Sleeper schedules

[JSmith]

The "change of linens" topic got me wondering. Can a sleeper be booked by more than one passenger on one "run" of a train? For example, if I book a roomette on the LSL from Buffalo to NYC, could somebody else book the same roomette from Chicago to Cleveland? How does Amtrak's reservation system deal with that? Is there a set amount of time required between bookings, to give the attendant time to clean and turn around the roomette before the next passenger boards? Or does booking BUF-NYP preclude anyone using that roomette earlier in the trip?

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Yes.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

They do indeed book more than one person in the same room over the course of the trip should it be needed. They would lose tons of revenue if a room being booked for part of the trip precluded it being booked for the rest of the trip.

As for cleaning the room the attendant will usually have you wait in another room or go to the diner or the lounge whille the room is made back up for you.

 

[had8ley]

On longer LD runs it is not uncommon to have the same room booked three (or more) times. On the Sunset I've seen NOL to Houston; Houston to El Paso, El Paso to Maricopa and Maricopa to Los Angeles. When Amtrak first took over a room was blocked the entire way even if you only traveled from Los Angeles to Palm Springs.

 

[Bob Dylan]

On longer LD runs it is not uncommon to have the same room booked three (or more) times. On the Sunset I've seen NOL to Houston; Houston to El Paso, El Paso to Maricopa and Maricopa to Los Angeles. When Amtrak first took over a room was blocked the entire way even if you only traveled from Los Angeles to Palm Springs.

On our just completed trip the SCA on the EB from SEA-CHI told us that some rooms turn over 4 times per trip!

When we rode from NOL-SAS on the SL#1,the SCA(Ken, agood guy!! )told us that another couple was waiting for our

roomette in SAS so as we got off he changed the linen/cleaned and stocked the room quickly and before the luggage was

unloaded they were already in the room looking out the window @ us!

 

[JSmith]

That's what I figured, but I thought there might be a buffer period after the room is vacated before it could be booked again. But it sounds like the SCAs can turn a room around pretty quickly!

 

[AlanB]

Nope, no buffer period required. I can work out that way, but not always. I once boarded in Toledo on the Capitol, into a room that a passenger had just vacated in Toledo.

 

[pennyk]

Several times last year, I traveled on the Silver Meteor in either a roomette or bedroom from Orlando to Hollywood, FL and each time my sleeper was vacated by passenger(s) departing in Orlando. The attendant had me leave my luggage in the room and he/she cleaned it while I was in the diner eating lunch. Fare wise, it worked well for Amtrak, and attendant was given some time to clean the room while I ate lunch.

 

[daveyb99]

Or better yet: I boarded the southbound TE #21 in Marshall, TX - but did not get into my sleeper until Longview, TX. Sat in the SSL for that short ride, then the attendant came by and told me the room was ready.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Hot Racking at its finest :lol:

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hot Racking at its finest :lol:

Yes, roomettes by the hour,why didnt I think of that!Wonder if Ms. Saint is interested after dinner in the diner?

Brook trout indeed! :lol:

 

[DET63]

Several times last year, I traveled on the Silver Meteor in either a roomette or bedroom from Orlando to Hollywood, FL and each time my sleeper was vacated by passenger(s) departing in Orlando. The attendant had me leave my luggage in the room and he/she cleaned it while I was in the diner eating lunch. Fare wise, it worked well for Amtrak, and attendant was given some time to clean the room while I ate lunch.

How would it work if the room changed passengers in the middle of the night? A passenger getting on a train hoping to get some shut-eye at 2:00 am might not be so keen on having to stay awake in the lounge (assuming it's still open) or even a coach while waiting for the attendant to prep the room. Also, what would happen if 2 or 3 rooms in the same car changed passengers at the same stop? Would the attendant get help from other car attendants?

 

[AKA]

My wife and I are sometime put in a bedroom on the CL. When I explain to the SCA that we are on points to TOL from CHI but are really going on to Cleveland. This is when we are booked in a roomette. We are asked not to mess up the bedroon and will go all the way to CLE in the bedroom to save the roomette for a CLE east bound pax. We are very careful. Saves the SCA from having to make up the roomette after us. Many times the bedrooms are not booked and are open all the way to WAS. In the days of moives in the SSL sometime we would be sent to the SSL between TOL and CLE when the roomette was needed in TOL. We could watch the moive ,it would end just before CLE. Our baggage would be left in the rack and we would detrain in CLE as usual.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Several times last year, I traveled on the Silver Meteor in either a roomette or bedroom from Orlando to Hollywood, FL and each time my sleeper was vacated by passenger(s) departing in Orlando. The attendant had me leave my luggage in the room and he/she cleaned it while I was in the diner eating lunch. Fare wise, it worked well for Amtrak, and attendant was given some time to clean the room while I ate lunch.

How would it work if the room changed passengers in the middle of the night? A passenger getting on a train hoping to get some shut-eye at 2:00 am might not be so keen on having to stay awake in the lounge (assuming it's still open) or even a coach while waiting for the attendant to prep the room. Also, what would happen if 2 or 3 rooms in the same car changed passengers at the same stop? Would the attendant get help from other car attendants?

As i mentioned in my previous post,our SCA changed out our room @3AM in SAS when we arrived from NOL,the next pax were not

allowed to board until he had the room ready(the train didnt depart until 5:40AM),Im sure that the same applies to other

stops,most of which are admittedly @ major manned stops per schedule.Some SCAs help each other,some dont! Its like

all jobs, some hard workers,some slackers, some are the bosses son! :lol: (also have had instances where we

were allowed to wait downstairs in the H or family room(which were empty!LOL)while the room was readied!