I am booked in a bedroom on the autotrain next month - in bedroom "M" - I am curious about its location as all the diagrams and layouts show bedrooms A through E only. Has anyone information on where bedroom M would be?
navybanker
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Many thanks - I had heard about all-bedroom cars -with ten on upper level,but figured they wouldjust run A through J -- using A through E and then J through N explains it (but no whatthey have against F, G, H and I).
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
They do have a room 'H' downstairs which is handicapped accessible......
Room 15 is the Family Bedroom and could just as easily been designated room 'F'.
Don't know about the other two though.....maybe they didn't want to show favoritism to old soldiers!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Too much confusion can arise between "I" and "1".
On railroad eleven Bedroom Cars, "I" was a no-show.
I await picking up my tickets at Lorton to find what space I got aboard 53(20). It would be nice if the website would give that information when booking, but not so.
Posted by navybanker (Member # 16430) on :
Avoiding the "I" and "1" confusion makes sense - and I suppose they achieve some sort of symmetry by also dropping "F, G" and "H".
I just picked up my tickets (for March 24 southbound) at a (fortunately) nearby Amtrak station - I did not want to wait until boarding day to make sure booking was correct.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Once again, Seaman....Admiral, "F" desginates the Family Room and "H" designates the Special Room.
Apparently The Family Room is now Room 15 and "H" designates a now "non-term" for passengers with special needs.
The mystery is "G" and that likely is blanked so that all concerned know which side of the stairwell a particular room is located.
The reason the Lower Level Roomettes are 11-14 rather than, say, 1-4, is those numbers will conform with those in the remainder of the Superliner fleet.
Incidentially, the cars in which you are assigned are either immediately ahead of the Diner or immediately ahead of the Lounge. Either case, there is not more than one car through which to pass to arrive at the Diner - and that is an important point to many within Auto Train's demogrAphic
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: I await picking up my tickets at Lorton to find what space I got aboard 53(20). It would be nice if the website would give that information when booking, but not so.
Mr. Norman--
I believe you can call Amtrak Reservations and they will tell you which space you have. At that point you can also change if you are not happy with what the computer assigned you. I know I've done that in the past.
Frank in blustery but still mostly dry SBA
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about Amtrak but had NO idea there were all-bedroom Superliner sleepers. The things one learns hanging around this forum . . .
I need to make friends with more tacos.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
GBN, wouldn't it be possible for you to pick up your tickets at Amtrak Naperville? I always pick mine up at Amtrak Glenview.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Possible sure, but why bother?
They're paid..
Posted by Railroad Bob (Member # 3508) on :
quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about Amtrak but had NO idea there were all-bedroom Superliner sleepers. The things one learns hanging around this forum . . .
I need to make friends with more tacos.
Hi Henry- I'm not sure about what kind of cars currently run on the east coast Amtrak consists, (being a far West guy) but in the "old days" there were most certainly 11 bedroom sleeping cars. Some of them were absorbed into the Heritage fleets of the early 80s Amtrak ops. Rooms were A through K; a "berth key" was needed by the porters to get the upper beds down. This car went by the nickname "Cadillac" by some crews, and was generally worked by more senior porters. The "10-6" car was far more common. Around the mid 80s they all began to disappear, as the Superliner I era got going out west. These historic cars saw further service east of CHI; who knows some may still be running, if they have the "retrofitted" lavs...that don't "drop" to the right-of-way!
Edited to say: I can't remember if there was a Bedroom "I" in these cars??? Been gone too long and I'm old now..but there were 11 full bedrooms that slept 2 adults/ (one up-one down.)
As to tacos, I dunno- East LA has some pretty authentic ones! Posted by MDRR (Member # 2992) on :
The 11 BR cars are pretty much retired now. The last place they ran in revenue service was on the Auto Train before it converted to Bi-Level.
Interestingly, I did see one in Wash. Union Station about a year ago, freshly painted, etc. Not sure what purpose it serves.
Posted by amtrak92 (Member # 14343) on :
Funny I live in a Auto Train state and I didn't know that they had all bedroom cars
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
quote:Originally posted by Railroad Bob: [QUOTE] As to tacos, I dunno- East LA has some pretty authentic ones!
And easy to get to now on the extension of the Gold Line!
Frank in wet and blustery SBA
Posted by navybanker (Member # 16430) on :
I feel it would be appropriate to tip the sleeping car attendent and the dining car waiters -has anyone suggestions on what amount or when to give it? I assume that only the locomotive crew changes in Florence,SC, and that the passenger service crew is on board for the entire trip.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I tip the sleeper attendant ten bucks if my trip is for one night, $15 or $20 if it's two nights -- and if he or she has done a truly good job for me. Others believe in $5 or $10.
In the dining car, I tip 20 per cent of the total retail cost of the dinner. Others tip 15 per cent.
Some folks believe Amtrak service crew members are paid so well they shouldn't be tipped -- but I believe the Internal Revenue Service assumes a certain tip income for them every year. So . . .
Posted by navybanker (Member # 16430) on :
Thanks for your input -- it is about what I thought. Regardless of how well someone is paid, if he/she provides a personal service, I believe some sort of personal recognition is appropriate.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Holiday Inn Express W Boca Raton FL (honest; Andy Smith: It's OK)
I guess time for a quick report on Voyage #19 53(20)
480 Passengers 202 Autos arrived SFA 745A or 1'45" EARLY.
Beef Tournedos prepared exactly as ordered and all the "comp" wine you could responsibly drink.
State of Good Repair is a good word - everything worked.
Since the B end was forward on the SB run, Bedroom "D" line 5344 (S-II "Idaho") was forward riding. CSX A-Line trackage is markedly improved over prior voyages. Now that the transportation contract is complete, the fare for me in a Bedroom and Lex Noir in the racks was $665. My tippimg guidelines are same as Mr. Kisor $10 Attendant $5 at Dinner $2 Breakfast and $2 at "comp" pre-departure Wine & Cheese tasting.
All told, Amtrak's best foot forward. I continue to be surprised how few here have tried it our.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Have tried the Auto-Train and hope to do so again someday....... Ours was 5 hours late due to frozen switches but can still remember the sight of Fayetteville, NC (where I lived for four years) outside our bedroom window at 5:00am looking not unlike pictures I've seen of winter in Moscow.
Food was good..... the extra lunch of canned beef stew and chicken fingers even.....
The deterrent to AT for my family is that even though there are inlaws to visit in Florida, the drive to Lorton from our house is only a couple of hours shorter than what it takes to just drive to the north end of Orlando anyway.
Posted by navybanker (Member # 16430) on :
Gilbert Norman --Glad to read you had a good trip. We are looking forward to our first Auto Train trip on March 24. I suppose because it is late in the season for a southbound run, ours came to $611 for two in a bedroom (M) plus Honda.
Posted by ehbowen (Member # 4317) on :
quote: All told, Amtrak's best foot forward. I continue to ve surprised how few here have tried it our.
I'm not exactly convenient to the terminals, but still...maybe a drive over to Florida to visit the Mouse, then northbound on AT to Washington & vicinity, visit the Smithsonian and such, then either direct back to Texas or retrace my steps through Florida. Hmmm. Interesting possibility. Can't do it this year, but maybe next. What's Auto Train's "off season", for ticketing purposes?
Posted by MDRR (Member # 2992) on :
The best off season times for Auto Train are when the the kids are in school and when the Snow Birds aren't migrating South/North...ie mid January is a good time, early to mid September is good time, etc.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
GBN - Glad to hear you made the trek from Cleveland without mishap. We have a friend who will stop by shortly after making a drive from RI enroute FL. He reported 3" of new snow in Balt. this morning. You picked a good time to join the snow birds.
Now why can't Amtrak make all trains as good as AT? I guess there are different union rules for AT staff - think that makes a difference?
As for us, maybe next year.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
GBN, some of us don't care to go to Florida at all and so there is no reason for us to drive out east and take the train south. (You seen one palmetto bug, you seen 'em all.) On the other hand, all that wine one could responsibly drink . . . What about irresponsibly? Is that possible?
All the same, I'd love to check the AT off my bucket list. It sounds like a splendid trip.
Palmland, why would there be different union rules for AT crews? Amtrak is Amtrak, isn't it?
Posted by MDRR (Member # 2992) on :
There aren't really any different rules to speak of for A/T OBS employees, although it is considered a separate craft, ie separate seniority roster from rest of OBS around the country. Part of the reason for the consistent service, imho, is the fact that they still have permanent OBS Chief's that ride/work these trains. Also due to the volume of work/passenger loads, there is more of a teamwork atmosphere amongst the A/T crews.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
A few years back, I attended a Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers meeting in Winter Park, and one of the speakers was the Amtrak Florida Market Manager. He told us that the crews that worked the A/T were essentially hand-picked, and represented the "best of the best" Amtrak personnel. Don't know if they work under different rules, but I'm sure some additional "bennies" must inure to them.
Posted by SilverStar092 (Member # 2652) on :
Interesting to revisit the old 11 BR sleepers. I didn't recall the cars I rode skipping letter "I", a fact confirmed in my old "Pullman Company Descriptive List of Cars". Seaboard all-bedroom sleepers used car diagram 236 which shows bedrooms A-K including "I". These 6 cars were named "Avon Park, Hialeah, Ocala, Sebring, Tallahassee, and Venice". UP 11 BR sleepers from the "Placid" series: "Placid Bay, Placid Waters", etc. are from the same diagram number. My book doesn't show UP's 11 BR "Star" or "Sun" series. C&O 11 BR cars such as "Monticello", "Mount Vernon", etc. and Southern's "Royal" series ("Royal Court", etc.) are based on diagram 270 which also designates a bedroom "I". It would be interesting to see if there are indeed any cars that skip that letter.
Posted by SilverStar092 (Member # 2652) on :
To GBN: Welcome back to Florida. Are you driving back to Illinois or Amtraking on A-T? If driving, when and via which routing?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I always thought it a mistake for Amtrak to do away with the OBS chief position. A good one solved many problems quickly and headed off others. I met one who had plunged into the Colorado River and rescued a No. 5 passenger bent on drowning herself.
Like others here, I've noticed a distinct improvement in the quality of on-board service on all the Amtrak trains I've ridden in the last year and a half, and have heard that retraining has been involved. Perhaps Auto-Train has inspired that.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mike, the On Board Service crews hold what in the industry is known as Partly Excepted positions. They are covered by Agreement, but instead of the traditional "bid and bump' prevalent throughout the industry, they are selected by management for the positions. On some roads, swuch positions are known as "PAD" i.e. exempt from Promotion Assingment and Displacement rules.
Of interest, I learned that for Train & Engine crews, the jobs are not all that desirable as they involve a double lodging 27 hour layover at away-from-home Florence. The Assistant Conductor on 53(20) formerly held a VRE job, but when Amtrak lost that contract and he chose to stay with Amtrak (that takeover was indeed "fractuous"), he had to take what he could hold. Prior to the VRE loss, the jopbs were often force assigned.
But with the existing schedule, there is simply no alternative such as basing T&E at Florence with short rest (respite) at Lorton (even more of a problem under the RSIA '08 revisions to Hours of Service).
Finally, my return will be drive with scheduled stops in Statesboro (th) and Nashville (Fr) arriving home Saturday evening.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
I think the different roster, as MDRR explains, on AT is a legacy of the days when it was privately operated. Maybe someone can confirm. Certainly handpicking your staff would go a long way to insuring consistency of service. From a crew standpoint I would think it would be desirable too. Probably good tippers and no passengers getting on or off in the middle of the night. So again, if it works well here, why not clone it in the midwest - as we have discussed many times.
Interesting, GBN, about the T&E crews. Even though I'm a resident of the state, Florence would not be a place I'd want to spend 24 hours every week. Nothing near the train station, except a hospital, and no doubt they are lodged in a motel near the Interstates. Guess you could spend your time at Denny's. Sounds like they could run a second section of AT some 12 hours later and get a faster turnaround on those crews!
Posted by CHATTER (Member # 1185) on :
quote:The mystery is "G" and that likely is blanked so that all concerned know which side of the stairwell a particular room is located.
Perhaps to avoid confusion between "6" and "G"?
Posted by 20th Century (Member # 2196) on :
Mr. Norman's AutoTrain trip entices me. But I don't enjoy very long drives so I would probably do an AutoTrain roundtrip. Lorton is 3.5 hours from New Hope, PA.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Holiday Inn Statesboro GA--
One third of the way home.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
GBN, you should be on Facebook . . .
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Face what?
(joking)
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Concur, Mr. Presley
I am on Linkedin, FWIW
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Actually, I prefer the telegraph.
But that does make me wonder - if someday forums of this type will be on Facebook or some social networking site? What would you lose or gain?
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
About a week before I finished graduate school I was chatting with an undergraduate student on the bus and she mentioned this new thing she had learned about in the computer lab....
She said "It's called email and I think it might really catch on....."
That was the first I had ever heard of email and sites such as this were beyond my imagination at that point....
And that was not that long ago..... not quite 17 years actually. There have been so many changes since. Lot's of changes just since I discovered RailForum 7 years ago this month.
Posted by navybanker (Member # 16430) on :
quote:Originally posted by notelvis: About a week before I finished graduate school I was chatting with an undergraduate student on the bus and she mentioned this new thing she had learned about in the computer lab....
She said "It's called email and I think it might really catch on....."
That was the first I had ever heard of email and sites such as this were beyond my imagination at that point....
And that was not that long ago..... not quite 17 years actually. There have been so many changes since. Lot's of changes just since I discovered RailForum 7 years ago this month.
In 1982 Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company in New York introduced "Comet" - utilizing Local Area Networks to link the basic computer terminals on our desks which had been previously only used to access computerized avvount records - it was cumbersome to access, but it was possible to enter messages addressed to other in-bank users -- I hated it, was convinced it would never take off, and only very reluctantly started using it --- it's been downhill ever since.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Marriott Courtyard Vanderbilt U Nashville--
Two thirds of the way home.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
There was a time in my life where I owned season tickets for the Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
"Tied up" as of 430P CT Sat Feb 26 after a 20min "delay" to shovel 1" of that "Blanc" stuff off the drive.
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
Welcome home Gil. Please tell me that the weather will change radically in the next month. It is little more than that until our visit. Same for Boston TBlack.
I don't do cold weather well.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
83 degrees here today. The only thing I have to shovel comes from the "exhaust" of my horses. Sorry, Vicki!
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
Well, it is not that hot here but it is sure a lot warmer than CHI, BOS, etc.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
welcome home, GBN.
80 degrees today in SC. We talked with relatives in AZ today and it was in the 40's. This time of year anything is possible.
Headed to baseball in FL next week.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: GBN, some of us don't care to go to Florida at all
Mr. Kisor, even though I have been to Florida more times in this life than I can count (but have never set foot on the Upper Peninsula), I am still of the "no earlier than Thanx nor later than Easter (forget THIS year's Easter, which is as late as I ever recall)" gang.
There was one exception however; this was a response to a family emergency during August 1998. What I shall not forget was the blast of torrid, humid air walking the 'jet-way" at KFLL (also from parking lot to hospital and v.v - and 'crawling little friends" about the hotel grounds - as well as one that sneaked into my room through the A/C unit). It was even worse than that I felt arriving at VVTS (look that one up yourself: hint, the IATA for same is SGN) during July '67.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Hello Saigon..... and that's an educated guess made without looking anything up.
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
Having just been there I agree. Hot and humid is an understatement.
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
That was one country we sadly didn't get time to see during our whirlwind honeymoon tour of SE Asia. I fully intend to resolve that in the future. Several trains to ride there!
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
I landed at Kimpo in S. Korea, August, 1966. Very hot and humid there as well (and fragrant!).
Rode trains behind steam in Korea, 1966-1967. By far the best way to travel in a country that size then, and probably still is now.
Posted by navybanker (Member # 16430) on :
March 24 Auto-Train trip was a pleasant surprise. On arriving at Lorton we were advised that, because incoming northbound had been delayed two hours due to heavy smoke from brush fires, boarding would be delayed at least an hour. The informative quality and frequency of announcement updates were models of customer service. While boarding started about 45 minutes late, it was completed efficiently (165 cars and about 350 passengers), with the result that the train departed at 3:45 rather than 4:00 PM. Sleeping car attendant (Chris) was helpful and informative, dining car attendants were also friendly and efficient. The dinner (beef filets) was surprisingly good, and the ulimited wine (proudly identified as Virginian) was of high quality. The ride was even and steady; what railroad noise there was acted more as lullaby than annoyance. I would have appreciated the thicker masttresses I recall from Pullman equipment up until 1960's, but the bunks were fairly comfortable., The only problem was rattling of door to shower/toilet - which was fixed by wedging a wash cloth in while closing it, which eliminated the noise. After a good continental breakfast, we arrived Stanford precisely at 9:00 AM, and were in our car and underway at about 9:35. Overall, the trip was comfortble, refreshingly well-managed and a real value. Probably being a southbound run this time of year made it less crowded -- I am virtually certain to repeat in 2012. Overall, the operation was well run from beginning to end.
Posted by 20th Century (Member # 2196) on :
Thank you for your very positive summary of your Auto-Train trip. It encourages me to travel on it. It's always nice to hear when someone enjoys a train trip.
Posted by SilverStar092 (Member # 2652) on :
Glad to hear your trip was so enjoyable. How was the new station in Sanford?
Posted by navybanker (Member # 16430) on :
The Sanford station is roomy and well laid-out; very similar in design and appearance to the Lorton station: news stand, snack bar, information and ticket desk. They have a very efficient multiple lane system for picking up your car as your number is called, so there is no delay if one or two owners are slow to claim their cars
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Thanks for the positive report. Did you sample the lounge car? Was it a Sightseer or a diner acting as lounge-as has been the norm on AT.
I wonder if there is a market, at least during the busy seasons, for a second section of the train with maybe a 8PM departure. Although I suspect Amtrak doesn't have track capacity in Lorton for additional train set -assuming they could round up enough cars.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Mr. Palmland's immediate, it would appear that he would prefer to have 330XX Sightseer Lounges regularly assigned to the Auto Train rather than the 3310X "diner acting as a lounge".
The six Lounges that were converted from 380XX Diners are configured Tables, Snack Bar, Lounge Banquettes and Settees on the Upper Level. On the Lower, there is Smoking Lounge (for which I give an A-/B+ for keeping me and the foul fog separated), a deactivated phone booth, and additional Lounge Settees. There are two cars assigned to each set with one in the Coach and the other in the Sleeper sections of the consist. The car in the Sleeper section is placed Tables forward and hence adjacent to the Diner. On peak journeys, those tables are used for Diner seating. Although I normally do not use the Lounge car on any train (hey I'm paying heap big wampum for my privacy; use it), I guess an exception is the "comp' wine tasting offered on AT.
Any reader here knows my thoughts (...if you've seen one Pine Tree...) regarding the route's scenery, and I think Amtrak was wise to reassign Sightseers away from the AT and rebuild surplus Diners (lest we forget, just as the S-II's were being delivered, the Mercer Cuts whacked the Pioneer and Desert Wind) to Lounges.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
GBN - sounds like they've done a nice job on the lounges, but yes, I'd still rather see a sightseer.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: GBN, you should be on Facebook . . .
I was; for about three weeks. I guess you could say my curiosity was aroused enough to 'find out what it is all about"; what with this movie and upcoming IPO.
On March 11, I set up an account complete with photo and a reasonably full profile. I amassed fifteen "friends" all of who I knew personally. However, with the collection of mindless tweet like "status updates' and considering the care that I take when posting here, I was soon wondering 'what's here for me"?
On April 3, I requested that the account be deleted.
Posted by navybanker (Member # 16430) on :
GBN - I share your views as to the non-necessity of Sightseers on the Auto-train route and the inanity of Facebook: The Tidewater region of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia as well as the Florida flatlands require no great vista-watching equipment; and after a monthlong sampling of the blogging and twittering I dropped Facebook.
Palmland - Good thought about a second section, although a departure later than 8PM might generate better demand.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Voyage #20 will be aboard #52(29).
Space assigned is C/5240. Fare? well, I'm like Willard and his Tax Returns.
Oh well, it looks like I am committed to a trip report.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)