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First of all, allow us to state how grateful we are of those that are obviously experienced Amtrak travelers. We have committed ourselves financially to Amtrak up-grades based on suggestions in this forum. And, may I say, enthusiastically, based on those suggestions/comments. To that, we say thank you for those loyal Amtrak customers that provide valuable input on these forums.
That being said, us beginners in long distance rail travel have questions that we're sure someone can answer promptly:
(1) Is the luggage area that is available on the sleeper cars secure? Or, is it advisable/possible to bring some form of cable/pad lock to secure baggage to some built-in post of some sort in the luggage area?
(2) Is it "ridiculous" to assume that a 6'4", 275 lbs man can use the upper bunk in a roomette? Or, let's put a little different perspective on the question (humor intended!) ... is it reasonable to believe or assume that a senior citizen woman that is not agile enough to climb into the upper bunk would feel "comfortable" sleeping in the lower bunk of a roomette where the upper bunk is occupied such a person?
I've suggested to her that we can "share" the lower bunk ... to which I've received visual "snarls"!!!!
(3) Can such a size person fit into a sleeper car shower without kneeling (which we have experienced in many older hotels/motels!)?
Any "stretch of the imagination" suggestions, besides loosing weight or shrinking?
Thanks.
-------------------- Big Al Posts: 9 | Registered: May 2008
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Hello Stormtight and welcome to the Amtrak forum,
As a 6'6" 230lb 56 year old I can attest that it is possible to sleep in the upper bunk without being in traction the next morning. The most fun part is getting up there, fastening the protection belts, etc. Wife helps with that!
As long as you are not claustraphobic, you will be o.k. I can stretch out or sleep with my knees up and rest comfortably. I am usually so tired after an exciting Amtrak day on board that I sleep well. (Unless tracks are rough, then hold on for your dear life!!
Luggage areas in the Superliner Sleepers are downstairs and are large enough for lots of bags. I usually check to see everything is o.k when I go downstairs to restroom or shower.
Never had anything messed with on all our trips but would generally not leave expensive items in the bags. We keep cameras, cell phones, computers in our room.
The showers are pretty tight spaced and we big guys do not have much room in them. Its good for washing down the upper body and doing the best you can with the rest. Two days on board a long distance train is about all I can take at one time. A good hotel room and shower feel good when we arrive at our destination.
You are going to have a great time. Go with the flow and be prepared for some odd ball thing to happen each day. That's what makes it so much fun.
Have a great trip Railroad and Mrs. Bill (Next stop San Diego 5\26)
Posts: 87 | From: Ohio | Registered: Apr 2007
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There is not really anything for you to attach carryon baggage to in the storage area as that is just a set of shelves......nothing more. However, I recall that your roomettes are on the lower level so you're going to be less than 15 feet from your luggage the entire trip. Make sure you bring valuables like cameras or other elctronic goodies with you into your room and you'll be fine.
Same with upper bunk.....you won't have a whole lot of room but I think you'll be able to sleep.
The showers are tight but most of them have a nozzle that you can pick up and direct to the area you are washing. You'll get the hang of it I think. I normally shower in the morning but on train trips I try to do it at night so as not to risk missing seeing some really great because I was in the shower.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Hey, The kids love the trains too! I guess Amtrak thinks of them, or is thinking space is needed...
-------------------- Modeling the ATSF-BNSF crossover times of the 1990s. HO scale. Posts: 23 | From: IL in the USA | Registered: May 2008
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As to 2 in the bottom berth forget that.It is simply too narrow. My husband and I can share the bottom berth in a bedroom because that is wider. On the capitol we usually have Larry Picard as our attendent. We have traveled with him for about 15 years. After we leave DC he comes in with extra sheets and blankets. We always get separate ones for each of us because it is more comfortable and he always remembers. If you can check a big bag throught to your finl destination and just have a smaller one with you it would be a lot easier. We found 2 small ones fit in both the roomette and bedroom.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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StormTight, I just reread your first post. If I were you I would check the bags with clothing you wont need until Seattle straight, through put some extras in the smaller ones ( we use 20 "ers) that you take with you. One year we checked the bags to San Francisco. We went by way of Chicage, SAn Antonio, LA and when we got th SF there was our luggage. When we go to Denver I check them through so I don't have to be bothered with baggage in Chicago. No problem
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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These are 360 degree views of the interior of Superliner cars (sleeper, diner, lounge, coach, etc). You have to have the "ipix" plug-in installed in your browser in order to view them. As long as you have that, you can take a virtual look around the cars to see what things will look like for you. If you click on the Superliner Sleeping Car link, you can then click on "Bottom Landing" and I think you will be able to see the luggage rack in that photo. I just got a new laptop and I have not installed the ipix plug-in yet, so I can't verify if it's visible in that 360 view or not.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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(1) Is the luggage area that is available on the sleeper cars secure? Or, is it advisable/possible to bring some form of cable/pad lock to secure baggage to some built-in post of some sort in the luggage area?
As already stated, it is just shelving at the bottom of the stairway. Technically, it isn't "secure" but it is safe enough. If you are concerned about safety, put those little padlocks on your bags (yet another thing you can still do on a train but not a plane). I've never seen or heard of anything being stolen from those racks, but that's not to say it never happens.
However, since on-board storage space is limited, it is highly recommended that you check any bags you don't absolutely need on board.
quote:(2) Is it "ridiculous" to assume that a 6'4", 275 lbs man can use the upper bunk in a roomette? Or, let's put a little different perspective on the question (humor intended!) ... is it reasonable to believe or assume that a senior citizen woman that is not agile enough to climb into the upper bunk would feel "comfortable" sleeping in the lower bunk of a roomette where the upper bunk is occupied such a person?
Railroad Bill says he can do it, but you've got an additional 45 LBS to squeeze in. I'm a little guy myself, and I find the upper bunk pretty cozy. It does require some agility to get up there. You sort of get on the step, aim your head and roll in.
quote:I've suggested to her that we can "share" the lower bunk ... to which I've received visual "snarls"!!!!
And with good reason!
Roomette's are quite comfortable but very cozy. Most people who see them for the first time say they are much smaller than they imagined. So here's a good way to get an idea of how big they are. Go look at your bathtub. That's about the size of the lower bunk. Add about ten inches to the width of the bathtub, and you have the full dimensions of the roomette.
However, the roomette doesn't feel that small, once you settle in, because, unlike your bathtub, there is a big picture window displaying America in all her glory.
quote:Any "stretch of the imagination" suggestions, besides loosing weight or shrinking?
Think of a roomette as a camping trip, but with the benefit of privacy, an attendant, climate control, and no bugs or snakes (unless you see Samuel L. Jackson on board!)
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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According to the www.amtrak.com the upper roomette bed is 6'-2" and the lower is 6'-6" long. If you click on "Traveling with Amtrak" from the home page you can find all sorts of details. For western long distance trains look under superliner.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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Mr. Toy gives sound advice regarding the environment of an Amtrak Roomette; possibly this thought will perfect such. My measurement of the environment would be to take two chairs, place them facing one another next to a window within the established dimensions of a Roomette and see how you both fair in such. Be mindful that there are windows facing the hallway as well, but most passengers, myself included, tend to draw the blinds over such.
While Claustrophobia is not on my personal "Top 40' of phobias (Agorophobia is; no doubt why I would be very uncomfortable traveling overnight Coach and am comfortable with long solo auto journeys - not the "assault course" some here view as such) in this life (I regularly use the Upper bunk in a Roomette leaving down below as a "sitting room'), I would think a window would go a long way towards relieving any of that particular phobia's anxieties.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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As a sufferer from arachnophobia as well as acrophobia, I believe you mean agoraphobia, Mr. Norman. (The spelling "agrophobia," while bang on so far as pronunciation is concerned, almost suggests fear of farming . . . )
Incidentally, fear of trains is called "siderodromophobia," and I wonder if the churning side rods of steam locomotives have anything to do with it.
Should any participant in this forum suffer from siderodromophobia, this web site purports to offer a cure:
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Mr. Toy: Googling is wonderful, isn't it? You never know where you will end up when you try to find out the correct spelling of a common phobia.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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It occurred to me that we could have name tags printed up for forum members, like so:
H E N R Y K I S O R
Non-siderodromophobe
...with the churning valve gear of a 4-8-4 as color background.
(I'm sorry, it's post-surgical painkillers that are making my brain go all funny.)
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Storm Tight -- the only additional advice I can give over the excellent advice already given above is, if you can afford it, get a bedroom rather than a roomette -- the bedrooms are MUCH more comfortable for 2 people, and of course they are also larger. In a bedroom, 2 people CAN share the lower bunk rather comfortably.
Additionally, in a bedroom, if you sit during the day with your door open, you can see out the window in the hallway adjacent to your room as well as out the window in the room, so you can see scenery on both sides of the train.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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One more thing, Mr. Storm -- in a bedroom, you have an enclosed bathroom and shower in your room, while in a roomette, the lower bunk folds over the toilet, and there are NO shower facilities in the room, so you'll have to go down the hall (or downstairs if you are in an upper room) to use the toilets and showers.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Correction to Mr. Railroad Rich's post: Storm Tight is travelling ABQ-Seattle. Roomettes on Superliners have no toilet in the room (and the upper bunk has no window). On the lower level the toilets will be a few feet away.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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Henry, I clicked into the link you provided.It semsto me that they are talking about fear of flying not trains. How many people's lives are ruined by not traveling by train? At any rate I enjoyed reading it. Sort of reminded me of the old snake dr. nedicine. $2400 ? I don't think so!!!
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Train Lady, I suspect that web site's text is identical for all phobias it purports to cure.
On the other hand, now you have learned another word (siderodromophobia) with which to repel disagreeable people at cocktail parties . . .
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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P.S. We need an official word for "fear of sitting up all night in coach," a term that Mr. Norman and I could jointly employ.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Henry I suspect you are right. It is fun to read however. I wonder how any people are caught by their searching for a cure when I suspect much of the "cure" is a matter of mind over matter.Smitty would you object to adding ni to your definition? as in niamcoachophobia. I notice most phobias are quite long in title
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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