EB's PDX Sleeper placement

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choochoodood

choochoodood

Service Attendant
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
140
Location
Ohio
Last year I rode the Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland. I was fortunate enough to have my Roomette assignment (#004) on the side paralleling the Columbia River Gorge.

I am making the CHI-PDX trip again this year and would like to be on that same side of the train. My Roomette assignment is #005, which I know is on the opposite side of the Sleeper as last year.

Does anyone know if the Empire Builder consistently runs their Sleepers in the same direction in the consist? (On last year's trip, the Bedrooms were "forward.") If the direction of the car placement is consistent, I will change my room assignment to an even number. If not, I guess I'll be facing "the luck of the draw."

I'm guessing this will be left to chance, but there's always somebody on this forum that has the "right" knowledge.

121B - Traveling west down the Columbia River Gorge in WA.jpg
 
There's no surefire way to tell what side of the train your room will be. You can get a good guess by looking at what the 'turned around' train's layout was, but this can only be done within a day or two of your departure.

peter
 
choochoodood said:
I'm guessing this will be left to chance, but there's always somebody on this forum that has the "right" knowledge.
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You are correct in your guess.

On one day in early last October, the Portland sleeper had the bedroom hallway and odd-numbered roomettes on the Gorge side, which would be good for your current room assignment. Its only meaning for your plans is that you might as well stick with what you have rather than go to the bother of changing—but you already knew that.

Enjoy your trip.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Superliner bedrooms are on same side of train as the even numbered roomettes. I agree that the SSL is a much better place to view the Columbia Gorge.
 
I prefer being in the roomette. You can sit right next to the window and watch the train go around curves. The bedrooms usually in the back half of the car on the Portland section. So going easy out of Portland the even number rooms would be by the river. Going west, the odd numbers would be by the river. As mentioned above Amtrak could swap out the sleeper at the last minute and the car could be oriented with the bedrooms at the front and roomettes at the rear.
 
If the room is on the "wrong" side check with the sleeper attendant, they may be able to change the assignment. (and start earning a big tip).
 
Karl1459 said:
If the room is on the "wrong" side check with the sleeper attendant, they may be able to change the assignment. (and start earning a big tip).
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Once on the Starlight when I was in 2, the attendant offered to swap me into 1 because it was on the "right" side. Nice of him, but I didn't take him up on it, since I was already in the process of "moving in" (with a CPAP, that involves a power strip, an extension cord, and duct tape). Plus it doesn't make a big difference to me. I ride the train a lot and spend a lot of time in the PPC.
 
ehbowen said:
You will get a better view of the Columbia River from the Sightseer Lounge than from any roomette ... and breakfast, too!
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Agreed! By that point of the trip, you're pretty much done with your roomette anyway so might as well camp out in the SSL until you hit Vancouver.
 
It all depends on your day. When I took the #8/28 last month, I was in compartment 3 of the Portland sleeper (right behind the SCA's), and it turned out that my side faced the gorge, but was nothing significant, as it was dark when the train turned east at Vancouver. For better odds, go to the sightseer lounge (towards the front, just behind the locomotive, and you need to pass through two coaches), or go to the back window at the back end of the Portland sleeper (if you are in a sleeper). There are odds involved with the CS, with the coastal views. When I took the #14 two weeks ago, I was informed by my SCA that my compartment (5) had the coastal views. But as with all other things YMMV.
 
Oh wow - that picture is awesome! I can't wait to see that in April. I hope we get a good amount of daylight to see it.

DS and I have roomettes across from each other on both the CS and EB so we are guaranteed water side on both trips. I'm guessing we will use the best view side room to hang out during the day and use the other one for storage or napping :)
 

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