I'm concerned about your comment that your son may only be able to travel between cars when stopped. First, I hope you mean you'll stay on the train. Second, even when you get to the dining car, there is a good chance you'll have to wait to be seated. Can your son handle that standing a few minutes until a table is ready then moving to a table, even if the train has started moving? I also can't imagine getting a reservation timed exactly right for a stop, especially since I often hear announcements along the lines of, "6 pm reservations wait until 6:15 please." If you think your son can handle level walking but not stairs when moving, then you might consider hanging out in the lounge instead of your room. I usually stay there between lunch and dinner to minimize stairs.
Thanks for your advice.
We would stay on the train, yes. My son might have trouble doing stairs while the train is moving. He can stand for a good while and walking short distances on the level is fine - he has balance issues and wears leg braces. I thought we could spend time in the lounge, too.
I even wondered if we could get some meals served to us there as that might be easier than in the diner.
I also considered the option of moving to and from the lounge during one of the longer stops - like Albuquerque. My son does have an adaptive stroller (like a folding wheelchair) and at a stop I might be able to get service staff to carry the folded stroller to/from the lounge for us. That would make it much easier for him to stay in the lounge for a longer time and also eat there.
