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I am going from Emeryville to Chicago in September. Only bedrooms left are a and b.
I have never found a lot of difference in b-e but haven't stayed in a. I know it is a little smaller but I am alone this trip and sometimes get tired of noise in next compartment.
Ride wise are they both about the same. I also don't care which way I face.
Thanks.
Ray
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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The main difference with room A is that the bathroom is shifted towards the chair, which eats up some space. The bathroom door faces the corridor. My wife and I had room A on our honeymoon 22 years ago. It was our first Superliner trip, so we weren't even aware of the difference. We figured all the rooms were like that. It worked fine for us.
sbalax Member # 2801
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I'd say it's a tossup. I've ridden in A and it is a bit smaller. There's less flexibility in the placement of the chair and you may also get more noise from the door between cars opening and shutting. On the otherhand, you do have one less "neighbor" to contend with. I would think the ride would be pretty similar.
Hope that helps.
Frank in blustery SBA
royaltrain Member # 622
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Take Bedroom "B" if at all possible. A few years ago I had no choice but to take "A" from San Antonio to Tucson and I can assure you that in addition to being smaller, it is located in the roughest riding part of the car. As well, the door leading to the other cars is constantly opening and closing, and the noise is very annoying. I think Amtrak should charge a lower fare for this particular accommodation given its smaller size and poor location.
mikesmith Member # 447
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Also, guess who is going to work at 5:00 am and guess who is getting off work at 11:00 pm? Yep, the entire diner staff and every one of them passes right by room A, with the opening and closing of the door noise waking you up each morning or evening.
Go for "B", and hope for noiseless trucks. It sits right on top of those trucks {steel wheels}.
mr williams Member # 1928
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Apologies for jumping in on this thread but I'm travelling in a bedroom for the first time next month. I've got "E" on the Sunset - any pros/cons with that particular room? And is it right that there's only one sleeper on the SL nowadays?
Pojon Member # 3080
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Enjoy the sleeping accomodations while they last!
Ray S Member # 3175
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Thanks for the info. I changed to one day earlier and will ride in bedroom "E".
Ray
Geoff M Member # 153
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It's interesting reading about the differing opinions of people riding above the trucks. In essence it seems to be entirely down to taste, so what is good for one person is horrible for another.
Let's take the three main positions: end of car, over the truck, middle of car.
End of car: Lateral movement away from the direction of travel, like sitting at the rear of a long bus.
Above trucks: No lateral movement but you turn "with" the car. However, you get the full force (minus suspension) of bumps in the track.
Middle of car: Lateral movement in the direction of travel, and you get bumps from both trucks, albeit halved in force.
My preference is actually 1/4 or 3/4 of the way down the car. D/E and rooms 3/4/5/6 probably fit that bill.
Any thoughts?
Geoff M.
royaltrain Member # 622
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I always request "E" when I travel Amtrak. It is dead centre and therefore has the best riding quality. It has the further advantage of being nearest to where the attendant keeps the ice, coffee etc. One small disadvantage is that "E" is over the doors where passengers are loaded, and sometimes you will hear a slamming noise. That hasn't bothered me however.
CHANGEATJAMAICA Member # 3737
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We had bedroom A last year on the CZ CHI/EMY. We loved it. It was the last bedroom on the train with only a string of freight cars behind. It was like living at the end of street with no outlet; no traffic. We had bedroom A on the SWC LAX/CHI and had the opposite experience. The transitional sleeper was behind us and the staff streamed by at all hours of the day and night. This year we have bedroom E on the Crescent, Sunset, Starlight and Empire Builder. My fear is with its position at the top of the stairs and across the hall from the (roomette) lavatory and attendants station there's going to be non-stop traffic and noise. This year, as last year we have bedroom B on the Lake Shore. The position last year was at the front of the train just behind the baggage car. There was little or no traffic and we had easy access to our bags. Rodger
CHATTER Member # 1185
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The Crescent is a single-level Viewliner, so there is no bedroom E. There is only A, B and H.
CHANGEATJAMAICA Member # 3737
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Chatters: Woke up during the night last night and the first thing that entered my mind was the thought that the Cresent was a Viewliner. We have Bedroom B PHL/NCO. Sorry for the SeniorMoment. Rodger
Grandma Judy Member # 3278
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I had bedroom A on the Zephyr 4 years ago (before I found this board & learned all kinds of things). For a "queen-size" person as I am, I found the door to the bathroom in bedroom A barely opened wide enough to let my caboose in. I used the chair for my carry-on luggage as there was literally no floor space not in use. I had no problems with room B on the Empire Builder later that same trip.
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