Being Big On A Train

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Cooley47 said:
Yeah I get woken up by noises easily. Not talking train noise, but people and the PA, so I'd probably be up early without an issue.
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Same here. We turn the PA off in the room, but I can still hear it in the hallway along with the various hallway noises. I'm a light sleeper. 9:30 was the absolute latest I've ever slept, but that's because I hadn't gotten to sleep until 4:00 or so. :) I usually wake up around 7:00 because I can hear all of the rustling and bustling.

I usually wake up at station stops too, simply because I can feel the train stopping. It's wonderful, though. I love checking to see where we are and then looking at the landscape at night until I get sleepy again. :)
 
Ryan said:
Have you ever put a bed down? Stayed in a bedroom?

It would be in the way because the mechanism to lower the seat into a bed is under the seat. It might be fine if they were back far enough, but then they're completely buried and impossible to get to. Storage on the upper bunk is much easier and won't be in anyone's way.

Unless your backpack is empty, there's no way it'll fit in the closet. I've tried. It's just wide enough to hang a jacket or two.
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If you are speaking to me, yes and yes. I guess I must have a smaller back-pack, because mine fit in the closet and as others have said, usually the suitcase that I need the least is the one I put under the couch and I have never had to move it for them to put the bed down and it is not in their way. The mechanism does not take up the whole length of the seat. But then each is different and yes, somethings work for some that does not work for others. I would not consider the suitcase buried, and if it is way under, that is what knees are for, you can get down and get it out. But if you plan ahead, you don't need everything while the bed is down, just wait.
 
Cooley47 said:
What happens when they make the beds? I mean, not the process, but do you stand in the hall while they do it? Or in a corner? Also, what times do they usually come by to put the room back together?
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The beds have generally been put back into daytime configuration while I am in the dining car for breakfast.

I have only had an attendant put my bed down for the night once in my nights of riding trains, and it was done while I was in the hallway.

I don't mind putting the bed down but I hate putting it up. :)

I have also been asked if I can sit in an empty bedroom for a while while the attendant changes the sheets near the end of the run/trip. I believe they put the fresh sheets on for the next trip.
 
SarahZ said:
Cooley47 said:
Yeah I get woken up by noises easily. Not talking train noise, but people and the PA, so I'd probably be up early without an issue.
Click to expand...
Same here. We turn the PA off in the room, but I can still hear it in the hallway along with the various hallway noises. I'm a light sleeper. 9:30 was the absolute latest I've ever slept, but that's because I hadn't gotten to sleep until 4:00 or so. :) I usually wake up around 7:00 because I can hear all of the rustling and bustling.

I usually wake up at station stops too, simply because I can feel the train stopping. It's wonderful, though. I love checking to see where we are and then looking at the landscape at night until I get sleepy again. :)
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Yeah, I would love to do a nerdy check-in on Facebook as I go across the country. I thought it'd be a cool thing to do.
 
I get a kick out of checking in at Dodge City. I also check us in at a few other points just so people know where we are. I have a lot of friends who are jealous of our train adventures. I keep telling them to join us. :)

When are you traveling on the SWC?
 
Looks like we're going to miss you by just a few days. We leave ABQ on 12/27 and get into CHI on 12/28.
 
Yup, just a couple days early. I start my travel from D.C. the 30th, and end up in Cali on the 2nd.
 
Trainmans daughter said:
SarahZ said:
Looks like we're going to miss you by just a few days. We leave ABQ on 12/27 and get into CHI on 12/28.
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We are arriving in Chicago on the 28th, also. If on time, the CZ will pull into the station about 25 minutes before you get there. Maybe we'll see each other!
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That would be cool! We'll be in the lounge, waiting for the 6:00 Wolverine to depart. I imagine you'll be heading to your hotel at that point.
 
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SarahZ said:
Trainmans daughter said:
SarahZ said:
Looks like we're going to miss you by just a few days. We leave ABQ on 12/27 and get into CHI on 12/28.
Click to expand...
We are arriving in Chicago on the 28th, also. If on time, the CZ will pull into the station about 25 minutes before you get there. Maybe we'll see each other!
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That would be cool! We'll be in the lounge, waiting for the 6:00 Wolverine to depart. I imagine you'll be heading to your hotel at that point.
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Maybe we'll hang out for a few minutes with you in the lounge. To date, I've only met one forum member--meeting you would double that number. We could share a complimentary package of Goldfish crackers and call it a "mini Chicago Gathering".
 
Haha. Deal. :) We'll tell you all about our trip to San Francisco and how much we loved it.

If the kidlet is hungry, we can have dinner in the food court or Metro Deli.
 
I know this is a silly question, and people might not even know, but being none of the trains I'm on except the San Joaquin have wifi, does anyone have an idea or know exactly how much data they use for long trips on trains with their phones?
 
Cooley47 said:
I know this is a silly question, and people might not even know, but being none of the trains I'm on except the San Joaquin have wifi, does anyone have an idea or know exactly how much data they use for long trips on trains with their phones?
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Oof. That response is going to vary across the board.

I have an unlimited plan with Sprint, so I couldn't tell you how much we actually use. I do know my boyfriend uses much more than I do. I tend to read or play games, whereas he likes to check in on Fark and other sites when he isn't reading.

If you're worried you're going to go over your plan's limit, it might be cheaper to just pay for an unlimited plan during your trip and then switch back to your regular plan when you get home. Most phone companies will pro-rate the charge, meaning you'll only pay for a week or two instead of the entire month.
 
I don't think companies offer unlimited anymore. I have a 3GB plan and I usually only use roughly 600MB a month, but a lot of that time I'm on wireless connections.

I shouldn't have an issue going over, just was wondering out of curiosity. If I get close I'll steal the girlfriends phone. She has the unlimited plan still. Or have her turn the phone into a hotspot for me.
 
Sprint still offers unlimited plans. I've been with them since 2003, so I couldn't tell you what everyone else offers at the moment.
 
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I think you are right. I do recall them offering it as well a those smaller companies who make you pay full price for the phone in order to have cheaper plans.

I'm with AT&T and I know they don't offer it anymore. Sucks to be me haha.
 
Cooley, I have some data for you. I was able to look at the Sprint bill that covered our Thanksgiving trip to ABQ last year. This is for a four-week period that includes our trip from CHI to ABQ and then ABQ back to CHI. I had GPS running on my phone for the entirety of the return trip. (I was tracking our average speed on my MapMyRun app.)

My phone (these are in kb):

3G data: 452,117

3G data roaming: 67,457

Boyfriend's phone (also in kb):

3G data: 175,879

3G data roaming: 7722

4G data: 688,735
 
Oh wow. I should definitely be fine then. Thanks for taking the time to look that up.
 
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Has anyone had issues with pocket knives on Amtrak? I have two personal ones that were from grandparents that I'd like to bring in my checked luggage, but don't want to be told I have to throw them away or anything like that. The blades aren't long or anything. Maybe two and a half inches long?

Will that be an issue?
 
Charts like that can be tricky. :) I had to read it a couple times to make sure I had the correct answer for you. When we flew to SF in June, I spent about an hour checking all of our random stuff against the TSA website (reason #149 to ride a train). :p

When is your trip?
 
December 30th. Hoping for it not to be too crowded, buuuuuuut, I think it'll be slammed. Might be lucky in Fresno riding the commuter train though, people might still be off from work then.
 
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