California Zephyr discussion

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Key to the Zephyr is Never ever go West. You spend too much time at elevation. You are much better off going EB you are only at elevation for less than a hour in fact less than 30 minutes at Moffat. Best thing is take the builder as a acclimating train to 11 in PDX to the Zephyr in EMY and catch the Show by Martin the cafe attendant he's a hoot! Great narration along the moon river portion too.
 
Zephyr #5 has been running the standard 31/32 sleepers since May 23 season.

#5 departing CHI on Jun 19, and videoed through Ft. Morgan, showed that the Zephyr #5 dropped its second sleeper but added a second Dorm to the end of the train.

If you were scheduled on this trains second sleeper (32) sleeper, can you share information if they moved you to this second Dorm and how they numbered this second Dorm? 41?

cheers,
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MOD, thanks for merging... I missed Agent's post Tuesday.
Hoping to find how they assigned the rooms for any 32 passangers and it second Dorm was #41?
 
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Can someone be so kind to explain what the letters A-B-C-D-E mean in the chart above? They seem related to the arrows which I assume indicate the orientation of the cars? Thanks!
 
dkwan said:
Can someone be so kind to explain what the letters A-B-C-D-E mean in the chart above? They seem related to the arrows which I assume indicate the orientation of the cars? Thanks!
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Guessing f or b is forwards or backwards, f meaning bedrooms and toilets to the front. I don’t get the A-C-E or B-D yet…

Edit guessing A-C-E and B-D has to do with which way the beds face in those bedrooms, whether you get thrown out of or into bed on an emergency brake 🛑 ( or also which way the couch is, forwards or backwards)
 
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Yes, that's it.
1687696401934.png
Explanation of Excel chart...
*My prefer to watch scenery coming toward me.
*I'm NOT at all FOND of sitting in the "chair" and much prefer to sit on the couch side.

So, the purpose of the chart is to keep track what percentage of time the Sleeper has the bedrooms facing "forward" with roomettes behind them vs.. "back or behind" the Roomettes.

Most routes are unpredictable which direction the Sleeper is going to face but Zephyr is fairly predictable.
For all of 2023, the 31 car is "forward" 79% of the time.

In the case for Zephyr, I'll call the try to acquire 31 car Bedrooms A, C, or E.
 
Re:5(19) - boarded at Galesburg. The trans dorm was last minute sub for the 32 car and ran as such. Tacked on to end because the regular trans dorm was on the front. No idea about how they accommodated those booked in the 32, other than at least one Denver bound couple was downgraded from bedroom to coach and didn’t find out until shortly before boarding in Chicago but was given dining car meals.

Same consist came back to Chicago, arriving (quite late) yesterday.
 
Anyone know why train 6 to Chicago departure is changed to from 9:10am to 12:10pm as of 7/25?
really going to screw up connections in Chicago and other reservations we have.
 
sjgiss said:
Anyone know why train 6 to Chicago departure is changed to from 9:10am to 12:10pm as of 7/25?
really going to screw up connections in Chicago and other reservations we have.
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Probably trackwork. Either UP or BNSF probably want a work window somewhere. At least it is scheduled and planned for.

Be happy it isn't just flat annulled, like what happens to the Crescent and the Boston section of the Lake Shore when NS or CSX want to do a track blitz.

If your further travel is on Amtrak, and the schedule change breaks the connection, they will re-accommodate you. If the schedule change doesn't break the connection, but the train is running enough late that it does, Amtrak will re-accommodate you, although that may involve a hotel night and loss of further sleeper accommodations, if any. Of course, that is assuming it is all on one Amtrak reservation number.

Welcome to Amtrak. Stuff like this happens. A lot.

Never, ever schedule an important event or a connection to another carrier on the same day as the arrival of a North American long distance train. Even with an Amtrak connection, many of us here schedule a Chicago layover when connecting from a western LD to an eastern LD, if for no other reason to make sure we keep our sleeper accommodations on the eastern leg and ensure further travel plans are not disrupted. I usually do. I have been 8-14 hours late into Chicago more times than I can count, on both the CZ and the Builder, and always without such prior notice as you have.

Westbound connections in Chicago are not usually quite a fraught and I usually book same day connections that direction. Eastbound, I almost always lay over.
 
Per the Friends of the California Zephyr group on FB:

"From July 25th to August 1st and August 8th to August 15th, Union Pacific will be replacing concrete ties between Colfax, Milepost 141.8 and Shed 47, Milepost 196.6 on Donner Pass in California. These will be five hour work windows and as a result, Train 6 during these dates will be departing from station stops and operating three hours later than normal. The schedule has been modified for the entire route during these dates for Train 6. Train 5 will operate on its normal schedule."
 
Hi,

Couple questions regarding train travel, specifically the California Zephyr. I’ve searched online and still have a couple things I need clarification on.

Boarding in Emeryville, CA and getting off in Naperville, IL.

The Amtrak website states that there is no baggage service in Naperville. Does that mean we will not be able to get our bags that we stowed off the train in Emeryville? Will we have to carry all of our luggage onto the train in Emeryville? Or does it mean if you are departing from Emeryville that you are not able to stow luggage? Not necessarily getting off the train?

i know on other trains, there have been racks above the seats to place smaller bags. Does the Zephyr have that? I believe it is a double decker so I am wondering about that. Especially the 2nd floor?

Dining car……I read that coach passengers are able to use the dining car. What is the approximate costs of meals? I have seen menus but no pricing.

Somebody mentioned that you will be assigned seats by the staff in Emeryville. Is that true? if we want to sit on the right side of the train, what happens if we are assigned the left side? Are we able to move around?

is there a Quiet Car on the Zephyr?

Thank you so much for clarifying this info for me!
 
1. No checked baggage service means no checked baggage service. You will be unable to check bags to Naperville.

2. Corollary for 1 is you will have to carry everything on. There is a large common luggage rack downstairs on Superliners in addition to overhead racks. Despite published policy, ground truth on Amtrak is you can have all you can carry on by yourself without going back for more.

3. I don't understand "...if you are departing from Emeryville that you are not able to stow luggage? Not necessarily getting off the train?" If you are getting on at Emeryville you'll have to stow luggage somehow, be it in the downstairs rack, in the overhead rack, or in your lap. And by necessity you'll be getting off the train with it or it'll go to Chicago without you.

4. Traditional dining is again available to coach passengers, though now at fixed prices for each meal. $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch and $45 for dinner. Dinner is a better deal than it looks, especially for the steak, as the price includes appetizer, dessert, and one alcoholic beverage.

5. I do not know whether or not the crew assigns seats at Emeryville. Practices vary across the system and even crew by crew on the same train. Whether you'll be able to move will be up to the onboard crew enroute, some don't care, some will allow it if asked, some absolutely won't. It's Amtrak, your mileage may vary.

6. There is no Quiet Car. But people who cause disturbances in the middle of the night will generally either have to quiet down or be removed from the train.
 
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JustReady said:
Hi!

Looking forward to everyones insight and knowledge! Traveling soon on the California Zephyr!
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Don't know where your other post went but, Here's my response:
If you destination does NOT offer baggage service you will need to carry on your baggage. This is storage available on the lower level near the doors. There is limited space at/around your seat (overhead and at your feet).

Here’s the pricing for meals:
  • $20 for breakfast
  • $25 for 2-course lunch
  • $45 for a 3-course dinner
  • $20 for all kids meals, no matter the meal time
You "may" be able to switch seats. There is usually a Sightseer Lounge car on the train with pleanty of viewing opportunities. Popular while crossing the Sierras and the Rockies.
No quiet car.
 
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jis said:
For people in good health it is unusual to feel too much of anything for a climb from sea level to 7,000'. People who can generally fly can deal with that on a routine basis. Of course people who do have respiratory issues need to take additional care to know their individual limitations and behave accordingly.

The bottom line is unless one has significant respiratory impairment, a trip on the Zephyr will be mostly a non-event as far as altitude effects go.
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I suffer from bad COPD (yes due to a bad habit) and no supplemental oxygen use. I live in Denver Metro and my home is at 5,111 ft. I have done the CZ several times and have never felt any ill effects all the way from CHI thru DEN all the way to EMY. Also anyone that may have a fear they can always purchase a can or two of oxygen on Amazon and carry that with them. They're a big seller up on Pikes Peak for the sea level visitors.
 
zephyr17 said:
Welcome to Amtrak. Stuff like this happens. A lot.

Never, ever schedule an important event or a connection to another carrier on the same day as the arrival of a North American long distance train.
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Many people can't add a day to their travel easily and I really don't see why so many people recommend it on this site - I've had better luck with rail travel in the USA and Canada than air travel that's for sure.

JustReady said:
Somebody mentioned that you will be assigned seats by the staff in Emeryville. Is that true? if we want to sit on the right side of the train, what happens if we are assigned the left side? Are we able to move around?
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This will vary from train to train and depends on the crew, as well as how full the train is going to be. You can always go to the Sightseer Lounge car which is the best place for viewing the scenery anyways. I usually hang out there for the majority of the trip when riding the Zephyr.
 
crescent-zephyr said:
Many people can't add a day to their travel easily and I really don't see why so many people recommend it on this site - I've had better luck with rail travel in the USA and Canada than air travel that's for sure.
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Well, I hope your luck holds. I take it you've never "eaten the stew".

For me, I've been on 12-14 hours late long distance trains more times than I can count, that's why I provide that advice. Had I had an airline connection, a cruise, a wedding, a funeral or a job interview scheduled on those days I would have missed them.

I followed that principle for years while working, with finite vacation time. All it takes is prudent planning and taking precautions against a known and common risk. An Amtrak long distance train being extremely late is not exactly an unusual occurrence.
 
On the westbound CZ, is there anyplace W of Denver (probably W of the Rockies) prior to Emeryville which would make a good endpoint for the westbound journey, with a less-sketchy neighborhood around the train station and hotels very close by (preferably easy walking distance and less expensive than Emeryville/SF suburbs)?
 
MccfamschoolMom said:
On the westbound CZ, is there anyplace W of Denver (probably W of the Rockies) prior to Emeryville which would make a good endpoint for the westbound journey, with a less-sketchy neighborhood around the train station and hotels very close by (preferably easy walking distance and less expensive than Emeryville/SF suburbs)?
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Try Truckee, though it is pricy. Downtown station. Or Sacramento.
 
MccfamschoolMom said:
On the westbound CZ, is there anyplace W of Denver (probably W of the Rockies) prior to Emeryville which would make a good endpoint for the westbound journey, with a less-sketchy neighborhood around the train station and hotels very close by (preferably easy walking distance and less expensive than Emeryville/SF suburbs)?
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I looked at doing a round trip to Colfax once but I can't recall what the hotel situation is. What I do recall is that there did not seem to be many lodging choices and I don't think any were close to the station.
 
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