Inside Train Temperatures

[Guest]

I just viewed caravanman's trip pictures and thought, gee, we didn't have snow in that time. So, when you take a wide trip, do you pack one type of clothing and additional layers for venturing outside in the snow areas? He was in New Orleans and of course somewhere out west and up north, but appears to be wearing pretty much summer clothes. Does the train temperature remain constant, in general, all over the country? Do the viewing lounges become cold in the winter and hot in the summer because of the windows?

 

[BobWeaver]

I just viewed caravanman's trip pictures and thought, gee, we didn't have snow in that time. So, when you take a wide trip, do you pack one type of clothing and additional layers for venturing outside in the snow areas? He was in New Orleans and of course somewhere out west and up north, but appears to be wearing pretty much summer clothes. Does the train temperature remain constant, in general, all over the country? Do the viewing lounges become cold in the winter and hot in the summer because of the windows?

From my experience in the east with Amfleets, be prepared for a variation in temperature. When I took Crescent with a friend of mine last summer, we were freezing in coach class. When I connected to a regional train in Richmond, VA in March of this year, my business class car was rather warm, borderline hot. It's too bad that the Amfleets have only an on/off switch for heat and air conditioning, because many times you don't need full heat or a/c running in the car. So be prepared with your carry-on bag that you bring onboard: bring shorts if you're wearing pants (and vice versa), a t-shirt if you are wearing a sweat shirt or jacket (again, or vice versa) and throw in a pair of socks too. Being too hot or cold can really make a long trip uncomfortable.

As far as clothes for going out in the snow, I assume you mean venturing outside of the train on longer station stops. Keep in mind that you'll only be outside for a few minutes, probably no more than 20 minutes tops, and that you will only be able to venture outside of the train on these designated stops. Long stops are also smoke breaks, so listen for that. I personally wouldn't bring along a full set of winter clothes just to be able to go outside for a few minutes though..

 

[wayman]

Does the train temperature remain constant, in general, all over the country?

It's not even constant on a given route in the same season, in my experience. I've learned to dress in layers, toss a light sweater in my backpack, and a pack crushable blanket packed on the top of my carry-on if I'm taking any sort of LD trip.

I've only had one Amtrak car be unbearably warm--I think it was one of the days on the CZ this August? While with SEPTA, unbearably warm in summer is a likely occurrence as many of the cars are without A/C for one reason or another.

 

[caravanman]

Hi Folks,

I do tend to bring a few layers of clothing, depending on where I am going.

This last 12, 000 mile trip, Autumn (fall) 2007 took me from Chicago to New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, Chicago, Sacremento, and finished in New York.

I find the Amtrak Air Con is much too cold, and is often quite unpleasantly cold at night. I recommend a bobble hat for sleeping, especialy if you are deficient in the hair dept, like me! I travel light, and whatever I bring from UK just fits in my case as carry on cabin luggage on the plane. I buy a blanket and a few bits once in America, before I join the train, but it is minimal.. My main luxury is my electric dual voltage kettle and english tea bags!

Ed B)

PS. I did buy an extra sweater near the hostel in Portland, it was so cold.. just like being back in Nottingham!

 

[had8ley]

PLEASE plan accordingly if the HEP (head end power) goes out. With the nickel pinchers at Amtrak running more and more trains with one locomotive there is more chance of this happening. Now, if the HEP goes you most probably will be pulled to a terminal with a freight railroad's locomotive. They are not equipped to supply power to passenger cars. I've ridden over 250 miles when it was below freezing both inside and outside of the car~ not a good day on Amtrak. If you're traveling in summer the car temperature can turn into quite a sauna quick, especially on the western trains.

 

[VentureForth]

Maybe just me... maybe just 'cause I'm a big boy... but my experience on everything between North Carolina and San Diego has been that the trains are rather warm. At least to my preference...

 

[Penn Central]

Maybe I'm just incrediably lucky, but I can't recall the temperature on any Amtrak train being even slightly uncomfortable, or any issue ever happening with the HEP. Luck of the draw, I suppose...

 

[AlanB]

Maybe I'm just incrediably lucky, but I can't recall the temperature on any Amtrak train being even slightly uncomfortable, or any issue ever happening with the HEP. Luck of the draw, I suppose...

You've just been very lucky. I had air conditioning problems on the CZ this summer, and about 5 years ago rode a Silver Service train for many miles without HEP. Thankfully my room wasn't on the sunny side od the train.

 

[Guest]

This year (Jul- late Oct) I took multiple trips on the same ld train and I never knew whether I would be cold, about right or hot. On the first trip, not only was the air temperature warmer than I was accustomed, I was motion sick after the French toast and something stunk (baaad). Even the attendant seemed in a daze. It was after this trip (Viewliner roomette) that I decided the "thermostat" wheel on the wall was a trick to make you think you could control your environment. On another trip a skinny-minny was getting chillbumps and I was just right. I hated to hear her tell the attendant to warm us up because of the first experience. Is it correct that somewhere a "whole car" thermostat exists that overrides the thermostat wheel. The air coming out of the window slidey thing warmed up after she complained.

As far as the motion sickness I kept having varying degrees of it on most every trip but found that it was worse if someone was in the roomette with me AND moving around or if the door was closed. Moving backwards didn't seem to be a problem. Are there any tricks to quell it? The eyes-on-the-horizon trick seemed to help during the day. At night what do you do without getting drugged for the trip?

 

[AlanB]

It was after this trip (Viewliner roomette) that I decided the "thermostat" wheel on the wall was a trick to make you think you could control your environment. On another trip a skinny-minny was getting chillbumps and I was just right. I hated to hear her tell the attendant to warm us up because of the first experience. Is it correct that somewhere a "whole car" thermostat exists that overrides the thermostat wheel. The air coming out of the window slidey thing warmed up after she complained.

The thermostat in the Viewliner sleeper only controls heat, it has no affect on air conditioning.

And yes there are controls that affect the whole car, but they don't override the thermostat in your room if you turn on the heat in your room. So if things aren't warm enough for you, then you can adjust your heat higher. I'm not sure if the heat works at all though during the summer, it is possible that they just turn off the heater's totally, in which case your thermostat would have no affect on things.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

And with north-south running trains you have the problem of going from snow in NYC to 90 degree weather in FL and NOL. The last time I was on the Crescent the attendant did a good job of regulating the temperature by turning the AC on and off periodically throughout the trip.