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Are there any comfort or safety issues on sleeper cars that would make it preferable to configure oneself with the feet or head first?
The attendants generally seem to make up the bunks with the pillows in the "head first" configuration.
I prefer it the other way around. Anyone know the "inside story" on this?
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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Strangely, I've only ever had beds with the feet at the forward end, which is the opposite of what I think is "natural". Although I've only been in a few Superliner sleepers, they've all been that way - and all odd-numbered rooms!
The Viewliner sleeper upper bunks can only be configured in one direction, so you have to put up with them in the direction the car happens to be in.
PullmanCo Member # 1138
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On what is now called Heritage Fleet equipment (and once was called a Pullman 10-6 or maybe a 12-4), the head of the bed nearest the hinge of the roomette berth.
Some lines ran their cars so beds faced forward, others didn't care.
My $0.02. YMMV.
John
------------------ The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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Hmmm. The position of the bed head is determined by the layout of the room. On a Superliner the location of the reading lamp and the upper bunk steps determine the head. Whether the head faces forwards or rearwards depends on the orientation of the car itself. I've been on trains with cars facing both ways.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
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And to confuse the issue - if you are in the deluxe sleeper, you are sleeping crosswise to the direction of travel, so you can choose whether you want your head near the door or near the window. Last summer in an older sleeper on the Empire Builder, I found that the seat nearest the window was saggier, making me feel like I was sleeping with my head in a hole. The next night, I asked to have my head near the door, and slept much better.
Konstantin Member # 18
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I have read that sleeping with your feet first is safer. People with their heads first tend to break their necks in a crash.
------------------ Elias Valley Railroad (N-scale) www.geocities.com/evrr
KA6BGJ Member # 662
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It would seem to me that the direction in which your head would be in a sleeping berth would depend on several things.
A. How much easier is it to get into the bunk head first as opposed to feet first.
B. how many times during the night you will have to get up to use the RestRoom.
I know when I go to sleep, I tend to lie on my side and curl up (into a semi Fetal Position) which in my case tends to make me moire comfortable.
Also, since you are not in your own bed at home, I really dont think that you would get as good sleep on a train compared to being in your own bed at home.
Another thing that might influence the quality of sleep you would get on the train is the arrival time of the train at your destination. e.g. The train stops at your destination at 4:00AM, I think you would sleep in nap form (waking up every hr. or so to check on the time, then going back to sleep) rather than sleeping soundly fearing that the Cabin attendant will be late in his wake up call.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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As to the comment "you'd break your neck if facing forward", let's just think about that for a moment. What if you were in the last car of a train that was rear-ended by a following train? You might well break your neck. So it isn't really any safer in that respect at all.
I've seen the Superliner sleepers arranged in both directions - ie head at the steps end on some occasions, feet at the steps end on other occasions.
Geoff M.
Konstantin Member # 18
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Geoffm, you are probably correct, but you missed two important points. First, sleepers are usually near the front of the train, and even if they are the last cars people ride in, there are probably several mail and express cars behind them. Second, Amtrak trains rarely get rear-ended. Most accidents occur from hitting something ahead of them, or from derailing.
[This message has been edited by Konstantin (edited 12-08-2001).]
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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I was annoyed at the crass way it was suggested - ie any crash in Amtrak with head forward tends to be a broken neck, which is simply not true. The vast majority of train crashes are survivable without long term injury.
True, many trains do have sleepers forward of coaches, but to name two, such as the Portland and Chicago sections of the Empire Builder and Sunset Ltd (respectively) do have a sleeper on the rear. I also remember the Cardinal being coaches first, although that might have been temporary.
Geoff M.
royaltrain Member # 622
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Regarding the placing of the sleeping cars, I think it is most regrettable that Amtrak in recent years has (for the most part) spotted the sleepers on the front of the train instead of traditionally at the rear. I personally believe it is safer to be attached to the rear of a train should there be any unpleasantness. Obviously a rear-end collision would be the exception, but as someone else has pointed out this is rare. Is it not logical that those who pay the hightest fare should be positioned in the safest part of the train? In addition, the rear of the train is quieter as it is farther from the engine.
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