Nope, don’t count on getting a certain side unless you know the consist of your train beforehand. Even then, they switch them out.Sorry, bit of a basic question but here goes.
The Superliner Sleeper cars, are they directional? On the upper level are the bedrooms always toward the front/direction of travel and roomettes at the rear?
Said it was basic, thanks
Ditto, it's up the yard Crews when they make up the consist, you just dont know till you board!My experience is the orientation of Superliner sleepers is pretty random (even in the same consist, I've been on several trains where the sleepers were oriented differently, roomettes to roomettes or bedrooms to bedrooms). If there's any tendency, it's pretty slight and very far from something that can be counted on.
Back in the old days it was customary to run vestibule forward I believe back during the private railroad era.
Saying it's up to the yard crews implies they have some sort of plan or awareness of orientation but so far as I can tell in the case of Superliners orientation is dictated by whichever random movements brought the car to the train to be connected as is with no rhyme or reason. Personally I think a predictable orientation could be used to collect a bit more money from folks who may prefer a specific view and be willing to pay a little more to ensure it (within reason). Many hotels I've visited offered upgrades for better views and airlines charge extra for some seats. I feel Amtrak is leaving money on the table by assembling trains in a haphazard manner and leaving everything to chance instead.Ditto, it's up the yard Crews when they make up the consist, you just dont know till you board!
I never thought about it but that would make sense for trains with a tail car.
Thanks for the info, but it's still a "Crap Shoot" when it comes to Superliner Sleepers!You mentioned upper floor (Superliner) but not your route. As mentioned it’s mostly 50/50 unless your traveling Coast Starlight or possibly the Empire Builder depending on the individual car. (more accurate numbers below)
I ride allot, usually get a bedroom, like to sit on the couch (hate the chair) and really like to be facing forward while sitting on the couch watching the scenery coming at me and not watching it pass.
A few years back when trying to determine if I should be booking room B or D, or if I should be booking E, C or the dreaded A in order to get a couch facing forward I figured if I could watch the orientation of trains as they pass they the webcams I’d have the metrics to calculate the odds of which way they face the sleepers and I could be relatively sure what room to book so I would not be stuck sitting in the chair.
So I decided to watch a few WebCams with DVR’s in 2018 ad 2019 and here’s some of the statistics regarding which way the sleepers were faced.
(click to zoom)
hope that helps put some numbers to the question.
Cheers,
Thanks for the info, but it's still a "Crap Shoot" when it comes to Superliner Sleepers!
And crap shoot for the EB Seatle 31 car or the EB Portland 20 car.
But a good "probably" for the EB Seatle 30 car (closest to the diner)
The order of cars in the consists is pretty consistent, but the inconsistency is on which end of the car faces forward. I'm booked in an upcoming Portland EB roomette, and I know I'll be in the last car on the whole train but even though I know my roomette number, I don't know which direction I will be facing yet since it varies so much.I don't know about the situation during the pandemic but pre-pandemic it seems that the sleeper placement was fairly reliable. On the western trains the sleepers were near the head end except for the Texas Eagle sleeper on the Sunset and the Portland sleeper on the Empire Builder which were usually on the rear west of San Antonio and east of Spokane. On the Lake Shore, the Boston sleeper is on the head end and the New York sleepers are on the rear.
The Crescent seems to have had some inconsistency. I recall a couple of trips a few years ago where the sleepers were on the head end but on our last trip (2019) they were on the rear. I can't comment on the Cardinal or Capitol as I have never been on those trains.
It depends on which specific year one is talking about. There were years when the estern LD consists (except the LSL) were consistently flipped between summer and winter. IIRC in the winter they carried the Sleepers in the rear while in the summer they were in the front. Then at some point they stopped doing that and stuck with the Sleepers in the rear and also moved the Bag to the rear.I don't know about the situation during the pandemic but pre-pandemic it seems that the sleeper placement was fairly reliable. On the western trains the sleepers were near the head end except for the Texas Eagle sleeper on the Sunset and the Portland sleeper on the Empire Builder which were usually on the rear west of San Antonio and east of Spokane. On the Lake Shore, the Boston sleeper is on the head end and the New York sleepers are on the rear.
The Crescent seems to have had some inconsistency. I recall a couple of trips a few years ago where the sleepers were on the head end but on our last trip (2019) they were on the rear. I can't comment on the Cardinal or Capitol as I have never been on those trains.
Thanks. I should have clarified that I know nothing about the Florida trains (except for the Floridian but that was so long ago it doesn't count and I don't recall where the sleepers were placed in that train anyway.).It depends on which specific year one is talking about. There were years when the estern LD consists (except the LSL) were consistently flipped between summer and winter. IIRC in the winter they carried the Sleepers in the rear while in the summer they were in the front. Then at some point they stopped doing that and stuck with the Sleepers in the rear and also moved the Bag to the rear.
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