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MrFSS

MrFSS

Engineer
Honored Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
Messages
9,712
Location
Central Kentucky
My wife and I are leaving from Chicago to Seattle on the EB in a deluxe bedroom. I haven't been on a cross country train since 1961 - wow - a lot of years ago.

I have been preparing, reading lots of the trip reports here, so I can contribute and have lots of pictures.

Members here have answered lots of my questions and I have one last somewhat silly one for you:

Is the water that comes from the sink in the bedroom safe to drink, brush your teeth with, etc?

I wouldn't want to ruin the trip with a sick tummy!

We just returned from a month long trip to Europe and I didn't have any problems there, but have never heard any discussion about water on trains.

Thanks and I'll have a report, soon.

Tom
 
I don't generally drink the water from the sinks, since Amtrak provides bottled water for you to drink. However I've used the sink water on many ocassions to brush my teeth and never had a problem.
 
The water is SAFE to drink, but doesn't taste all that great. Your sleeping car attendant will provide bottled water for you to drink. It is usually out available for you to take; if not you can ask the attendant for more. The sink water is fine for brushing your teeth or bathing in, so you need not worry. Enjoy the trip! :D
 
The water is SAFE to drink, but doesn't taste all that great. Your sleeping car attendant will provide bottled water for you to drink. It is usually out available for you to take; if not you can ask the attendant for more. The sink water is fine for brushing your teeth or bathing in, so you need not worry. Enjoy the trip!
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I don't generally drink the water from the sinks, since Amtrak provides bottled water for you to drink. However I've used the sink water on many ocassions to brush my teeth and never had a problem.
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THANKS!!!!
 
Ps. While your deluxe room does have a shower in the room, you may find it easier to shower in the public shower downstairs. The public shower is a little bigger than the phonebooth sized shower in your bedroom.

I'm 5'11" and weight about 160 and I can't take a shower in the deluxe bedroom's shower, without smashing my elbows into the walls. And it's not because the train is bouncing, the room is just that small.
 
I will be waiting to hear about your experience. The wife, 4 year old son and I will be taking the EB the middle of October with a family bedroom. B)
 
I'm 5'11" and weight about 160 and I can't take a shower in the deluxe bedroom's shower, without smashing my elbows into the walls. And it's not because the train is bouncing, the room is just that small.
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Interesting. How many people are trying to use the downstairs showers? Is it difficult to get the use of one? What is the privacy issue, if any?
On another note, just out of curiosity, do coach passengers have showers available to them in their cars?

I will be waiting to hear about your experience. The wife, 4 year old son and I will be taking the EB the middle of October with a family bedroom.
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We are spendinf a few days on the west coast before flying back to Chicago for a few days, and then home to Kentucky, so it may be toward the end of the month before I get it all together to post.
Enjoy your trip!
 
gswager said:
Another interesting question- is the water fountain in center of upper level is the same as from the sink?  Or is it filtered in some way?
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The fountain's water is the same that comes out of the sinks. It is safe, but often just looks really cloudy due to the chemicals Amtrak adds to make sure it is safe.

MrFSS said:
Interesting. How many people are trying to use the downstairs showers? Is it difficult to get the use of one? What is the privacy issue, if any?
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The downstairs/main shower in the sleeping cars is usually busiest from 6-8 in the morning, but still you won't find mobs trying to get in there (usually). The shower has an attached dressing room area and both are completely enclosed from the rest of the train.

MrFSS said:
On another note, just out of curiosity, do coach passengers have showers available to them in their cars?
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Unfortunately coach passengers do not have showers available in their cars.
 
MrFSS said:
I'm 5'11" and weight about 160 and I can't take a shower in the deluxe bedroom's shower, without smashing my elbows into the walls. And it's not because the train is bouncing, the room is just that small.
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Interesting. How many people are trying to use the downstairs showers? Is it difficult to get the use of one? What is the privacy issue, if any?
On another note, just out of curiosity, do coach passengers have showers available to them in their cars?
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If one avoids the peak hours 7 AM to 9 AM, then the odds are that you'll never find the shower occupied. Even during peak hours I've managed to get in a couple of time with no waiting at all.

As for privacy, the door to the shower opens into a small changing room. In this room you should find towels, washcloths, and soap. You can also leave your cloths there on the hooks. The door locks just like the bathrooms do.

The shower is off to the left of the changing room, with a shower curtain that you snap to the wall so as to keep the water in the shower.

Having said all that, there is one thing to be said for the shower in your room. Since it's a shower/toilet combination one can actually sit on the toilet while showering, in fact it's recomended. Showering while moving at 79 mph is an interesting experience, so having a seat can be helpful.

So check them both out and then decide what works best for you.

Finally, no coach passengers have no access to any shower while onboard the train.
 
Having said all that, there is one thing to be said for the shower in your room. Since it's a shower/toilet combination one can actually sit on the toilet while showering, in fact it's recomended. Showering while moving at 79 mph is an interesting experience, so having a seat can be helpful.
So check them both out and then decide what works best for you.
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Thanks - that helps a lot. Probably better to be eating a meal at 79 MPH than trying to shower!
 
MrFSS said:
Having said all that, there is one thing to be said for the shower in your room. Since it's a shower/toilet combination one can actually sit on the toilet while showering, in fact it's recomended. Showering while moving at 79 mph is an interesting experience, so having a seat can be helpful.
So check them both out and then decide what works best for you.
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Thanks - that helps a lot. Probably better to be eating a meal at 79 MPH than trying to shower!
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It's definately an interesting experience. :) I find it helpful to plant my feet against the walls of the shower. That gives you a nice wide stance and your feet can't slide. Since most of the jolts are side to side, this helps a lot.

Rule number 1 while on the train, "One hand for you, one hand for the train". Be it showering or just walking around, it's a good rule to follow.
 
Since it's Tuesday, I may go down near the Milwaukee Amtrak station and photograph your train. Though, it's also primary election day in Milwaukee, so I might not make it down there, running between campus and home and the polls and back to campus, I may not have time to squeeze in an Empire Builder meet.

In any event, if you see someone standing at a grade crossing taking photos just before or just after the Milwaukee station, it'll probably be me.

(and, as a required plug, those interested in seeing some of my Amtrak photos can go to http://community.webshots.com/user/rmadisonwi and browse the selection there)
 
In any event, if you see someone standing at a grade crossing taking photos just before or just after the Milwaukee station, it'll probably be me.
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Thanks - I'll try to be watching! Let's hope we're on time!
 
Not sure if MrFSS saw me. I was at the 13th St. crossing, the first grade crossing after the Milwaukee station ('bout 2 minutes after you start rolling), taking a video with my digital camera.

Minutes prior to the Empire Builder's crossing, I had to inform a man and his 2-3 year old kid that they were tresspassing by playing on the tracks. He got extremely offended by it, since I wasn't "the railroad" and therefore shouldn't have been informing him of the law and safety/common sense. He backed off when I suggested that I could call the railroad police.
 
rmadisonwi said:
Not sure if MrFSS saw me. I was at the 13th St. crossing, the first grade crossing after the Milwaukee station ('bout 2 minutes after you start rolling), taking a video with my digital camera.
Minutes prior to the Empire Builder's crossing, I had to inform a man and his 2-3 year old kid that they were tresspassing by playing on the tracks. He got extremely offended by it, since I wasn't "the railroad" and therefore shouldn't have been informing him of the law and safety/common sense. He backed off when I suggested that I could call the railroad police.
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Good job!! He would have been the first to file a law suit when his son got ran over by train. What a clown.
 
Well - we just got of the Builder this AM in Seattle, arrived 10 minutes early! Walked down to the waterfront for lunch and back to King Street Station in time to catch the 1:45 Cascade (business class) to Portland. Just checked into our hotel that has highspeed internet, so for the first time in 3 days I'm seeing email and this forum.

madisonwi - is this you?

I watched closely and I think this is you taking the pictures you mention.

As soon as I can get a trip report together, along with the near 200 pictures I took, I'll get that posted for everyone to read.

We had a delux bedroom and a car attendant who was superb! But, more later in the report. My wife and I will be in Portland for three days and then CHicago 3 days before flying back home to Kentucky, so, be patient with me. My wife thinks we should be on vacation - not doing train things.

Tom

Milwaukee.jpg
 
MrFSS said:
As soon as I can get a trip report together, along with the near 200 pictures I took, I'll get that posted for everyone to read.
My wife thinks we should be on vacation - not doing train things.
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No hurry, Tom. You're wife is right, you should be enjoying things, be it a train ride, the current hotel, or the rest of the trip.

We'll wait somewhat patiently for the report. :D

Ps. I'm glad you had a great trip. :)
 
If you bring your own towel, you can slip down to sleeper shower around 2-4AM. Usually no one awake to care. Just make sure that train won't be making a stop during your shower, just in case that sleeper might be discharging or receiving passengers!!!!
 

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