Viewliner roomette on LSL - NYP-CHI

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AudenHoggart

Service Attendant
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Nov 20, 2008
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We'll be taking the LSL next month from NYP to CHI in a roomette. My previous trips on this route have been on the CL via Washington so we were in Superliner sleepers.

I have two questions about this trip:

- There's been discussion on this board about the positioning of Viewliner sleepers. I'm less concerned with front or back of the train and more with side of the train. Obviously, I'd prefer that we were on the left-hand side so we'd be on the river side from New York to Albany. There was a thread about this, but it focused on CHI-NYP travel. Recognizing that there are no guarantees here, since Viewliner sleepers usually face in the same direction, are we more likely to be on the river side in an even numbered roomette or in an odd numbered roomette?

- We've never been in a Viewliner roomette before. It's clear that one person should leave the compartment when the other is using the bathroom. Are there alternative bathrooms in the lounge that would be usable? I assume there must be in the coaches. Do roomette passengers frequently use these?

Thanks!
 
AudenHoggart said:
- We've never been in a Viewliner roomette before. It's clear that one person should leave the compartment when the other is using the bathroom. Are there alternative bathrooms in the lounge that would be usable? I assume there must be in the coaches. Do roomette passengers frequently use these?
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Unfortunately, there are no alternate toilet facilities in the sleepers, the diner or the lounge car on Viewliners. I have walked to the nearest coach on the Crescent Viewliner train but often it is easier for the other person to step out or even go to the lounge. Added to that is the fact that the closest coach toilet would likely be the most used (and dirtiest) as coach passengers using the lounge or diner would likely find this the closest one also. This is one advantage of the Superliners with convenient toilet facilities in the sleeper which makes it more convenient for two-in-a-roomette but less convenient for singles.
 
You want an even number roomette. I was on the LSL last week and all of the viewliner vestibules were in front meaning the even roomettes are on the left. The view was absolutely beautiful. All of the youtube vids of the LSL have the vestibules in the front so I'm pretty sure you will be safe with an even number.
 
me_little_me said:
AudenHoggart said:
- We've never been in a Viewliner roomette before. It's clear that one person should leave the compartment when the other is using the bathroom. Are there alternative bathrooms in the lounge that would be usable? I assume there must be in the coaches. Do roomette passengers frequently use these?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, there are no alternate toilet facilities in the sleepers, the diner or the lounge car on Viewliners. I have walked to the nearest coach on the Crescent Viewliner train but often it is easier for the other person to step out or even go to the lounge. Added to that is the fact that the closest coach toilet would likely be the most used (and dirtiest) as coach passengers using the lounge or diner would likely find this the closest one also. This is one advantage of the Superliners with convenient toilet facilities in the sleeper which makes it more convenient for two-in-a-roomette but less convenient for singles.
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With the mild weather the LSL is not running with two lounges so the lounge is 5 cars up from the first viewliner. Try finding an empty roomette to hang out in when nature calls for your travelling companion. If a meal isnt being served the diner would work too.
 
Thanks for the responses. I thought it was the even numbered roomettes that we wanted so I'd changed our reservation to be on that side.

We usually like to have dinner while the train is moving, and not just sitting in the station. Is there any reason not to make a reservation for a time after the scheduled Albany departure?
 
You can always enjoy those views from the cafe car if you get the wrong side with your roomette. I like the wider field of view you get when sitting at a table in the cafe too... several windows to look out of rather than just the one - plus you see both sides of the view, sometimes it is interesting on the side away from the river!

I have had dinner after Albany - maybe you can make the reservation earlier though, since the Boston cars join up at Albany there will be more people wanting to eat. I have come form Boston a few times and never had a problem getting a seat in the diner, even from coach. I guess it can happen though. As a sleeper passenger you will no doubt be able to eat.
 
Thanks. From earlier comments it seems that there may not be a cafe car between New York and Albany, though. Is that correct?
 
AudenHoggart said:
Thanks. From earlier comments it seems that there may not be a cafe car between New York and Albany, though. Is that correct?
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Most likley, the diner "serves" as the cafe car between NYP and Albany. Sometimes the LSL runs with two lounges, one for each section, but that is when the consist is needed to head south to Florida to thaw out. Given the mild winter, this has not occured.

I ate after Albany as I wanted to take in the views on my own terms and it would be dark upon arrival in Albany. I had an 8 o'clock reservation and there were a few seats available. The train was pretty full due to my travel dates coinciding with the long President's Day weekend.
 
I read from a book that there are restrooms in the lounge car! :mellow: Guess it was wrong. Books get outdated quick. Have any old Amtrak lounges/diners had restrroms?
 
The Amfleet I dinettes ("lounges") and Horizon dinettes have restrooms. There is a possibility your train may have one of those instead of an Amfleet II. However, given that you'll be on the NY section of the Lake Shore, that car will be at least five or six cars away.
 
ReidTYK said:
Swadian Hardcore said:
I read from a book that there are restrooms in the lounge car! :mellow: Guess it was wrong. Books get outdated quick. Have any old Amtrak lounges/diners had restrroms?
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It may have been referring to the superliner lounges.
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No, it was single-leval, but not the newest book. I don't have it, and my memory is a bit sketchy. Did Heritage lounges have restrooms?
 
Swadian Hardcore said:
I read from a book that there are restrooms in the lounge car! :mellow: Guess it was wrong. Books get outdated quick. Have any old Amtrak lounges/diners had restrroms?
Click to expand...
The original configuration of the Amfleet II cafe cars did have a restroom in the car. When the cars were rebuilt to the Diner-Lite specification I believe that the restroom was removed during that work.
 
AudenHoggart said:
We usually like to have dinner while the train is moving, and not just sitting in the station. Is there any reason not to make a reservation for a time after the scheduled Albany departure?
Click to expand...

The later you have dinner (or any other meal), the more likely it is the dining car will have run out of some food. In my (albeit somewhat limited) experience, this can be more lor less counted on to happen to at least one menu option.
 
The other reason to not eat dinner after Albany is that they do save space in the diner for the BOS sleeper car pax. They obviously can't eat dinner until their stub train joins the main train.
 
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