On the Southwest Chief, where can we roam?

[Lazy Z]

Trying to plana trip with my husband and daughter. He is worried about feeling confined in the bedroom and was wondering where else he can sleep if he wakes up and needs to get out a bit.

Is the observation car open 24 hours? What about the cafe? If he decided to go into coach late night, I would imagine most of the seats would be occupied? Could he go in the coach car in the evening and leave a pillow and blanket and magazine to save a spot? What is OK to do? What would you suggest?

Personally, I think he will be fine in the bedroom, but I want o let him now what his choices are if he wakes up at midnight and needs to move!

Thank you!!

 

[Rail Freak]

You wont be allowed to sit in Coach however, the Sightseer Lounge is open all night. The cafe opens around 7 am & closes around 10 pm I believe.

Have Fun

 

[Bob Dylan]

As was said, he wont be allowed to sit in Coach, but he can walk around the Train anytime! The Sightseer Lounge LSA does close the Cafe, usually @ 1030 or 11PM depending on the route,

but lots of "Lounge Lizards" and Insomniacs spend the night in the Lounge.A tip from an old engineer, if you go downstairs to the cafe there are nice, long, padded benches to sleep on and the its darker than upstairs! The lights will still partially on in the Lounge upstairs, but the Coaches have the night lighting on between 10PM and 7AM. Your husband shouldn't really have any problem in a Bedroom, there is lots of room between the beds and the chair except in Bedroom A.

 

[Rail Freak]

I usually wake & shower around 4 - 5 am. If I have a good SCA, the coffee is made by the time I'm dreesed & I take a cup to the Sightseer Lounge to watch the Sun Rise & wait for the Diner to open for my favorite train meal of the day!!!

 

[bobnabq]

Could he go in the coach car in the evening and leave a pillow and blanket and magazine to save a spot?

So....he'd have a bedroom and take up a coach seat? :wacko:

 

[lionelhoguy]

If he is in the top bunk of the bed room he would have a hard time getting out of the room without stepping on the lower bunk. The other seat is pretty comfy if he wants to sit up, because you can not sit up on the upper bunk. I like to sit in the chair and watch the lights go by.

 

[TimePeace]

If yo have sleeper tickets, you are not "entitled" to "take up" a coach seat. However, in actual practice, if you are passing thru a not fully occupied coach, you may easily sit down for a few minutes, to rest if nothing else. If the train hits really rough tracks it's a good idea to sit down, in fact. If a car attendant comes along (sometimes not too darned often on LD trains) they might notice there is no seat check above you - and if they say something you can say "oh I am just passing thru" as you get up. No harm, no foul.

At station stops, be prepared for entering passengers to be looking for seats...

As for leaving stuff at a seat to hold it - probably not a good idea. Trains do sell out sometimes, and paying coach passengers own all the seats.

 

[Lazy Z]

Could he go in the coach car in the evening and leave a pillow and blanket and magazine to save a spot?

So....he'd have a bedroom and take up a coach seat? :wacko:

Exactly! Was not sure if that is rude I would book him a coach seat, but then he couldn't come to us.

 

[Lazy Z]

As was said, he wont be allowed to sit in Coach, but he can walk around the Train anytime! The Sightseer Lounge LSA does close the Cafe, usually @ 1030 or 11PM depending on the route,

but lots of "Lounge Lizards" and Insomniacs spend the night in the Lounge.A tip from an old engineer, if you go downstairs to the cafe there are nice, long, padded benches to sleep on and the its darker than upstairs! The lights will still partially on in the Lounge upstairs, but the Coaches have the night lighting on between 10PM and 7AM. Your husband shouldn't really have any problem in a Bedroom, there is lots of room between the beds and the chair except in Bedroom A.

Good to know about the lounge. That will be good for him. He wakes up A LOT, and I know that is hard if you can't fall back to sleep. I will look into the benches at the cafe, but if the cafe is closed at night how can you use them? Thanks for the info!

 

[Lazy Z]

If yo have sleeper tickets, you are not "entitled" to "take up" a coach seat. However, in actual practice, if you are passing thru a not fully occupied coach, you may easily sit down for a few minutes, to rest if nothing else. If the train hits really rough tracks it's a good idea to sit down, in fact. If a car attendant comes along (sometimes not too darned often on LD trains) they might notice there is no seat check above you - and if they say something you can say "oh I am just passing thru" as you get up. No harm, no foul.

At station stops, be prepared for entering passengers to be looking for seats...

As for leaving stuff at a seat to hold it - probably not a good idea. Trains do sell out sometimes, and paying coach passengers own all the seats.

Thank you! We definitely would not want to take something not "ours", so I am glad I asked!

 

[PerRock]

While the cafe is closed, there is nothing physically stopping you from heading downstairs & sitting at a table. On the food service side of the lower level everything gets locked away in the cabinets so you can't buy anything (that & there is no one there). You might get a crabby conductor or LSA who will tell you can't go down there, but most won't care.

peter

 

[Lazy Z]

While the cafe is closed, there is nothing physically stopping you from heading downstairs & sitting at a table. On the food service side of the lower level everything gets locked away in the cabinets so you can't buy anything (that & there is no one there). You might get a crabby conductor or LSA who will tell you can't go down there, but most won't care.

peter

Thank you!