Sharing Room / Roommate

[the_traveler]

No, as said shower and sink water is expelled directly to the tracks.

 

[Cristobal]

No, as said shower and sink water is expelled directly to the tracks.

And you know this to be true absolutely or only anecdotally?

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

The shower at Chicago Union station were located at... Walk from the current ticket area past the bagged claim area towards the great hall, southeast of the great hall, with the door to enter across the bagged claim area. I never used them, and only recall see them once. (only recently I have started to go to Chicago) I sure hope I am not losing my mind yet. So many trains so many countries. Darn certain that area is an book/mag soda pop selling area now.

Someone else; Anyone else remember this place?? Had to be 1995 +/-

 

[the_traveler]

No, as said shower and sink water is expelled directly to the tracks.

And you know this to be true absolutely or only anecdotally?

Well, I believe the SCA who I reported the "leak" to! I reported this to him because we were delayed earlier in the run because of a water leak in the Dining Car!

So would be that "absolutely" or "anecdotally"?

 

[Bierboy]

....Personally I'd rather everyone was able to get cleaned up for dinner so we could enjoy each others company without any fear of completely unnecessary odors.

In all my Amtrak travels (all in sleepers), I have never experienced "unnecessary odors" while eating in the diner (other than the food). Most of the unpleasant odors have been when I chanced a stroll through the coaches...

 

[Bierboy]

I think many of us can go without shower for 3 days.

I agree!

Somehow people in "the good old days" of railroading did, and we still got born!

...but you stunk....

 

[the_traveler]

I think many of us can go without shower for 3 days.

I agree!

Somehow people in "the good old days" of railroading did, and we still got born!

...but you stunk....

No I don't!

I make it a point to take a shower at least once a year - whether I need it or not!

 

[Cristobal]

No, as said shower and sink water is expelled directly to the tracks.

And you know this to be true absolutely or only anecdotally?

Well, I believe the SCA who I reported the "leak" to! I reported this to him because we were delayed earlier in the run because of a water leak in the Dining Car!

So would be that "absolutely" or "anecdotally"?

You may well be correct about there being no gray water retention on Amtrak's LD trains. However, your single experience (anecdotal) of a sleeper "leaking water" and one SCA's comment about it is hardly compelling enough to support your supposition all by itself. It would seem to me that you would need either a larger sample of anecdotal evidence (ie: "I've had a dozen SCAs on a dozen different trains tell me that gray water is just dumped straight onto the tracks") or first-hand knowledge of Amtrak plumbing to speak to such absolute terms.

IMHO of course...

Where is that oldtimer guy that has posted here before about working on Amtrak plumbing? Maybe he can set the record straight for us.

 

[oldtimer]

No, as said shower and sink water is expelled directly to the tracks.

And you know this to be true absolutely or only anecdotally?

Well, I believe the SCA who I reported the "leak" to! I reported this to him because we were delayed earlier in the run because of a water leak in the Dining Car!

So would be that "absolutely" or "anecdotally"?

You may well be correct about there being no gray water retention on Amtrak's LD trains. However, your single experience (anecdotal) of a sleeper "leaking water" and one SCA's comment about it is hardly compelling enough to support your supposition all by itself. It would seem to me that you would need either a larger sample of anecdotal evidence (ie: "I've had a dozen SCAs on a dozen different trains tell me that gray water is just dumped straight onto the tracks") or first-hand knowledge of Amtrak plumbing to speak to such absolute terms.

IMHO of course...

Where is that oldtimer guy that has posted here before about working on Amtrak plumbing? Maybe he can set the record straight for us.

I've been out of town and also ailing but I'll check in here as requested:

Gray water (sink and shower drain water) is not retained, it is simply dumped on the ROW.

Oldtimer2

PS I'll explain the AC system as promised as soon as I feel a little better.

Reason for edit, fast fingers and slow brain!

 

[Cristobal]

No, as said shower and sink water is expelled directly to the tracks.

And you know this to be true absolutely or only anecdotally?

Well, I believe the SCA who I reported the "leak" to! I reported this to him because we were delayed earlier in the run because of a water leak in the Dining Car!

So would be that "absolutely" or "anecdotally"?

You may well be correct about there being no gray water retention on Amtrak's LD trains. However, your single experience (anecdotal) of a sleeper "leaking water" and one SCA's comment about it is hardly compelling enough to support your supposition all by itself. It would seem to me that you would need either a larger sample of anecdotal evidence (ie: "I've had a dozen SCAs on a dozen different trains tell me that gray water is just dumped straight onto the tracks") or first-hand knowledge of Amtrak plumbing to speak to such absolute terms.

IMHO of course...

Where is that oldtimer guy that has posted here before about working on Amtrak plumbing? Maybe he can set the record straight for us.

I've been out of town and ailing but to check in here as requested:

Gray water (sink and shower drain water) is not retained, it is simply dumped on the ROW.

Oldtimer2

PS I'll explain the AC system as promised as soon as I feel a little better.

Thank you for the clarification Oldtimer2. Get well soon!

My apologies for doubting the_traveler...

P.S. It does surprise me that environmental regulations allow the dumping of gray water (some black-bellied salamander could get soapy water in it's eyes!) but I personally don't see any harm in it. It also makes me laugh thinking that the last time that I took a shower on a LD train was during a smoke-stop at Chemult on the 11. I didn't realize that I was leaving a puddle there by doing so but it was definitely easier to not be fighting the sway while I was washing my hair (not to mention fighting the 'crowd' the next morning trying to shower before breakfast).

 

[amamba]

I think it is appalling from an environmental stance that gray water is dumped on the ROW. But I do understand that many of the cars were designed and constructed before we were so environmentally conscious. I wonder if the new viewliners that have been ordered will have this same design?

 

[anir dendroica]

Gray water = soap + water + dirt

ROW = ballast + creosote-treated ties

I'm willing to bet that the environmental effect of gray water is less than 0.1% of the effect of creosote leaching from the ties. Soap breaks down quickly in the environment. That said, there are probably a few situations (e.g. trestles over mountain streams) where gray water has a measurable environmental effect.

Mark

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I think it is appalling from an environmental stance that gray water is dumped on the ROW. But I do understand that many of the cars were designed and constructed before we were so environmentally conscious. I wonder if the new viewliners that have been ordered will have this same design?

From the prospective of the environment gray water and black water are relatively harmless on their own. So long as they're not released onto work crews or while flying through a station full of passengers there's really not much to worry about. In other words it's more of a hygiene issue than any sort of serious environmental concern. For hundreds of years human waste was used as fertilizer on crops or even fed directly to certain livestock. It's not the kind of thing that can harm the environment unless it's combined with persistent chemical chains before being released.

I'm willing to bet that the environmental effect of gray water is less than 0.1% of the effect of creosote leaching from the ties. Soap breaks down quickly in the environment. That said, there are probably a few situations (e.g. trestles over mountain streams) where gray water has a measurable environmental effect.

Even in the case of a trestle over a mountain stream a little gray or black water would not be enough to cause any measurable degradation. Maybe if hundreds of trains flushed every available toilet precisely as they crossed the stream you could foul it up bad enough to cause serious problems, but I don't see that as a realistic threat. Creosote and oil based drippings would indeed be a much bigger concern, not just with regard to leaching from the roadbed but also for all the damage already done just by collecting, processing, and transporting them from a remote raw material source to a finished product thousands of miles away.

 

[the_traveler]

I think it is appalling from an environmental stance that gray water is dumped on the ROW.

Actually the retention tanks were refitted onto existing cars (I forget when) in the 1970's or 1980's

IIRC. The early Amtrak cars (and of course pre-Amtrak cars) did not have retention tanks at all!

They were only put in place after a fisherman along some river got "a surprise catch" from an Amtrak train that passed over the bridge where he was fishing!

Remember seeing the signs on old trains that said something like

Flush toilet - except when standing at a station!

When you flushed the old toilets, a flap at the bottom opened - and you could see the ties rush by!

I'll take getting hit by soap and water any day compared to "other things"!

 

[alben]

Remember seeing the signs on old trains that said something like

Flush toilet - except when standing at a station!

When you flushed the old toilets, a flap at the bottom opened - and you could see the ties rush by!

I'll take getting hit by soap and water any day compared to "other things"!

Heck, my family took a round trip on a Russian train from Moscow to Kursk 8 years ago, and that is the way it was. Flush the toilet, the flap opened, and you could see the train tracks! There was a sign in Russian saying not to use toilet while in station.

 

[GG-1]

Remember seeing the signs on old trains that said something like

Flush toilet - except when standing at a station!

When you flushed the old toilets, a flap at the bottom opened - and you could see the ties rush by!

I'll take getting hit by soap and water any day compared to "other things"!

Heck, my family took a round trip on a Russian train from Moscow to Kursk 8 years ago, and that is the way it was. Flush the toilet, the flap opened, and you could see the train tracks! There was a sign in Russian saying not to use toilet while in station.

Aloha

My first overnight ride out of Miami Florida, that's what the toilet did. I forget when that was, because the mind is the second thing to go, I forget the fourth.