Comfort on the Zephyr and SW Chief?

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
U

user 6862

Engineer
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
2,201
We travel on the CZ last week of February and the SWC end of the first week of March, both in roomettes. We understand the outside temperatures will be cold to very cold indeed.

Here and there on this forum I've read the temperatures in the cars are sometimes a little too hot for some and a little too cold for others (not necessarily on the same train). I guess that heating works well in summer or winter but the level of air con can and does affect night time comfort.

Interested in views as to whether the overnight temperatures in the roomette are comfortable for most or can we ask for an extra blanket if too cold for us. If that's not possible do we have to maybe take a blanket on board to feel cosy, is there a general view?

Again the only experience I have is the Australian Ghan in this their summer. Read a tip about buying a cheap sleeping bag which is what we did, pleased we did as most coach passengers felt a little too cool overnight due to the air con and many covered themselves with the towels provided for the showers. The sleeping bag was perfect as we felt just right over 2 nights.

Thanks
 
Most of the time, in this one man's experience, the temps have been satisfactory. But I always take a T-shirt and shorts for warm spells in the sleeper and a sweatshirt and sweatpants for cold rides. Plus a roll of duct tape to cover the overhead air vent if it can't be closed, which happens more often than not.
 
I've found "too warm" to be more common that "too cold", but overall (aside from one hellish trip in the Crescent in coach), I've been reasonably comfortable.

It's really a crap shoot depending on the car, your fellow travelers and your personal comfort zone.
 
On one trip I was offered, and accepted, an extra blanket from the SCA.
 
Thanks

What I was wondering was, has anybody travelled on these trains in mid winter and what's the comfort level at these times. Because we are arriving from London and spending 4 weeks on trains and buses we are travelling light (well as light as possible considering the time of year). Don't mind arriving Chicago and going off to buy a couple of light blankets or whatever, then leaving them somewhere when we no longer need them (Charleston 2nd week March?), but if during mid winter they run these trains really hot it's something we don't have to think about.
 
If I am traveling Sleeper I expect enough Nesting Materials to be available to stay warm during the Winter and so far that has not been a problem, even on savagely cold nights. Of course I am often traveling alone and can scavange the blanket from the other berth if need be but the SCA should have plenty of blankets on hand if you need extra.
 
I've taken the CZ and LSL from Emeryville to Buffalo, in a roomette, for the past 4 winters and am scheduled do it again next month. (I grew up near Buffalo and have never gotten over my fascination with wind, cold, and snow.) I've never had an issue with the room temperature. It may be a bit warmer or cooler than is optimum for me, but it's certainly comfortable. As an earlier poster suggested, sweat pants and a sweat shirt are wise to bring along in case needed.
 
I don't own a pair of sweatpants, but I traveled around the country by train last winter, and I was comfortable all the way. I did take a pair of long underwear bottoms (double-duty as pajama bottoms or an extra layer if cold outside), a fleece jacket (double-duty as a pillow if not needed for warmth), and one of those fleece "throw" blankets (which only Hubby used). Being as I'm from a cold place, I also took a hat, gloves, and warm socks.

You can probably buy a fleece "throw" blanket (if you want one) pretty inexpensively at the nearest drug/variety store. Isn't there something like a Walgreen's within a block or two of the station? I know I've bought some of the little necessities (and jugs of drinking water) there before...
 
We travel on the SWC every winter, and it's always been too warm, with the exception of this year. It was pleasant on the way there and on the way back. I was surprised. Our SCAs did a really good job of regulating the temperature in the car. Those who asked for extra blankets received them.

Normally, I have to wear a tank top and shorts to bed, can't use the blanket, and leave our door open all night (with the curtain shut) to help keep some air circulating.
 
Hi...

The fact is that there is no way of knowing how warm you can expect to be, it just depends on if the train equipment is working well, or not. There is a drug store on the corner outside Chicago Union Station, where I have bought a single fluffy blanket when in winter coach. I chose a violently dayglo green one, to look as much like a down and out hobo as possible!

These blankets are around $5-$10 and quite small and light. I would suggest you buy a couple and if you don't need them in your roomettes, you could probably re-sell them to a frozen coach seat passenger at a small profit...

I think you can reasonably expect Amtrak to provide extra blankets if you need them in the sleepers, but once again, it depends on how many spares they carry... (I like to be comfortable, but am not going to go into too much detail of my hot water bottle arrangements...)

Ed :cool:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
v v said:
Just when we were confident we could turn up in shorts and a tee shirt...
Click to expand...
Well, that is a single-level train which are more incline to have that happen. The CZ & SWC are the "double deckers", so are less inclined, I believe, to have that happen. And if it does happen on a Superliner, it would only affect anyone downstairs.
 
VentureForth said:
At least you don't have to worry about this on Amtrak:

http://www.newstimes.com/news/slideshow/snow-ugc-shared-jan-21-2014-78164/photo-5762034.php?cmpid

Oh...that is Amtrak. :eek:
Click to expand...
I have seen the vestibule like that on the LSL (a single-level train) between BOS and CHI. Inside the cars, everything was just fine except that by morning the shower drain was frozen so we were not allowed to take showers going into CHI. I have taken every western route in winter, including during snow storms and ice storms across the prairies and in the mountains. I have never seen anything like that on the Superliner cars they run out west.
 
I was on both these trains the first week in december, the roomette was quite warm, the rest of the train was fine, but the roomette was maybe 10 - 15 degrees warmer. I typically wore a tshirt and jeans with a hoodie or sweater I could put on to wander arround the train.
 
v v said:
Thanks

What I was wondering was, has anybody travelled on these trains in mid winter and what's the comfort level at these times.
Click to expand...
Yes, I have taken both trains in January and February. I've always been comfortably warm. (I'm usually cold, so that was nice.)

Dress in layers. If it's cold, keep your sweater on, if it's warm, take it off. You'll be fine.

Vestibule freezing problems generally only happen on the single-level trains. Even then, it's toasty warm inside the rest of the car.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
neroden said:
Vestibule freezing problems generally only happen on the single-level trains. Even then, it's toasty warm inside the rest of the car.
Click to expand...
And it is generally the AmFleets this happens to and not the Viewliners, though the plumbing on a Viewliner can quickly freeze killing the toilets.
 
As I sit here in my cold house, I'm wishing I was on a warm Amtrak train right now. :wub:

Guess I'll head out to the mall for some warmth and exercise this afternoon.
 
jimhudson said:
AmtrakBlue said:
As I sit here in my cold house, I'm wishing I was on a warm Amtrak train right now. :wub:

Guess I'll head out to the mall for some warmth and exercise this afternoon.
Click to expand...
Betty: they have this modern invention called heat!

Turn up the thermostat, layer up, get a blanket or throw and snuggle up with your laptop or a good book! Spring will be there in 3 months!
Click to expand...
I keep kicking up the heat (it's set low for when I'm not here). And I have my layers on. Even use space heaters, but am trying to save $$ at the same time as trying to stay warm. Which is why I go spend a few hours at the mall each day. Use their heat & electric. :D Helps that they have wifi too.
 
Was just teasing as you know! The heating bills up North, just like the AC bills in the Summer down South, are what keep most of us poor!

I'm not a mall person so I go to the Library to enjoy their heat, air and light and facilities to try and keep my utility bills out of triple digits!!

Its 32 with freezing rain/ sleet here which is most uncomfortable! Wind chill is in the teens so library here I come!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top