Coach-no showers...so then what????

[Breeze]

Ok I know that coach doesn't have use of showers, but can you at least wash up or freshen up..at least enough to change clothes? I know like at Target or Walmart, they have body towelettes and facial towelettes that you can use, but I'm not sure if that's appropriate, as I know that you can't just hold up the bathroom!

Exactly how big are the bathrooms? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tp49]

Sounds to me like you answered your own question. If you freshen up either late at night or early in the morning no one will notice the amount of time it might take. As for bathroom size I'll differ to others on the forum as I only have experience with California cars with ADA compliant bathrooms.

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

I only really know about the Superliner coaches, which is what you'll be on between LA and Chicago. Most Superliner coaches have several bathrooms. A couple of the bathrooms are pretty small, a bit bigger than the typical bathroom on an airliner. One of the bathrooms is for handicapped, so it's pretty big, but I'd recommend keeping that one open for people who need it unless you have no other option. There are also two dressing rooms, one male, one female. I've not been in the female one, but the male one has more than enough room for changing and freshening up. In fact, whenever I take a trip in coach, I'll use the dressing room to clean up a little bit so I look somewhat presentable when I get to the end. Unfortunately, it's been a long time since I've taken a trip on a single level train in the East, so I can't tell you what the bathroom situation is like there.

 

[AlanB]

The bathrooms aren't huge, but there is enough room to change your clothes in them. Additionally between the sink, and maybe some of those moist towelettes, you can probably clean yourself up some. Bring your own towelettes though, as Amtrak won’t provide them. Also make sure that you throw them in the trashcan, not the toilet. Something like a towelette can clog all of the toilets in that car.

Yes I know that sounds like common sense, but you’d be surprised what people have thrown down Amtrak’s toilets. They are very sensitive and even a sanitary napkin has been known to shut down the entire car’s toilets.

As for hogging the bathroom, while I wouldn't recommend spending an hour in one, there are five in each car. So if you spent 10 - 15 minutes, I don't think you'd get yelled at.

However, don't do it during the peak hours. Peak hours would be morning when people are waking up and just before going to bed at night. Try right after lunch for a quasi-sponge bath as it were. The demand for the bathrooms should be less at that point.

Additionally, while I admit that I've never gone down stairs in the coach cars, according to the blueprints one bathroom is supposed to have a larger changing room attached to it. I don't know how busy this room might be, if it does exist, but that might be a better place to try and change cloths. Maybe someone who's been in a Superliner coach can confirm this.

I don't think that you should use this room for your sponge bath though.

 

[Anthony]

Anyone ever notice that both the sanitary napkin and the trash receptacles next to the sink in the bathrooms both lead to the same trash bag?? :blink:

 

[gswager]

Anyone ever notice that both the sanitary napkin and the trash receptacles next to the sink in the bathrooms both lead to the same trash bag?? :blink:

Yeah, I agree with you, Anthony. I looked at them several times and they lead to one trash. That always made me thinking whenever I go to the bathroom.

There is changing room in one or two bathroom area(s). It has plenty of room for changing clothes. However, working with the sink valves is very tricky. You'll have to figure it out. :blink:

 

[jccollins]

Additionally, while I admit that I've never gone down stairs in the coach cars, according to the blueprints...

Huh, you've never gone downstairs in a coach car? How did you get into the car if you didn't enter it from the lower level? :huh: :blink:

 

[Anthony]

He lives in the east... the times he's taken a Superliner train, I bet they were in sleeper because of the long distance Thus he would have come into the coach through the upper level.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

The things we get used to and take for granted. Before AMTRAKgot it's superliner equipment and viewliner equipment, trains didn't even HAVE showers on a public scale. Only four or five trains in the whole country even had showers and they were only for the occupants in that one particular sleeping car room on those specific trains.

I have taken many "sponge baths" in my private room sleeping cars pre-Amtrak, but nothing beats a real shower such as sleeping car passnegers take for traned today.

Breeze, since you are new to theorum you may not know it but I was stuck in New York Cty during the blackout, the power outage. WHen water wasfinally restored at my hotellthere was no hot water, still. The first hot water shower I got to take was on the train leaving NYC. It was most welcomed. You, hopefullywll not be be beginning your trip after a massive power outage so you will not have the genuine need for as much "cleaning" as I had. Be glad of that!

Keep in mind that one usually does not get very dirty on the train---it is a quite clean environment. Of course I understand the need to freshen up, but it is not a huge disaster.

Back in the days of steam locomotives and open air windows (i.e. before air conditioning) they SHOULD have had them but did not. And those were the days when people dressed up to go everywhere. I bet train travel was not nearly as much fun then---I am talking pre-World War II here, so don't get panicky.

I do not have much experience in coaches but I suspect you will find the facilites on the superliner coaches to be better to use for "sponge bathing" than on the single level.

 

[AlanB]

He lives in the east... the times he's taken a Superliner train, I bet they were in sleeper because of the long distance Thus he would have come into the coach through the upper level.

Yup, all 10 or so of my rides on Superliner equipment saw me in a bedroom. So if I ventured into the coach section of the train at all, it was via the upper level connection from the lounge car.

 

[Viewliner]

Breeze, you could try to do an onboard upgrade for a brief period of time if there's room, you'd also be entitled to a meal depending on the time of day.

 

[Steve4031]

Anyone ever notice that both the sanitary napkin and the trash receptacles next to the sink in the bathrooms both lead to the same trash bag?? :blink:

Yes, that was always kinda strange to me.

 

[Breeze]

Thanks all who answered my question

Viewliner..how much more will that be?

Alan..right after lunch? Wouldn't that be just as bad because people usually use the restroom in public places, like at least 10 minutes after they have eaten? Also I get up pretty early naturally, so you think if I managed to get up at least 5 or 6 in the morning, would that be good? I mean how many people will be up at that time!

Bill..I'm sure they are clean, but I mean to travel for three days, I would think that if people didn't freshen up a bit, it would not be pleasant :lol:

Oh and I'll make sure my trash goes in the trash, where it belongs!

 

[AlanB]

Well from my experience in the sleepers, the best time to shower is between 2 and 4 in the afternoon. But still in the morning other people will want to at least wash their faces, brush their teeth, and comb their hair. That makes the hours between say 7:30 and 9:30 busy.

Also the same is true at night as people head off to sleep. So those hours would not be good times to spend a long time in the bathroom, working on a sponge bath. Yes, you'll want to do the other things that I mentioned above too and that's ok. Just don't add even more time by adding the sponge bath at those times.

While I certainly wouldn't suggest that you deliberately wake up at 5:00 AM, if you do find yourself up at that hour or anytime before 7:00 AM, then by all means take advantage of using the bathrooms.

As for upgrading to a sleeper, there is no easy way to answer that question. It would depend on how far you traveled in the sleeper. If you just spent one night while on the way to Chicago, you might be able to get a sleeper for $100 to $150 extra. If you wanted both nights, expect it to be more.

If you ask the conductor nicely, he might be willing to give you a few different prices for different lengths of your journey. Amtrak prices the rooms by the night, miles traveled, and what meals are included. So waiting until after dinner to move from coach to a sleeper could affect the price. However, you might find that staying in the sleeper the next morning until just after lunch, only adds 10 more bucks to the price.

I do suggest however if you want to try this, that you do it on the first part of your trip to Chicago. The train from Chicago to Boston is far more likely to have all of it's bedrooms already sold.

For that matter, while it is extra paperwork for him/her, a really nice conductor might even be willing to sell you a bedroom for just part of the day from say right after breakfast till just after dinner. While you of course would not get to sleep in the sleeper, it might only cost you 40 or 50 bucks for that short period of time.

That would still include at least lunch and dinner for free in the diner and you would have time for a shower. I can't however promise that you will find a conductor who wants to do that. It is extra work for them.

But hopefully you'll meet a conductor who is helpful and into making his passengers comfortable. Tell him that you don't have a lot of money, but you'd like to see if you couldn't get one night in a sleeper. If that cost isn't too high, then ask him how much more a second night would be. See what combinations he can work out for you.

 

[Breeze]

Thank you Alan