So many questions (H room, shipping, etc.)

I have questions. It's been a few years since I have been on the train. I rode on the CZ & the LSL.

I know I can go to the website but the website can be confusing & sometimes it is on maintenance time. I also know I can call a number or go to the ticket agent but I like talking to the professionals & the experts which are the people in this group.

My husband has cerebral palsy & uses a power chair. Coach was the best a few years ago for the both of us but we were talking about riding in one of the handicapped rooms. Which one would be best & what is included in the cost besides meals? Would the room be best on the CZ or the LSL because of the meal choices now?

We are moving back to NYC from Denver. We have to transfer all of our furniture [not much there] & boxes to & from. Does AMTRAK have a shipping thing? Would they store our things once it gets to our destination until we pick it up?

We are thinking of taking the CZ to Chicago & then transferring to NYC but instead of the LSL, we would take the train another route through VA & DC since my Mom & brother recently moved to Lynchburg, VA. Is that the best way to go or should we just stick with the LSL?

Has anyone here ever rode on coach in one train & then when they transferred rode in a sleeper car? Would it be cheaper that way?

I may have more questions as time gets closer in October/November. Thank you for your help. It is very much appreciated.

The only extras that are included with any sleeper accommodations, beyond food and (soft) drink, is use of the lounges, if the stations you are using even offer it.

I don't think Amtrak offers bulk shipping anymore. Any furniture and moving boxes you want to bring along, would need to fit into your regular luggage allowances.

IIRC, the H room on each of these trains costs the same as a roomette, if you're booking it for someone who uses a wheelchair or has another disability for which the room is needed. Also, you'd be eligible for a discounted companion fare (10 or 15% off the ticket price?) since you'll be traveling with your husband. With the H room, all meals are included en route. And if you book a sleeper on EITHER of the two trains you'll be taking, you'll have access to the sleeper lounge in Chicago in between trains. Definitely ask for a redcap there to get yourselves and your luggage onto the next train. Having traveled with a mobility-impaired parent, I'd definitely recommend sleepers for both legs if you can afford it.

To get to Lynchburg, you'd need to take the Cardinal from Chicago to Charlottesville and change there for the southbound Crescent. Or, to avoid a long layover in Charlottesville and late arrival at Lynchburg, you might want to ask your family to pick you up in Charlottesville. Be mindful that the Cardinal runs only three days a week.

Looks like a Saver fare for the Den>CHI leg would be about $200, the Value fare is about $225 - both of these are in Coach - The H-Sleeper with the companion runs about $400 ... you have to specify that the H room is going to be shared.

The leg from CHI>LYH has two options that have the H-Sleeper all the way
The 50 Cardinal to the 19 Crescent runs $180 ... $200 ... $755 (H-Sleeper)
The 30 Capitol Limited to the 19 Crescent runs $227 ... $584 (H-Sleeper)

There are two other options but they do not have a sleeper for the entire leg

Furniture and moving boxes (especially furniture) could present a problem.

Here’s a link to Amtrak’s Express Shipping website. Looks like you’d have to limit each box to 50lbs or you can palletize what you need to ship. I really don’t know the cost or how it would compare to a moving company.

https://www.amtrak.com/onboard/baggage-policy/amtrak-express-shipping.html

Personal effects are one thing, but furniture...? Well, in these days of IKEA and thrift stores on every block I'd say to just replace it when you get there. If it's good furniture...hire a moving company. I wouldn't trust Amtrak with the good stuff.

I have another question.
What time of year is less busy?

Cho Cho Charlie said:

The only extras that are included with any sleeper accommodations, beyond food and (soft) drink, is use of the lounges, if the stations you are using even offer it.

I don't think Amtrak offers bulk shipping anymore. Any furniture and moving boxes you want to bring along, would need to fit into your regular luggage allowances.

Click to expand...

Do the sleepers include a pillow & a blanket that you can keep?
Also, would the sleeper be big enough for my husband's power chair to turn around in?
My husband has a question about the bunks. How big are the bunks & has anyone ever fallen off of the top bunk?

I wish I could see a video of the sleepers.

Qapla said:

Looks like a Saver fare for the Den>CHI leg would be about $200, the Value fare is about $225 - both of these are in Coach - The H-Sleeper with the companion runs about $400 ... you have to specify that the H room is going to be shared.

The leg from CHI>LYH has two options that have the H-Sleeper all the way
The 50 Cardinal to the 19 Crescent runs $180 ... $200 ... $755 (H-Sleeper)
The 30 Capitol Limited to the 19 Crescent runs $227 ... $584 (H-Sleeper)

There are two other options but they do not have a sleeper for the entire leg

Click to expand...

What are the other two options?

snljamie0518 said:

Do the sleepers include a pillow & a blanket that you can keep?
Also, would the sleeper be big enough for my husband's power chair to turn around in?
My husband has a question about the bunks. How big are the bunks & has anyone ever fallen off of the top bunk?

I wish I could see a video of the sleepers.

Click to expand...

The sleepers do include pillows and blankets. But you're not supposed to take them with you; they're washed and issued out to another train.

The Accessible Bedroom ("H-room") in both Viewliner and Superliner sleepers is designed to accommodate a standard powered wheelchair. There is floor space to turn around, and toilet facilities designed for wheelchair use are right in the room. On Superliners there is no shower in the H-room although there is one just outside, it's not wheelchair accessible however (it's about 24 x 24", and there's a small changing cubicle in the room next to it). I haven't been in a Viewliner H-room but I believe it may have an accessible shower.

On single-level Viewliner trains the H-room in the car nearest the diner is usually oriented so that a wheelchair occupant can access the dining car. But only that car; if there are sleepers farther from the diner a wheelchair cannot travel down the corridor between the roomettes and the wheelchair occupant will need to take his/her meals in his room (no extra charge, but tip may be appropriate). In Superliners, which are double-decker cars with no elevator, occupants who cannot manage the stairs will also need to have meals in their room. Again, that's included with the cost of the room.

In the Superliners (which have less headroom as they're double-deckers) the upper berth is 2 feet wide and the lower berth is 2' 4" wide. There is a restraining strap (two, actually...kind of like a net) for the occupant of the upper berth. While I'm sure it's happened to somebody somewhere, I'm not aware of anyone ever falling out of an Amtrak upper as long as the restraint was being used.

Here's a video of the Viewliner Accessible Bedroom.

Here's a video of the Superliner Accessible Bedroom.

Good info re the H Rooms jis. The Viewliner H Room is sort of like a Junior Suite with the Bathroom in a Seperate Room with a hand Shower by the toilet.

It is by far the Best Room Amtrak has on offer on its LD Trains.

There are definitely you tube videos that show the interiors of accommodations, although I can't say 100% that I've viewed one myself for the H rooms. Go to youtube and search on Amtrak H room, there are some for sure.

I found those options by using the Amtrak website https://www.amtrak.com/home.html

Since you already plan ride the CZ from DEN>CHI - that is easy to determine

For the other portion, Isimply used CHI as the "From" and LYH as the "To" in order to get the option for Chicago to Lynchburg, VA. I picked a random date in late October and used the information I found there.

I also entered the passengers as two adults and selected Traveler 1 as "Person with Disability" and Traveler 2 as "Companion"

The other options look to include

50 Cardinal to the 145 Northeast Regional ... the145NER does not have sleepers
30 Capital Limited to the 145 NE Regional

Here are a couple links that offer a "Virtual Tour" of the sleeper cars

Superliner Sleeper Car

Viewliner Sleeper Car

ehbowen said:

The sleepers do include pillows and blankets. But you're not supposed to take them with you; they're washed and issued out to another train.

The Accessible Bedroom ("H-room") in both Viewliner and Superliner sleepers is designed to accommodate a standard powered wheelchair. There is floor space to turn around, and toilet facilities designed for wheelchair use are right in the room. On Superliners there is no shower in the H-room although there is one just outside, it's not wheelchair accessible however (it's about 24 x 24", and there's a small changing cubicle in the room next to it). I haven't been in a Viewliner H-room but I believe it may have an accessible shower.

On single-level Viewliner trains the H-room in the car nearest the diner is usually oriented so that a wheelchair occupant can access the dining car. But only that car; if there are sleepers farther from the diner a wheelchair cannot travel down the corridor between the roomettes and the wheelchair occupant will need to take his/her meals in his room (no extra charge, but tip may be appropriate). In Superliners, which are double-decker cars with no elevator, occupants who cannot manage the stairs will also need to have meals in their room. Again, that's included with the cost of the room.

In the Superliners (which have less headroom as they're double-deckers) the upper berth is 2 feet wide and the lower berth is 2' 4" wide. There is a restraining strap (two, actually...kind of like a net) for the occupant of the upper berth. While I'm sure it's happened to somebody somewhere, I'm not aware of anyone ever falling out of an Amtrak upper as long as the restraint was being used.

Here's a video of the Viewliner Accessible Bedroom.

Here's a video of the Superliner Accessible Bedroom.

Click to expand...

I remember when I took the train for the first time, they used to have pillows in coach for the passengers to use. Now they don't have that anymore. Any reason why?

Thank you for the videos. They both look tight so it looks like we will stick to coach. One day I will try the sleeper car when I am not with my husband.

snljamie0518 said:

I remember when I took the train for the first time, they used to have pillows in coach for the passengers to use. Now they don't have that anymore. Any reason why?

Thank you for the videos. They both look tight so it looks like we will stick to coach. One day I will try the sleeper car when I am not with my husband.

Click to expand...

Pillows were eliminated in Coach as part of the Nickel and Dime Cuts that started under Boardman and are escalating under Anderson.

This is just another Chapter in the " Cut your way to Peofitability" Playbook.

I use a small manual chair. I traveled once in the viewliner H-room with an ambulatory friend. The room was difficult to maneuver in and my chair was always in the way. The wall opposite the bed/couch consists of two doors (entry and bathroom) that both open into the room. So my chair, with or without me in it, could block the entry door, block the bathroom door, or fill up the entire bathroom. Also, although the room was located properly to get into the diner, the H-table was stacked with supplies.

I have more experience in the superliner H-room, which is much larger. You'll want to know how much space exactly you need to make a 90 degree turn in the power chair. My mother's large scooter (around 5 feet radius, 10 feet diameter so you don't think I mis-typed radius) had to have the front lifted around the corner from the vestibule to the hall. Then when we got into the room, she transferred into a seat and I could lift the scooter out of the way so I could still get to the commode and sink, and she could use scooter parts as grab bars for same.

One reason to take the train is to look out the windows. The viewliner window is in front of the bathroom door (ie, an open door improves mobility but blocks the view). Each superliner window is half the size of those in the roomettes but they are located on both sides of the car. One side is blocked by the bed and the other by the commode so you can't get close without exiting the chair, giving a very narrow view. In both cars, I spend a lot of time in the vestibule, which is much more chair friendly. Occasional conductors don't approve, though. Once I put a camera in the window and streamed it to a laptop, I could see more but it isn't the same for me.

Coach seats on both cars have plenty of room.

I don't remember where, but I'm pretty sure someone reported that the new VL-2 sleepers swapped the bathroom wall for a curtain for the reason you mentioned above.

PVD, that is really good news, thanks!

I did say "pretty sure" not 100% Hopefully we can get a confirmation from someone who knows for sure. But it made sense.

When is the less busy times to travel by train?

Which train is best to see the leaves changing?

I know in the Cafe car they have milk. Do they only have white milk or chocolate milk too?

Since you are coming East, I'd say the Adirondack is a great "Leaf Peeper" Leaf viewing tourism is actually pretty big across the Northeast. Optimum viewing is determined by temperature shifts that the trees react to, way to early to pick the best times yet, but I've had some great scenery in October. Sometimes, it differs widely by area, so NY to Albany may not match the run up Lake Champlain.

PVD said:

I don't remember where, but I'm pretty sure someone reported that the new VL-2 sleepers swapped the bathroom wall for a curtain for the reason you mentioned above.

Click to expand...

Not sure about the VL-2 sleepers, but the superliner SWC has a curtain instead of doors dividing the compartment. The very first time I took Amtrak (last year), we asked for a roomette, but were changed to room H, for some reason. Plenty of room for suitcases and isolated enough for me to practice my flute!

Barb Stout said:

Not sure about the VL-2 sleepers, but the superliner SWC has a curtain instead of doors dividing the compartment. The very first time I took Amtrak (last year), we asked for a roomette, but were changed to room H, for some reason. Plenty of room for suitcases and isolated enough for me to practice my flute!

Click to expand...

Oops, sorry Alice, I guess you already knew about room H in the superliners.

Yes, the issue some people have encountered is with the partition wall enclosing the facilities in the VL-1 sleeper (current gen) H room. I recall hearing that would be changed in the new VL-2 sleepers (not yet in service) but have not gotten anyone to confirm that.