Coast Starlight Bedrooms

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I have read here that most people who get a bedroom on the Coast Starlight usually have the bedroom facing the ocean. Has anyone ever got a bedroom that did not face the ocean? Is it safe to assume that MOST of the time the bedrooms face the ocean. Yes I have heard what they say about Assuming,but...i am a glutton for punishment.
 
I have read here that most people who get a bedroom on the Coast Starlight usually have the bedroom facing the ocean. Has anyone ever got a bedroom that did not face the ocean? Is it safe to assume that MOST of the time the bedrooms face the ocean. Yes I have heard what they say about Assuming,but...i am a glutton for punishment.
The four times we've ridden, yes, they were on the Ocean side. But others on this site who've taken the CS say this is NOT always the case, depending on how the consist is turned around or otherwise tinkered with at the LAX and SEA endpoints. I guess the best answer is probably yes, but not a guarantee!
 
I have read here that most people who get a bedroom on the Coast Starlight usually have the bedroom facing the ocean. Has anyone ever got a bedroom that did not face the ocean? Is it safe to assume that MOST of the time the bedrooms face the ocean. Yes I have heard what they say about Assuming,but...i am a glutton for punishment.
Are you talking about the deluxe bedrooms or the roomettes? You can end up with a roomettee with an easterly view, but all deluxe bedrooms have veiews out both sides (if your door is not covered by the drape).
 
I have read here that most people who get a bedroom on the Coast Starlight usually have the bedroom facing the ocean. Has anyone ever got a bedroom that did not face the ocean? Is it safe to assume that MOST of the time the bedrooms face the ocean. Yes I have heard what they say about Assuming,but...i am a glutton for punishment.
The four times we've ridden, yes, they were on the Ocean side. But others on this site who've taken the CS say this is NOT always the case, depending on how the consist is turned around or otherwise tinkered with at the LAX and SEA endpoints. I guess the best answer is probably yes, but not a guarantee!
On the four trips I've had in the last year on 14/11, the car was positioned evens (bedrooms) west twice and odds west twice. Since each sleeper (except for the Transition) can be positioned either way, it's really hard to make a prediction ahead of time. One thing you can do is consult the timetable and fall back on Plan B if needed by visiting the PPC and/or Sightseer Lounge. The coastal viewing opportunities are twofold:

---Approx 15 minutes north of Oxnard (Ventura) to about 20 minutes south of San Luis Obispo (northern boundary of Vandenberg AFB).

---Between Olympia-Lacey and Tacoma. If on 14, these views of the Tacoma Narrows may fall into darkness during winter months.

Have a great trip!
 
When I rode the CS in January I was surprised to see all the bedroom passengers out in the hall because the bedrooms were not facing west.
 
When I was on 14 back in early January, my bedroom didn't face towards the ocean, our car (1432) was the only car that was positioned like that with the bedrooms facing east. 31 and 30 had theirs facing the ocean.
 
As said, it can be put either way, but I would be in the PPC or Sightseer anyway! There you're guaranteed to easily see out both sides!
laugh.gif
 
When I rode the CS in January I was surprised to see all the bedroom passengers out in the hall because the bedrooms were not facing west.
With some of the bedroom fares over $1,000 SEA or PDX to LAX or vice versa, you would think that Amtrak's operations and marketing teams would understand the materiality to customers of having the deluxe bedrooms configured in the consist to face the west. :rolleyes:
 
As said, it can be put either way, but I would be in the PPC or Sightseer anyway! There you're guaranteed to easily see out both sides!
laugh.gif
Yes indeed. Too many people fixate only on the ocean side and miss lots of beautiful ranch and grassland scenery, plus the launching pads at Vandenburg Air Force Base. A couple of years ago, there was a rocket on the pad in preparation for firing when we passed through--and visible only on the non-ocean side!

(For those hoping to witness a launch at some point: sorry but the train would be halted in either direction far from the location in the event that a rocket launch was imminent.)
 
You would think that Amtrak's operations and marketing teams would understand the materiality to customers of having the deluxe bedrooms configured in the consist to face the west.
I completely agree that they should be thinking about it, even though it appears they don't. They should plan for it and advertise it as a sleeper's perk thanks to their planning. Maybe plan for one car the other way and sell them as "ocean view" or "inland view" as the case may be so people know what they're getting ahead of time. How hard can this actually be, Amtrak? Retrieve head from hind quarters and take another look at your SOP.

Yes indeed. Too many people fixate only on the ocean side and miss lots of beautiful ranch and grassland scenery, plus the launching pads at Vandenburg Air Force Base. A couple of years ago, there was a rocket on the pad in preparation for firing when we passed through--and visible only on the non-ocean side!
Well, if I ever buy a ticket for two years ago I'll be sure to keep that in mind. ;)
 
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You would think that Amtrak's operations and marketing teams would understand the materiality to customers of having the deluxe bedrooms configured in the consist to face the west.
I completely agree that they should be thinking about it, even though it appears they don't. They should plan for it and advertise it as a sleeper's perk thanks to their planning. Maybe plan for one car the other way and sell them as "ocean view" or "inland view" as the case may be so people know what they're getting ahead of time. How hard can this actually be, Amtrak? Retrieve head from hind quarters and take another look at your SOP.

Yes indeed. Too many people fixate only on the ocean side and miss lots of beautiful ranch and grassland scenery, plus the launching pads at Vandenburg Air Force Base. A couple of years ago, there was a rocket on the pad in preparation for firing when we passed through--and visible only on the non-ocean side!
Well, if I ever buy a ticket for two years ago I'll be sure to keep that in mind. ;)
The point made is that there are times when there are vehicles on the pads. Sometimes you luck out. Vandenberg is a very active launch site.
 
You would think that Amtrak's operations and marketing teams would understand the materiality to customers of having the deluxe bedrooms configured in the consist to face the west.
I completely agree that they should be thinking about it, even though it appears they don't. They should plan for it and advertise it as a sleeper's perk thanks to their planning. Maybe plan for one car the other way and sell them as "ocean view" or "inland view" as the case may be so people know what they're getting ahead of time. How hard can this actually be, Amtrak? Retrieve head from hind quarters and take another look at your SOP.

Yes indeed. Too many people fixate only on the ocean side and miss lots of beautiful ranch and grassland scenery, plus the launching pads at Vandenburg Air Force Base. A couple of years ago, there was a rocket on the pad in preparation for firing when we passed through--and visible only on the non-ocean side!
Well, if I ever buy a ticket for two years ago I'll be sure to keep that in mind. ;)
WE saw a rocket on a launch pad while on the CS in March of this year.

I think this may happen more than you think since many rockets are sent off from the West Coast for geo-synchronization with the Earth i.e. puts a satellite in an orbit 25,000 miles above Earth so that it appears always stationary because it orbits at same speed as the Earth's rotation.

So maybe you won't see it if you buy a ticket from 2008 at the Star Trek AGR Window :giggle: but I think you have a fair chance to see a rocket preparation the more times that you ride the CS. And as a prior poster said, not forgetting to look inland!
 
Last time I rode the CS, the 30 and 31 cars were coupled roomette ends together, so the 30 car bedrooms didn't face the ocean, but 31's did.

The short answer is "no, bedrooms do not always face the ocean."
And you know what? That's really symptomatic of Amtrak. Would it cost more? Yea. Take more time? Yea.

Do people ride the train to look at the side of the bluff, on inland when the ocean/beach is out the other side? No.

I liked it when each train had it's own mgmt team, and could really tinker with things like this, menu items, staffing, equipment-when-it-was-available, etc., etc.
 
Last summer, on the northbound CS our bedroom was facing inland. No worries though, we had boarded at SAC, & we were offered beautiful views of Mount Shasta, & some lakes along the way. The southbound CS bedroom was facing the other way.
 
As sunchaser just said, if the car was always facing the ocean side in Southern CA, you would be seeing rocks and trees in Northern CA and Southern OR instead of mountains, lakes and streams!
rolleyes.gif
So right! I had a roomette on the ocean side on one trip and had to get up at the crack of dawn to get into the PPC to take fotos of Shasta! Got some great sunrise shots! Amazing that there were at least a half-dozen others in the PPC at that early hour!

So while the ocean side is indeed beautiful, it's not the end-all and be-all to the delights of the CS!!
 
You would think that Amtrak's operations and marketing teams would understand the materiality to customers of having the deluxe bedrooms configured in the consist to face the west.
I completely agree that they should be thinking about it, even though it appears they don't. They should plan for it and advertise it as a sleeper's perk thanks to their planning. Maybe plan for one car the other way and sell them as "ocean view" or "inland view" as the case may be so people know what they're getting ahead of time. How hard can this actually be, Amtrak? Retrieve head from hind quarters and take another look at your SOP.

Yes indeed. Too many people fixate only on the ocean side and miss lots of beautiful ranch and grassland scenery, plus the launching pads at Vandenburg Air Force Base. A couple of years ago, there was a rocket on the pad in preparation for firing when we passed through--and visible only on the non-ocean side!
Well, if I ever buy a ticket for two years ago I'll be sure to keep that in mind. ;)
The point made is that there are times when there are vehicles on the pads. Sometimes you luck out. Vandenberg is a very active launch site.
Over the years, I have seen some launches from LA during the sunset hour that created spectacular contrail displays such as this one.

Last summer, on the northbound CS our bedroom was facing inland. No worries though, we had boarded at SAC, & we were offered beautiful views of Mount Shasta, & some lakes along the way. The southbound CS bedroom was facing the other way.
You guys make a great point about some of the special sights to be experienced on the eastern side of the route. I awoke out of a dead sleep on 14 only to see Mt. Shasta towering right above the Coast Starlight as she was traversing across its slope. It's a vision that I will never forget.
 
I was on the C.S. in march at first I was disapointed that our roomette wasn't facing the ocean but the scenery on the east side is just as nice as the coastal views, We were on the Starlight a couple of weeks after that and we were on the west side. It was then that I figured out that the best seat on the train , was the one I was in, there are no bad seats for me anymore as long as I am on the train! Both times we rode the bedrooms were on the west side.
 
As sunchaser just said, if the car was always facing the ocean side in Southern CA, you would be seeing rocks and trees in Northern CA and Southern OR instead of mountains, lakes and streams!
rolleyes.gif
So right! I had a roomette on the ocean side on one trip and had to get up at the crack of dawn to get into the PPC to take fotos of Shasta! Got some great sunrise shots! Amazing that there were at least a half-dozen others in the PPC at that early hour!

So while the ocean side is indeed beautiful, it's not the end-all and be-all to the delights of the CS!!
I was one of those early risers, sipping coffee, crying & taking pics of the mountain with my camera phone. We had bought a movie camera, but I had not used it yet. I did not realize how much I missed the area until we traveled through that morning....Next time I will get up earlier so I can see Castle Crags. They will be on the left heading north just past Dunsmuir. It's so beautiful & peaceful there.
 
You would think that Amtrak's operations and marketing teams would understand the materiality to customers of having the deluxe bedrooms configured in the consist to face the west.
I completely agree that they should be thinking about it, even though it appears they don't. They should plan for it and advertise it as a sleeper's perk thanks to their planning. Maybe plan for one car the other way and sell them as "ocean view" or "inland view" as the case may be so people know what they're getting ahead of time. How hard can this actually be, Amtrak? Retrieve head from hind quarters and take another look at your SOP.
Earlier you were lamenting that Amtrak is wasting thousands of dollars by forcing people to call up and get their room numbers but now you want them to waste thousands of dollars, countless man hours, interfere with other train movements just so they can ruin the views of the mountains in favor of views of the ocean. I'm confused. Do you want them to waste money or not?
 
You would think that Amtrak's operations and marketing teams would understand the materiality to customers of having the deluxe bedrooms configured in the consist to face the west.
I completely agree that they should be thinking about it, even though it appears they don't. They should plan for it and advertise it as a sleeper's perk thanks to their planning. Maybe plan for one car the other way and sell them as "ocean view" or "inland view" as the case may be so people know what they're getting ahead of time. How hard can this actually be, Amtrak? Retrieve head from hind quarters and take another look at your SOP.
Earlier you were lamenting that Amtrak is wasting thousands of dollars by forcing people to call up and get their room numbers but now you want them to waste thousands of dollars, countless man hours, interfere with other train movements just so they can ruin the views of the mountains in favor of views of the ocean. I'm confused. Do you want them to waste money or not?
Let's really pile it on. Set up the consist so the bedrooms face the ocean, then cut the sleepers out and Oakland, wye them so the bedrooms will face Mt. Shasta and the Willamette canyon descending the Cascades, and reassemble the train! Everybody's happy right, except those concerned with costs, I guess. :blink:
 
You would think that Amtrak's operations and marketing teams would understand the materiality to customers of having the deluxe bedrooms configured in the consist to face the west.
I completely agree that they should be thinking about it, even though it appears they don't. They should plan for it and advertise it as a sleeper's perk thanks to their planning. Maybe plan for one car the other way and sell them as "ocean view" or "inland view" as the case may be so people know what they're getting ahead of time. How hard can this actually be, Amtrak? Retrieve head from hind quarters and take another look at your SOP.
Earlier you were lamenting that Amtrak is wasting thousands of dollars by forcing people to call up and get their room numbers but now you want them to waste thousands of dollars, countless man hours, interfere with other train movements just so they can ruin the views of the mountains in favor of views of the ocean. I'm confused. Do you want them to waste money or not?
Let's really pile it on. Set up the consist so the bedrooms face the ocean, then cut the sleepers out and Oakland, wye them so the bedrooms will face Mt. Shasta and the Willamette canyon descending the Cascades, and reassemble the train! Everybody's happy right, except those concerned with costs, I guess. :blink:

Hey, what a great idea!!! And while we're at it, let's reverse that whole process at Portland, so that the bedrooms will face toward Puget Sound. Never mind that for a good portion of the year it will be dark by the time you get to the Sound so you couldn't see much anyway. But that sounds like a great idea to me!!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
You would think that Amtrak's operations and marketing teams would understand the materiality to customers of having the deluxe bedrooms configured in the consist to face the west.
I completely agree that they should be thinking about it, even though it appears they don't. They should plan for it and advertise it as a sleeper's perk thanks to their planning. Maybe plan for one car the other way and sell them as "ocean view" or "inland view" as the case may be so people know what they're getting ahead of time. How hard can this actually be, Amtrak? Retrieve head from hind quarters and take another look at your SOP.
Earlier you were lamenting that Amtrak is wasting thousands of dollars by forcing people to call up and get their room numbers but now you want them to waste thousands of dollars, countless man hours, interfere with other train movements just so they can ruin the views of the mountains in favor of views of the ocean. I'm confused. Do you want them to waste money or not?
Let's really pile it on. Set up the consist so the bedrooms face the ocean, then cut the sleepers out and Oakland, wye them so the bedrooms will face Mt. Shasta and the Willamette canyon descending the Cascades, and reassemble the train! Everybody's happy right, except those concerned with costs, I guess. :blink:

Hey, what a great idea!!! And while we're at it, let's reverse that whole process at Portland, so that the bedrooms will face toward Puget Sound. Never mind that for a good portion of the year it will be dark by the time you get to the Sound so you couldn't see much anyway. But that sounds like a great idea to me!!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
While you're at it, can you add some extra stops wherever I want them? :lol:
 
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