yet.

 

[user 1215]

I've never taken a viewliner anything anywhere, but this discussion made me realize a misconception I had about viewliner roomettes. I always assumed the toilet was rather enclosed or shielded from view. After digging up photos, I see it's just...out there. So you could look out the window and wave at people while...huh.

I'm never looking in viewliner roomette windows if I see one pass by.

It didn't bother me going 79 MPH or 110 MPH on the NEC... until we slowed down... through commuter rail stations... and I couldn't reach the curtain...

 

[D.P. Roberts]

For me this is complicated if we're limiting it to roomettes.

I normally travel with my wife and we both dislike the in-room toilet of the Viewliner I's. She's a nurse and I've watched Mythbusters enough times so we both know that it's impossible to use a toilet without spreading germs all over the room. You're basically sitting in pee and poop. Plus, you have to be REALLY close to someone to use a toilet in front of them. So we end up using the shared toilet in the hall anyway. So in that sense, I prefer the Superliners with no in-room toilet and multiple shared toilets.

However, I do feel extremely claustrophobic on the top bunk of a Superliner roomette.

I think the Viewliner II roomettes with be the best of both worlds.

I agree with this completely. We're putting off a longer trip out East until these new cars come online. For now, we'll tolerate the gross Viewliner I situation. However, I thought there is no "shared toilet in the hall" on a Viewliner sleeper? As far as I understand it, we'll have to walk through the other sleepers, through the dining car, and use the public restrooms in the lounge car.

Which brings me to another question - I know that the SSLs on the Superliners are known to fill up with "lounge lizards" at night, & people sleep on every available flat surface, including the floor. I assume that since the Viewliner lounge only has tables instead of seats, people probably remain in their coach cars at night. Is this generally true? I'm wondering whether I'm going to trip over camped-out coach pax if I have to find my way to the lounge restrooms in the middle of the night.

 

[Cina]

It didn't bother me going 79 MPH or 110 MPH on the NEC... until we slowed down... through commuter rail stations... and I couldn't reach the curtain...

It's probably kind of liberating at 100mph!

 

[niemi24s]

I'll refrain from passing any judgement here, but just can't resist posting this oldie:


This from an old guy who still has and uses an outhouse (in addition to his indoor facilities)

 

[spacecadet]

However, I thought there is no "shared toilet in the hall" on a Viewliner sleeper?

You may be right - it's been a while since I rode a Viewliner and we may have had the lounge and dining car flipped on our train or something like that, so I'm remembering it as if the bathroom was in the same car. The floor plans I've found have a little "box" with doors on one end of the car that's never defined on any of the images I've found (it's on the opposite end of the car from the shower), but I would think they would say if that was a lavatory.

I assume that since the Viewliner lounge only has tables instead of seats, people probably remain in their coach cars at night. Is this generally true? I'm wondering whether I'm going to trip over camped-out coach pax if I have to find my way to the lounge restrooms in the middle of the night.

No such thing as a Viewliner lounge

It'll be an Amfleet "lounge" (I don't think they even call them that anymore). Anyway, I think people overstate the lounge lizard thing. You're not going to be stepping over anybody, on any train.

I always assumed the toilet was rather enclosed or shielded from view. After digging up photos, I see it's just...out there.

It's a relic from the heritage equipment. The cars that the Viewliners replaced had roomettes with toilets like this so Amtrak made the Viewliners the same way. It probably is the most revenue-efficient thing to do in single-level equipment. I'm not sure how the Viewliner II's are set up but they had to take the space for the shared bathrooms away from somewhere.

 

[Rail Freak]

I've seen Sightseer Lounges where I had to step over/around people sleeping everywhere! I'm usually up, showered & waiting for the diner to open for breakfast.

 

[dlagrua]

Prefer the Viewliners as there is more baggage space and headroom but it all depends on the train that you take. The Western routes from CHI only run Superliners. The CHI-NYP and Southern routes only run Viewliners, except the A/T There is one Superliner running from WAS to CHI. Nearly everyone here knows this, so the bottom line is that it matters not what your preference is.

 

[Yumacool]

I live in the west and have never had the opportunity to ride a Viewliner, but have been on numerous Superliner sleeping cars. I have always missed the window on the upper bunk, which I consider a big negative. My wife will NEVER sleep up there, so I always get it

 

[spacecadet]

I've seen Sightseer Lounges where I had to step over/around people sleeping everywhere! I'm usually up, showered & waiting for the diner to open for breakfast.

There had to be something going on in that train, like a coach with no heat or a bunch of overbooked passengers or something. I have been in plenty of SSL's, multiple times each on the SFZ, then CZ, EB, and SWC, all the way from Chicago to the west coast - I love to ride them at night and I have slept in them myself. I've never had to step over anyone. I've seen other people sleeping on the seats, or even on the floor between the seats and the windows, but I have never in my life seen an SSL so packed full of sleeping people at night that they were literally blocking the aisles. It's usually like 5-10 people and they're out of the way.

Despite living on the east coast I don't feel I can be quite as definitive about the Amfleet lounges, but I can't imagine anyone even trying to sleep in the aisle of one of those. At a table, maybe.

 

[StriderGDM]

It's a relic from the heritage equipment. The cars that the Viewliners replaced had roomettes with toilets like this so Amtrak made the Viewliners the same way. It probably is the most revenue-efficient thing to do in single-level equipment. I'm not sure how the Viewliner II's are set up but they had to take the space for the shared bathrooms away from somewhere.

The Viewliner IIs will have one less roomette and two toilets will fill that spot.