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I reserved an economy compartment (roomette) online and was given room 003. Anyway to know if it is upper level or lower level or to know which side of the train it will be on? I could probably call and ask, but don't feel like dealing with "Julie" right now.
Posts: 29 | Registered: Dec 2002
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Your "roomette" 003 is on the upper level, as to which side it's on, depends on which way the car is oriented to the front of the train. For a better idea take a stroll over to the FRIENDS OF AMTRAK website where they have thoughtfully provided schematics of sleeper layouts. Bon Voyage! Rodger
Posts: 83 | From: MERRIMAC,MA | Registered: Feb 2005
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The odd-numbered rooms will often be on the right hand side of the train (in the direction of travel), since the standard/economy/roomette bedrooms are usually oriented at the diner end, which is usually behind the sleepers. No guarantees though. Certain trains like the Empire Builder and the Sunset Limited have different consists because they split/join enroute.
Geoff M.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Thanks! Link is very helpful. Reason I asked about which side is because I will be on the Coast Starlight. Looks like compartment 3 will be coast side, since I recall from the past that the bedrooms (deluxe) were on the side facing away from the coast.
Posts: 29 | Registered: Dec 2002
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Hmm, I was in #10 on 14 and I was on the coast side, 3 is on the opposite side so im not quite sure.
Posts: 1082 | From: Los Angeles, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by CoastStarlight99: Hmm, I was in #10 on 14 and I was on the coast side, 3 is on the opposite side so im not quite sure.
Thanks for posting the link to your website. I enjoyed reading your trip report. Tell your mother that it was very nice of her to take you on a train trip and maybe she will take you on another sometime soon!
The 'Pacific Parlor' cars were originally built for the Santa Fe Railroad. Some of the better historians on Trainweb could tell you more accurately when they were built but the late 1950's or early 1960's is a safe bet.
Santa Fe used them as the lounge cars on their coach-only bi-level train the 'El Capitan'. This was a Chicago-Los Angeles train which originally operated on a separate schedule from the Super Chief. In later days.....the late 1960's the Chief and El Capitan were combined into one train although the Chief portion was single level because Santa Fe never had bi-level sleepers.......just coaches and the lounges. Several of these surplus lounge cars were remodeled to become the Pacific Parlors.
I do not know if any of the Santa Fe bi-level coaches are still in use today BUT I did ride in one from Ft. Worth to Oklahoma City on the 'Heartland Flyer' in 2002. One of the Santa Fe bi-level coaches was also used for a time on the short-lived 'Kentucky Cardinal' between Chicago and Louisville.
When Amtrak decided to buy Superliner cars in the 1970's, they based their design on the Santa Fe cars. Ultimately, Amtrak's Superliner Cars were about 4 inches taller than Santa Fe's bi-levels and included bi-level sleepers for the first time.
Hope that this helps answer one of your questions.
David Pressley
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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read my second one as well!, I am almost completed it, but I am having trouble with the FTP transfer so i cant upload it just yet.
Posts: 1082 | From: Los Angeles, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Charles802: Thanks! Link is very helpful. Reason I asked about which side is because I will be on the Coast Starlight. Looks like compartment 3 will be coast side, since I recall from the past that the bedrooms (deluxe) were on the side facing away from the coast.
Which direction? North or southbound? Reason I ask is because room 3 could be on different sides. IF the Starlight follows the usual convention, then 3 could be on the inland side going northbound and the coast side going southbound.
Geoff M.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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If your enclosed section (I REFUSE to honor an upper and lower with no facilities with the classic Pullman Roomette title) is to seaward, you'll know before you get to Glendale: Northbound, seaward is the left side of the train.
If you have a landward room, options include:
Going to the lounge car.
Going to the Pacific Parlour Car (when running).
Going to the middle of your car (upper), or
Going to the Dutch doors downstairs.
John who loves the view around Rincon!
Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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John, with all due respect, a Superliner is not a Pullman. I for one am glad Amtrak renamed them Roomettes, for it more accurately conveys their actual size to the uninitiated train traveler. In common use (as opposed to historic railroad jargon) the suffix "ette" does not define a specific configuration, but merely "denotes small size" according to my dictionary. I expect that the railroads which originally used the term Roomette intended to convey the same message. The room's specific configuration was merely incidental, at least at first.
Back to the original topic, it is most common for Roomettes to be oriented towards the rear of the car, but on my last trip on #14, we had two out of three sleepers oriented the opposite direction. You never really know for sure until you board.
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