Sleeper Car Rooms

[AferVentus]

Hi all,

We just got our tickets in the mail for our Christmas trip, and I was wondering if the rooms we have will be nice (in terms of noise, rocking, "newness") or not.

According to our itinerary, we will have both rooms 7 and 8 to Whitefish from MSP on car 2730. On the way back we will have rooms 9 and 10 on car 830.

thanks!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hi all,
We just got our tickets in the mail for our Christmas trip, and I was wondering if the rooms we have will be nice (in terms of noise, rocking, "newness") or not.

According to our itinerary, we will have both rooms 7 and 8 to Whitefish from MSP on car 2730. On the way back we will have rooms 9 and 10 on car 830.

thanks!

The Empire Builder has "enhanced" sleeping car service, usually gets best of the best cars and equipment! Your rooms are in the sleeper next to the diner so easy walk to the diner and lounge, but you will have the crew and the other sleeper in front of you going/coming from the diner and lounge which are behind your car! Room 7 and 8 are opposite each other, next to last rooms in the roomette row, 9 and 10 are the last two next to the door! You cant know for sure which direction the sleeper will be hooked up but if it's hooked up with the bedrooms in front youll be about ten feet from the door to the vestible and the diner will be through the door behind that! If the bedrooms are in the back youll be the length of the car from the diner! Have a great trip, this is an excellent train and route!

 

[the_traveler]

I hate to correct you Jim but you are correct about car 830 being next to the Dining Car. However, car 2730 is the last car on the EB! From car 2730, it is 5 cars to the Dining Car!

Many do not like roomette 9 & 10, because the rooms are right next to the car end door, but I never noticed any more noise in those rooms!

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

... (in terms of noise, rocking, "newness") ...

"Newness", is not on Amtrak.

 

[AferVentus]

Thanks, guys! Can't wait for the trip now! Its nice to know that the rooms are opposite oneanother! That way is a sight comes out one window, we can migrate to the other side and vice versa!

One more quick question, will we see much if any "scenery" on the way out since it gets dark early in December? I'm thinking on the way back just edast of Whitefish will be scenic. What are your thoughts?

 

[AferVentus]

... (in terms of noise, rocking, "newness") ...

"Newness", is not on Amtrak.

Or the "illusion". ! Haha. I've been on quite a few DC9 s and other aircraft made in the 60s, and they "appear" new! So as long as the rooms look decently modern, the family will be happy! I rode the EB and Lincoln service this past spring, and I could tell in coach that the equipment was old. But catching a glimpse of the sleeper intrigued me.

 

[Ispolkom]

One more quick question, will we see much if any "scenery" on the way out since it gets dark early in December? I'm thinking on the way back just edast of Whitefish will be scenic. What are your thoughts?

You should have light through Marias Pass eastbound, but it will be probably be dark before you hit the North Dakota border. Eastbound it should get light around Rugby and the sun should set somewhere in central Montana.

As far as scenery goes, I've taken the Empire Builder at Christmas almost as long as it's had Superliners. Whenever I wake up in the gray dawn light and see nothing but stubble fields and snow drifts to the horizon, with nothing warm, nothing moving in sight, I sigh happily and think, I'm almost home! But then again, I grew up in Minot, No. Dak.

I think that the Great Plains can be just as beautiful, if less appreciated, than the mountains. If it's a clear day the sun rising is beautiful with prismatic colors around the horizon. If it's especially cold, you might get sundogs. If the snow is fresh, it's especially bright and beautiful, if a trifle bleak.

I'll admit mine is the minority view.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I've been on quite a few DC9 s and other aircraft made in the 60s, and they "appear" new!

I bet over the past 50 years, those DC9's have been refurbished at least once. Not so much with Amtrak cars.

 

[AlanB]

I've been on quite a few DC9 s and other aircraft made in the 60s, and they "appear" new!

I bet over the past 50 years, those DC9's have been refurbished at least once. Not so much with Amtrak cars.

Actually pretty much every Amtrak car has been through some sort of refurbishment at least once during its years with Amtrak.

No doubt that many cars could now use a second or even a third refurbishment, but again most have seen at least one.

 

[lthanlon]

Does the Empire Builder really offer more luxurious accommodations? In the past year, I've traveled on it, the Southwest Chief and the California Zephyr and thought the roomettes to be pretty comparable. The only major difference I found is that some roomettes had that delightfully tiny closet, while others just had a recess with a hanger bar. And the sliding door on my Empire Builder roomette had to be secured with my ever-handy gaffer's tape.

 

[Ispolkom]

Does the Empire Builder really offer more luxurious accommodations? In the past year, I've traveled on it, the Southwest Chief and the California Zephyr and thought the roomettes to be pretty comparable. The only major difference I found is that some roomettes had that delightfully tiny closet, while others just had a recess with a hanger bar. And the sliding door on my Empire Builder roomette had to be secured with my ever-handy gaffer's tape.

In the refurbished Superliner 1 sleepers 1) The bathrooms are laid out better, 2) the downstairs shower is a better design, 3) the bedrooms have a slightly improved design (the curved bathroom door, for instance), and on my last California Zephyr trip the toilets continued to work, while the ones in our Superliner 2 sleeper failed.

 

[AferVentus]

Does the Empire Builder really offer more luxurious accommodations? In the past year, I've traveled on it, the Southwest Chief and the California Zephyr and thought the roomettes to be pretty comparable. The only major difference I found is that some roomettes had that delightfully tiny closet, while others just had a recess with a hanger bar. And the sliding door on my Empire Builder roomette had to be secured with my ever-handy gaffer's tape.

In the refurbished Superliner 1 sleepers 1) The bathrooms are laid out better, 2) the downstairs shower is a better design, 3) the bedrooms have a slightly improved design (the curved bathroom door, for instance), and on my last California Zephyr trip the toilets continued to work, while the ones in our Superliner 2 sleeper failed.

How can I tell if the particular car is a superliner I or ii?

 

[Cristobal]

Does the Empire Builder really offer more luxurious accommodations? In the past year, I've traveled on it, the Southwest Chief and the California Zephyr and thought the roomettes to be pretty comparable. The only major difference I found is that some roomettes had that delightfully tiny closet, while others just had a recess with a hanger bar. And the sliding door on my Empire Builder roomette had to be secured with my ever-handy gaffer's tape.

In the refurbished Superliner 1 sleepers 1) The bathrooms are laid out better, 2) the downstairs shower is a better design, 3) the bedrooms have a slightly improved design (the curved bathroom door, for instance), and on my last California Zephyr trip the toilets continued to work, while the ones in our Superliner 2 sleeper failed.

How can I tell if the particular car is a superliner I or ii?

See the bold above. While I'm sure that others will post up a more extensive list of differences, in a roomette that will let you know which type of car you are in. The tiny closet (w/door) is found on the Superliner I and the Superliner II has the recess with hanger bar.

 

[wisEBfan]

Its nice to know that the rooms are opposite one another! That way is a sight comes out one window, we can migrate to the other side and vice versa!

Or, better would be to be seated at one of the tables in the Sightseer Lounge car. Larger windows, plus you can see out both sides quite easily.

I'm thinking on the way back just east of Whitefish will be scenic. What are your thoughts?

One the way back in the morning, east of Whitefish to East Glacier will be filled with mountain scenery. From Whitefish to West Glacier, the best viewing typically will be out the north (left) side. From West Glacier through Essex to East Glacier, typically the best viewing will be out the south (right) side. There are plenty of videos on YouTube of this stretch if you would like a preview. Search terms such as "Amtrak Whitefish MT" or "Amtrak Essex MT" should bring up quite a few. Sounds like you are in for a great trip.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

See the bold above. While I'm sure that others will post up a more extensive list of differences, in a roomette that will let you know which type of car you are in. The tiny closet (w/door) is found on the Superliner I and the Superliner II has the recess with hanger bar.

Hmm. I'm not entirely sure that's correct, but wikipedia has this very helpful and easy to remenber image of the SL trucks.

Take a look...

SL I on top, SL II on bottom.

 

[lthanlon]

Wow. I'd forgotten about the Superliner restroom problem. Last time I rode the CZ, our car attendant announced that once the train began climbing into the mountains, there would be toilet issues and that passengers would probably need to use facilities in another car until we reached lower altitudes again. I imagine that this would have been a major inconvenience for someone with mobility issues who travels by train because doing so is usually less of a hassle than flying.

 

[wisEBfan]

Its nice to know that the rooms are opposite one another! That way is a sight comes out one window, we can migrate to the other side and vice versa!

Or, better would be to be seated at one of the tables in the Sightseer Lounge car. Larger windows, plus you can see out both sides quite easily.

I'm thinking on the way back just east of Whitefish will be scenic. What are your thoughts?

Correction: One the way back in the morning, east of Whitefish to East Glacier will be filled with mountain scenery. From West Glacier to Essex, the best viewing typically will be out the north (left) side. From Essex to East Glacier, typically the best viewing will be out the south (right) side. There are plenty of videos on YouTube of this stretch if you would like a preview. Search terms such as "Amtrak Whitefish MT" or "Amtrak Essex MT" should bring up quite a few. Sounds like you are in for a great trip.

 

[JAChooChoo]

Does the Empire Builder really offer more luxurious accommodations? In the past year, I've traveled on it, the Southwest Chief and the California Zephyr and thought the roomettes to be pretty comparable. The only major difference I found is that some roomettes had that delightfully tiny closet, while others just had a recess with a hanger bar. And the sliding door on my Empire Builder roomette had to be secured with my ever-handy gaffer's tape.

In the refurbished Superliner 1 sleepers 1) The bathrooms are laid out better, 2) the downstairs shower is a better design, 3) the bedrooms have a slightly improved design (the curved bathroom door, for instance), and on my last California Zephyr trip the toilets continued to work, while the ones in our Superliner 2 sleeper failed.

How can I tell if the particular car is a superliner I or ii?

Superliner I Iumbers 32000-32069

Superliner II 32070 and up

 

[AferVentus]

So have all the superliner I cars been refurbished? And is the superliner ii the one with the bathroom problen?

 

[AlanB]

See the bold above. While I'm sure that others will post up a more extensive list of differences, in a roomette that will let you know which type of car you are in. The tiny closet (w/door) is found on the Superliner I and the Superliner II has the recess with hanger bar.

Hmm. I'm not entirely sure that's correct, but wikipedia has this very helpful and easy to remenber image of the SL trucks.

No, that is indeed correct. The I's have the closet in the roomette, the II's don't.

 

[AlanB]

So have all the superliner I cars been refurbished? And is the superliner ii the one with the bathroom problen?

No, about 85% of the I's have been refurbished to some degree. The earliest cars through the program had less work done on them and a few did not get the new, sleeker modern restrooms.

As for the vacuum problems for the toilets, the II's seem to experience it more often, but it can still happen on the I's too.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

No, that is indeed correct. The I's have the closet in the roomette, the II's don't.

Ah, ok, thought my last car was SL1 but without the closet. Guess I was wrong about that. Are the Wikipedia entry and car numbers listed above equally correct?

 

[AlanB]

Are the Wikipedia entry and car numbers listed above equally correct?

I'm not sure about the Wiki entry, didn't go to look at it. The car numbers are correct, but know that they are for sleeping cars only. Other types of cars have different ranges.

 

[George Harris]

An end of car room is bouncier than a mid-car room. The last car of the train has more side to side motion, which can be quite notiicible if you toward the back of the train. (A train at speed is like a happy dog. It wags its tail.)

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

An end of car room is bouncier than a mid-car room. The last car of the train has more side to side motion, which can be quite notiicible if you toward the back of the train. (A train at speed is like a happy dog. It wags its tail.)

Probably why the Viewliners are back up front again.