Viewliner Sleeper Bathroom Question

[tommylicious]

Sorry for the noob question but am I correct in remembering that Viewliner sleeper cars do not have bathrooms outside the rooms and roomettes?

 

[PVD]

Correct as to Viewliner 1 (the current batch) The new ones eliminate one roomette and have 2 public toilets. They don't have to be large, since the H room has its own.

 

[Exvalley]

And just to be clear, the new Viewliners haven’t entered service yet.

 

[tommylicious]

Thank you very much. The roomette bathroom creeps me out!

 

[Exvalley]

The roomette bathroom creeps me out!

Understandable. I found that the idea of it was worse than the actual implementation, but this was for two reasons:
1) I have always been traveling alone in a Viewliner roomette; and
2) I have always had the non-toilet adjacent seat facing forward.

 

[the_traveler]

Also, note that your head when sleeping is never “against the toilet”. Due to the reduced width, your feet are always at that end - that’s the way the mattress is shaped and how the SCA always makes the berth.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

The roomette bathroom creeps me out!

The shared/common use bathrooms (toilets) in coach are what totally creep me out. By the end of LD trip, they are far worse than any gas station, ever.

For the Viewliner roomettes, when one of us needs to use the toilet, the other stretches their legs and goes for a walk. Not a big deal.

 

[Qapla]

I, obviously, have ridden in far too few trains or been in far too many gas station restrooms. I have seen many gas station restrooms far worse than any I have used an aboard Amtrak.

Don't get me wrong - I am not saying they can't do a better job keeping the facilities clean and usable - just not the worse I have ever seen (or had to use)

 

[Dakota 400]

, obviously, have ridden in far too few trains or been in far too many gas station restrooms. I have seen many gas station restrooms far worse than any I have used an aboard Amtrak.

I agree. I'll add to your "gas station restrooms of shame" port-a-potties at many tourist sites world wide with my worst experience needing to use one at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Asian type restroom facilities, while unusual (and difficult at times) for Westerners to use, have been universally clean and well cared for.

 

[Dakota 400]

Also, note that your head when sleeping is never “against the toilet”. Due to the reduced width, your feet are always at that end - that’s the way the mattress is shaped and how the SCA always makes the berth.

That set-up of a roomette has not always been my experience. Maybe it has to do with the direction the train is traveling? On the Auto Train traveling North, my feet were at the wide end of the bed and my head was at the commode end. My body was pointed in the direction the train was traveling.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

On the Auto Train traveling North, my feet were at the wide end of the bed and my head was at the commode end. My body was pointed in the direction the train was traveling.

You had a commode (toilet) by your head, in a roomette, on the Auto Train (a Superliner)?

 

[the_traveler]

Agreed! Only Viewliners have an in room commode in a roomette.

 

[PVD]

Unless someone had a bedroom, not a roomette, and is referring to the enclosed bathroom end. But the bed is made from the couch, and if I recall doesn't have a narrow end.

 

[Rasputin]

I agree. I'll add to your "gas station restrooms of shame" port-a-potties at many tourist sites world wide with my worst experience needing to use one at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Asian type restroom facilities, while unusual (and difficult at times) for Westerners to use, have been universally clean and well cared for.

I have seen many, many gas station restrooms that would put Amtrak to shame. I am also not paying the gas station a fare of $500-$1500 to use their restroom.

 

[RichieRich]

Agreed! Only Viewliners have an in room commode in a roomette.

Grrrrr-ose! Luv spending the nite at home IN THE BATHROOM! DOH

 

[RichieRich]

You had a commode (toilet) by your head, in a roomette, on the Auto Train (a Superliner)?

No....not possible on the AutoTrain. NO TOILETS in the Roomettes. Bedroom = a separate room with-in your room WITH A DOOR!

 

[the_traveler]

Sometimes it feels like you do pay the gas station that much!

I remember when you paid $10 to fill your tank - and got money back. Now, it barely moves the needle!

 

[Dakota 400]

You had a commode (toilet) by your head, in a roomette, on the Auto Train (a Superliner)?

Then, what am I remembering? I was in a Deluxe Sleeper on the Auto Train in one of the 4 Roomettes on the lower level. I remember getting out of bed during the night and using the commode in the Roomette without having to change the direction of travel the train was going.

 

[me_little_me]

Sometimes it feels like you do pay the gas station that much!

I remember when you paid $10 to fill your tank - and got money back. Now, it barely moves the needle!

For some of us with hybrids, a short while ago, that $10 mostly filled the tank. $1.40/gallon in a Prius gives 350+ miles.
And remember, when gas filled your tank in the old days of low prices, it left just as quickly as some of those cars (like my '68 GTO) seemed to have gas gauges that you could actually see move down in real time!

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Then, what am I remembering? I was in a Deluxe Sleeper on the Auto Train in one of the 4 Roomettes on the lower level. I remember getting out of bed during the night and using the commode in the Roomette without having to change the direction of travel the train was going.

The only room with a toilet, on the lower level, would be the H or Handicap room, and your head would never be next to its toilet in night-time mode.

 

[MARC Rider]

If you are traveling alone, the sleeping with the head by the toilet thing can be completely eliminated by asking the attendant to make up the upper bunk for you. This allows you to sleep in the upper bunk, far away from the toilet. In fact, the bed has usually been made for me with the head on the opposite side from the toilet.

For those more familiar with the upper bunk "coffin" on the Superliner, the upper bunk of a Viewliner roomette is surprisingly roomy, plus it was windows, so you can still see the countryside go by in the night, if that's your thing. the other nice thing about this arrangement is that you still have use of your seats, even after the bed is set up. The headroom's reduced, but the upper bunk slides up and down on a vertical axis, so it's pretty easy to push it up temporarily if you want to sit while the bed is made up. And it's great in the morning when you want to get dressed. I need to be a contortionist to get dressed in a Superliner roomette with the lower bunk made up.

 

[Exvalley]

Good point! I actually prefer the Viewliner upper bunk when traveling solo.

 

[Dakota 400]

Then, what am I remembering? I was in a Deluxe Sleeper on the Auto Train in one of the 4 Roomettes on the lower level. I remember getting out of bed during the night and using the commode in the Roomette without having to change the direction of travel the train was going.

I am getting my memories of my Amtrak trips confused. It was on the Silver Meteor that I recall the commode being within the Roomette, not on the Auto Train.

 

[PVD]

That makes sense, the Meteor uses the VL-1 sleepers, the roomettes have the sink and toilet in the room. The bed is normally set up with your feet at the toilet end. Occasionally some one will reverse it because of their preference for head or feet in the direction of travel if the car is facing the other way.

 

[Dakota 400]

That makes sense, the Meteor uses the VL-1 sleepers, the roomettes have the sink and toilet in the room. The bed is normally set up with your feet at the toilet end. Occasionally some one will reverse it because of their preference for head or feet in the direction of travel if the car is facing the other way.

Until reading the comments on this thread, I didn't realize that I could have asked my SCA to have set the bed up so my feet were at the commode end.