Tips and tricks for sleeper car

[BC77]

[SIZE=medium]Finally getting to do my bucket list and take the EB from Chicago to Seattle, just wished I would have done this back in its grander day. Anyway I will also be taking the CZ from Sacramento back to Chicago. So my question is, what do you experienced travelers do to make the sleeping in the roomettes even more enjoyable. I know about the duct tape for the squeaks and rattles and the clothes pins for the drapes anything else I should consider?[/SIZE]

 

[SarahZ]

I have a Kindle Paperwhite. It's the cheaper model, but I love it. It's perfect for carrying a lot of books without having to actually carry them. My library allows eBook downloads with a set expiration date, just like borrowing a library book, so I usually have a few loaded up before a trip.

On that note, a book light is handy. The book light in the roomette is positioned kind of weird and is too bright for me. Plus, if someone is sitting across from you, it shines in their eyes. I have a clip-on book light with a bendy neck that I can clip onto the curtain or the table and then move however I want.

A small flashlight or penlight is good for finding things late at night. I sleep on the lower bunk, so I just put the flashlight in the little cubbyhole built into the steps.

Earplugs if you're a light sleeper.

A power strip. The roomette only has one outlet. If I'm alone, I just plug in my laptop and then charge my phone through the laptop, but a power strip is handy if you're traveling with someone else.

Shower kit. Amtrak provides bar soap but not shampoo/conditioner.

 

[tonys96]

We take a small insulated bag to keep soda/water/whatever cool, also not a bad idea to take snacks. We put the insulated bag inside a larger canvas bag with the other stuff to save space, both are not too wide and fit into the "closet". I like real books with pages, but that can get quite cumbersome for some folks. I wrapped a bit of duct tape around the center of a pen, so I have the tape and a pen both. Sarah is right about the short power strip, though. That is really handy.

Don't forget to take a relaxed attitude to get through any pitfalls in service/OTP that may come your way.

 

[pebbleworm]

I always travel with earplugs and a small electric fan, and an inflatable pil;low doesn't take up too much space. And a thermos of Manhattans always helps.

 

[SarahZ]

Pro-tip: you get two pillows with your room, but you can ask for extra. We travel during the busy holiday season, when the sleeper cars are full, but the SCA has always been happy to give us another pillow if we need one. (They probably have a stock somewhere.)

They've offered extra blankets too, but I always decline since the roomettes we get tend to hover somewhere between nuclear fission and Mordor.

 

[fillyjonk]

Earplugs and sleep eyemask for me. (Actually, I never travel ANYWHERE overnight without them. I've wound up in "conference hotels" that had people partying in the next room. Or the "light blocking" drapes didn't, and I got headlights shining in the room at night when people pulled in to the lot).

Also, I take two sets of sleeping gear: something thin and light for those times, as SarahZ said, the roomette is close to nuclear fission level, and something a bit warmer for those times when it's like a meat locker. (Very occasionally, on the TE at least, the sleeper cars are cold. I never complain; i'd rather it be too cold than too hot)

I'm a paper-book person, so I take a few with me. And my own bottle of water just in case there isn't any out (it's happened. Or someone pilfers all of them and doesn't leave any for the other pax). Emergency snacks (nuts, dried fruit....)

 

[rusty spike]

Moist towlettes, baby wipes or paper towels and Windex. If you are in a lower level roomette (11-14) you may have the opportunity to clean the outside of your window at along station stop. They tend to get dirtier than the uppers. Note: Don't try to clean the uppers. :giggle:

 

[oregon pioneer]

I take this kind of extension (bought mine from my local hardware store):

The flat, angled plug keeps the cord out of my head space, and the cord is just long enough to lay the receptacle end down between the tray table and the window. I am able to keep all my electronics charged, it's a plug strip and extension cord all-in-one.

I take a light pair of earphones so that if I am listening to somthing, I don't intrude on anyone else's attention.

 

[AG1]

Self-stick Velcro Dots will often mate with the Velcro already on the curtains too close the missing gaps.

 

[BC77]

The power strip will be a must, as i am traveling with my teenage daughter. lol

 

[Allypet]

A little drawstring bag to hold loose items at night. The power strip is a must! Just try not to bring too much into a roomette, space is at a premium!

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Also, you should bring a medium size leather mallet. Hard to find, I know, but perfect for passengers in other rooms who are making too much noise.

Seriously, though, I've never brought any of the stuff the other people mention, and excluding the power strip, I can't think of a time any of them would have been of great use. Once I was in a Viewliner that thought it was a baby rattle, so much stuff was rattling, but I don't think an active noise earmuff they use for operating jackhammers would have drowned out that racket. The worlds best sleep aid is made by the Blackfriars Distillery in Plymouth, England. Taking along some doses of it can really make the night more enjoyable.

One time I was on the Cardinal. We stopped at Huntington, WV. An announcement was made- there were tornados going on all around us. We were going to be stopping here until they stopped, had the line inspected thoroughly, and were given the ok. Certainly no earlier than daylight. (about 6 hours away) With this information in hand, I turned over and went back to sleep. If you can manage to board with that mentality in mind, you will have an enjoyable trip, no matter what happens.

 

[yarrow]

quite often, in our experience, announcements over the pa will be audible in the corridor of the car but not in the room with the door shut. hopefully you will get a working volume control in your room but if not you may have to open your door to hear them clearly.

 

[TinCan782]

We bring window "scrims", made for cars I believe, which stick on the glass with suction cups. Great for blocking the sun (from you face in particular) without having to close the curtains.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/frensicpic/6295811488/in/set-72157627883429105

https://www.flickr.com/photos/frensicpic/6295811086/in/set-72157627883429105

 

[SarahZ]

We bring window "scrims", made for cars I believe, which stick on the glass with suction cups. Great for blocking the sun (from you face in particular) without having to close the curtains.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/frensicpic/6295811488/in/set-72157627883429105

https://www.flickr.com/photos/frensicpic/6295811086/in/set-72157627883429105

That's a great idea!

 

[BC77]

I took the train from Dallas to Chicago last year and could have used the screen. I will be adding that to the list.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

I'm with GML in that I used to travel with a whole bunch of stuff like that (if you do a search, there are several threads about what people bring onboard). Personally, I'm down to some duct tape wrapped around a pencil, a small mutitool, and a very small 1xAAA flashlight. With those 3 things I can MacGyver just about anything that might need to be fixed in my room.

Having said that, I might have to take a look at those window screens. If you happen to face south on an east-west train, the sun can be awfully bright.

 

[me_little_me]

For guys, a Ziploc bag is perfect night storage for your watch, phone, wallet, change, etc from your pants.

Doesn't work for this phone, though:

 

[SarahZ]

Oh, I should note that if I bring my book light, I don't bring a separate mini-mag or penlight. I keep the book light clipped to the curtains and turn it on if I need to find something in the middle of the night. It's bright enough to illuminate the bottom bunk but not so bright that it bothers my boyfriend in the top bunk.

All of this talk about packing stuff is making me eager for another trip. I feel like it's been ages since our last overnight trip, and we don't have another LD trip planned until fall. I haven't done a summer LD trip since 2010. Maybe I should take a quickie trip on the CONO or something.

 

[Jim G.]

Zip lock bags take up no room and are always handy. Before leaving Chicago I always get a zip lock bag of ice in the Metro lounge just in case my SCA has not got his cooler filled yet. Extra $1's and $5's will also be needed.

 

[The Whistler]

Our standard survival kit for sleeper trips. Small Laptop (netbook), DVD's, two sets of headphones, small cooler with ice and our favorite drinks, small amount of snacks (dried fruits and nuts), can of Lysol, bubble wrap, first aid kit, herbal sleeping aids (Rescue remedy and Chamomile Tea bags) micro hair dryer (big ones will trip the breaker), compact camping pillow, magazines and extension cord. Sometimes we bring our own jug.

 

[benjibear]

Instead of taking DVD's, I download movie rentals or but downloadable movies for my tablet. It is easier than having DVD's and worry about scratching and storing them.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Our standard survival kit for sleeper trips. Small Laptop (netbook), DVD's, two sets of headphones, small cooler with ice and our favorite drinks, small amount of snacks (dried fruits and nuts), can of Lysol, bubble wrap, first aid kit, herbal sleeping aids (Rescue remedy and Chamomile Tea bags) micro hair dryer (big ones will trip the breaker), compact camping pillow, magazines and extension cord. Sometimes we bring our own jug.

What is the bubble wrap for?

 

[trainman74]

What is the bubble wrap for?

Popping if you get bored.

Not to put words in The Whistler's mouth, but I can see it being useful to wedge into places that might be rattling (such as the room door and/or the closet door).

 

[Green Maned Lion]

You know last trip I took which was a two week cross country thing I loaded up a nook with a bunch of books. I don't recall using it at all on the train though.