When is Sleeping Car returning to WAS-BOS overnight train?

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I was hoping that the system would price a two-night ticket from Boston to Chicago with a change of trains in Washington.

It doesn't.

Theoretically, you could take the train to Washington, have a leisurely breakfast, and then hop on the Cardinal.
 
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I noticed that there will be checked bicycle service on 65 - 67.
Does this mean that a Viewliner baggage car will be on this train?
There has been a Viewliner baggage car on that train since they started running viewliner baggage cars. And before that, 65/66/67 had heritage baggage cars. That train had the only baggage service in the NEC north of New York.
 
The press release is out. It says that "Private room customers will be offered complimentary Metropolitan Lounge access at Washington Union and Boston South stations, as well as a complimentary alcoholic beverage upon boarding and continental breakfast before arrival."
Great, let's see what Amtrak says a continental breakfast is for this service
 
So if the SCA kicks you out of your room early are you allowed back in afterwards? If so what's to stop you from just pulling the beds down again?

That's a good price for a bedroom!
Freakishly so, I wonder if it'sglitch? cj?

I imagine you would not like camping, then. ;)
I haven't been camping since I was a kid and my family vacations were always in a camper at a campground. Toilet still it's own cubicle. Even a summer camp we did keep chamberpots in our tents (though we did pee the woods alot).
 
I don't know how I feel about the in-room toilets, I've read a handful of not-so-great comments. I think I'd be OK travelling in one, but if I could avoid it, I definitely would!
 
I just got a schedule change notice for my trip on 97 in a couple of weeks 97 was originally scheduled into Miami at 6:39. It is now scheduled for 7:09 pm. They added 30 minutes for some reason which I assume is track work somewhere.
 
Great, let's see what Amtrak says a continental breakfast is for this service
Yeah! Depends what continent.

If it's Antarctica, you get a glass of water - with ice!

If it's Australia, you get and empty glass of water and no ice - the water fell out of the upside down glass!

If it's Europe, you get delicious meats and cheeses on freshly baked bread and real butter and mucus (or is that muesli)

If it's North America, you get cold packaged sugar-laden cereal and packaged muffin with lots of preservatives and artificial flavors.
 
Yeah! Depends what continent.

If it's Antarctica, you get a glass of water - with ice!

If it's Australia, you get and empty glass of water and no ice - the water fell out of the upside down glass!

If it's Europe, you get delicious meats and cheeses on freshly baked bread and real butter and mucus (or is that muesli)

If it's North America, you get cold packaged sugar-laden cereal and packaged muffin with lots of preservatives and artificial flavors.
Seems about right
 
The press release is out. It says that "Private room customers will be offered complimentary Metropolitan Lounge access at Washington Union and Boston South stations, as well as a complimentary alcoholic beverage upon boarding and continental breakfast before arrival."
Nice. I notice that that press release seems to be aimed at travelers not familiar with sleeper travel and it doesn't mention toilets one way or the other.
 
As of right now, there are no plans to remove/add the sleeper at WAS. It will deadhead between WAS-NPN. Don't really understand this one. Perhaps the ridership/revenue estimates south of WAS wouldn't cover the cost of an SCA down and back. 🤷‍♂️
Maybe it will free up table space in the dinette...thinking the train crew between WAS and NPN might move their "office" there....;)

I'm sure the WAS crews are really looking forward to their new office car. Don't want to inconvenience any passengers looking for a café table once they reopen. It's a split-club, so not many tables to begin with. Passengers first!

Good news. The mystifying absence of service into Virginia remains mystifying; I do wonder if it would be more effective to reroute 66/67 to Norfolk an provide sleeper cars along that route (not an option back in 2001).

I'm now wondering if the State of Virginia has something to do with this. Perhaps the addition of a sleeper would change the cost allocations, and create a bigger bill for VA to pay. Virginia is certainly pro-rail, but maybe not so much appetite for sleeping car service. I still would lean towards low ridership/revenue estimates being the primary driver of this decision, though.
 
If they put the sleeper right behind the engine, it wouldn't take any extra time to just remove/add it at Washington with the electric engine. At least between Washington and New Haven, there are no grade crossing horn blasts...not sure if they have removed all of them from there to Boston yet....
 
I don't know how I feel about the in-room toilets, I've read a handful of not-so-great comments. I think I'd be OK travelling in one, but if I could avoid it, I definitely would!
If I'm traveling by myself in a roomette, the in-room toilet in the V-1 sleepers is a non-issue, because I sleep in the upper bunk. This allows me to avoid sleeping by the toilet, and also be able to use the seats all night.

Traveling 2 in a roomette is another matter. Using the in-room toilet requires exiling your roommate into the hall while you're using it. Obviously a problem at night. When I did traveled with somebody, I just put on my shoes and walked down to the coaches to relieve myself. It's a bit of a nuisance, as you have to walk through at least 3 cars before you get to the first coach, given that Long-distance Amfleet cafe cars don't have a restroom. I guess when I ride on a train with V-2 sleepers, I'll be able to use the common restroom in that sleeper even if I'm booked into a V-1.

However, when all is said and done, the in-room toilet isn't really all that gross. The whole roomette gets cleaned before you use it, and you're the only one using it. The actual commode is very well covered by a lid that serves as the first step to get up to the upper bunk. If you didn't know it was there, you would never guess that it covered a toilet. The main thing to consider is that if you use it while the train is standing at a station (especially one with high-level platforms), be sure to pull the window curtains fully shut! :)
 
If I'm traveling by myself in a roomette, the in-room toilet in the V-1 sleepers is a non-issue, because I sleep in the upper bunk. This allows me to avoid sleeping by the toilet, and also be able to use the seats all night.

Traveling 2 in a roomette is another matter. Using the in-room toilet requires exiling your roommate into the hall while you're using it. Obviously a problem at night. When I did traveled with somebody, I just put on my shoes and walked down to the coaches to relieve myself. It's a bit of a nuisance, as you have to walk through at least 3 cars before you get to the first coach, given that Long-distance Amfleet cafe cars don't have a restroom. I guess when I ride on a train with V-2 sleepers, I'll be able to use the common restroom in that sleeper even if I'm booked into a V-1.

However, when all is said and done, the in-room toilet isn't really all that gross. The whole roomette gets cleaned before you use it, and you're the only one using it. The actual commode is very well covered by a lid that serves as the first step to get up to the upper bunk. If you didn't know it was there, you would never guess that it covered a toilet. The main thing to consider is that if you use it while the train is standing at a station (especially one with high-level platforms), be sure to pull the window curtains fully shut! :)
Yeah, I am taking the Cardinal in July, it will be my first experience with a low level LD train (and the NEC).

Now, about the roomette getting cleaned. I'm really not sure how well they are cleaned. As seen in this video at about 23:46, there is some dirt and grime? Can't find an appropriate word. Anyway, it'd be nice to be assured that Amtrak truly deep cleans all trains and amenities before use..

 
AFAIR most Transdorms have an ADA bedroom downstairs. There are only some that don't. Now whether Amtrak always sells that accommodation is a different matter.
I've never seen the ADA Bedroom in the Transdorm rented out, it's usually occupied by a Crew Member and the downstairs is off limits to Passengers
 
So if the SCA kicks you out of your room early are you allowed back in afterwards? If so what's to stop you from just pulling the beds down again?


Freakishly so, I wonder if it'sglitch? cj?


I haven't been camping since I was a kid and my family vacations were always in a camper at a campground. Toilet still it's own cubicle. Even a summer camp we did keep chamberpots in our tents (though we did pee the woods alot).


You haven't lived until you've done a pit toilet in a BLM campground in the Northwest!:)

BTW, BLM is the Bureau of Land Management, not Black Lives Matter. Just wanted to be clear on that.
 
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Now, about the roomette getting cleaned. I'm really not sure how well they are cleaned. As seen in this video at about 23:46, there is some dirt and grime? Can't find an appropriate word. Anyway, it'd be nice to be assured that Amtrak truly deep cleans all trains and amenities before use..

Well, I've never had any reason to complain about the cleanliness of the rooms I've occupied. After all, they're sleeping car rooms, not operating rooms. The main thing I'd worry about is smelling the toilet, and that has never happened to me.
 
I once picked up a room mid-route. (Boarded at Havre on the Empire Builder.) The room was fine.
We had to ask the SLA to come to the room to clean the toilet when we boarded mid-route. don't know if she failed to clean it before we boarded or someone just decided to use it after it was cleaned. The latter could very well have been the case.
 
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