So how bad IS room "A" on a Superliner?

[AliceIn]

We are in room A on the 59 train, and everything is sold out on the train. Is Room A going to be completely awful? I see from the diagrams that it's laid out a little differently, and it looks like there's about 18 inches less space in that one corner.

Also -- does the City of New Orleans tend to get decent cars on it? The last time I rode was on the Capitol Limited. One of the three sleepers was REALLY old and run down. How many sleepers does the CoNo tend to have on it? I'm guessing since I'm in car 5900, that we'll be the closest to the diner?

We picked the train based on our destination -- hopefully it will be a good trip! We're in room E on the way back, and that seems to be everybody's favorite.

 

[daveyb99]

We are in room A on the 59 train, and everything is sold out on the train. Is Room A going to be completely awful? I see from the diagrams that it's laid out a little differently, and it looks like there's about 18 inches less space in that one corner.

You will have a good trip.

The "A" bedroom has one very distinct feature from the other 4: the entry to the shower/toilet faces the other direction (not towards the windows). This limits the door opening space.

Otherwise, that room seems a little smaller, but it is a bedroom so enjoy !!!.

 

[JoelG]

My other observation about Bedroom "A" it tends to be noisier due to its proximity to the car passage door and to a much lesser degree being over the truck below. We always travel with earplugs which cover a multitude of aural sins.

 

[Gingee]

If it is the same room as I am thinking, we had that room coming back from LA last year. We didn't notice any noise. It was great.

 

[librarian]

My wife and I have had Bedroom "A" in the Superliners a couple of times, and it was fine. The difference is that the bathroom door is reversed with a curved wall at the entrance which reduces the overall space somewhat. Otherwise, the room is the same as the other bedrooms. Both times, we were next to the dining car, and it was convenient to peek out and see if they were ready for breakfast or lunch.

I think that far too much is made of the difference with Bedroom "A" and I would rather be on a train in "A" than not on a train at all!

 

[SP&S]

I checked out Bedroom A (unoccupied I wasn't looking for the treasure trove under the bed) the last time I was on board. It was a bit smaller but didn't seem to be bad at all. Sure I'd prefer E, but better than a roomette, which is better than coach, which is better than not being on the train at all.

 

[EB_OBS]

Room A is indeed smaller than the other 4 bedrooms. As previously mentioned the bathroom is reversed with the door facing the opposite direction. The room has a couple inches less length so when the bed is down, it's tight between the bed and the vanity. The major space difference though is that the bathroom module is further into the room, due to the angled hallway leading to the end door. This means that there isn't really any floor space between the exterior wall of the module to that chair in the room where as the other rooms have almost 20 or so inches of space there.

My own personal dislike, of room A, is that it's still considered a bedroom at the same bucket price as the rest of the bedrooms. However, most passengers and ticket agents know that the room A is smaller, thus it doesn't get sold in many cases until the other 4 rooms have sold. This results in it constantly being sold "high bucket"

 

[rrdude]

Unless you are up and dancing around, you probably won't notice the missing inches at all.

 

[GaSteve]

Room A is indeed smaller than the other 4 bedrooms. As previously mentioned the bathroom is reversed with the door facing the opposite direction. The room has a couple inches less length so when the bed is down, it's tight between the bed and the vanity. The major space difference though is that the bathroom module is further into the room, due to the angled hallway leading to the end door. This means that there isn't really any floor space between the exterior wall of the module to that chair in the room where as the other rooms have almost 20 or so inches of space there.

My own personal dislike, of room A, is that it's still considered a bedroom at the same bucket price as the rest of the bedrooms. However, most passengers and ticket agents know that the room A is smaller, thus it doesn't get sold in many cases until the other 4 rooms have sold. This results in it constantly being sold "high bucket"

Doesn't the system automatically book rooms from the center of the car out, so A would be the last one sold anyway? :mellow:

 

[JoanieBlon]

We're in room E on the way back, and that seems to be everybody's favorite.

Bedroom E IS handy being in the middle of the car ~ close to the stairs, the coffee urn, bottled water & juice. However, on a trip westbound on the California Zephyr, we encountered a large tour group of travelers from England who had all booked sleeping accomodations. Having a bit of jet lag (waking up EARLY) they tended to congregate around the coffee urn early in the morning ~ around 6am ~ having LOUD and LIVELY discussions. They were like a built in alarm clock! hboy:

Based on that experience, we're more inclined to go for C or D bedrooms now.

 

[the_traveler]

Besides the examples of the location of the bathroom door in Bedroom A, if 2 people are occupying it, the ladder to the top berth is on the same end by the bathroom door (by the hallway). This makes it very inconvenient for EITHER passenger to use the bathroom when the top berth is set! And with both berths set up, the only way to use the sink is to climb on the lower berth! This is not very convenient at night when the bottom berth is occupied!

 

[EB_OBS]

Room A is indeed smaller than the other 4 bedrooms. As previously mentioned the bathroom is reversed with the door facing the opposite direction. The room has a couple inches less length so when the bed is down, it's tight between the bed and the vanity. The major space difference though is that the bathroom module is further into the room, due to the angled hallway leading to the end door. This means that there isn't really any floor space between the exterior wall of the module to that chair in the room where as the other rooms have almost 20 or so inches of space there.

My own personal dislike, of room A, is that it's still considered a bedroom at the same bucket price as the rest of the bedrooms. However, most passengers and ticket agents know that the room A is smaller, thus it doesn't get sold in many cases until the other 4 rooms have sold. This results in it constantly being sold "high bucket"

Doesn't the system automatically book rooms from the center of the car out, so A would be the last one sold anyway? :mellow:

I don't know exactly how the system works, but the "system" can be overridden by agents, either on their own or by customer request if automatically assigned bedroom A.

 

[guest]

Room A is about one square foot smaller than the others - just laid out a bit differently; it can actually be quieter than the others (depending on your neighbors), because there's no sliding door between rooms with room A.

 

[AliceIn]

Thank you all so much for the feedback. I'm thinking that we're going to have a great trip, no matter any small inconveniences we might find with Room A.

Here's my reasoning:

1. We're better off than all the people stuck waiting in lines at security at O'Hare!

2. We are on the train and not on a plane in tiny seats right on top of a lot of other cranky people who just waited on that same security line.

3. We're in a bedroom and not in the sold out coach section.

4. The train doesn't have our three children badgering us (they are 9, 6, and 5) during the entire 38 hours we're on trains this weekend.

Can't wait till we go!

 

[the_traveler]

5. It's a better view from 15 feet than from 35,000 feet!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[JayPea]

As long as the room in question is on a moving passenger train, I'm happy! :lol:

 

[rrdude]

Besides the examples of the location of the bathroom door in Bedroom A, if 2 people are occupying it, the ladder to the top berth is on the same end by the bathroom door (by the hallway). This makes it very inconvenient for EITHER passenger to use the bathroom when the top berth is set! And with both berths set up, the only way to use the sink is to climb on the lower berth! This is not very convenient at night when the bottom berth is occupied!

You guys are getting WAY to picky.........

 

[dlagrua]

Besides the examples of the location of the bathroom door in Bedroom A, if 2 people are occupying it, the ladder to the top berth is on the same end by the bathroom door (by the hallway). This makes it very inconvenient for EITHER passenger to use the bathroom when the top berth is set! And with both berths set up, the only way to use the sink is to climb on the lower berth! This is not very convenient at night when the bottom berth is occupied!

I believe that the ladder to the top bunk can be relocated to make it easy for the person in the top bunk to get down to go to the restroom. Bedroom A is not as good as the other bedrooms but its still OK. The only concern is that fat people may find it a litle confining.

 

[sunchaser]

Thank you all so much for the feedback. I'm thinking that we're going to have a great trip, no matter any small inconveniences we might find with Room A.

Here's my reasoning:

1. We're better off than all the people stuck waiting in lines at security at O'Hare!

2. We are on the train and not on a plane in tiny seats right on top of a lot of other cranky people who just waited on that same security line.

3. We're in a bedroom and not in the sold out coach section.

4. The train doesn't have our three children badgering us (they are 9, 6, and 5) during the entire 38 hours we're on trains this weekend.

Can't wait till we go!

I'm sure you will enjoy it anyway. But, if it becomes an issue, check with your SCA or the Conductor for any other open bedrooms. They may have a cancellation, & be able to move you to another room.

 

[DET63]

For those unfamiliar with the arrangements in Superliner sleeping cars, this is a floor plan of both the upper and lower levels of one:

 

[jmbgeg]

We are in room A on the 59 train, and everything is sold out on the train. Is Room A going to be completely awful? I see from the diagrams that it's laid out a little differently, and it looks like there's about 18 inches less space in that one corner.

You will have a good trip.

The "A" bedroom has one very distinct feature from the other 4: the entry to the shower/toilet faces the other direction (not towards the windows). This limits the door opening space.

Otherwise, that room seems a little smaller, but it is a bedroom so enjoy !!!.

The only thing I don't like about A's is the limited door opening to the bathroom. Being a plus-sized guy, it's tight. I have no similar problem in B through E.

 

[RailFanLNK]

I just flew with my wife and stepdaughter for about the 2nd time in 5 years. BOTH of us no matter how fast it was to get home from Las Vegas really missed riding the train. Just the airport experience is enough for us to dream about the next train ride. Our gate at LAS was C-26 (I think) and I swore we walked and walked and walked until we found it. Train travel is easier and so much more less stress. Due to time constraints and the poor service that Las Vegas gets from Amtrak flying was about our only option on this trip.