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The "funny" trip report is posted on my blog. . . Here's the serious one:
Great service all around! Nathan was our SCA and did a magnificent job! The dining room staff, headed by Eric, was fantastic, too. Food was excellent! (Really excellent!!) I had crab cakes and my sister had steak. I loved the Superliner! First time I had been on one. Sleeper cars (roomettes) are much more user friendly than those on the Viewliner (in my opinion), and I love having a useable sink and toilet right down the hall rather than in the room. Dressing area downstairs is nice, too! But the biggest single feature (to me) is that your luggage can be stored on the bottom level and does not have to stay in the roomette! And, Nathan brought it up for us to get things, took it back down for the night, and brought it back up the next morning!
My only complaint was that there was an odor (septic tank kind of odor) that was frequently present in the car, especially near the stairway. It seemed to be more obvious when the train was sitting still, but that might have been my imagination.
I am going to get all of this info to the official Amtrak "customer relations" department, as I did last time. So far, my life as a habitual train rider is nothing short of pure bliss! Also loved Chicago! Had never been before ... and really LOVED it! Enjoyed meet up with GBN last night. Thank you, Gil!
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Someone with better knowledge may correct me on this BUT it seems to me that the original superliner sleepers did not come equipped with the little restroom at the top of the stairs and that these were added in later.
Regardless, it's most likely the retention tank for the single upstairs 'public' restroom that gives the stairway area that septic tank aroma. It's usually not noticeable unless something isn't quite working right. (and something often isn't quite working right for some reason or another).
I have seen sleeping car attendants, acting on their own, bring room deodorizers on board and place them both inside that restroom and on the coffee service area at the top of the stairs.
Tell us more about your meetup with Mr. Norman. Good food and good conversation I'm sure.
Oh...... and I prefer the superliner sleepers to the Viewliners for much the same reason as you...... though my wife prefers the Viewliners on account of the upper berth having it's own window. I can't say that I blame her for that.
-------------------- 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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Now that you've discovered the Superliner be sure to go to the last car in the consist and take look out the back door. There's a window in the door that lets you watch the world recede behind you. It's a fun spot to watch from; but don't worry, the door is locked so you won't fall out.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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FWIW, the original Superliner sleepers DID come with the Restroom upstairs built like that. They were not added later...
Posts: 332 | From: Long Island, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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If you look out the rear window in the western Superliner trains, you may see a bunch of express cars, and not the receding countryside, like you should -- or are the express cars gone for good now?
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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quote:Originally posted by MDRR: FWIW, the original Superliner sleepers DID come with the Restroom upstairs built like that. They were not added later...
OK - I didn't take my first trip in a Superliner Sleeper until 1984 and wasn't sure whether or not the upstairs water closet was original equipment or not.
-------------------- 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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Mr. MD, I believe you will find that with further research, such as from internally curculated material circa 1979 I hold ex-libris, that the Superliner I Sleepers as delivered did not have an Upper Level lavatory. Rather, those lavatories were a 'retrofit'.
S-II's were delivered with suxh.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Thanks,GBN; Sorry David. I guess I am getting older in that my memory is going, or at least that is my excuse...
Posts: 332 | From: Long Island, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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If I am interpreting the Superliner floorplans in my July 1979 OG properly, the upper level sleeping car restroom was not original but was added shortly after the equipment was built. The downstairs showers were not original either, but were a conversion of two restrooms (in the original) into the current configuration.
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by MDRR: Thanks,GBN; Sorry David. I guess I am getting older in that my memory is going, or at least that is my excuse...
Not a problem! My initial statement left room for contradiction because while I thought I had once read that the older cars were retrofitted after the fact, I didn't trust that memory and I certainly was not prepared to cite a source because that source has long since been forgotten!
-------------------- 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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I do remember the showers being added after the fact, but not the restroom, obviously...
Posts: 332 | From: Long Island, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:Originally posted by MDRR: I do remember the showers being added after the fact, but not the restroom, obviously...
When the superliners were designed in the 1970's I believe a large chunk of society accepted 'smellier' people.
I am glad that they were added though!
-------------------- 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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