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tonys96

tonys96

Conductor
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
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1,421
Location
Texas
We have our summer trip booked...fly dal to vegas...three nites, megabus to lax, two nites, cs to portland, then eb to msp, on agr points, two nites, then fly home.

On cs, got roomette 4, on eb got roomette 9, are these good?

Any comments on this itinerary?

Thx
 
this is almost what I am doing in May except for Vegas and I am doing it all by train. I am taking the TE to LAX then the CS to PDX then the EB to CHI and LSL home. But I am a coach rider and prefer to be able to see out both sides of the train and I have no problem sleeping in the seats.

Enjoy your trip.
 
They always say "it depends on which way they turn the car" -- but -- on the CS, the sleepers are always in front of the diner & Parlour Car, and the car has always (at least every time I rode this train) been turned with the bedrooms adjacent to the Parlour Car, which means that the even-numbered rooms are on the right of the train, odd-numbered rooms on the left. Anybody remember it being different?

Regarding the scenery: the coastal scenery (first midday/afternoon) is on the left. Mount Shasta (as you wake up the next morning), and the Cascades from the Willamette Valley are on the right. It's all about what you want to see from your roomette. Personally, I like to go to the Parlour Car and the diner to see the scenery on the coast (it's afternoon, and I like to move around and be sociable). I like to wake up and pull my curtain aside to see the early morning views of the mountains from my bed. So I like the even-numbered roomettes on the CS just fine. Just sayin'.
 
Your EB #9 Roomette will be in the last car of the train and the back door window (Rail Fan Window) is awesome, bring a camera. The only draw back is, it is quite a hike to the Diner after Spokane! But IMO, worth it!!!

Have Fun
 
Rail Freak said:
Your EB #9 Roomette will be in the last car of the train and the back door window (Rail Fan Window) is awesome, bring a camera. The only draw back is, it is quite a hike to the Diner after Spokane! But IMO, worth it!!!Have Fun
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From what I understand, the orientation of cars on the EB is random. The back window may be at the bedroom end of the train. So, the OP may just be in the roomettte closest to the connection to the next car.
 
D.P. Roberts said:
Rail Freak said:
Your EB #9 Roomette will be in the last car of the train and the back door window (Rail Fan Window) is awesome, bring a camera. The only draw back is, it is quite a hike to the Diner after Spokane! But IMO, worth it!!!Have Fun
Click to expand...
From what I understand, the orientation of cars on the EB is random. The back window may be at the bedroom end of the train. So, the OP may just be in the roomettte closest to the connection to the next car.
Click to expand...
True,but the window is still in his car!!!!
 
I believe the orientation of the cars on the EB depends on which section you are in. The rear sleeper (PDX sleeper) should always be oriented with the bedrooms forward, so the pax in the PDX coach can only see the blank paneled wall on the bedroom end when lookng through the door. That is the way I have always seen that particular car oriented (5 or 6 trips on PDX section of the EB in the last 17 years).
 
We had that last roomette on the EB once - the one on the end of the train. It was really nice - and the view was worth the extra walking to the SSL and diner.

We were fortunate that no one was in the roomette across from us, so we had that whole area at the back end of the upper level (two people). We could see the rockies as they disappeared into the western horizon (we were traveling eastbound).
 
I would not be so happy with roomette 9, as it is adjacent to an end door AND over the wheels, likely leading to a somewhat noiser and rougher ride.

Roomette 4 will be very nice.
 
chakk said:
I would not be so happy with roomette 9, as it is adjacent to an end door AND over the wheels, likely leading to a somewhat noiser and rougher ride.
Roomette 4 will be very nice.
Click to expand...
Ya never know until ya try!!!!

I've tried it a few times & enjoyed it very much!!!!
 
oregon pioneer said:
I believe the orientation of the cars on the EB depends on which section you are in. The rear sleeper (PDX sleeper) should always be oriented with the bedrooms forward, so the pax in the PDX coach can only see the blank paneled wall on the bedroom end when lookng through the door. That is the way I have always seen that particular car oriented (5 or 6 trips on PDX section of the EB in the last 17 years).
Click to expand...

Should be, but not necessarily so. My last trip on the CZ was in a roomette in the last car of the train, but it was the bedrooms -- not the roomettes -- that were oriented at the rear (giving those bedroom customers windows on the right (north) side of the train).
 
chakk said:
oregon pioneer said:
I believe the orientation of the cars on the EB depends on which section you are in. The rear sleeper (PDX sleeper) should always be oriented with the bedrooms forward, so the pax in the PDX coach can only see the blank paneled wall on the bedroom end when lookng through the door. That is the way I have always seen that particular car oriented (5 or 6 trips on PDX section of the EB in the last 17 years).
Click to expand...

Should be, but not necessarily so. My last trip on the CZ was in a roomette in the last car of the train, but it was the bedrooms -- not the roomettes -- that were oriented at the rear (giving those bedroom customers windows on the right (north) side of the train).
Click to expand...
And my last trip on #8 the bedrooms were on the rear as well.
 
Ispolkom said:
chakk said:
oregon pioneer said:
I believe the orientation of the cars on the EB depends on which section you are in. The rear sleeper (PDX sleeper) should always be oriented with the bedrooms forward, so the pax in the PDX coach can only see the blank paneled wall on the bedroom end when lookng through the door. That is the way I have always seen that particular car oriented (5 or 6 trips on PDX section of the EB in the last 17 years).
Click to expand...
Should be, but not necessarily so. My last trip on the CZ was in a roomette in the last car of the train, but it was the bedrooms -- not the roomettes -- that were oriented at the rear (giving those bedroom customers windows on the right (north) side of the train).
Click to expand...
And my last trip on #8 the bedrooms were on the rear as well.
Click to expand...
Same here, when I rode 28 a couple of years ago, the Bedrooms were at the very end, roomettes next to the coaches.
 
oregon pioneer said:
They always say "it depends on which way they turn the car" -- but -- on the CS, the sleepers are always in front of the diner & Parlour Car, and the car has always (at least every time I rode this train) been turned with the bedrooms adjacent to the Parlour Car, which means that the even-numbered rooms are on the right of the train, odd-numbered rooms on the left. Anybody remember it being different?
Click to expand...
Two years ago on the CS, the sleeper next to the Parlour car had the roomettes to the rear. The next sleeper forward had the Bedrooms to the rear.

One simply cannot tell in advance what will happen.

That said, at least in my experience of riding, about 70% or so of the time the Superliner sleepers seem to have the Bedrooms closest to the engines. So it seems like in general Amtrak tries to work things in that direction, but also clearly they always adhere to that standard.
 
Thanks for the comments.

We had planned to just do the CS, as my g/f has only done 10 hours on a train, so this would be a test overnighter, but when I mentioned MSP and she could go to mall of america.......she jumped on it.

So I get to do both CS & EB!

Room locations are ok...door may b a problem if it is used a lot, otherwise no biggie, hope it is last car...that would be excellent.

As trip approaches, will be seeking more advice and info about boarding and many other things.

Thanx folks!
 
tonys96 said:
Thanks for the comments.We had planned to just do the CS, as my g/f has only done 10 hours on a train, so this would be a test overnighter, but when I mentioned MSP and she could go to mall of america.......she jumped on it.

So I get to do both CS & EB!

Room locations are ok...door may b a problem if it is used a lot, otherwise no biggie, hope it is last car...that would be excellent.

As trip approaches, will be seeking more advice and info about boarding and many other things.

Thanx folks!
Click to expand...
A win-win! You get more train time, she gets the mall. :giggle:
 
Tony: Nice trip, we're Envious! And if you haven't been in the Mall of the Americas be Prepared, it's like it's Own Country it's so Huge! :eek: ( Personal aside: I was in Bobby Muellars in Taylor Yesterday, they're Rebuilding the Main Pit that Burned when ya'll were there and the Food is Great as Ever, just no Chicken till they get the Big Pit Finished! :( )
 
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Rail Freak said:
Your EB #9 Roomette will be in the last car of the train and the back door window (Rail Fan Window) is awesome, bring a camera. The only draw back is, it is quite a hike to the Diner after Spokane! But IMO, worth it!!!Have Fun
Click to expand...
I agree! It is along walk up the train, but in addition to the window, you have the least foot-traffic of any car. I once had the very last room in the car, was great!
 
I've had rooms 7, 8, 9 and 10 many times (room 10 three times on my most recent trip), and never noticed excessive noise. And I've had both bedroom A and Roomette 10 on #27/28, and have been near the rail fan window. (That is the window of the door looking out the back of the train.)
 
jimhudson said:
Tony: Nice trip, we're Envious! And if you haven't been in the Mall of the Americas be Prepared, it's like it's Own Country it's so Huge! :eek: ( Personal aside: I was in Bobby Muellars in Taylor Yesterday, they're Rebuilding the Main Pit that Burned when ya'll were there and the Food is Great as Ever, just no Chicken till they get the Big Pit Finished! :( )
Click to expand...
Good deal on the pit. Gives us an excuse to try again!!!

As for the trip, it is now all booked...got Megabus for $1 for one ticket and $16 for the other, $17.50 for two from Vegas to LA, not too bad.

Will be @ Orleans Casino and Hotel in Vegas (not saying when, just this summer) and will stay @ Metro Plaza in LA (due to AU members referrals)....I hope we can check in early, bus arrives at LAUS at 1:30.

So, what is there to do for a day and a half around LAUS? Food? Something to do at night? Is there a car rental at LAUS? We might drive out to Santa Monica Pier for some ice cream........
 
tonys96 said:
jimhudson said:
Tony: Nice trip, we're Envious! And if you haven't been in the Mall of the Americas be Prepared, it's like it's Own Country it's so Huge! :eek: ( Personal aside: I was in Bobby Muellars in Taylor Yesterday, they're Rebuilding the Main Pit that Burned when ya'll were there and the Food is Great as Ever, just no Chicken till they get the Big Pit Finished! :( )
Click to expand...
Good deal on the pit. Gives us an excuse to try again!!!

As for the trip, it is now all booked...got Megabus for $1 for one ticket and $16 for the other, $17.50 for two from Vegas to LA, not too bad.

Will be @ Orleans Casino and Hotel in Vegas (not saying when, just this summer) and will stay @ Metro Plaza in LA (due to AU members referrals)....I hope we can check in early, bus arrives at LAUS at 1:30.

So, what is there to do for a day and a half around LAUS? Food? Something to do at night? Is there a car rental at LAUS? We might drive out to Santa Monica Pier for some ice cream........
Click to expand...
:hi: You can also ride the Red Line (Buy a Day Pass) out of Union Station to Hollywood and see the Infamous Hollywood and Sunset Areas! Dont forget Philippes for Breakfast (the Metro Plaza has a Continental Breakfast) and a French Dip or Two! Olvera Street and Chinatown are also around Union Station and the Angel Flight Tram and lots of Cool Old Buildings are Downtown not far from the Station reachable on the Red Line!! I Don't think you want to Drive around LA, plenty of Public Transportation and Trains are Available! ;)

Plenty of Point Runs available on the Surfliners Also! The Trip to Santa Barbara is Cool and also Down the coast to San Diego is another Good One! :)
 
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Well, we had a small change of plans...we booked the Excalibur in Vegas instead of the Orleans. Otherwise, we are good to go, all paid and everything!

The g/f is not the greatest in the world at packing light. Not even close. So, what are the absolute necessities I need to take for the three days/nights on the train? I know a short electrical cord with multiple outlets, and a small dab of duct tape are essential...but what else? We will take an empty packed duffel bag for her to fill up at the Mall.....and I have some scrubs that I wear on the train, but we are supposed to have only three bags on the Megabus portion of this trip, so space will be limited.....

Suggestions ?????
 
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