tubaallen said:
As for the showers in the crew car...I disagree with Alan. Two is minimum. In the Transition sleeper for superliners there are typically 4 or more. This is important because usually everyone is all getting ready at the same time. We need those showers! And I have NEVER run out of hot water!
And how about NO dining room seating in the crew car at all? I know you would have those doors, but that's just not the same. Over the summer, when we lost the Denver sleeper on the CZ, but people had tickets for it, they gave away the first few rooms in the crew car (there are doors dividing it). This was not great. We crew people need our own get away place. It is nice having a car to ourselves.
Four or more? Where could Amtrak put them? The car would need a major overhaul for that.
The transition sleepers were built with 3 showers I believe. There is one on the lower level, like the regular sleepers. That one could service either the crew or the handicapped room. Then there are two on the upper level. One is basically in the middle of the car, right about where the one upper level toilet is in the regular sleeper. This shower was designed to be for the crew.
The second shower is by the door at the end of the car with the high level pass through. This shower was to service the 8 standard
public bedrooms, which Amtrak has since chosen not to sell.
While I can appreciate your need for a quite minute Tubaallen, IMHO this is a major source of lost revenue for Amtrak. These rooms should and must be sold when the train is full. This is especially true now with the current shortage of sleepers.
Perhaps Amtrak needs to put in a real door, instead of the swinging panel doors on the upper level. This might provide a little more privacy for the crew, plus you've still got the crew room downstairs.
Having this car exclusively for crew also has another real problem for Amtrak. There are a few who seek refuge in the crew dorm and neglect their passengers. Yes, there are many crewmembers such as you, who do work hard. However, is there was no place to hide out; those lazy crewmembers would have to do more work.
Ps. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to take a shower in a Superliner Deluxe room, only to find cold water. In fact, I learned to run the sink tap first to see if there is any hot water. Of course these days, I usually just go downstairs to the public shower anyhow, as it's much larger than the one in the deluxe room.
