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New Train Guy

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I plan to travel on the CZ from Denver to SF then on to Seattle in January. Any concerns with making this trip in the winter? Will the scenery be as pretty as other times?
 
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Pretty much, But probably a lot of snow cover...

Unfortunately, a lot less daylight.
 
I try to ride the CZ in all four seasons and have ridden the CZ in January the last two years and loved the snow. I did not really notice the lack of the number of daylight hours since the prime scenic route is Denver to Grand Junction which (if train basically on schedule) all still in daylight. Then Reno to Sacramento and on to Emeryville is in daylight. Only possible problem is the unpredictable possibility of weather cause rock slides particularly in the Oregon mountains near Klamath Falls which would block and prevent the passage of the Coast Starlight. Same is true for Rockies and Sierra Nevadas but so far I have experience great travel on the CZ in winter.
 
I enjoy traveling in the Winter because you get some beautiful views of everything covered in snow. The winter trains can be slowed if there is a storm with heavy blowing snow cutting visibility. Also, getting out for a walk can be a problem if the temperatures really drop or snow is really piling up. Winter is a beautiful time to travel.
 
Then I'm going. Any recommendations for hotels in Seattle? I'm very familiar with SF but have never travelled to Seattle. Thanks
 
How about the SP City of San Francisco, that was snowbound on the pass for six days! In January 1952?
 
Then I'm going. Any recommendations for hotels in Seattle? I'm very familiar with SF but have never travelled to Seattle. Thanks
I enjoyed my stay at Hotel Five. It's next to the monorail tracks; I was able to watch the monorail from my window. It's also walking distance to the Space Needle and Pike Place Market. Top Pot Doughnuts is about half a block away.
 
The rooms at the Edgewater are somewhat small, but it is Seattle's only waterfront hotel. Half the rooms have a balcony overhanging Elliott Bay. It is a unique Seattle experience!

And a comment about winter travel, which applies more to the Eastern (deciduous) forrest than the Western (predominantly coniferous) forest. In the winter when trees have lost their leaves, one can get a better view from the train--for example, of a river near the tracks.
 
If you're in the SSL white it's snowing...especially when crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains...it's almost like being inside a snow globe!
 
My ride on the SWC in JAN we left CHI 4 hours late due to sub-zero temps causing train issues. We ended up 8 hours late in LA after lead loco had a diesel fuel gel issue and was replaced by BNSF loco.....limiting our speed.

Like any time of the year issues can come up.
 
Be aware that just as Amtrak trains can sometimes be uncomfortably cold in the summer they can also be uncomfortably hot in the winter. My last winter trip on the CZ my room got really hot, the in-room temperature controls had no effect, and the SCA refused to entertain the idea of turning down the heat (even a just a little bit). That experience was extremely uncomfortable for me and I stopped riding the CZ during the winter as a result. No amount of scenery is worth being placed in an oven with no practical method for cooling down.
 
Be aware that just as Amtrak trains can sometimes be uncomfortably cold in the summer they can also be uncomfortably hot in the winter. My last winter trip on the CZ my room got really hot, the in-room temperature controls had no effect, and the SCA refused to entertain the idea of turning down the heat (even a just a little bit). That experience was extremely uncomfortable for me and I stopped riding the CZ during the winter as a result. No amount of scenery is worth being placed in an oven with no practical method for cooling down.
The SWC is the same way. I started dreading our annual trip to Albuquerque because it was always too hot in the sleeper. Sometimes, I wish the windows would open just a tiny crack because I love fresh, cool air. When I fly, I point the air nozzle straight at my face because I can't stand that "stuffy" feeling. I even have a small fan on my desk at work.
 
Just the opposite for me. Too cold in summertime due to the air conditioning and just right warmth in winter. I've never felt "hot" in the sleeper an always used the blankets provided to stay warm. I guess "to each his own."'
 
The SWC is the same way. I started dreading our annual trip to Albuquerque because it was always too hot in the sleeper. Sometimes, I wish the windows would open just a tiny crack because I love fresh, cool air. When I fly, I point the air nozzle straight at my face because I can't stand that "stuffy" feeling. I even have a small fan on my desk at work.
On many foreign airlines it's actually rather rare to have individual air nozzles in coach. Luckily I've had excellent luck convincing numerous foreign flight attendants with shaky English skills to understand that a plane cabin is too hot and get it corrected in a reasonable amount of time. Why I cannot get a similar reaction out of American SCA's with perfectly fluent English is quite frankly beyond my comprehension.

Just the opposite for me. Too cold in summertime due to the air conditioning and just right warmth in winter. I've never felt "hot" in the sleeper an always used the blankets provided to stay warm. I guess "to each his own."'
Well, the big obvious difference is that you can bundle up if you're too cold. What is someone who is too hot supposed to do about it? If the SCA doesn't feel like adjusting the heat then you're basically SOL. There is nothing inside the room that can make it colder than the air blowing in and there is no other practical recourse available to you. You can bring a small fan but if you're really hot it's not going to help much. When you think back to how many hundreds you paid to be uncomfortable it feels even worse. This is why "to each his own" is not entirely relevant in this situation. I still travel Amtrak in the summer because I can bundle up but I no longer risk being miserable without recourse in the winter.
 
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The SWC is the same way. I started dreading our annual trip to Albuquerque because it was always too hot in the sleeper. Sometimes, I wish the windows would open just a tiny crack because I love fresh, cool air. When I fly, I point the air nozzle straight at my face because I can't stand that "stuffy" feeling. I even have a small fan on my desk at work.
On many foreign airlines it's actually rather rare to have individual air nozzles in coach. Luckily I've had excellent luck convincing numerous foreign flight attendants with shaky English skills to understand that a plane cabin is too hot and get it corrected in a reasonable amount of time. Why I cannot get a similar reaction out of American SCA's with perfectly fluent English is quite frankly beyond my comprehension.

Just the opposite for me. Too cold in summertime due to the air conditioning and just right warmth in winter. I've never felt "hot" in the sleeper an always used the blankets provided to stay warm. I guess "to each his own."'
Well, the big obvious difference is that you can bundle up if you're too cold. What is someone who is too hot supposed to do about it? If the SCA doesn't feel like adjusting the heat then you're basically SOL. There is nothing inside the room that can make it colder than the air blowing in and there is no other practical recourse available to you. You can bring a small fan but if you're really hot it's not going to help much. When you think back to how many hundreds you paid to be uncomfortable it feels even worse. This is why "to each his own" is not entirely relevant in this situation. I still travel Amtrak in the summer because I can bundle up but I no longer risk being miserable without recourse in the winter.
If it too hot, just "unbundle".
 
If it too hot, just "unbundle".
See, that's the problem. I can only take off so much clothing. If I'm in a light t-shirt and I'm still roasting to the point of sweating, it's too darn hot in the car.

It is much, MUCH easier for someone to put on a sweater and put a blanket over their lap in order to warm up.

If someone knows they are often "too cold" even when it's 72 degrees in a room, then they need to bring a cardigan instead of asking the SCA to turn the heat up to 76 (or higher) and create an uncomfortable oven for everyone else. Luckily, I've had some SCAs who absolutely refused, as they were uncomfortable too. Their solution was to give those two or three passengers extra blankets.
 
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Dearborn to Glenwood Springs Christmas 2013.

Winter is best by far! imo.

2014 133 copy.jpg

These shots are just from my iPhone and don't come close to capturing the Majesty of the Rockies in winter.

2014 147 copy.jpg
 
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