Southwest Chief: Overhead storage bin size???

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nora_roan

nora_roan

Train Attendant
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
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OK, am trying to figure out what size luggage to take with me on my trip. Am not too thrilled with the idea of leaving my bags out of my sight in a rack "downstairs" on the train by the door where people come and go at each stop. Call me paranoid, but there you have it. In any case, does anyone know the actual dimensions of bags that will fit overhead above the seats in coach? Or the actual dimensions of the overhead bins themselves? I want to know what I can or cannot fit up there.

Thanks,

Karen Jane
 
Karen,

The luggage rack will actually hold a bag that is larger than what Amtrak actually allows for carry-on's. One could probably put a foot locker up there, assuming you could actually lift it up that high. The problem really would be trying to get the foot locker up the stairs to the upper level, as they're rather narrow and make 2- 90 degree turns; almost light house like.

But you would have no problem putting a suitcase above you that maxes out Amtrak's maximum size, as opposed to leaving it down below.
 
Thanks for the advice. The small suitcase I want to take is within the dimensions of the carry-on size, but other people have told me it still won't fit overhead and I'll have to leave it down in the racks. Am getting conflicting reports on what will fit overhead. Am being told everything from "only purses and small backpacks" to "big suitcases and even a bicycle". Am completely confused... :blink:
 
I plan to bring a small rolling suitcase that measures 23 X 13.5 X 7. That is under Amtrak's size limit, but will it fit in the overhead bin? Also, do the overhead bins/racks get full quickly? Sorry for asking such silly questions but I want to pack accordingly to make this as worry free as possible for me. :)
 
Yes, that will definitely fit above your seat. Again, the rack is huge. I'm 5'11" and 160 lbs and I could probably fit in the luggage rack. It's an open rack, no bins with doors.
 
On Superliners (what the southwest chief uses) the overhead racks never fill up. There often nearly empty. I always bring my luggage upstairs and easily found a spot for my bag (a full backpacking backpack) as the last to be seated on a completely full car. The place that does fill up is the luggage rack downstairs. Boarding on that trip they were telling everyone with luggage to go to the Superliner With a baggage compartment on the lower level.
 
Like others have said in this thread, if you can get your luggage up the narrow, twisting stairway to the upper level, you can get it in an overhead rack on a Superliner coach or even leave it on the floor in front of you. There is plenty of room. Most of what folks know about overhead luggage racks results from airline travel and the relatively small, enclosed bins overhead on an aircraft.

Personally, we always lock our luggage and, with the exception of valuables and necessities needed at the seat, we leave it on the rack downstairs. Yes, on a full train, it gets moved around a bit but have not had anything stolen.
 
Hrrrmmm... Does anyone have a pic of this stairwell I will have to navagate? Might be good to have an idea of what to expect... Also, thanks to everyone for the advice and tips. You all are really helpful!
 
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My suitcase that I normally travel with is 14 inches wide, stands 23 inches tall, and is 7 inches thick and I have no trouble getting it up the stairs, even though I don't normally carry it upstairs. Since I'm usually in a sleeper, I leave it downstairs as there is less room in a sleeper for luggage.
 
AlanB said:
My suitcase that I normally travel with is 14 inches wide, stands 23 inches tall, and is 7 inches thick and I have no trouble getting it up the stairs, even though I don't normally carry it upstairs. Since I'm usually in a sleeper, I leave it downstairs as there is less room in a sleeper for luggage.
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Alan,

Sounds like that is about the same size as my suitcase is. I don't think I am gonna have trouble getting it up those stairs, thanks for posting the pic! Does your suitcase of this size fit in the overhead racks in coach seating?

Thanks!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
rusty spike said:
Like others have said in this thread, if you can get your luggage up the narrow, twisting stairway to the upper level, you can get it in an overhead rack on a Superliner coach or even leave it on the floor in front of you. There is plenty of room. Most of what folks know about overhead luggage racks results from airline travel and the relatively small, enclosed bins overhead on an aircraft.

Personally, we always lock our luggage and, with the exception of valuables and necessities needed at the seat, we leave it on the rack downstairs. Yes, on a full train, it gets moved around a bit but have not had anything stolen.
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Good advice as far as my experience goes.

Typically on Superliners (all the west coast long distance trains I have experienced) -- you could carry on two air size complying carryons and stash them in the overhead racks no problem at all.. probably even if the train is sold out.

The downstairs racks are like the front baggage space closets I've seen on a few economy flights - they do get overflowed sometimes - but rarely. and are about as secure - meaning - no sweat.

Not like my last two intercontinental flights where there was one carryon allowed and by the time I got my losing last-boarding class mini-sized seat all the overhead space was taken by early boarders with their max-and-oversized luggage and the boarding crew were forcing checking of excess bags and my one "personal item" (a small backpack "7inches by 16inches by24inches) barely fit under the seat ahead.

Such is not likely on Amtrak. It may be late but there's usually plenty of room (outside of the congested rail corridors which is another thing altogether, and not real typical on the long-distance western trains)
 
nora_roan said:
AlanB said:
My suitcase that I normally travel with is 14 inches wide, stands 23 inches tall, and is 7 inches thick and I have no trouble getting it up the stairs, even though I don't normally carry it upstairs. Since I'm usually in a sleeper, I leave it downstairs as there is less room in a sleeper for luggage.
Click to expand...
Alan,

Sounds like that is about the same size as my suitcase is. I don't think I am gonna have trouble getting it up those stairs, thanks for posting the pic! Does your suitcase of this size fit in the overhead racks in coach seating?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
For sure - no question - the stairs are the hard part - the overhead is no problemo.
 
Thanks again for all the useful advice. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, came down with a nasty case of the flu. Anyway, comparing luggage space on a train with the space on board a plane does me no good. Am almost 40 yrs old and have never flown, am terrified of planes. So I can't use that info as a comparison... :p
 
nora_roan said:
Thanks again for all the useful advice. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, came down with a nasty case of the flu. Anyway, comparing luggage space on a train with the space on board a plane does me no good. Am almost 40 yrs old and have never flown, am terrified of planes. So I can't use that info as a comparison... :p
Click to expand...
Once you have been on that train, you will have even less desire to fly!
 
Storage space on a plane = shoebox

Storage space in Coach on a train = walk-in closet

:)
 
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