Viewliner Roomette: Upper or Lower bunk
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ReidTYK
Train Attendant
Upper— I like being able to roll sideways, and look out the window while lying down. The idea of lying beside the toilet also bugs me. Finally, if you're traveling alone, you can keep the chairs made up, ideal for reading before going to bed or after waking up.
jis
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Upper
OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
Upper. Good windows and even at 6 feet tall, I can still sit Indian Style and not hit the overhead.
Acela150
Super Buff
Upper. The seats can still be used if you get up at night.
Swadian Hardcore
Engineer
Upper for me, too. I like sleeping high and being able to look down upon the room.
Ditto! And I can easily push the bed up in the morning when I wake up to get it out of my way. Converting the seats back from a bed take a lot more effort than twisting the handle and pushing that upper bunk out of my way.
The Davy Crockett
Engineer
Upper. For the view and so I can sit up or go back to bed... after breakfast!
Is the bed easy to bring down if you want to take a nap during the day?
Upper bunk!
- view from the upper window while laying down
- ability to keep "stuff" set up in lower seat area and still crawl onto the upper bunk for a nap
- its like having your own little zone...almost like when you were a kid and set up "bedroom forts" with blankets or whatever else was laying around
- view from the upper window while laying down
- ability to keep "stuff" set up in lower seat area and still crawl onto the upper bunk for a nap
- its like having your own little zone...almost like when you were a kid and set up "bedroom forts" with blankets or whatever else was laying around
The Davy Crockett
Engineer
The short answer is 'yes.'
But it is more complicated than that...
First, talk to the SCA about your desire to leave the bed unmade. The SCAs need to have rooms cleaned and made up before they get to the train's final destination and will often make up rooms while one is at breakfast. So depending on where your getting off, and at what time the train is due at its final station, be considerate of the SCA. However, a few SCAs don't understand the concept of 'customer service' too well and will not be very receptive to your request. Those are the ones I don't tip well.
The upper bunk itself is on tracks and has a handle which controls the latches on either end of the bed. One turns the handle to raise and lower it, which is quite easy to do, BUT if you do this, make sure the latches click solidly in place onto the latches on the wall, otherwise you might go for a vertical ride DOWN when you go to get in the bunk! :excl:
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Very interesting thread! I haven't experienced a Viewliner roomette yet, so I cannot answer from experience. From my experience in a Superliner, I would in that case say 'lower'. First of all, the bed is considerably larger. Secondly, I think you get a marginally smoother ride (slightly less roll motion). You also have it a lot easier (and safer), if you need to get out of bed to use the toilet. While there are no upper windows, I could see well enough out the windows from the lower bed. And I didn't find it all that difficult to convert the lower bed back to seats....
jis
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:lol: Fortunately there is a very natural absolute stop to the ride down at the end of the track, the vertical one on which the bunk rides, I mean
And it does auto-lock at that point too!
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Swadian Hardcore
Engineer
Ha! I would hate for that to happen! I bet it would hurt! :lol:
Acela150
Super Buff
I agree with that. Sometimes when you come back from Breakfast your room could still have the lower bunk made up. Yet another positive of having that upper bunk. But my number one is the reason I previously listed.
You sound like Bill O'Rielly!!LOL
I prefer the upper bunk on a Viewliner, but I usually go the lower
on a Superliner.
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On Viewliners, being almost a person, does Archie get the Lower?
I'm quite adept at converting the seats to/from the bed position. I can probably get it done in 30 to 40 seconds if I really wanted to rush, never timed myself either so I'm not real sure.
However, I can convert the upper bunk in a Viewliner in about 3 seconds. Just grab handle, turn, and push. Done!
George M. Pullman would be proud of you........I'm quite adept at converting the seats to/from the bed position. I can probably get it done in 30 to 40 seconds if I really wanted to rush, never timed myself either so I'm not real sure.
However, I can convert the upper bunk in a Viewliner in about 3 seconds. Just grab handle, turn, and push. Done!
jis
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Actually converting a lower in Amtrak sleeper roomettes is way more complicated than converting a lower in the Classic VIA Budd fleet or Ren fleet for that matter.
I wish I could take Archie on the train. Our former dog (Marcie)On Viewliners, being almost a person, does Archie get the Lower?
rode the train from Paris to Amsterdam several times. Of course,
dogs were welcome on those trains, but they were not sleepers.
I too prefer the Upper in a Viewliner Roomette whether Im alone or rdiding with someone else! And as to Archie riding on a train, the Diner and Cafe Car probably don't have Food up to his Standards! :lol: :lol: :lol:I wish I could take Archie on the train. Our former dog (Marcie)On Viewliners, being almost a person, does Archie get the Lower?
rode the train from Paris to Amsterdam several times. Of course,
dogs were welcome on those trains, but they were not sleepers.
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