The Transdorm.

[NETrainfan]

Need more info about the Transdorms. Do you know on your ticket if you are in a Transdorm? Are Transdorms on many routes? We will be taking the LSL from Boston to Chicago- will we have a Transdorm? Thanks for any basics about Transdorms.

 

[AlanB]

The Lake Shore will not have a Trans/Dorm, only trains with the bi-level Superliner equipment can have a Trans/Dorm. Basically every route west and south out of Chicago, plus the Capitol Limited and the Auto Train uses Superliner equipment. All routes out of NY do not use Superliner equipment.

One can indeed tell from one's ticket if one was booked into a Trans/Dorm, again assuming that you're on a run where that is even a possibility. If the room number is 16 or higher, then you are in the Trans/Dorm. The regular sleepers are numbered 2-14.

 

[NETrainfan]

Thank you. After the LSL we will be on the SWC round trip and then the CL, so we'll take note of any Transdorms.

 

[printman2000]

The only other Superliner-era picture where you can discern a consist has no baggage car and appears to have 3 sleepers and 3 coaches? This is from 1997, the earlier was from 2001.

Looks to me like it is this order...

P42

Transdorm

Coach

Coach

Coach

Sightseer

Dining Car

Sleeper

Sleeper

When this was taken, I think they were NOT using the transdorm for revenue passengers. It was crew only.

 

[Cristobal]

I just booked a trip on the SWC and got one of the last two remaining roomettes for that date and it is room 18 in car 0340. At first I was a bit hesitant about taking that room (an AGR blackout date kinda forced my hand on the departure date) but after going back and reading the experience that many have had riding in the transdorm I feel that I made the right call.

Here's another couple transdorm questions that I haven't seen asked yet. Since I don't see any baggage area in the transdorm can I assume that my extra carry-on will have to be stowed in the baggage area of the next sleeper? And my train entry and exit point at any stops is also through the next sleeper?

I'm really looking forward to this trip as part of a week long train vacation beginning and ending at SJC and with a couple of days in CHI thrown in.

 

[Bob Dylan]

:hi: There is a luggage rack downstairs just like the revenue sleepers, since there arent as many paying pax in this car you should have plenty of room! The conductor and other crew hang out in the downstairs "lounge/office", the conductor will open the door downstairs at stops where you are allowed off for a smoke/fresh air break! I enjoy the transdorms, always had good experiences myself!

 

[Cristobal]

:hi: Thers is a luggage rack downstairs just like the revenue sleepers, since there arent as many paying pax in this car you should have plenty of room! The conductor and other crew hang out in the downstairs "lounge/office", the conductor will open the door downstairs at stops where you are allowed off for a smoke/fresh air break! I enjoy the transdorms, always had good experiences myself!

Cool. Thanks!

I was under the impression that the lower level was 'crew only' and that revenue pax weren't supposed to go past a certain point in the upper level. I guess that I could've just waited to have it all explained to me when I board but I always like to kinda know what to expect ahead of time.

 

[the_traveler]

The first photo posted by Ryan could not have been the Cardinal! Until recently, it did not carry a baggage car, and AFAIK it never did when it was a Superliner train!

I only have been in the trans-dorm once, between CHI and STL. It was not bad - except for this guy across the hall from us - right Alan?

 

[Ryan]

That's definitely CVS, and it ain't the Crescent!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I was under the impression that the lower level was 'crew only' and that revenue pax weren't supposed to go past a certain point in the upper level. I guess that I could've just waited to have it all explained to me when I board but I always like to kinda know what to expect ahead of time.

I recently stayed in a transition dorm when I booked the last roomette to Chicago a few hours before departure. If you want to store or access your baggage on the bottom level or take a shower down there or get off at the next stop you're still free to do so, just as with any other sleeper car. There will be a crew lounge or storage area down there but it's not terribly interesting in and of itself. There is a divider on the upper level that separates the revenue compartments from the staff area. If you're curious about the rest of the car I would suggest you ask your SCA if they'd be able to show you around rather than doing any snooping on your own.

 

[Mackensen]

The first photo posted by Ryan could not have been the Cardinal! Until recently, it did not carry a baggage car, and AFAIK it never did when it was a Superliner train!

I only have been in the trans-dorm once, between CHI and STL. It was not bad - except for this guy across the hall from us - right Alan?

According to the October 2000 timetable the Cardinal *did* have a baggage car, but it certainly didn't have it for very long!

 

[printman2000]

According to the October 2000 timetable the Cardinal *did* have a baggage car, but it certainly didn't have it for very long!

Well, they probably used a baggage/coach car (like the current Texas Eagle). I do not think it ran with a standalone baggage car.

 

[Ryan]

The photo posted above suggests that it did at least once.

 

[TVRM610]

I don't understand people's complaints about the trans-dorm. If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.

I was in the dorm car of the Capitol this Summer, and got some of the best service from an SCA ever (go Nathan!). Likewise.. my attendant on the Silver Meteor, in a revenue car was lousy. It makes no difference what car your in.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great [good] SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than [then] you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there [their] job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your [you're] in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.

I couldn't agree more. At least after I made a few minor corrections.

 

[Tony]

I don't understand people's complaints about the trans-dorm. If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.

I thought that the transdorm doesn't have an SCA? If you are in the transdorm, you had to "borrow" the services of the SCA from another car (and they either liked or hated the extra work load).

Is that wrong?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I thought that the transdorm doesn't have an SCA? If you are in the transdorm, you had to "borrow" the services of the SCA from another car (and they either liked or hated the extra work load). Is that wrong?

In my case we had our own SCA so far as I could tell. However, you can have staff with shared duties in any given car depending on the situation. Maybe more employees than usual called in sick or quit or got stuck on their way to work. In any of those cases you might leave with fewer staff than the consist originally called for and the additional duties will have to be shared among the staff that did make it.

 

[TVRM610]

If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great [good] SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than [then] you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there [their] job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your [you're] in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.

I couldn't agree more. At least after I made a few minor corrections.

Hey! Who called the spelling police? haha. :hi:

 

[the_traveler]

Hey! Who called the spelling police? haha. :hi:

For your punishment, I sentence you to 3-4 (weeks) riding trains!

 

[D T Nelson]

I don't understand people's complaints about the trans-dorm. If you get a good SCA in the transdorm, you have a great SCA. If you get a bad SCA in the transdorm than you get a bad SCA. If an SCA is not doing there job well, it has nothing to do with the fact your in the dorm, and everything to do with the SCA.

I thought that the transdorm doesn't have an SCA? If you are in the transdorm, you had to "borrow" the services of the SCA from another car (and they either liked or hated the extra work load).

Is that wrong?

The one time I rode in the transdorm, the SCA covered the transdorm and the sleeping car immediately aft of the transdorm. It was not a "borrowing" situation, those were his two assigned cars. And since it was the Empire Builder and the SCA was Gul, I got better service from him than I ever have from any other SCA; he was much more attentive than any SCA covering one car.

 

[TVRM610]

Hey! Who called the spelling police? haha. :hi:

For your punishment, I sentence you to 3-4 (weeks) riding trains!

wel dern, i'lll jus hve ta miss-spall morre oftan.

haha.

on topic... D T Nelson made a great point to those who don't know.. the trans-dorm has an attendant, it's just the same attendant that also has a whole sleeper as well. When you get an attendant like Gul on the Empire Builder or Nathan on the Capitol Limited... your in good hands. If you get a lousy attendant, well then it's just no good. But you'd be no better off if you were in that lousy attendants regular car either. (if that makes any sense).

 

[had8ley]

No chance. No revenue bedrooms in the dorm, just roomettes.

Tecnically speaking there are bedrooms in some of the dorms. There are H rooms in quite a few but are not inventoried for sale and only used in tight situations such as a bad order revenue sleeper.

 

[Ryan]

Absolutely correct - "No chance" referred to the OP asking about bedroom "B". If he were to have been asking about an "H" room, I would have gone the path of your answer.

 

[PaulM]

IIRC Alan, there were one or two trans-dorms in the dead line at Beech Grove. Did they get a shot of stimulus money ???

I was on the CZ recently and 4 cars - transdorm, sleeper, SSL, and coach - had the TIGER logo, which I presume indicated stimulus money.

 

[Trogdor]

IIRC Alan, there were one or two trans-dorms in the dead line at Beech Grove. Did they get a shot of stimulus money ???

I was on the CZ recently and 4 cars - transdorm, sleeper, SSL, and coach - had the TIGER logo, which I presume indicated stimulus money.

A bunch of cars are being refurbished with stimulus money. Not everything with the TIGER sticker necessarily came from the dead line.