First time in a sleeper

Hey all,

I'm taking Amtrak cross country next month and redeemed about 50,000 AGR points for a mix of roomettes and coach travel. I'm no stranger to train travel (I just took VIA across Canada in coach this July for about 9,000 miles, which I still need to post my trip report about) but this will be my first time on Amtrak in a sleeper.

Are there any little quirks I should know about, perhaps with meals, the rooms themselves, or any of the amenities? I'm also curious about any particular points along the way I should be on the lookout for scenery wise. I'm going straight through each direction with no overnights in layover cities except Portland.

I'm also wondering about baggage on my return trip. I was hoping to check my ski bag but since the Regional I'm on doesn't have checked baggage, would I be able to check it to Washington DC? That's why I chose Westerly over Providence on the return trip. I imagine my bags would take the more direct route via the Empire Builder and Capitol Limited if I was able to do that. Going west I'd be checking them at Providence straight through to Seattle.

Here's my itinerary:

Regional #67 Providence, RI to New York, coach

Cardinal, New York to Maysville, KY, coach

Cardinal, Maysville, KY to Chicago, roomette

Empire Builder, Chicago to Seattle, roomette

== 5 days up to Whistler, BC via car==

Cascades, Seattle to Portland, coach

Coast Starlight, Portland to Sacramento, roomette (on a Saturday where the PPC should run)

California Zephyr, Sacramento to Chicago, roomette

Capitol Limited, Chicago to Washington, coach

Regional, Washington to Westerly, RI, coach

Thanks in advance,

Josh

Hi Josh!

Why not stop in the San Juan Islands on the way to or from Whistler? The closest you'll get is Burlington on I-5--note the bridge over the Skagit River here. Part of it fell into the river a few years ago, and so there is a section of very different construction on the bridge. If you have twenty extra minutes, detour via Chuckanut Drivehttps://www.wsdot.wa.gov/LocalPrograms/ScenicByways/Chuckanut.htm along cliffs above the ocean.

As for sleeper tips: duct tape gaffer tape. You never know when or where you'll need it, but it's good to have.

Please don't use duct tape on Amtrak. Gaffer tape accomplishes the same task without leaving any sticky residue. Thanks!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaffer_tape

Maglev said:

Hi Josh!

Why not stop in the San Juan Islands on the way to or from Whistler? The closest you'll get is Burlington on I-5--note the bridge over the Skagit River here. Part of it fell into the river a few years ago, and so there is a section of very different construction on the bridge. If you have twenty extra minutes, detour via Chuckanut Drivehttps://www.wsdot.wa.gov/LocalPrograms/ScenicByways/Chuckanut.htm along cliffs above the ocean.

As for sleeper tips: duct tape. You never know when or where you'll need it, but it's good to have.

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That looks like a worthy detour! I'm leading a trip of 30 (the other 29 are meeting me at the Seattle airport the day after I get in) but I don't think an extra 20 minutes will kill us. Thanks for the tip!

Sleeper items I bring are surge power strip, tape, shims, a multi-purpose tool that is a screw driver etc. small high power Flashlight, extension cord, though I rarely use it. Also carry a mini first aid kit.

LOL As an almost monthly bedroom user on the AT - I always carry duct tape,WD-40, and 2 rubber door-stops. I'd say 1-outta-10 times the ceiling vent actually closes! I bring my "pizza-box cardboard" on every trip to duct tape on top of the vent. I AM very careful about the "residue" when I pull it off. WD-40 has 1,000 uses...one is as a cleaning agent! I never heard of "Gaffer tape" Where do you get it???????

You said that you were checking your bags westbound at PVD, but are returning to WLY. Are you actually departing from PVD too?

If not, after PVD and/or KIN, the Conductor could hit the “All Done” button onhis/her scanner and because yourticket was not lifted, you will be tagged as a no-show. ALL future reservations on that reservation will be automatically cancelled!

Anytime you arrive or depart in a sleeper, you can use the Lounge during the layover. That means you can use the ML in CHI on the way out, and the ML in PDX and CHI on the way back.

You could check your bags to WAS. However, should the CL be so late that you have to get right on your Regional, you would need to go back to WAS to retrieve your bags. If you were going to PVD,you could check them right to PVD.

As far as meals, you can order any meal off the menu for no charge. If desired, at breakfast you can also get juice, drink and a side of meat. Lunch also includes (if you get a burger and if desired) cheese and bacon, desert (if desired) and drink. Dinner includes a salad (you may have to ask for it), desert (if desired) and drink. Alcoholic beverages are not included.

Any meal that requires a reservation (dinner and maybe lunch), the LSA will come to your room to give you a reservation time.

Yup, I'm driving from Vermont to a friends house in Rhode Island, roughly equidistant between Westerly and Providence. I could change my reservation to return to PVD, but since I'm not going to be on a Regional with baggage heading back, I'd worry when my bags would get there.

You could have saved yourself a few $/points by taking coach on the Coast Starlight from Portland to Klamath Falls (10PM) getting the roomette to Sacramento.

Chances are you will arrive in Sacramento before breakfast (as early as 5:30AM). There are several good places in SAC for breakfast.

tomfuller said:

You could have saved yourself a few $/points by taking coach on the Coast Starlight from Portland to Klamath Falls (10PM) getting the roomette to Sacramento.

Chances are you will arrive in Sacramento before breakfast (as early as 5:30AM). There are several good places in SAC for breakfast.

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I snagged a low bucket roomette so it would only be a difference of about $30ish. The AGR agent I talked to was surprised my entire trip was low bucket, especially since I had no flexibility in my dates.

Or even go business class on the CS right from PDX.

Take several feet of duct tape wrapped around a pencil. It is indeed useful.

Gaffer's tape is commonly used in the tv/movie or music business to tape down wires on a floor to minimize tripping hazards. I use it when setting up for a hockey coaching seminar, venues like it because of the much decreased likelihood of leaving sticky residue. Try a music or sound store (like a Sam Ash) or a major video and AV supplier like BH Photo. Available online as well. They do so much TV/Film production by me I can almost always get "short" rolls that would be discarded at the end of a day's work.

City of Miami said:

Take several feet of duct tape wrapped around a pencil. It is indeed useful.

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Duct tape is a must-have for long distance hikers. I always have several feet wrapped around my Nalgene (water) bottle. Never thought about having on a rail journey, but it could come in handy. Now that I've learned about gaffer tape that would possibly work as well and not be damaging.

This site is always full of amazing factoids.

Just another item on that list for curious folks... The Gaffer is the lead electrician on a production site (that's how the name became applied to the tape and it stuck ouch/sorry)

I like the rubber door stop but coming up from WPB to NYP yesterday we didn't have one with us. As things work out our Roomette door was a "rattler" and our car attendant, Alan showed us how to use the spare toilet paper roll to wedge in and stop the rattle!

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I second the recommendation to take a short detour via Chuckanut Drive. It's gorgeous! The only time I would not, it is there is snow/ice on the roadway down to valley floor level in Western Washington. They will be taking much better care of I-5 under those conditions.

tomfuller said:

You could have saved yourself a few $/points by taking coach on the Coast Starlight from Portland to Klamath Falls (10PM) getting the roomette to Sacramento.
Chances are you will arrive in Sacramento before breakfast (as early as 5:30AM). There are several good places in SAC for breakfast.

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Yes, but you wouldn't get dinner, which is served between Eugene and Chemult.

FreeskierInVT said:

I snagged a low bucket roomette so it would only be a difference of about $30ish. The AGR agent I talked to was surprised my entire trip was low bucket, especially since I had no flexibility in my dates.

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I'm not surprised that a long distance train trip is all low-bucket in January!! Will you be back in the mad River Valley in February?

FreeskierInVT said:

I snagged a low bucket roomette so it would only be a difference of about $30ish. The AGR agent I talked to was surprised my entire trip was low bucket, especially since I had no flexibility in my dates.

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I'm not surprised that a long distance train trip is all low-bucket in January!! Will you be back in the mad River Valley in February?

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I'll only be back in VT for a few days after my trip before I head back to Stony Brook for school

I try to pack as lightly as possible, so I use an Amtrak-provided washcloth to stop the door rattle.

As for the duct tape, I really wish more people would use gaffer tape. I've seen countless roomettes covered in residue (particularly near the vent and door) that then attracts dirt and makes the rooms look dingy. You can't really complain about how dirty the rooms look if you're contributing to it.

If you don't want to buy gaffer tape, at least take a moment to clean your tape residue off the ceiling/walls near the end of the trip.

Be sure to take 1-2 packets of Clorox wipes. I'm always astonished at how filthy the tray tables and other hard surfaces are in both coach seats and roomettes. It usually takes a minimum of 2 wipes to clean my surroundings on a train. (I follow the same routine on planes, equally dirty.)

Sounds like you'll have the Roomette to yourself.

That's always my situation.

So I sleep in the top bunk (upstairs) and leave the 'downstairs' in the Day configuration.

I like having the extra space to dress in the morning, and to leave my laptop/GPS recording all night on the foldout table so if I get up in the middle of the night I can see where we are and/or can sit for a time and look out the window.

SarahZ said:

As for the duct tape, I really wish more people would use gaffer tape. I've seen countless roomettes covered in residue (particularly near the vent and door) that then attracts dirt and makes the rooms look dingy. You can't really complain about how dirty the rooms look if you're contributing to it.

If you don't want to buy gaffer tape, at least take a moment to clean your tape residue off the ceiling/walls near the end of the trip.

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Lowes (and perhaps other hardware chains) sells a "low-residue" duct tape. More expensive than basic duct tape, and really does come off clean.

Travel size gaffer tape:

Pocket Gaff Tape, 1" x 6 yd., Black

When you board the cardinal in NY, check the toilet immediately. When we left L.A., someone in the car did that. It was only then that the crew realized that none of the toilets in the car were working. Good thing!

After 2 hours of trying to fix the problem, they brought in a replacement car. Can't do easily after the train leaves.

the_traveler said:

As far as meals, you can order any meal off the menu for no charge. If desired, at breakfast you can also get juice, drink and a side of meat. Lunch also includes (if you get a burger and if desired) cheese and bacon, desert (if desired) and drink. Dinner includes a salad (you may have to ask for it), desert (if desired) and drink. Alcoholic beverages are not included.

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I am not sure FreeskierInVt will be going by deserts during meal time. Better to suggest that the desserts are included. On the other hand, if enough alcohol is consumed, one might see deserts even in NYC!

I would like to apologize for suggesting that people use duct tape on Amtrak.

KmH said:

Travel size gaffer tape:

Pocket Gaff Tape, 1" x 6 yd., Black

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Thanks! I just ordered a roll.