Superliner Standard Bedroom

[Guest_NativeSon5859]

My ticket on the City of New Orleans on 8/25 from CHI to NOL has me booked in room #3 in the 5900 car. I'm assuming this is on the upper level, as I had room #14 on the Sunset out of JAX in January, and that one was on the bottom. I'm not sure if there is such a thing as a "better" room to be in upstairs, but if so, how does room #3 stack up? Thanks a bunch!

 

[Anthony]

Yep, room 3 is right on top, and pretty close to the bathroom and coffee service. Some people say that the rooms on the very end of the car, like 9 and 10, are not as desirable because the end of the car can tend to sway or bump more than the middle... but #3 is right in the middle of the car, so you should be fine.

 

[battalion51]

Room 3 is indeed upstairs, second set of rooms in, on the side opposite of the stairs. Room 3 is right next to the attendants room, so service won't be too far away. I liked being downstairs, it was very quiet, not much traffic by there, but I can't comapre it to being upstairs. Just so you know, 5900 is on the rear of the train, not up at the head end. The City gets its equipment from the Texas Eagle, and the Eagle needs a Sleeper and a Coach on the bottom to be added to the Sunset at SAS. The Sleeper is usually an SI, so don't expect an SII since it's coming from the Sunset. You will have to walk through three coaches and the Lounge to get to the Diner, so be prepared for that. Also, you will have to walk the whole train in CHI and NOL to get to and from the station, which is another down side since 59 has to back out of CUS, and it pulls straight into NOUPT. My attendant Marcie was excellent, hopefully you'll get her. Happy travels!

P.S. Hopefully my trip report will be done by the end of next week, depending on how school and work go.

 

[AlanB]

Native,

Just head over to the Friends of Amtrak website, located here for a diagram of the various Amtrak sleepers. They give you a great diagram that shows everything.

 

[Trogdor]

The Sleeper is usually an SI, so don't expect an SII since it's coming from the Sunset.

When I rode the Sunset/Eagle in May, we had a Superliner II sleeper (California). That car would have wound up on the City of New Orleans, except:

1) We missed the connection in San Antonio, and had to be bussed to Dallas, where we boarded a Superliner I sleeper which had been the SAS protect car (for, probably, two days). Incidentally, the 32073 "California" derailed after we got off while it was being set out in SAS.

2) We arrived in Chicago 6 hours late due to freight interference (3 hours) and a blown HEP connection requiring cars to be switched to the rear of the train (another 3 hours, total).

So, in the end, 59 wound up using 8's equipment instead, and left about an hour or so late, I think.

 

[NativeSon5859]

I was in the Superliner 2 sleeper "California" out of Orlando to NOL.

Besides the color schemes, are the series 1 sleepers just as nice as the series 2 sleepers?

Actually I'm looking forward to walking the length of the train. It will give me the chance to get some good pictures if anything.

 

[Guest]

I've had Room 3 and Room 4. I think Room 3 is better. No, wait, I think Room 4 was better.

3.

4.

3.

4.

Too many choices.

 

[battalion51]

I was in the Superliner 2 sleeper "California" out of Orlando to NOL.
Besides the color schemes, are the series 1 sleepers just as nice as the series 2 sleepers?

Actually I'm looking forward to walking the length of the train. It will give me the chance to get some good pictures if anything.

The rooms are similar, except the steps are a little different in an SI, and there is an enclosed closet on the side opposite the steps. I personally liked the SII better because you could get more in the room without that enclosed closet (we put a duffel bag there in the SII), but they are very similar. When I was on the City I was lucky enough to have a nice new refurbished sleeper with the new cloth in the room. I didn't get through to the other unrefurbished sleeper because of the pissy Dining Car crew, but from what I could see on the ground in Memphis it seemed very 70's, more so than an Amfleet II Coach. :blink:

 

[Steve4031]

I rode in the California car too. It gets around.

 

[Trogdor]

The S I sleepers have a small closet that's usually too small to put anything in. S II sleepers have a recessed wall where the closet would be, accessbile from the side, and it's easy to store a small carryon bag there. Also, on the step side, the S II steps blend right into the wall, meaning you can put small items there (papers, coins, keys, pens, etc.) without a problem. On the S I sleepers, there is a gap between the steps and the wall, large enough for something to fall into, but too small to get it out. That reason alone is enough to have me prefer the S IIs to the S Is.

Also, if you have electronics with an AC adaptor, the plug on the S I is recessed a bit, below a large dial of some sort (I think the heating controls), making it difficult to plug some things in. On S IIs, the plug bulges out a bit, making it more accessible.

There are a few other differeneces that I can't think of off the top of my head. I think the shower might be different, but I can't recall exactly how.

 

[battalion51]

Yea I think the shower is flipped around on an SI. Also, if you are plugging in anything on the train that you care about it's wise to use a surge protector in case HEP suddenly goes out. Some trains have bad HEP cables. Also, most Conductors will ask for HEP Down if they establish Three Step Protection so they don't get electricuted while underneath or between equipment. HEP can go off without warning.

 

[NativeSon5859]

Well I got some good news today!

Apparently Amtrak opened up some more sleepers on train #6, so I got to upgrade to a Standard Bedroom for only $204! Not too bad for a two-night run. It will be room 14 (the same one I took from ORL to NOL) in car #631.

I figue the extra $$$ is worth it.

Anyone know where the 631 car is located in the consist?

 

[Guest]

Anyone know where the 631 car is located in the consist?

I believe it's behind the engines.

 

[Trogdor]

Anyone know where the 631 car is located in the consist?

I believe it's behind the engines.

As is everything else.

The Zephyr tends to run "backwards" in one direction vs. the other. I guess they don't wye the entire train, but instead just bring the transition sleeper to the other end. I took the Zephyr for a round trip from Chicago to SLC and outbound the sleepers were in front of the coaches, and returning the sleepers were at the rear.

Car 631 is next to the dining car.