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J

Josh M

Train Attendant
Joined
May 30, 2015
Messages
71
Location
Ferndale, MI
Hi all,

Well, I'm only a bit over 2 weeks from my first cross-country train trip. I've been reading all of the posts in this forum and the FAQ/First-Time Rider Info forum, and it's all been immensely helpful in answering a lot of questions (and giving me info that I wouldn't have even thought of until I was on the train, like tipping the SCA and in the diner, earplugs, etc.). So thank you!

That said, I have a few questions that I haven't seen answered elsewhere around here. (Not to say they aren't, just that I haven't seen them.) Any info on these and anything else I might think of in the next 2 weeks would be appreciated.

1. How many extra pillows can be requested? At home I sleep with a couple, and I assume that the pillows on the train are the thinner hotel-type pillows, so if I can request maybe a couple I'd like to. Otherwise, I'll just leave it at one extra and plan to look for a small travel pillow or some such.

2. Do the SCAs make up the beds in a particular direction, i.e., head toward the back of the train, feet toward the front? Or is it just random? I don't want to seem like a pest to the SCA asking "oh, can you make up my bed in a particular way," but if I ride "backwards" I have issues with motion sickness.

3. What is the meal situation like if the train runs very late? Will it be full meals in the dining car, or do they get food at a station, or are we just stuck with whatever is available in the lounge. Example: CZ is supposed to arrive in EMY at 4:10, before the dinner hour so no dinner on the train. But if the train happens to run more than a couple hours late, putting the arrival well past dinner time, how do they usually handle it? I have to take a prescription with a meal at the same time every day, hence the concern.

4. Is the shower in the sleeper always available, or is it limited to certain hours of operation? When is it usually busiest in the morning, before or after breakfast?

5. Are the plugs in the roomettes 2-prong or 3-prong? (Also, where does one buy a travel-size power strip?! I have been looking at several stores here in MI and all I can find are standard-size, 6-outlet power strips.)

Thanks again ahead of time for any info! If I think of anything else, I'll tack it on as a reply comment.
 
The outlets will always be standard US 3-prong 110-120v 60 Hz.

I've got this 3-outlet surge protector with 2 USB power ports. It also rotates and locks 4 ways so you could use it in tight quarters if there's something like a table in the way.

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-3-Outlet-Charger-Protector-Charging/dp/B0015DYMVO

As for food, maybe bring something to eat with the meds. The last thing you'll want is to be stuck in a long line in the cafe/lounge only to find they're out of food. I was in coach, and I wasn't the only passenger with a bag of chips. I also had a smaller collapsible cooler. It wasn't leak proof, but I used an ice substitute and a frozen water bottle.
 
As far as bed make-up goes, you can sleep in any direction you want! I've never asked an SCA for a particular bed make-up so, don't know what his/her reply would be. I just un-do/re-do to suit my preferences.

The shower is available 24 hours a day...busy time would probably be as people wake up and start their day.

I believe the outlets are three prong. I don't use a "power strip" but rather a household extension cord with three outlets on the end. A second one may be plugged into the first if more outlets are needed. I rarely use a laptop on the train and the chargers for my phone, scanner, gps, etc are all "2-prong" wall transformers anyway.
 
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Josh M said:
1. How many extra pillows can be requested? At home I sleep with a couple, and I assume that the pillows on the train are the thinner hotel-type pillows, so if I can request maybe a couple I'd like to. Otherwise, I'll just leave it at one extra and plan to look for a small travel pillow or some such.
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Unlike at a hotel, there isn't a storage room on-board filled with extras of everything. So, I am going to say "zero", unless your SCA knows another room will be empty for the entire trip, and the SCA will "borrow" a pillow or two from it.

Though, with a $100 tip, the SCA might give you his. :)

Josh M said:
2. Do the SCAs make up the beds in a particular direction, i.e., head toward the back of the train, feet toward the front? Or is it just random? I don't want to seem like a pest to the SCA asking "oh, can you make up my bed in a particular way," but if I ride "backwards" I have issues with motion sickness.
Click to expand...
I would say that they make up the bed with the head end being the widest end of the bed (feet at the narrow end), without any regard to direction of train/car travel. As mentioned, I assume you can ask the SCA to make it the other way around, and 99% of the time, the SCA would be glad to fulfill your request.
 
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Josh M said:
1. How many extra pillows can be requested? At home I sleep with a couple, and I assume that the pillows on the train are the thinner hotel-type pillows, so if I can request maybe a couple I'd like to. Otherwise, I'll just leave it at one extra and plan to look for a small travel pillow or some such.

2. Do the SCAs make up the beds in a particular direction, i.e., head toward the back of the train, feet toward the front? Or is it just random? I don't want to seem like a pest to the SCA asking "oh, can you make up my bed in a particular way," but if I ride "backwards" I have issues with motion sickness.

3. What is the meal situation like if the train runs very late? Will it be full meals in the dining car, or do they get food at a station, or are we just stuck with whatever is available in the lounge. Example: CZ is supposed to arrive in EMY at 4:10, before the dinner hour so no dinner on the train. But if the train happens to run more than a couple hours late, putting the arrival well past dinner time, how do they usually handle it? I have to take a prescription with a meal at the same time every day, hence the concern.

4. Is the shower in the sleeper always available, or is it limited to certain hours of operation? When is it usually busiest in the morning, before or after breakfast?

5. Are the plugs in the roomettes 2-prong or 3-prong? (Also, where does one buy a travel-size power strip?! I have been looking at several stores here in MI and all I can find are standard-size, 6-outlet power strips.)

Thanks again ahead of time for any info! If I think of anything else, I'll tack it on as a reply comment.
Click to expand...
1. You can request as many as you want but any extras will need to come from vacant rooms. These are some of the thinnest pillows you'll ever seen in your life. Thinner than hotel pillows and much closer to airline pillows from previous eras.

2. In theory the SCA is supposed to put your feet toward the front of the train for safety reasons in the event of an emergency stop or crash. In actual practice your bed might be made in either direction. If you have a preference feel free to request it.

3. If the train runs late then you'll probably have an abbreviated meal service that lacks some or most of the usual menu selections. If the train is very late it might only be a hodgepodge of random ingredients that doesn't match anything on the menu. If the train is extremely late then you'll probably receive a meal that resembles Dinty Moore soup out of a can. If you need to take food for medicine then I would bring a temperature resistant snack with you.

4. The shower never closes but that doesn't stop it from being taken by another passenger or running out of water/soap/towels. That being said the only times I've been unable to use the shower was when I waited too close to my arrival and ended up running out of time.

5. The Belkin product listed above is larger than it looks and the USB ports are slow to charge. The power cube is small but won't work well with many transformer style plugs. In my view the best all around solution for a power strip is something like this...

51H4tRmNlDL._SL1000_.jpg


Link: http://www.amazon.com/Monster-MP-OTG400-BK-Outlets/dp/B000F9YN2M
 
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If you are in a Viewliner and are using the Lower Berth, your feet will be towards the toilet end of the Roomette; that is also the narrower end of the berth-same for the Upper. On Superliners, I always prefer to sleep feet forward for safety reasons; if the train suddenly stops moving your feet will better take the impact.
 
My personal preference is a plug strip with a cord long enough to allow the strip to rest between the tray table and the window, just for convenience of having it not fall on me while sleeping. If you are solo in the room, the first spare pillow will be the one from the upper bunk. The SCA will give you extras as available, they don't always have too many spares, but I've always gotten what I needed. The SCAs should have extra towels and soap for the shower, let them know if they are all gone. Many of the SCAs will stash extra stuff on one side of the downstairs luggage rack, as an earlier poster mentioned, there is not a great deal of storage space for supplies. I've seen some of the really organized staff set up the upper bunk of their room like a mini supply closet so they can retrieve things quickly. Some of the trains have gone to the "packaged" blankets, that is another story altogether.
 
Here are some pictures of the pillows. I took these on the City of New Orleans last summer:

10523209_10101669623707804_222193596_n.jpg

10553498_10101680691742374_3251392171615625861_n.jpg

The rooms come with two pillows, but you can ask for a third.

I usually take a shower before I go to bed, right around 10:00 or so, and I've never had to wait. Sometimes I wake up around 4:30, and it's empty then too.
 
If you aren't in a big hurry, the train is a great way to decompress and release tension. If you are travelling solo in a roomette, you will be fine. Most people find it tight for 2. The social interaction of community dining and the lounge car are usually very enjoyable, but if it's not your thing, the SCA can assist you with in room dining. Put a pair of slippers or sandals by your door (inside) in case of a midnight trip to the john. I carry a roll of gaffers tape to calm the occasional rattle or cover a vent if needed, it doesn't leave any adhesive like some of the duct tapes, but not everyone lives or works in a city with a ready supply, do what you have too to enjoy your trip! Post a follow up after you travel to let the group members know how your trip went, and if there is anything that we should have said that we missed. As a group, pretty much everyone in this forum tries their best to help folks, I shouldn't speak for others, but I'd be willing to bet constructive feedback would be appreciated.
 
I normally shower in the middle of the afternoon just because it a) breaks up the day and b) is never busy then.

I just bring a regular old power strip.

I also suggest bringing some sort of shelf stable food in case of emergency. When the train is very, very late you get the dinty moore in a can and when its even later you often get subway or kfc brought on board at a stop.
 
Thank you everyone for the information and tips. I really appreciate it.

I can't believe it's only 16 days away!
 
One thing I do before traveling an unfamiliar route is to preview the sights along the way (so as not to miss something I'd really like to see) from these sources:

• Amtrak Route Guides

• This forums trip reports

• YouTube

• Scrollable Topographic Maps: http://www.mytopo.com/maps/index.cfm?

• Google Earth

Sometimes on Google Earth and topographic maps it can be difficult to tell which route the train follows at a junction or in urban areas. Best way I've found to know "which way?" is to use this map as a reference: http://asm.transitdocs.com/ After finding something of interest a simple note (feature, side of train, distance from something prominent) keeps me from missing it - usually.

P.S.: How were the mosquitos in Hearst? :p
 
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Speaking of extra storage for the SCA's, on both the Southwest Chief and Coast Starlight during my recent trip, the SCA was using the bathroom next to the shower as a storage room. It kind of sucked because there were a number of times when both of the side-by-side restrooms on the lower level were in use. Plus I like that #3 bathroom because it seems to get used less.

And one more tip for Josh. If you are in one of the Superliners that has not been refurbished, the bathrooms will have a small faucet with two flat levers that you push down for water. The water really sprays out of these at high pressure and has a tendency to go all over. I didn't have a chance to tell my Mom on our trip last week and she came out with water-splattered clothes. Oops!

The refurbished Superliners have a goose-neck spout and round push-down knobs and they do not have this spray problem.
 
If you are riding the CZ on your cross-country journey, you will a 3-volume detailed guide of the route for sale in the Grand Junction, CO station shop. Authored by Eva Hoffmann, photos of the swing bridge (both open and closed) across the Sacramento River taken by yours truly appear in the SLC-EMY volume.
 
On my very first long distance Amtrak ride, I took the Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville. The train was due in at about 4pm, but arrived closer to 10pm.

I remember that no extra food was provided, as they closed the dinner earlier in the afternoon, and the cafe car was closed also.

Certainly bring some "emergency" food items with you. Now, I try to bring an easy to open can of tuna and some oatcakes for protein and carbs. (Yes, I do bring fork, kettle, tea bags, too... but no kitchen sink.) :)

Eddie. :cool:
 
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OlympianHiawatha said:
If you are in a Viewliner and are using the Lower Berth, your feet will be towards the toilet end of the Roomette; that is also the narrower end of the berth-same for the Upper. On Superliners, I always prefer to sleep feet forward for safety reasons; if the train suddenly stops moving your feet will better take the impact.
Click to expand...
This was not my experience in a Viewliner. Head was towards the toilet end of the Roomette with the feet pointed in the direction the train was going.

I found 2 pillows to be perfectly fine; that is what I use at home.

Have a great journey!
 
That is not right, and can't even be done. The mattress is tapered on the toilet end, and the mattress is made up with the "open" (head) end on the wide end of the mattress. If it was done otherwise, the SCA prepared it wrong!
 
The most consistent thing on Amtrak is the inconsistency. That's what makes these forums interesting. On any of my VL trips (bunch of times LSL couple of times on the Silvers) I have never been setup head to the toilet. Aside from the obvious reason why you might not want your head there, it is actually narrower at that end and works better for the feet. If you are changing in Chicago, and you get in early enough to explore, do not forget that you can drop all of your stuff in the Metropolitan Lounge at no charge (tips suggested). Chicago can be daunting, red cap golf cart to the train may not be a bad idea.
 
As Dave said your bed was mismade if the headend was by the toilet!

If you were by yourself, sleeping up top is the choice of lots of us when it comes to Viewliner Roomettes! Try it, you'll like it!
 
Lazy folks like me don't feel like climbing, but I agree the upper in a VL is way better than in SL cars. The row of windows and the higher ceiling take away the coffin feeling that some folks get in the SL upper. Since the VL upper slides down level instead of folding down, sometimes I drop it one notch and use it as a shelf.
 
Hi again all,

Well, I'm a bit more than 24 hours from departure! I've been waiting for months, and it seems hard to believe that in a few days I'll be in San Francisco after what I am sure (well, what I certainly HOPE anyway...haha) will be a fantastic trip on the Wolverine and CZ.

Thanks again for all of the answers and tips. I feel well-prepared for the Amtrak portion of the vacation thanks to all of you. I'll try to check in a couple times during the trip if I can, but otherwise I'll be sure to report back on how things went once I'm home in 2 weeks. Later!

-Josh
 
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