However, if you want to request a specific room (i.e. C, D, or E) you can't do it via Amtrak's website.

Instead, book your trip with a live Amtrak agent at 1-800-872-7245. When "Julie," the automated Amtrak lady, comes on the line, just say "agent." You'll be connected to a presumably flesh-and-blood human being.

Note: occasionally, a clueless agent will insist you can't request a specific room. Which is untrue. If he/she won't do it, hang up, and call again until you connect with someone more enlightened. Book as early as you can, otherwise your room(s) of choice might be already spoken for.

My guess would be an old Superliner I

The Zephyr seems to have an abundance of Superliner I's. With the Coast Starlight and Auto train taking a huge supply of Superliner II's there are few left for the other trains. And with the Superliner II sleeper, "New York" basically scrap, that's one less for the pool.

I ride the Chief most often (hence my user name ) and this train rarely has a Superliner II sleeper anymore. I used to be able to count on a 50:50 chance of a II sleeper on the Chief. But recently this hasn't been the case.

Also, what is it about Superliner I cars that people despise so? Is it just that many are showing their age, or is there something inherently inferior about the design? What about the ones that have been refurbished?

I rode in one Superliner I sleeper, the one named George M. Pullman. It was showing a few minor signs of wear and tear, but nothing I couldn't live with. Only problem was the A/C crapped out in the middle of the desert in most rooms. It still worked in the hallways, so it was tolerable.

But, as many of you may already know, I much prefer the Superliner I for its more spacious upstairs rest room. I'll take that over a Superliner II any day. Other than that, and a few cosmetic details, I don't recall the S-I was any less comfortable.

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Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr. Toy:
what is it about Superliner I cars that people despise so?

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Some Superliner I sleeping cars still sport the faintly nauseating orange-ish/brown-ish upholstery and curtains that were (if memory serves me) installed at the dawn of the 1980s. It was an era when good taste (among Amtrak's upper management at least) seemed to be in short supply.

I'd say it's that color scheme -- plus the fact that the fabric is typically frayed and grungy from more than two decades of use -- that makes many passengers' hearts sink when they first board one.

Fortunately, I've always landed in the more recently refurbished, blue-ish/purple-ish Superliner I cars. Most people seem to find the color scheme much more restful.

Although I haven't really made an in-depth study of the toilet situation, I do prefer the skinny closet in Superliner I standard rooms. It's a far less sloppy way to hang your stuff than the mere coat hooks Amtrak provides in the Superliner II.

quote:

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Originally posted by jp1822:
more concerned about the items that may not work well (i.e. sink, shower, toilet facilities) and the delapidated interiors (i.e. lack of comfortable seat cushions, bedding, interior worn rugs and walls) than the color schemes of some unrefurbished Superliner I's.

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Even in a newer car, it's not uncommon to find stuff that's worn out, barely works, or doesn't work at all.

A while back, I traveled in a Viewliner standard room that was looking pretty shabby -- semi-flat seat cushions, stained carpet, worn seat fabric, frayed curtains, semi-functioning video unit, and several broken lights and switches. God knows what that car will look like once it has logged the number of passenger miles that the average Superliner I car has logged.