Texas Eagle Transition Car (luggage rack?)

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jimsinsky

Train Attendant
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Messages
17
Is there a luggage rack in the transition car? I am heading to San Antonio from Chicago tomorrow (Saturday March 23) and am trying to decide what bag to bring. There are two of us and we are in the transition car
 
Is there a luggage rack in the transition car? I am heading to San Antonio from Chicago tomorrow (Saturday March 23) and am trying to decide what bag to bring. There are two of us and we are in the transition car
Depends on the Conductor and OBS on the train, but there is a plenty of Space downstairs if they let you down there, and also the old unused Conductor office upstairs by the end door has plenty of space.

You could even store it in the Downstairs Luggage rack on the Revenue Sleeper next door ( some Crew dont want Passengers to use the downstairs doors in the Transdorm next to the Crew Lounge/ Conductor's office.
 
I’ve used the luggage rack in the transition car. As far as I’m concerned that is a public area along with the bathrooms down there. The conductor and crew office has a door marked crew only. That is definitely off limits. Even if I see crew sitting in there I leave them alone unless there was a safety concern. Upstairs the rooms in front of the staircase are marked by a crew only beyond this point sign. That is where they go to rest.

The main issue with the transition car is the sca is assigned that car along with another so you don’t always get the most attentive service.

I have only one major issue with travel in this car. One time I was boarding a several hour late 22 in stl. I walked up to the open door and the stool wasn’t down. The sca looked at me and said, why are you hear. I told him the room number and reminded him that if he has read his manifest he would know why I was there. The space had been booked 2 weeks previous so there would be no reason we wouldn’t show on the manifest.

The sca told me we couldn’t board there. Go to the next car. Gf had overpacked as usual and I was not about to make three trips managing her luggage plus mine. I stated that I was not going to haul this luggage up the stairs. I tossed all three pieces in the door and told him I would follow his instructions and board Through the next car and come back and place the luggage in the luggage rack.

As we boarded the other sleeper I heard the last call to lunch and took gf to diner so we could be seated then walked back and put the luggage on the rack. The sca was still standing there so I mumbled a few choice words as I slung the luggage in the luggage rack. I went back to the diner and had lunch.

After lunch the sca came by to try to make amends. He screwed thus up by telling us we could not board because the engine was being refueled. I knew this was bs because we’ve boarded the transition car in stl plenty of times and I noticed the engine being refueled on those occasions. I told the guy the best thing he could do was disappear to ensure that I forgot about him and then not file a complaint.
 
He was there when I got off. He did not get anything. But I think he got the message because he kept his mouth shut.

For the most part the onboard service is improving imho. It’s not perfect but it’s not as inconsistent as on the past. Great crew in 48 last week when I traveled to Albany. The lady in the diner was attentive and had a bowl of candy out. The crew on 49 was understaffed in the diner. The man really struggled with the dinner rush. And he complained about the dining system and urged people to complain. He scolded me about eating Pringle’s with my complementary Pepsi.
 
I rode in the transition sleeper from San Antonio to Chicago a few years ago. As I recall there was a luggage space on the lower level which I used and I also used the door in that car to step on and off at various stops. The attendant for the transition sleeper also served as the coach attendant for one or more of the coaches a few cars back so she wasn't instantly available. However, I didn't need any particular service so it was fine. She set up the bed in the evening and put it away in the morning and that was about all I needed.
 
I rode the transition sleeper from Chicago to Sacramento on the zephyr. I found it very enjoyable. The attendant didn’t come often but I don’t mind that. I made my bed and I was content.
 
I find attendants on the dorm sleeper are very variable. The last trip I made (came back yesterday on the TE) the guy was good and was fairly attentive. But I've also been on runs where the dorm-car attendant was also an attendant for a coach car (? or so they told me) and you couldn't find them.

I make a point of telling the attendant when I get on when I want my bed made up in the evening so I'm not stuck at 9 pm wondering if I'll have to do it myself. (I COULD, but I doubt I'd do as good of a job, and also, I don't know if they have the blankets in with the mattresses on the top bunk)

I've never had any problems leaving luggage in the luggage rack in the dorm sleeper; never had a conductor or attendant tell me I could not. I am not a light traveler so I usually have a suitcase and a small duffel, and where I get off you cannot check bags, so I'm hauling both the "needed on trip" things (the duffel) and the "I don't really need it unless there's an emergency like someone spills a glass of Coke on me" things.
 
I find attendants on the dorm sleeper are very variable. The last trip I made (came back yesterday on the TE) the guy was good and was fairly attentive. But I've also been on runs where the dorm-car attendant was also an attendant for a coach car (? or so they told me) and you couldn't find them.

On my trip in the transition sleeper, I was able to confirm, by personal observation, that the sleeping car attendant for the transition sleeper was also the attendant for a coach car.
 
A little off topic. I was in a roomette in the transition dorm car as a paying customer a couple of years ago. Amtrak is all no smoking of all substances. After going to bed there was a strong aroma of marijuana wafting up into my room. Apparently the OBS employee in the room below me was taking liberties. I didn't complain, but I was a little concerned as I was subject to random testing as a railroad employee. Fortunately I wasn't tested for quite some time after my vacation. Crazy world.
 
This may be a "hot take" (strong opinion) for this board, but IMO the federal substance laws are silly. I understand there's currently no surefire way to accurately test intoxication levels for marijuana like a breathalyzer for alcohol, but it shouldn't matter. As long as they're not hurting the company or others, an employee should be allowed to do whatever they want off-duty, including enjoying a bit of weed after work, much like one might like a beer after a long day. I know it's off-topic so I won't go on a rant about why this is and how it came to be, but just wanted to point it out.

I do think a railroad employee should never be under the influence of any non-prescription drugs while on-duty.

Also, 41bridge, were you meaning to say the smoke would have affected you as well? That's a myth.
 
<<Also, 41bridge, were you meaning to say the smoke would have affected you as well? That's a myth.>>

You're probably right, but I didn't want to test the theory. Class 1's are non forgiving if something isn't right. I used to worry at rock concerts if someone nearby was using. Agree that your off duty time is your business.
 
A little off topic. I was in a roomette in the transition dorm car as a paying customer a couple of years ago. Amtrak is all no smoking of all substances. After going to bed there was a strong aroma of marijuana wafting up into my room. Apparently the OBS employee in the room below me was taking liberties. I didn't complain, but I was a little concerned as I was subject to random testing as a railroad employee. Fortunately I wasn't tested for quite some time after my vacation. Crazy world.
It could have been a passenger.
 
<<It could have been a passenger.>>

As far as I know, no passengers are housed in the lower level of the transition car. That level is used for accommodations for the OBS crew only, thus my guess that the dope smoker was an Amtrak employee. Didn't smell it in the hallway; just in the room so I figured it was coming up from downstairs.
 
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