How well does the air conditioning work in coach

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June the Coach Rider

June the Coach Rider

OBS Chief
Joined
Sep 15, 2012
Messages
929
Location
Spencer, MA
I know that most of the AU community ride in the luxury of a sleeper with their own little room that I am sure stays rather comfortable during the hot summer. But, as the trip I am taking next week is my first summer trip, I was wondering if anyone knows how well the air works in the coach cars on the CZ and CS. I am not so worried about the LSL as most of my travel is north and if the track is not fixed, I will be bussed from Albany to Buffalo.

Should I bring a small fan or is it comfortable enough without it?
 
Actually, like many things on Amtrak, you never know. It could be toasty hot, just right or too cold. And if the train has 3 coach cars, you may have one of each in the different coaches! You could even find the heat on in summer and the A/C on in winter! (And FYI - The same can be said about the sleepers too.)
 
Most of the time the Superliner coaches are a little on the cool side. The only coach I have rode that was hot was on the Cardinal. An older passenger really gave the conductor the jazz on that.
 
A/C is really no better in luxury of "our private little rooms" than in coach. Sometimes it goes out, sometimes it isn't good enough, sometimes it is fine. The only difference is you have a vent that sometimes you can control the flow of air through (not the temp), if the control lever to to vanes isn't broken.

It really depends on the car, and it varies by car. Be prepared for it to be a little on the cold side, but it may not be. Like most things Amtrak, YMMV
 
Thanks, I prefer it cool, so I am hoping that that is the case. Sorry about the sleeper issue, I was not being bias against sleepers, I was just stating the difference. No harm ment.
 
I agree with the AC being on the cool side. I have ridden the CZ and SWC and EB in summer heat waves, been mostly comfortable and always cool at night. I always bring a throw. I wanted to ask you, June, about your trips in coach. I bring a throw and a pillow and some one here at AU recently gave me the idea to bring my camping inflate, as it rolls up small, to make it a bit more comfy. But last trip we sat in front of 2 mommas with small children - Do they always seat them in the last seat? - that woke numerous times in the night with screaming. Do earplugs work? or do I need one of those white noise makers? and what about an eye mask?
 
We were on the LSL a week ago, in coach, and my wife was cold, I was fine. I think that follows the previous posts in ambiguity...bring a fan and a blanket, I guess.
 
I agree that the coach cars are usually on the cool side, especially at night. I've worn a hoodie while sleeping on the way to/from Albuquerque in the middle of August, if that tells you anything. ;) I'm usually on the warm side, so for me to say something is a bit too cool, that means others would probably say it's cold.
 
berkyo said:
I agree with the AC being on the cool side. I have ridden the CZ and SWC and EB in summer heat waves, been mostly comfortable and always cool at night. I always bring a throw. I wanted to ask you, June, about your trips in coach. I bring a throw and a pillow and some one here at AU recently gave me the idea to bring my camping inflate, as it rolls up small, to make it a bit more comfy. But last trip we sat in front of 2 mommas with small children - Do they always seat them in the last seat? - that woke numerous times in the night with screaming. Do earplugs work? or do I need one of those white noise makers? and what about an eye mask?
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I have seen it both ways, I usually see the ones with the small kids in the front seats because it gives them floor room to run around in. I try to make sure I don't sit near kids, not that I don't like kids, actually I love kids, but I really like my quiet on the train and love to sleep. I bring ear plugs and used an eye mask for my first trip, but it scared me when I woke up moving and forgot where I was for a minute. So I don't wear it anymore. I bring a small throw and micro bead pillow. When I don't need the blanket I use it as more cushioning on the seat. I always try and get a window seat so I can lean on the window to sleep and if i have to share my seat, I am already there and the other person can have the aisle seat. It is surprisingly quiet in coach at night, for the most part. If there is someone that is not following the quiet, I have only had to ask once of the attendant and she took care of the issue. They are very strict with the quiet, at least they have been on the trains I have been upstairs or single level trains.
 
berkyo said:
But last trip we sat in front of 2 mommas with small children - Do they always seat them in the last seat?
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No, they do not. You just have to take your chances. I ride in coach anytime it's not overnight and small ill-behaved kids and cell phones are the scourges of coach travel imo. Ear plugs work very well indeed, especially the very soft squishy foam kind.
 
:hi: June: Hope the Track Repairs are done ASAP and you Don't get Bustituted! I think the other Posters have pretty much covered your Questions so i'll just Add: On the Superliners: try Not to sit next to the Stairs or on the End of the Car due to Noise of People going Up and Down the Stairs and the Doors Opening and Closing all the Time!

Also the Overhead Lights by the Stairs stay on All Night! The Window Seats have Odd Numbers and Ive found the Odd Numbered Seat in the 30s-40s to be the Most Comfortable! You should be fine in the daytime, Most Lounges are kept Comfortable to Cold and as has been said, Generally @ Night in the Summer the A/C in Coaches and Sleepers Cranks out the Cold Air!
 
On the CZ I was very pleasantly surprised: the temp at least in my seat ran 72F during the day, and 70F at night - had been concerned beforehand, but ended up living and sleeping in a cotton dress short sleeve shirt and long slacks from SAC to LNK... was very happy all the way. But living in RDD where it was 111F today, and also being a mtn climber where -50F has been seen more than once, the body seems to have accepted a larger range of temps as acceptable... the CZ was entirely untaxing, and just plain pleasant.
 
Has anyone found a difference between aisle seats and window seats? And if you have a seat mate? I find that the aisles you feel the air more than in the window seats so it may feal cooler. I found my trip on the cap a few weeks ago, in general I was hot in the window seat.
 
gmushial said:
On the CZ I was very pleasantly surprised: the temp at least in my seat ran 72F during the day, and 70F at night - had been concerned beforehand, but ended up living and sleeping in a cotton dress short sleeve shirt and long slacks from SAC to LNK... was very happy all the way. But living in RDD where it was 111F today, and also being a mtn climber where -50F has been seen more than once, the body seems to have accepted a larger range of temps as acceptable... the CZ was entirely untaxing, and just plain pleasant.
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Thanks, this sounds good to me. I usually get a window seat because I can lean on the window and see out the window better. Being comfortable is a plus.
 
jimhudson said:
:hi: June: Hope the Track Repairs are done ASAP and you Don't get Bustituted! I think the other Posters have pretty much covered your Questions so i'll just Add: On the Superliners: try Not to sit next to the Stairs or on the End of the Car due to Noise of People going Up and Down the Stairs and the Doors Opening and Closing all the Time!
Also the Overhead Lights by the Stairs stay on All Night! The Window Seats have Odd Numbers and Ive found the Odd Numbered Seat in the 30s-40s to be the Most Comfortable! You should be fine in the daytime, Most Lounges are kept Comfortable to Cold and as has been said, Generally @ Night in the Summer the A/C in Coaches and Sleepers Cranks out the Cold Air!
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Thanks Jim, I will remember about the stairs. Is there more room on one side than the other? Also which side would have the afternoon hot sun on the CZ westbound, do you or anyone know?
 
June the Coach Rider said:
jimhudson said:
:hi: June: Hope the Track Repairs are done ASAP and you Don't get Bustituted! I think the other Posters have pretty much covered your Questions so i'll just Add: On the Superliners: try Not to sit next to the Stairs or on the End of the Car due to Noise of People going Up and Down the Stairs and the Doors Opening and Closing all the Time!
Also the Overhead Lights by the Stairs stay on All Night! The Window Seats have Odd Numbers and Ive found the Odd Numbered Seat in the 30s-40s to be the Most Comfortable! You should be fine in the daytime, Most Lounges are kept Comfortable to Cold and as has been said, Generally @ Night in the Summer the A/C in Coaches and Sleepers Cranks out the Cold Air!
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Thanks Jim, I will remember about the stairs. Is there more room on one side than the other? Also which side would have the afternoon hot sun on the CZ westbound, do you or anyone know?
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June: Since you will be in the Rockies and the Sierras during Daylight it wont really matter but the Sun Generally will come up on the left Side of the Train and set on the Same Side due to the Fact that in the Summer it is Light Longer and the Zephyr turns NW towards SLC after leaving Grand junction, Colorado! As to Room, except for the Front Seats all the Seats have the Same amount of Room between the Seats! Youll probably be in the Sightseer Lounge out of Denver and Reno (Best Scenery is on the Right Side out of Denver) but in the Coaches ytou can see out both sides! try for a Window Seat in the 30s-40s as I said!
 
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The 7" walmart clip fan clips very nicely to the amtray on a superliner coach. Well worth the 9.99 investment in case the ac isnt up to par.
 
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If the temperature is not to your liking, mention it to the attendant, and he/she may be able to do something about it. Of course, be considerate of your fellow passengers as well. One recent summer evening, my family boarded #2 in LAX to ride home. We has just left the station and got settled in to our beds when it suddenly started to feel warmer. After a minute, I could detect the telltale smell of heater running, and checked the vents to find warm air blowing out. I immediately jumped out of bed and threw my clothes on to run upstairs to find the attendant.

"Something's wrong!", I said. "The heater started running!" He replied, "Oh yeah, I just turned it on. One of the passengers said she was cold." My jaw dropped. It was 80 degrees out when we left LAX a few minutes prior. I thought there had been some mechanical failure. I've always been nice and respectful to all the Amtrak staff, but this was the closest I've come to letting someone really have it. I told him "With all due respect to that passenger, if she's cold, that's what blankets are for. I was already down to my underwear downstairs before you turned the heat on, and I can't take off anymore. She can put on another blanket. I can't take off my skin." As I was starting to say this, another passenger came barging down the upstairs hall looking for the attendant and wondering out loud what was going on with the heat. The SCA could quickly see that he had caused a problem and was about to face an unruly mob, so he went right downstairs and switched it back.

So, moral of the story: if you ever have to decide between pleasing those who are always too hot and those who are always too cold, keep the temp colder and make sure the cold people get blankets.
 
The LSL is supposed to be back running thru on 6/30. I agree with the above comments on cooling. The sleepers can have the same problems as any coach. We have been in sleepers where the temps required a sweater and other times when I wish I could have opened the windows!!!
 
One thing that I will comment on....compared to the 'old days' (pre-HEP), air conditioning on Amtrak is very reliable. Pretty rare for a failure nowadays as long as there is HEP...
 
amtkstn said:
Most of the time the Superliner coaches are a little on the cool side. The only coach I have rode that was hot was on the Cardinal. An older passenger really gave the conductor the jazz on that.
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It was probably the_traveler!

Seriously, sounds like the AC failed, which can happen from time to time.
 
How is the AC & heat adjusted on Amtrak? is it a "proper" thermostat, where you set a temperature, or more like a car system, where you just turn on or off the system?

peter
 
I agree that coaches on the CZ can be either warm or cold, so I always travel with a personal blanket in my seat-side travel bag to keep me warm and toasty, if need be. Also, ear plugs and a sleep mask, and even a pair of long underwear if I am getting especially cold. I prefer NOT to have the coach attendant crank up the heat in the car.
 
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