Being Big On A Train

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The food doesn't seem terrible, I might give it a try, at least some of the stuff. If I go to the car and feel I can't sit in it or just don't feel comfortable, can I take the food back to my room or is the prohibited? Also, is ANYTHING on the menu free being I purchased the bedroom? Or is that limited? I don't recall seeing that.
 
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The only limitation, I believe, is the quantity. Only one salad, one entree, one dessert per seating.

The "extras" listed, such as bacon at breakfast, is "free" for sleeper passengers.
 
You will have to pay for alcohol, but everything else is included.

If you go to the dining car and it's a bit too tight, you can ask if they can remove the padding on the seat back. Another member stated he had that done once (the server volunteered), and it made it more comfortable for him, as it gives you an extra 3-4 inches. Barring that, sometimes they will serve you in the SSL if it isn't too crowded, or you can ask if you can take the meal to-go. If you are concerned at the start of the trip, talk to your SCA about getting all meals to-go. You would tip your SCA just like your server when they bring meals to you.
 
The advice up-thread of checking in on the diner in the quiet time between meals and asking if you can check a table out to see if you're comfortable is great advice as well.
 
The SCA. Is that the person who comes buy and checks the ticket? Or is that someone else?
 
SCA - Sleeping Car Attendant (unofficial name)

Conductor or asst conductor will come through to scan your ticket. LSA will come through for diner times
 
The SCA should meet you at the door when you board. The conductor will ask to see your ticket, most likely after you're in your room. Not sure when the LSA will come thru on your particular train(s).

I've only done the CL & CZ and both from their starting points. The CL leaves WAS just before dinner so the LSA was going thru probably before we even left. The CZ leaves CHI after lunch so the LSA probably didn't come thru until we were well on our way. Dinner was the only meal we had reservations for. They may have taken reservations for lunch on the CZ, but we were still in the lounge so we just got out on the waiting list when we were ready.
 
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Okay sounds good. I was just thinking, being I'll be travling in the winter. Do trains ever have problems with the snow? Being I'll be in areas like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, etc? Never traveled by train in the winter.
 
Many people in the sleeping cars have their meals brought to their rooms. I'm quiet and don't love sitting with people I don't know so I always let the room attendant know that I'll be asking to have meals brought to me. I add the server's tip to what I give them.
 
What exactly would be a fair tip for the SCA if there's two of us there?
 
That's what I was thinking. I don't tend to be a sleeze, I understand how hard people work, I just didn't want to feel something was enough when in reality it wasn't.
 
Just wanted to say, I'm thankful for this thread. I'm a big girl as well, and I'm always apprehensive before my trips, as my weight continues to go up, not down.

I had a little bit of trouble when I had my bedroom last year, as it was on the 2nd floor and the stairways (for me) were tight and I was carrying a large duffel bag, laptop bag, and purse as well as a winter coat. The bathroom was a LOT tight and after trying to shower/use the toilet, I'll just take a roomette from now on!
 
I'm glad this thread has helped a lot of people as much as it has helped me so far, and probably will continue as I think of more things as my travel date gets closer. I do appreciate all the answers and help you all have given me over the last week or so. I'm sure I come off as a noob, but I just want to hear it from the passengers rather than what a website tells me. Hope everyone has a safe fourth tomorrow.
 
Cooley47 said:
Okay sounds good. I was just thinking, being I'll be travling in the winter. Do trains ever have problems with the snow? Being I'll be in areas like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, etc? Never traveled by train in the winter.
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They will almost always travel, even in bad snow. I've known a couple times this past winter when the roads were closed, the buses were shut down, airline travel was almost nonexistant, but the Empire Builder still made its trek across the plains!

The key word, of course, is almost. There may be a rare time where it can't travel, but it's rarer than planes or buses.
 
Cooley47 said:
Okay sounds good. I was just thinking, being I'll be travling in the winter. Do trains ever have problems with the snow? Being I'll be in areas like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, etc? Never traveled by train in the winter.
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I traveled thru a blizzard on the Lake Shore Limited thru Buffalo, NY which caused the car attendant to have to keep shoveling out the connections between the cars. You could not see out the windows because of the snow, but we kept going. On the same trip, the Coast Starlight up thru the Cascades, we hit snow again. We did have to stop before heading up an incline for a freight plow train coming down, but then we were free and running as usual.
 
That's good to know. I assumed they had some sort of snow plow train, but just wasn't sure. I'd assume traveling in December we could run into some snow.
 
Snow over the rails is seldom a problem. Trains can be moving at full speed when you only see where the rails are because there are two parallel ditches in the snow. The snow related problems more likely would be from fallen trees on the tracks or damage to equipment at road crossings. Therefore, extreme cold with dry snow is less likely to be a problem than wet snows that break limbs and such.
 
I assume no one has had problems with the little step stools to get on the train? I guess that's the only thing left that has me paranoid a bit.
 
Since you will be getting on & off at "big" stations (WAS / CHI / and I presume LA), you will have high level platforms which means no steps. I don't know about the Calif train stops.
 
Cooley47 said:
I assume no one has had problems with the little step stools to get on the train? I guess that's the only thing left that has me paranoid a bit.
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No the stepstools are super solid and actually help you get on and off! If you don't have mobility problems it will work out for you no matter what your weight is. If you do have mobility problems an amrak employee will help you. The stepstools are sturdy!
 
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