How well do the showers work or dont work in sleepers?

[JayPea]

I've generally little problem with the showers. I'm a large person but don't find the shower so cramped that I have problems. I do have problems getting my socks and shoes on in the shower room itself, however; I go into a bathroom, where I shave and brush my teeth anyway, to get my socks and shoes on. Most of the time, especially on my most recent trips, I have had plenty of hot water and plenty of pressure. It probably didn't hurt that I generally take my shower so early, usually between 2 and 3 AM. A couple of times I've had lukewarm if that showers with less pressure than a garden hose, however.

 

[zephyr17]

Here is the real litmus test: Next time you think about how imperfect that train shower was, think back and try to remember how that shower on Delta or on Greyhound went.

Here's my litmus test: Next time you think about how imperfect that train shower was, think back and try to remember even needing a shower on any number of foreign HSR networks. Let the bar remain high, folks. Don't let Amtrak off the hook just because they're willing to sell you a mediocre shower for twice the price of flying.

While I am all for HSR, Amtrak isn't, has never portrayed or marketed itself as such, does not control the funding that is essential to it, and we are years from getting it if it were funded tomorrow. Further, HSR is generally only for medium length corridors, on the order of 500 miles, and showers wouldn't be necessary on such a run even at conventional speeds (which much of Europe's rail infrastructure still is). So keep to the subject, Dax. Speed isn't it on this thread. Anyone choosing Amtrak long distance (800+ miles) trains, which are the only ones offering showers, isn't doing it because speed is their primary criteria, and likely wouldn't even with HSR. HSR will never match air over truly long distances and isn't intended to. If speed is your only concern, I am sure Southwest Airlines will be happy to accomodate you.

 

[SP&S]

There is something about taking a shower at 79 mph. I've really had no experience with anything but the Superliner bedroom showers, but they're nice. Cozy but nice. I should loose a few pounds, but hey - just soap up the walls and wait for some rough track

I've never had any problems, except the last one (February, bedroom D, "Maryland") was next to impossible to turn off. We ended up tossing a towel on the floor outside the shower and stepping out on it so we could get some leverage on the valve and get it turned off. It would not turn off, no matter how you torqued on the knob, until you let it run cold for a little while. Even at that, the bedroom never steamed up. What's really remarkable is how quickly it dries out and becomes usable as a wc again.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

While I am all for HSR, Amtrak isn't, has never portrayed or marketed itself as such, does not control the funding that is essential to it, and we are years from getting it if it were funded tomorrow. Further, HSR is generally only for medium length corridors, on the order of 500 miles, and showers wouldn't be necessary on such a run even at conventional speeds (which much of Europe's rail infrastructure still is). So keep to the subject, Dax. Speed isn't it on this thread. Anyone choosing Amtrak long distance (800+ miles) trains, which are the only ones offering showers, isn't doing it because speed is their primary criteria, and likely wouldn't even with HSR. HSR will never match air over truly long distances and isn't intended to. If speed is your only concern, I am sure Southwest Airlines will be happy to accomodate you.

I don't doubt that many Amtrak sleeper passengers don't mind receiving the same level of service year after year, decade after decade, until the day they die. However, there are other passengers who expect to see substantial improvements after a half century of stagnating service levels on the LD network. Maybe even something that reflects the spirit of innovation and ingenuity they believe their society still possesses. Some folks marvel over the wonder of taking a shower at any speed. Other folks marvel at world-class networks that don't require a shower at all. Even if you honestly believe that HSR can only exist with a maximum length of 500 miles then where are the dozens of such segments the US could presumably support? Why shouldn't we expect better than what existed when we were born? Amtrak just keeps ordering more and more of the same tired old technologies that were sub-par decades ago and will be lagging that much further behind when they're finally retired decades from now. Will a shower stall speeding along at a blistering 79MPH still be impressing you when the rest of the industrialized world is routinely reaching 250MPH? How about 300MPH? Is there ever a point when the nineteenth century novelty of hot running water will cease to impress?

 

[Tony]

Don't let Amtrak off the hook just because they're willing to sell you a mediocre shower for twice the price of flying.

For me, it is never even close to twice the price.

After all the fees and taxes, a flight to FL would cost me $150 per person, or $300 for the two of us. A roommette on a Silver is $375 for the two of us.

And don't forget to factor in I'm basically going first class for that extra $75.

 

[rrdude]

Well, let me be the one to hijack this thread, and wish that Amtrak would do what Via Rail has done in regards to community showers. A nice, large® shower at the end of the hall, with a dressing area you can actually turn around in. This changing room is NOT packed to the gills with clean towels, and a bag for dirty linen.

I absolutely hate it when going to the public showers on Amtrak, and you find the seat, and half the floor taken up by the clean and dirty bags.......

Via also (and I think this may save on laundering) hands out a plastic bag (not to green tho) with Via logo, shampoo, soap, and towel. Makes it EZ to carry down the hall.

 

[sttsxm]

haven't had a problem....a little bumpy sometimes, and you have to fiddle with the temp...but all in all, it's not too bad. i wear flip flops into the shower (cheapo ones from walmart...

 

[zephyr17]

While I am all for HSR, Amtrak isn't, has never portrayed or marketed itself as such, does not control the funding that is essential to it, and we are years from getting it if it were funded tomorrow. Further, HSR is generally only for medium length corridors, on the order of 500 miles, and showers wouldn't be necessary on such a run even at conventional speeds (which much of Europe's rail infrastructure still is). So keep to the subject, Dax. Speed isn't it on this thread. Anyone choosing Amtrak long distance (800+ miles) trains, which are the only ones offering showers, isn't doing it because speed is their primary criteria, and likely wouldn't even with HSR. HSR will never match air over truly long distances and isn't intended to. If speed is your only concern, I am sure Southwest Airlines will be happy to accomodate you.

I don't doubt that many Amtrak sleeper passengers don't mind receiving the same level of service year after year, decade after decade, until the day they die. However, there are other passengers who expect to see substantial improvements after a half century of stagnating service levels on the LD network. Maybe even something that reflects the spirit of innovation and ingenuity they believe their society still possesses. Some folks marvel over the wonder of taking a shower at any speed. Other folks marvel at world-class networks that don't require a shower at all. Even if you honestly believe that HSR can only exist with a maximum length of 500 miles then where are the dozens of such segments the US could presumably support? Why shouldn't we expect better than what existed when we were born? Amtrak just keeps ordering more and more of the same tired old technologies that were sub-par decades ago and will be lagging that much further behind when they're finally retired decades from now. Will a shower stall speeding along at a blistering 79MPH still be impressing you when the rest of the industrialized world is routinely reaching 250MPH? How about 300MPH? Is there ever a point when the nineteenth century novelty of hot running water will cease to impress?

And most city pairs served by such services are in the 500 mile range. All I am doing is pointing out that while HSR would be great for LA-SF, or Houston-Dallas, it will never be the preferred choice for LA-Chicago. And that is what we are talking about. The LD market is essentially different from the corridor market and even HSR is not competitive over transcontinental distances, for time-sensitive travel. Investing in a transcontinental HSR simply doesn't make sense. With that said, there is nothing wrong with stringing together reasonable city pairs that have HSR potential, such as KC-Chicago, KC-Denver, etc.

By the way, the train from Paris to Moscow is one of the few routes in Europe that travel a distance that can be reasonably compared to a North American long-distance train, 1544 miles. It takes 2 days: 46 hours 15 minutes. That works out to a blistering 33mph average speed, but doesn't use the high speed network at all. The Southwest Chief goes about 700 more miles (2265) in 3 hours less time. You can knock Paris-Moscow down to 38 hours, 35 minutes total elapsed travel time if you take a Thalys to Cologne, which is high speed, and connect there. Take out the 1:20 connection time just to get your speeds, and that works out to 41 mph. Whoosh.

So you are saying you wouldn't want a shower available if you were spending 1 1/2 to 2 days on a train just because it isn't Amtrak? Remind me not to sit next to you.

 

[DET63]

Does anybody have any "accurate" (as opposed to "idealized") recollections of taking showers on LD trains in pre-Amtrak days?

 

[zephyr17]

Does anybody have any "accurate" (as opposed to "idealized") recollections of taking showers on LD trains in pre-Amtrak days?

For all practical purposes, there weren't any. They were very few and far between and were only in the very highest accomodations, the Master Room on the Pennsy and Southern, IIRC.

They weren't available even on the some of the very best trains, such as the Super Chief. So, really, any shower availability at all is one of the very few things in which Amtrak is an improvement over the best of what went before.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Does anybody have any "accurate" (as opposed to "idealized") recollections of taking showers on LD trains in pre-Amtrak days?

For all practical purposes, there weren't any. They were very few and far between and were only in the very highest accomodations, the Master Room on the Pennsy and Southern, IIRC.

They weren't available even on the some of the very best trains, such as the Super Chief. So, really, any shower availability at all is one of the very few things in which Amtrak is an improvement over the best of what went before.

Zephyr17, you and I have some of the same memories. I agree that showers is one of the true improvements Amtrak has made.

About the old days I have discovered something which did not get much publicity back then. Seems some of the Southern Pacific streamliners, such as the Sunset Limited, the Golden State,maybe the City of San Francisco, had a shower in the first class lounge car. I am sure you had to go to it full clothed. I have no idea how much room there was,etc. I bet a lot of the people on the train did not even know it was there.

Also the original preAmtrak California Zephyr had a shower in what it called a drawing room in the rear observation dome lounge. They did not use the term Master Room as was used on the Broadway Limited and the Crescent.

But again, your point which I myself have many times on here, there were almost none back then.

 

[zephyr17]

Does anybody have any "accurate" (as opposed to "idealized") recollections of taking showers on LD trains in pre-Amtrak days?

For all practical purposes, there weren't any. They were very few and far between and were only in the very highest accomodations, the Master Room on the Pennsy and Southern, IIRC.

They weren't available even on the some of the very best trains, such as the Super Chief. So, really, any shower availability at all is one of the very few things in which Amtrak is an improvement over the best of what went before.

Zephyr17, you and I have some of the same memories. I agree that showers is one of the true improvements Amtrak has made.

About the old days I have discovered something which did not get much publicity back then. Seems some of the Southern Pacific streamliners, such as the Sunset Limited, the Golden State,maybe the City of San Francisco, had a shower in the first class lounge car. I am sure you had to go to it full clothed. I have no idea how much room there was,etc. I bet a lot of the people on the train did not even know it was there.

Also the original preAmtrak California Zephyr had a shower in what it called a drawing room in the rear observation dome lounge. They did not use the term Master Room as was used on the Broadway Limited and the Crescent.

But again, your point which I myself have many times on here, there were almost none back then.

Didn't know that about the SP and the CZ, thanks, Bill. I knew there was barbershop in the first class lounge car on the Sunset, but not the shower.

 

[steamtrain6868]

Is there room for 2 people in the same shower like me and my "partner"

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Does anybody have any "accurate" (as opposed to "idealized") recollections of taking showers on LD trains in pre-Amtrak days?

For all practical purposes, there weren't any. They were very few and far between and were only in the very highest accomodations, the Master Room on the Pennsy and Southern, IIRC.

They weren't available even on the some of the very best trains, such as the Super Chief. So, really, any shower availability at all is one of the very few things in which Amtrak is an improvement over the best of what went before.

That is a whole new subject.....barbershops. There were some scattered around even during the heavyweight days. As to using the services of a barber on a moving train..........not sure about that. I would not want to lose my head over it."!!!!!

Zephyr17, you and I have some of the same memories. I agree that showers is one of the true improvements Amtrak has made.

About the old days I have discovered something which did not get much publicity back then. Seems some of the Southern Pacific streamliners, such as the Sunset Limited, the Golden State,maybe the City of San Francisco, had a shower in the first class lounge car. I am sure you had to go to it full clothed. I have no idea how much room there was,etc. I bet a lot of the people on the train did not even know it was there.

Also the original preAmtrak California Zephyr had a shower in what it called a drawing room in the rear observation dome lounge. They did not use the term Master Room as was used on the Broadway Limited and the Crescent.

But again, your point which I myself have many times on here, there were almost none back then.

Didn't know that about the SP and the CZ, thanks, Bill. I knew there was barbershop in the first class lounge car on the Sunset, but not the shower.

 

[zephyr17]

Is there room for 2 people in the same shower like me and my "partner"

There is enough room for 1, especiallly in the toiwers/showlets in the bedrooms. Since you have a sleeper, you can join the "15 foot high club" (20 mile long club?) in your room, though.

 

[AlanB]

I am also pretty short (only 5' tall), but I can see how the height of the shower head could be an issue for tall men.

What about for tall women? I'm a female, nearly 6' tall. Would there be a height issue for me? I'm used to 'shower stooping' even in some of the higher end hotels I stay in; don't know how some one 7' tall could do it.....

I'm a male and 6' tall, and have never had a problem in the common shower on the lower level. I've never used the shower in the bedrooms, but they are shorter and not as roomy. Even when I do have a bedroom, I always use the one on the lower level!

The shower head is not permanently fixed to the metal bar holding it. In addition to sliding the shower head up and/or down a bit, one can actually life it entirely off the slender rod holding it. This allows one to easily wet one's hair (especially if you're tall) and to better control rinsing when the pressure is low as you can actually focus the flow on legs, arms, etc.

 

[AlanB]

The private shower I was suprised my toilet paper did not get wet, but it matters not as I usually take my own roll instead of the Amtrak issued continuous wipe quality but that is another thread.

And as was discussed in another old thread, you risk shutting down the entire vacuum system for the car when you do that. That means no one has any working toilets in the entire car.

There is a reason that Amtrak provides the type of toilet paper it does!

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Does anybody have any "accurate" (as opposed to "idealized") recollections of taking showers on LD trains in pre-Amtrak days?

For all practical purposes, there weren't any. They were very few and far between and were only in the very highest accomodations, the Master Room on the Pennsy and Southern, IIRC.

They weren't available even on the some of the very best trains, such as the Super Chief. So, really, any shower availability at all is one of the very few things in which Amtrak is an improvement over the best of what went before.

Zephyr17, you and I have some of the same memories. I agree that showers is one of the true improvements Amtrak has made.

About the old days I have discovered something which did not get much publicity back then. Seems some of the Southern Pacific streamliners, such as the Sunset Limited, the Golden State,maybe the City of San Francisco, had a shower in the first class lounge car. I am sure you had to go to it full clothed. I have no idea how much room there was,etc. I bet a lot of the people on the train did not even know it was there.

Also the original preAmtrak California Zephyr had a shower in what it called a drawing room in the rear observation dome lounge. They did not use the term Master Room as was used on the Broadway Limited and the Crescent.

But again, your point which I myself have many times on here, there were almost none back then.

Didn't know that about the SP and the CZ, thanks, Bill. I knew there was barbershop in the first class lounge car on the Sunset, but not the shower.

Now barbershops, that is a whole new matter. There were a few scattered around even in the heavyweight days. Not sure how I feel about getting a haircut on a moving train.......would not want to lose my

head.!!!!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Im with Bill, no matter how good a Barber was I wouldnt risk a Shave on a Moving Train!

I can't use an Electric Razor so don't shave when riding LD Trains, wait until I;m at my Destination, either Hotel or even better a free Place to stay! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[zephyr17]

Does anybody have any "accurate" (as opposed to "idealized") recollections of taking showers on LD trains in pre-Amtrak days?

For all practical purposes, there weren't any. They were very few and far between and were only in the very highest accomodations, the Master Room on the Pennsy and Southern, IIRC.

They weren't available even on the some of the very best trains, such as the Super Chief. So, really, any shower availability at all is one of the very few things in which Amtrak is an improvement over the best of what went before.

Zephyr17, you and I have some of the same memories. I agree that showers is one of the true improvements Amtrak has made.

About the old days I have discovered something which did not get much publicity back then. Seems some of the Southern Pacific streamliners, such as the Sunset Limited, the Golden State,maybe the City of San Francisco, had a shower in the first class lounge car. I am sure you had to go to it full clothed. I have no idea how much room there was,etc. I bet a lot of the people on the train did not even know it was there.

Also the original preAmtrak California Zephyr had a shower in what it called a drawing room in the rear observation dome lounge. They did not use the term Master Room as was used on the Broadway Limited and the Crescent.

But again, your point which I myself have many times on here, there were almost none back then.

Didn't know that about the SP and the CZ, thanks, Bill. I knew there was barbershop in the first class lounge car on the Sunset, but not the shower.

Now barbershops, that is a whole new matter. There were a few scattered around even in the heavyweight days. Not sure how I feel about getting a haircut on a moving train.......would not want to lose my

head.!!!!

I understand they offered shaves, too...and you found a haircut scary, a straight-razor at 80 would be downright terrifying. I am pretty sure the actual service didn't last long on the streamlined Sunset, although the space remained. I'll check it when I get home.

 

[Ryan]

Is there room for 2 people in the same shower like me and my "partner"

Nope.

Since you have a sleeper, you can join the "15 foot high club" (20 mile long club?) in your room, though.

Yep. h34r: