I just book myself SBA/LAX/CHI using the Surfliner and the Southwest Chief. I splurged on a bedroom and the computer assigned me Room A, Car 0430. I've read the pros and cons of this Room and have ridden in it and that's not a big deal. My question is, where in the consist will Car 0430 be?
Thanks in advance,
Frank in Balmy SBA
Posted by Kiernan (Member # 3828) on :
The sleeping cars on the Southwest Chief are always in the front behind the baggage car, at least when they come through Lamy! The last time I was in Lamy I noticed that the westbound Chief had three sleepers. The dining car is behind the sleepers, then the lounge car, then the passenger cars. I think they're down to three engines on the Chief now.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Line #0430 should be the closest Sleeper to the Diner
Posted by Railvt (Member # 1397) on :
Some passengers object to Room A because it's over the wheels. The A rooms are also very slightly smaller than Deluxe Bedrooms B, C, D and E, because a tiny slice is taken out of the room to allow space for the curve in the outside walkway-corridor from the door to the next car--but this space does not come out the useable seating/sleeping area in the room--it slightly reduces the space in front of the shower/toilet door.
All Deluxe Bedrooms include a three-quarter sized lower berth (almost a small double), a standard upper, a private toilet with shower, washbasin, table and an arm chair that is accessible even when the bed is made-up for the night. In the day-time the lower makes up into a long sofa and the upper folds away. The sofa faces the arm chair across the table (which can be folded away if desired).
Carl Fowler Rail Travel Center
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
It's been awhile since I've been in "A" but I seem to recall that the door to the toilet/shower opened on the corridor side of the room instead of the window side of the room making the space for the armchair very limited. In the other bedrooms the door opens toward the window. I'll be by myself this time around and will probably spend quite a bit of time prone on the couch.
On my last Starlight trip we lost all water pressure in the car so the Attendant moved a couple of us from Roomettes (then called Standard Bedrooms) into un-occupied Bedrooms (then called Deluxe Bedrooms) to make up for the inconvenience. We still didn't have water but it was nice to have the space. That was two trips in a row, by the way, where I was in a car on the Starlight that lost all water pressure.
I'm doing a quick SBA/SAN/SBA overnight this weekend and leave on the 16th on #4 for CHI. Looking forward to it!
Frank in cloudy and cool SBA
Posted by amtraxmaniac (Member # 2251) on :
I would think it would be the very front sleeping care just behind the transition dorm (or it could be the transition dorm itself)Doesn't the order go from front to back: ..30..31..32...
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
Are there Bedrooms in the transition dorms? I was under the impression that they were all roomettes. I also understand that there are cars on the AutoTrain that are all Bedrooms. Correct?
Frank in windy SBA
Posted by MDRR (Member # 2992) on :
The transition cars are strictly roomettes, although some have a handicapped room downstairs but that isn't sold to the public. Yes the auto train has some cars with strictly bedrooms built for them due to high demand for them on this service. and finally the sleeper numbers generally go higher away from center of train, ie 0300 closest to diner then 01 then 02, etc.
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The last time I was in Lamy I noticed that the westbound Chief had three sleepers. The dining car is behind the sleepers, then the lounge car, then the passenger cars. I think they're down to three engines on the Chief now.