Things to take with you

[MrFSS]

This is a great idea and I will do that on my upcoming CS trip. However, is/are the outlets in the sleeper rooms for two or three prong plugs? Most power strips have three prong plugs. Thanks,
Ed

Ed - yes - the sleeper outlets will take the three prongs. Also, consider a power strip with the built in surge protector. Amtrak current can be flakey!

 

[Rail Freak]

This is a great idea and I will do that on my upcoming CS trip. However, is/are the outlets in the sleeper rooms for two or three prong plugs? Most power strips have three prong plugs. Thanks,
Ed

Ed - yes - the sleeper outlets will take the three prongs. Also, consider a power strip with the built in surge protector. Amtrak current can be flakey!

On another thread, some one mentioned a cloth like wallet that goes around your neck. Can someone elaborate?

 

[MrFSS]

This is a great idea and I will do that on my upcoming CS trip. However, is/are the outlets in the sleeper rooms for two or three prong plugs? Most power strips have three prong plugs. Thanks,
Ed

Ed - yes - the sleeper outlets will take the three prongs. Also, consider a power strip with the built in surge protector. Amtrak current can be flakey!

On another thread, some one mentioned a cloth like wallet that goes around your neck. Can someone elaborate?

Something like THIS.

 

[Rail Freak]

This is a great idea and I will do that on my upcoming CS trip. However, is/are the outlets in the sleeper rooms for two or three prong plugs? Most power strips have three prong plugs. Thanks,
Ed

Ed - yes - the sleeper outlets will take the three prongs. Also, consider a power strip with the built in surge protector. Amtrak current can be flakey!

On another thread, some one mentioned a cloth like wallet that goes around your neck. Can someone elaborate?

Something like THIS.

Thanx!

 

[RailFanLNK]

Remember, bringing items is important, but I have found if I packed everything that I have read on rail forums, I would be looking like some guy that was going to go out in "bush" in Viet Nam for a 6 week recon mission. The last trip I took to Chicago I packed WAY TOO MUCH!! I felt like Donkey Deer! :lol: I'm sure Chicagoans were pointing and laughing going, "I bet he's on all them Amtrak websites and being told to pack this and pack that". Use common sense on some of the stuff. Being new to rail, you may not know what you may or may not need. I went through my Amtrak bag and tossed out a bunch of stuff on this last trip after I got home. I have taken 8 or 9 trips now and its like, "I have yet to use this once and I'm still lugging it around". I mean...how many books on Train Riding do you need when you are doing it on a regular basis! :blink:

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I personally think the duct-tape is silly. I think the clanking of big masses and the chattering of things is part of the experience. I'd no sooner give that up than the horn.

 

[PRR 60]

I personally think the duct-tape is silly. I think the clanking of big masses and the chattering of things is part of the experience. I'd no sooner give that up than the horn.

A couple of years ago my wife and I were on the Zephyr and the air register in the ceiling of the bedroom was blowing a hurricane of ice cold air. It could not be stopped. Some duct tape and a file folder made the room livable.
The inverter of duct tape should get the Nobel Prize.

 

[AlanB]

On our trip last summer Bill; I ended up using my duct tape to help out the very nice sleeping car attendant in the 532 car where Kevin, Michael, Mike, and Lynn were. Apparently the garbage can was missing from within the area under the coffee pot. Yet people kept throwing creamers, trash, and stuff through the flap. I just happened to hear her complaining about it, and volunteered my duct tape to help her close off the flap, such that people couldn't throw stuff in there anymore.

The big problem was that the creamers and coffee would leak out onto the floor and make it slippery, not to mention a mess.

She was most appreciative of my efforts, to the point where she let my mom and I use one of the empty bedrooms on our last day of riding west to escape the heat in our sleeper the 531 car, where the AC wasn't working properly.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I personally think the duct-tape is silly. I think the clanking of big masses and the chattering of things is part of the experience. I'd no sooner give that up than the horn.

A couple of years ago my wife and I were on the Zephyr and the air register in the ceiling of the bedroom was blowing a hurricane of ice cold air. It could not be stopped. Some duct tape and a file folder made the room livable.
The inverter of duct tape should get the Nobel Prize.

I wish it could blow such cold air for me *eskimo*

Point taken, though.

 

[iowa train fan]

Help please, what brand/type scanner to buy? What features do I need? I know nothing about scanners but would like to buy one for my upcoming trip on Amtrak. Does anyone have any information or a model # that I should look at. Do not want to spend more than 150-200 dollars. I would like to also be able to listen to train communications when watching or viewing passing trains. Sorry for not much knowledge, as you can see I need allot of help. I have read different sites that tell you what to look for but I respect all the information you guys give on here. Thanks in advance.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Most Scanners will do. The cheapest new scanner on ebay will probably work fine for your purposes. It did for mine.

 

[Guest]

"I personally think the duct-tape is silly"

.... you might not if you're on the potty in a Viewliner and the door keeps sliding open due to a defective lock.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

If I had a defective lock, I'd just tack that up as yet another reason to make the short walk to the lounge car

 

[MStrain]

Our trains are held together by duct tape, file folders, putty, and determination.

Being young, I agree with GML...its all part of the experience (tongue in cheek and a nod towards Clark W Griswold). But I can certainly understand the point of view that it can also ruin the experience. Anyhow...

something I take along with me: a paper towel square that has been wadded up in a cigar shape and then covered with duct tape.....you can wedge this anywhere it need go and can be removed when you are done in the room. Tape shouldn't be left stuck on the equipment after all. I have made a few of these "widgets" in various sizes so they can fit almost anywhere and have never had one wobble out of place. Just a suggestion.

 

[Ispolkom]

For my last trip I picked up a Belkin mini surge protector/USB charger. It has 3 outlets and 2 USB plugs. I found it to be very handy, as we could both recharge our MP3 players while charging the cellphone. It would be even more useful if you had a laptop.

 

[Bierboy]

I've had my scanner on all my trips now (maybe 10 or so now), all in sleepers and no headphones. Never got a complaint. Scanners are a real nice to have.

I had a scanner in our bedroom on the SWC in June 07 and did get a complaint. And I didn't have it especially loud, either. So YMMV.

 

[Bierboy]

Help please, what brand/type scanner to buy? What features do I need? I know nothing about scanners but would like to buy one for my upcoming trip on Amtrak. Does anyone have any information or a model # that I should look at. Do not want to spend more than 150-200 dollars. I would like to also be able to listen to train communications when watching or viewing passing trains. Sorry for not much knowledge, as you can see I need allot of help. I have read different sites that tell you what to look for but I respect all the information you guys give on here. Thanks in advance.

I bought this one (from usascan.com) to use on our SWC trip in 2007. Worked great....

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Help please, what brand/type scanner to buy? What features do I need? I know nothing about scanners but would like to buy one for my upcoming trip on Amtrak. Does anyone have any information or a model # that I should look at. Do not want to spend more than 150-200 dollars. I would like to also be able to listen to train communications when watching or viewing passing trains. Sorry for not much knowledge, as you can see I need allot of help. I have read different sites that tell you what to look for but I respect all the information you guys give on here. Thanks in advance.

I bought this one (from usascan.com) to use on our SWC trip in 2007. Worked great....

Yup, I just used that on the CZ, CL, LSL and NEC. Worked great. Listened to some interesting conversations on it too. It's a good unit.

 

[cpamtfan]

I personally think the duct-tape is silly. I think the clanking of big masses and the chattering of things is part of the experience. I'd no sooner give that up than the horn.

A couple of years ago my wife and I were on the Zephyr and the air register in the ceiling of the bedroom was blowing a hurricane of ice cold air. It could not be stopped. Some duct tape and a file folder made the room livable.
The inverter of duct tape should get the Nobel Prize.

I wish it could blow such cold air for me *eskimo*

Point taken, though.

Same for me .

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[Bierboy]

I bought this one (from usascan.com) to use on our SWC trip in 2007. Worked great....

Yup, I just used that on the CZ, CL, LSL and NEC. Worked great. Listened to some interesting conversations on it too. It's a good unit.

Did you use the rubber ducky antenna or a telescoping antenna? I had purchased a telescoping, but it's really awkward to use when the unit is clipped to your belt. The rubber ducky seemed to work OK for just being on the train.

 

[RRrich]

For those who want a surge protector, Buy.com has a nice .power squib/surge protector for $10 - plug it into one of the FEW coach outlets and now you have 5 outlets. Its not small but should help and it can accommodate those fist size transformers-plugs that so many chargers have.

However I find that if I have something like this with me I get on coaches with lots of outlets

 

[AAARGH!]

For those who want a surge protector, Buy.com has a nice .power squib/surge protector for $10 - plug it into one of the FEW coach outlets and now you have 5 outlets. Its not small but should help and it can accommodate those fist size transformers-plugs that so many chargers have.
However I find that if I have something like this with me I get on coaches with lots of outlets

I had one of these on my last trip in a roomette. A life-saver. It allowed me to plug in 5 AC adapters at once! Just for the record:

1. GPS (recharging)

2. MP3 Player (recharging)

3. Cell Phone (recharging)

4. Noise machine (makes white noise tha helps keep out the hallway noise)

5. Electric razor (recharging)

 

[mercedeslove]

For those who want a surge protector, Buy.com has a nice .power squib/surge protector for $10 - plug it into one of the FEW coach outlets and now you have 5 outlets. Its not small but should help and it can accommodate those fist size transformers-plugs that so many chargers have.
However I find that if I have something like this with me I get on coaches with lots of outlets

I brought a strip on my trip last year. Came in handy. Left it there for others to use. No one stole many were glad to see it. The conductor thought "it was very sweet of me for doing that"

I knew it would help but a part of me was to lazy to take it out and put it away everytime I needed it.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

This is the one I use, from Targus.

Its quite compact as you can see, only about 5" long, but the plugs are spaced so power supplies don't crowd each other.

$19 or less.

And no, I haven't discovered a perpetual energy supply.

 

[sky12065]

I personally think the duct-tape is silly. I think the clanking of big masses and the chattering of things is part of the experience. I'd no sooner give that up than the horn.

A couple of years ago my wife and I were on the Zephyr and the air register in the ceiling of the bedroom was blowing a hurricane of ice cold air. It could not be stopped. Some duct tape and a file folder made the room livable.
The inverter of duct tape should get the Nobel Prize.

Has anyone ever actually seen duck tape used on a live duck? :unsure:

BTW, I know that I used the term "duck" instead of duct. That is not incorrect. Read the interesting history on duct tape at http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/ducttape.htm.