dmm@ihlpa.UUCP (McAuliff) (10/24/86)
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I recently posted a request for info on sleeper cars. I would like
to thank the people who responded, and here are the responses I
received. For anyone who is interested I will be booking a sleeper
car for our trip from Naperville to Las Vegas.
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My experiences with sleeper trains were with BritRail between
London and Penzance, and London and Glasgow.
The compartments are about 8x6. The same compartment is used for
first and second class. First class allows one person per compartment,
and the top bunk is not pulled down. The bunks are along one side
of the compartment (perpendicular to the hallway which runs down
the side of the train. At the end of the compartment next to
the bunk is a window, with shade, and below it a sink.
There's hot and cold water, but bottled water is provided for
drinking and rinsing. The sink is surrounded by a formica
counter, which has a leaf that extends it over the end of the bunk
(so you can put it down as a desk top, or put it up).
Suitcases fit under the bottom bunk, or on a metal shelf
over the window.
There are overhead lights and individual lights per bunk,
locally controlled heating or cooling, and a signal light.
There's also a fold-down tray midway over the bunk,
useful for an alarm or morning tea and bisquits when delivered
(the porter asks your preference the night before for tea
or coffee).
The john is at the end of the rail car, so slippers or sandals
are handy. The facilities are generally clean and dry, and no
shortage of towels.
The bunk I found comfortable, and had no problems sleeping.
The sleeper trains are slower than the daytime intercity
trains, and make many stops for mail and other delivery/pickups
but I was not disturbed by any of it. Once you arrive, you have
about a half hour to vacate the train.
The compartments are arranged in pairs, so there's an inner door
available between neighbors.
Someday I'd like to try the US trains for an extended trip,
and compare them with the Brits. I found sleepers to be fun,
and save time that would normally spent during the day
traveling.
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I travelled from Sacramento, CA to Portland, OR in a sleeper car on
Amtrak. Two people, two beds. One bed is a bunk, the other the result of
folding down two chairs in the room. Very cosy; too small for more
than two people. Safety net to keep you from rolling off the upper
bunk. Expensive ($88 for a night). Worth it if you don't like to
socialize in the back cars (I found that the kids got on my nerves
after about 3 hours).
I would recommend a sleeper car for any trip of more than 24 hours.
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I would very much appreciate a copy of anything you receive. I am going to
Devner from Oakland on an Amtrak Superliner for Christmas. We went to an
Amtrak open house recently and looked at sleepers. The economy sleeper
is very small, it's as long and as wide as a single bed and has bunks in it.
No room to move around in the room, communal bathrooms, and no shower.
The bottom bunk is maybe 20 inches wide, not possible to sleep two.
The luxury sleeper on the other hand looks nice, it's a little room
maybe 6 feet by 7 feet, has a shower with a toilet in it, like in a little
motor home. There's a big "couch" that folds down into a bed maybe 40 inches
wide and another bunk above, there's a big comfortable looking swivel easy
chair right in front of a nice big picture window. I'm really caught right
now between keeping my economy sleeper tickets at $600 round trip for two,
or switching to luxury sleeper at $900. $300 is a lot of money, but two
days on a train with leg cramps, sleeping alone, and waiting in line for
a bathroom is a real bummer.
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My family took the Coast Daylight from Eugene, OR to Oxnard, CA a few
years back and had sleeping compartments. Very nice experience. The
fold out & down bunks were quite comfortable, the motion of the train
and the noise were both tolerable and the time saved terrific. The new
Amtrak equipment is quite good. I recommend it!
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I have travelled with my wife in double slumbercoaches Champaign, IL - New
Olreans (City of New Olreans), Chicago-Boston (Lake Shore Limited, change to
coach in Albany), New York - Chicago (Broadway Ltd) and in a Superliner
economy sleeper Chicago-Seattle (Empire Builder). I also took a trip by
myself in a single slumbercoach on the Lake Shore Ltd.
The slumbercoaches are *small*. One could get claustrophobic spending the
entire ride in one. We usually sat in the lounge until we got sick of the
smoke. The only time I had trouble sleeping was on the Broadway - the track
in Ohio was rough. We brought some wine along to smooth the ride.
The economy sleepers (only on Superliners) are slightly larger. The seats are
more comfortable and do recline somewhat. You don't get a toilet & sink in
the room, making it seem larger. The economy sleepers are more expensive
than the slumbercoaches ($85/night vs. $55 for 2 people) but do include all
meals plus a wine (split of burgundy), cheese (processed) & junk food
basket. I would prefer the lower rate without meals, but you don't get
a choice on the Superliners.
For holiday or summer trips on the transcontinental and west coast routes
it is essential to make reservations 6 months or more ahead. There are
some no-shows, so upgrades to sleeper may be available on the train.
We've never had any luck getting one though.
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I've traveled by sleeping car in Canada from Montreal to Toronto,
from Toronto to Ottawa, and from Toronto to Vancouver; and in the
US from Los Angeles to Chicago, from Chicago to San Francisco and
back, and from Los Angeles to Flagstaff. I've used a berth,
a roomette, an economy bedroom, a bedroom, and a deluxe bedroom.
And the answer is: it varies.
Generally I find that I don't sleep very well the first/only night
of a trip, but if it is a longer trip then I sleep soundly on the
second night. I am 5'7" tall and normal weight, and most sleeping
car accommodation is a pretty tight fit for me; if you're used to
luxurious beds you will find it hard, but if you're a camper I guess
you'll find it comfortable.
Note that the price varies considerably according to the accommodation
chosen; and there are two kinds of trains. The Superliner trains, used
on all of Amtrak's long trips to/from/along the west coast, provide
economy bedrooms (nice for one person, very cramped for two, no toilet
in room), deluxe bedrooms (comfortable for two, with toilet and a
rudimentary shower), and family bedrooms (I haven't tried these).
Other trains on Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada provide berths (just curtained
off the aisle, like in the movie Some Like It Hot), roomettes (the size
of an economy bedroom but designed for one person only, WITH toilet,
at least in Canada), and bedrooms (similar to deluxe bedroom but a bit
smaller and no shower).
Last time I traveled Amtrak, any form of sleeping car accommodation also
included free meals in the dining car. On VIA, meals are extra (which
I prefer).
Sleeping cars always have an attendant to help you with any problems
with the apparatus, take drink orders, etc.; they're on duty at all times.
You can stay in your room in the daytime, assuming you're not using a
berth; the bed(s) fold away and seat(s) appear. But if you do that then
you can only see out one side of the train. Alternatively, you can
go to the observation or lounge car when you like.
All this applies to North America only -- I have no experience on other
continents. If you had a more specific query....
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I took an overnight trip from Venice to Vienna (about 10 hrs) in
a sleeper car. It had 6 berths with straps on the upper ones
to keep you from falling out. It was about as comfortable as
sleeping on a sofa. Far preferable to overnight trips in
regular train seats.
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For our honeymoon a few years ago, my wife and I took the train from
Dallas to San Francisco (via San Antonio and Los Angeles). We had an
"economy sleeper" in one of the new bi-level cars that are only used
on Western runs.
In general, we found the trip enjoyable. The view from our roomette
was great, especially going up the coast from LA to SF.
Just as is the case in the "old" Pullman cars, the roomette has a
daytime and nighttime configuration. During the night there is an
upper and lower berth; during the day, the upper folds up against the
wall, and the lower separates into two chairs that face each other.
Although the berths are not especially comfortable, and not wide
enough for two people to sleep side-by-side, the gentle rocking of
the train, combined with the locomotive horn and warning bells at
grade crossings, made nighttime a train-lovers delight.
The big drawback, and the thing that has made my wife swear off long
distance trains, are the restrooms. They are about the size of those
you find on airlines -- okay for short trips, but a bit rugged for
three days, considering there are no shower facilities or any other
way to bathe on a train. (We made our trip in the summer, and the
Amtrak air conditioning was less than adequate.) In other words,
be prepared to stink.
General comments: The car was clean and generally well maintained.
The roomette was cramped but adequate. (Some advice: in a roomette,
you will only be able to see out your side of the car; pick your
roomette in advance based on what things you'll want to see, e.g.,
face the ocean when going up the coast. Also, pick a roomette in
the middle of the car, as the ride will be smoother there than at
the ends.) We found the Amtrak employees to be uniformly unpleasant
and rude, especially in the dining car. I'm afraid that this is
something you have to put up with on today's passenger trains.
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I have taken several trips by sleeper car. Most recently,
my family and I traveled from Oakland, CA, to Newark, NJ, on
the California Zephyr and the Broadway Limited (name?).
The western Amtrak trains (west of Chicago) run new Superliner
cars. We took a "family" room on the lower deck, which spanned
the car (windows on both sides). For this room, the restroom
is down the corridor. (Some rooms have a private bath.) The room
was comfortable and especially nice for small children. Whenever
we wanted to move around, we would walk to the observation car
or the snack bar. The food in the dining car was quite good
(much better than airline food) and reasonably priced, although
certainly not comparable to a really good restaurant. It was
at least one step above typical "family" restaurant.
The trip is very relaxing, in that there is simply nothing
you have to do. If you don't mind having your meals an hour
before or after the "rush hour" for each, there is normally
no waiting.
In the East, the trains use older cars (1940's and 1950's
vintage). These are quite reasonable, if not very pretty.
(They never were--the western roads had much better cars when
the eastern cars were new.)
All in all, I highly recommend travelling first class on
trains.
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In Europe, I often opt for the "bunk" style of sleeper car. They hold a
maximum of six persons in a compartment in seats. The seats fold into bunks,
and they give you a blanket. Its not private, but costs a lot less than the
sleeper cars. Cost in 1982 was $10.00 US. You have to make reservations as
the bunks can sell out quickly.
Sleeper cars usually hold 2 to 3 persons traveling together, and cost $40.00
or so per person. They have "real" beds and a wash basin inside.
Pros: It beats sleeping in a normal seat. Saves hotel costs and time.
Cons: Don't do it two days in a row, or more than twice in a week. It gets
old really fast.
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I took the Eagle from Chicago to LA (the long way), the coast starlight
to seattle, and the empire builder back to milwaukee (including a 15 hour
delay in some hicktown in north dakota behind a Burlington Northern
derailment, where the chamber of commerce gave us tours and entertainment)
last june.
Being 7feet and a few inches tall, I don't fit in sleeper compartments. I
sat in the handicapped compartment on the lower level of a coach car (about
6-8 double seats). If there aren't alot of handicapped or elderly folks, it's
almost like a private compartment. At the car end there is no passage way
either, and about 3 feet between the wall and the seat. I slept on the floor
on a sleeping bag pad with earplugs, and averaged 7-8 hours of decent sleep
a night. The motion of the car and muffled sound of rails lulled me to sleep!
For normal folks though, maybe someone else can help you. I also liked the
food, if you care. I probably gained weight on the trip (see, I'm not
normal, I try to gain weight and fail...)
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I have traveled twice on sleeper cars in Europe, and a half dozen
times in "couchettes" - compartments with six bunks on which
arbitrarily-mixed people sleep fully clothed.
It works. It's better than sitting up half the night in a coach
seat, or flying overnight. And the sleepers are comfortable. But
it's not as easy to sleep while your train is stopping and starting,
getting coupled and uncoupled, or getting disassembled and put on a
ferryboat at three in the morning.
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There are two types of Amtrak sleeping cars; Heritage Fleet and
Superliner. The Superliners are only found on the long distance
trains that run west of Chicago, while the Heritage Fleet is used
mostly in the east.
The Heritage Fleet cars were left to Amtrak by the railroads way
back in '72. They were extensively rebuilt between '76 and '82 and
are now in very good condition. The cars all have electric heat and
air conditioning, they are heavy weight and thus ride very well. These
cars provide three types of accommodation; Slumber coach, Roomette,
and Bedroom.
Slumber coaches are the closest things Amtrak has to the old Pullman
style coach. These are very small compartments for one person. They
provide a single seat for day riding that converts into a small bunk
at night. There is no toilet in the compartment, however there are
two bathrooms, one at either end of the coach. The compartments are
very small and at night, the foot of one bunk sticks out over the
head of the next one. The cost of a slumber coach is around $30 over
the cost of the base ticket (all Amtrak sleeping accommodations are
priced this way) depending on the length of the trip. Slumber coaches
are only found on a few east coast trains.
Roomettes are larger versions of the Slumber coach compartment. The
seats are much larger and convert into full length bunks at night.
The compartments include a small toilet and fold out sink. There is a
very small area left in the compartment for you to stand when the
bunk is folded down that you can use for dressing etc. However the
bunk has to be folded back into the wall in order to use the toilet.
The cost is around $45 over the base fare. Although roomettes are
intended for one passenger only, I have known couples who have shared
them comfortably. Roomettes are my favorite accommodation on Amtrak,
the compartments are roomy and comfortable and provide plenty of
privacy for a reasonable price.
Bedrooms are large compartments designed for two to four people. They
come in two flavors; one with two benches facing each other and one
with a single bench facing forward. All cars have an equal mix of
both types. In both, the seats fold out to form one large bed and
another, smaller bunk folds down from the wall. The big difference
between the beds is the direction they face, the first type has the
beds parallel to the train while the other is perpendicular to it.
Each bedroom has a small bathroom with a toilet, fold down sink,
mirror, and (best of all) a door. With the bunks down there is still
plenty of room to stand and even move around some. Also, the top bunk
can be let down and still have plenty of headroom for the seats
below. This is great for taking naps in the daytime or when someone
wants to stay up and read. A bedroom costs about $60 PER PERSON over
the base fare. They are expensive, but if you have a family they are
worth it.
The Superliner cars are brand new cars delivered to Amtrak between
'78 and '81. They are all double decker cars, the sleepers have
roomettes and bedrooms on the top level and bathrooms and one
handicapped bedroom on the lower level. The roomettes are about the
same as the Heritage Fleet roomettes except that the have no toilet.
Because of this they are also a little bit larger. The bedrooms are
all the same as the Heritage Fleet except that the bathrooms include
a shower (don't try this out unless you are fearless in the face of
cold water, 'cause the hot don't last too long). Prices will seem
much higher than for Heritage Fleet sleepers but this is because
Superliner equipment is only used on long distance trains and you pay
by the mile.
I heartily recommend the Roomette if you are traveling alone or as a
couple (Amtrak will not sell a Roomette to two people, one person has
to ride in the coach section by day and sleep in the compartment at
night. This is not strictly kosher but most conductors will look the
other way if you don't make a big fuss over it).
One other suggestion if you are willing to take a risk and want to
save some money; don't reserve sleeping accommodations for the whole
trip. Instead you can purchase empty accommodations from the
conductor when you get on the train. This is risky because you won't
know if you will get to sleep in a bed until you are on the train.
But you can save a lot of money because you only pay for the miles
you actually ride in the sleeping compartment. I've been able to
sleep in the bedrooms this way for less than the cost of a roomette
if I had reserved the whole trip.
I hope this long winded run down is what you are looking for. I
really enjoy train travel and have been one just about every one
Amtrak runs. Have a nice trip,
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I've traveled between Chicago and New York on the Broadway and
the Lake Shore in sleepers and coach. The ironic thing about
sleeping cars is that you pay quite a bit more, but your car
is an old (albeit reconditioned) car. The folks paying coach
fare are riding in a new (Amfleet) car. The difference?
The old heritage cars are rougher, sway more and are more noisy.
The new Amfleet cars are smoother and quieter.
I've never taken the slumbercoach accommodation (by far the
cheapest rooms, but very small!). I've taken roomettes for
myself (big bed, but it covers the toilet seat when down,
so if you have to get up in the middle of the night and relieve
yourself, be prepared to lift your bed (next to impossible) or
wander to the end of your sleeper (it might have a public restroom)
or to a coach). The beds are comfortable, but it can be hard to
sleep soundly while the train is moving. Depends solely on how
well you sleep. I once took, ook a full bedroom when I was with my
family, and while it has more room and an accessible toilet,
comfort is about the same as a roomette.
Overnight coach isn't bad for sleeping, but you don't have the
privacy to change clothes or leisurely and completely wash up in
the evening/morning.
Then comes the clincher -- sleeping car accommodations are EXPENSIVE.
The fare to New York with roomette is the same as a full-fare airline
coach seat. The fare by train coach seat alone is more like the
fare of a People Express coach seat.
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My wife, infant daughter and I took a long train trip a couple of
years ago. We went from Denver to LA (overnight), stayed there a
week, then went from LA to Seattle (overnight), stayed there a few
days and finally went from Seattle to Denver (overnight again).
All in all, it was a very pleasant trip. Much more enjoyable than
air travel, although much slower. We had a two passenger
compartment, with two wide seats. The two seats slid together to
make a lower berth and there was a fold down upper berth (slightly
narrower than the lower. The bathrooms were on the lower level. The
sleeper had about 6 compartments like ours on the upper level, as
well as 4 private compartments with their own bathrooms. There was
also one large compartment downstairs which shared bathrooms with the
upper compartments.
The food was pretty good, far above airline food, although the
service was fairly slow.
I liked the freedom to roam up and down the length of the train, the
club car and the observation car.
As I recall, we took the train because it was cheaper than airfare
for the circle trip. It would have been cheaper to fly for a simple
round-trip.
We paid about $125 per person for the fare + $80 per night (total not
per person) for the sleeper compartment. Our daughter traveled free.
She was 5 months old at the time. So the trip cost $490.
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Do you mean here in the US or in Europe?? Last summer I used a sleeper
car in Germany. It wasn't too bad. I used the cheap cabin; there's room
for four people in it and, once I got settled in, it wasn't too bad. But
if I had a long way to go I'd take the "top of the line" cabin, which
sleeps two and has more comfortable beds than the bunk-bed style I used.
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I recently travelled in a sleeping cabin from Ill. to NJ and found it very
enjoyable. The type of accomodation I had was a single cabin with a roll-out
bed which was quite comfortable. There was a fair amount of luggage space and
a sink and commode as well. It was essentially a very compact type of
cabin and so, while there was no feeling of crampedness, there was no
stretching space either.
The other types of accomodations that AMTRAK has are a similar cabin but
slightly larger and meant for 2 people and rooms(?) with bunk beds and a
separate toilet.
The price of the sleeping cabin was $35 over the chair car fare of $100.
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I have traveled on many-an-amtrak route during my college days and shortly
thereafter (which is still going on now) and thought I'd give you my views.
First off, I've never PAID for a sleeper car, since they are about the same,
or more as plane fare and in most cases, I would have rather taken the plane
if I could afford it. Most of my travels were in the coach class. This is
where you either grab 2 empty seats together, stretch out across both,
and pretend to be asleep all the time, or end up sharing with somebody thats
been on the train for 3 days straight -- and smells like it. Actually though,
I do enjoy myself on short trips. Most of my trips start sometime in the
evening (8-midnight) and end up early in the morning at my destination.
I think coach would be difficult for more than one night, and cannot honestly
say that the small sleepers would be much better.
If I were going to go, say across country (price non-withstanding) I would
take the big sleeper, with the private washroom (a little closet by itself,
not underneath the second seat as the small sleepers have) and make sure it
has a shower (I've never really checked). Also I'd do it only with either
a girlfriend/wife (the romantic angle) or with a crazy bunch of ex-college
friends. It can really be a lot of fun if you plan it right.
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I took a trip around the Labor Day weekend to New Orleans and back by
sleepers. On the way out I had a slubercoach berth to Atlanta on the
Crescent. On the way back I came via Chicago. On the City of New Orleans
between New Orleans and Chicago I had a roomette, and on the Broadway
Limited from Chicago to New York I was again in a slumbercoach. I have
generally found the roomettes to be quite comfertable if you are travelling
alone. The slumbercoach compartments are somewhat cramped, specially if you
are of large build, but the savings in money when compared to a roomette for
sleeping acommodation makes it worth it. While on a train I tend to spend
most of my waking hour in the lounge car or the diner anyway so the size of
the compartment in which the sleeping berth is located is not an important
factor for me.
The sleeper fare (not slumbercoach) includes free food in the diner these
days. I found the food in the diner much better than in the past.
The service in the sleeper was good. The attendants were helpful and
available whenever needed. The stafff in the dienr could improve a little
however, specially on the Broadway Limited. They were excellent on the
Crescent, perhaps a legacy of Graham Claytor and the Southern Crescent(?).
The sleepers were generally 60% to fully occupied on the trains that I
travelled on. The Broadway Limited was the most heavily occupied and the
City of New Orleans was the most lightly occupied, with the Crescent falling
somewhere inbetween. The Broadway Limited also carried the largest
contingent of sleepers of the trains that I travelled in. It had three full
sleepers and one sleeper come slumbercoach with 20 slumbercoach
compartments. The Crescent does not carry the two sleepers that it starts
with from New York all the way to New Orleans. It sheds one of them at
Atlanta, and that is the one with the slumbercoach compartments in it. That
is why I had to move out of my sleeper to regular coach at Atlanta, but that
did not bother me too much for reasons stated above. The run from Atlanta to
New Orleans is all during daylight hours.
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I took an overnight sleeper from Munich to Amsterdam. There were men's cars
and women's cars. I don't remember whether a couple or family could share
one, since I was traveling alone at the time. I think there were two classes,
first and something else. I took the "something else". There were 3 bunks
stacked on top of each other, and a small wash basin. Toilets (wc's in
Europe) were down the hall. There wasn't much room to move around, but that
didn't matter much. A porter (who spoke English, incidentally) was helpful.
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I took a trip on Amtrak from Charlottesville, VA to Atlanta, GA and back
last year, in which I used a sleeper compartment on the trip. My first
impression when I boarded the train and made my way to my compartment was
that the compartment was very small and seemed a little stuffy. However,
I soon got used to the size, and there were ventilating fans available to
releive the stuffiness. Amtrak even provided a "basket of goodies" in the
sleeper compartment which included wine & cheese & crackers and Amtrak
stationary, and other snack items. They also offered a wake-up call in the
morning, and delivered coffee or juice to my compartment.
The compartment included a sink, a small toilet, a small closet and other
compartments for shoes and clothes, as well as a sofa-type seat. However,
the bed folds down from the wall and covers all of this up. In fact, getting
the bed down is not easy without having had some practice. First of all,
you must step completely out of the compartment and into the aisleway to do it,
since the opened bed takes up ALL the space in the compartment. (Thus you have
to finish everything you need to do with the sink and toilet before opening the
bed. -- and you can't use them again until you put the bed back up.)
All in all I guess I slept OK - I definately slept better on the return trip
when I was more used to everything. You do feel quite a bit of vibration
when you are lying in the bed.
I do recommend at least trying the sleeper compartment once - it's pretty
adventurous and is definately a different way to travel.
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Last fall (October) my wife and I talk several Amtrak overnight
trains. We started in Chicago and took the Pioneer to Seattle which
is a two night, three day journey. (I think it may be the longest
train ride in the US other than the through sleepers that go from
Los Angeles to NY). On the Pioneer we opted for the deluxe sleeper.
It was well worth the extra money. The room is set up with a couch
that doubles as a lower bunk and an upper bank. In addition there
is a fold down table and an armchair. But the best part is the fact
that the Deluxe sleeper compartments have bathrooms with showers.
Next we took the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles, another
nice ride. On that train (it was one night/two day trip) we opted for
the standard sleeping compartment. It is considerably smaller with
two opposing single seats that double as a single berth. There also
is an upper berth that folds down. With both berths open there is
no standing room unless you open the door. But it wasn't too bad
for one night. However we were spoiled by the deluxe compartment.
Both trips were using the superliner cars which are much nicer than
the ones used on the east coast trips (and newer). Any other questions
you might have, send me some mail..
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My wife and I took a sleeper from New York City to Orlando last spring.
We enjoyed the trip very much, the service was very good, and they gave
us a wine and cheese basket to munch on during the trip. I liked being
able to spread out all over the compartment, and having a private toilet.
The bunks were as comfortable as could be expected, and the linens were
clean. I did not sleep very well which was probably do to the motion and
the strange bunk. The motion didn't seem bad though. Two people can lay
in one bunk and read if they like each other alot. Two people can not
fall asleep in one bunk no matter how much they like each other.
There were a couple of things that I did find disappointing. The seats
were not as comfortable as the coach seats, and they did not recline.
I was impossible for two people to look out the window and enjoy
the scenery. They had baned smoking from all cars except the sleeper
compartments and the longes. This meant that every smoker on the train
lived in the longes and they became unusable for nonsmokers.
Sleepers on the western lines would probably be better because the have
the domb cars which you can use to watch the the scenery.
My wife and I do hope to take another trip by train, and if it is over
night I would only go by sleeper.
A couple of warnings. I understand that sleeper accomdations have to be
booked well in advance of the trip. I also understand that AMTRAK
suffers from equipment failures and some trips can turn into real
hardships if a dinner, lounge, or observation car breaks down.
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I have one experience: the sleeper from Darlington (Northern England)
to London in 1983, Second Class. It cost 10 pounds sterling more than
the basic ticket. I shared a compartment with one other man. There
were 2 'bunks,' each not much more than a cantilevered board hanging
from the wall and holding a thin mattress. There was barely enough room
on the floor for our luggae.
The ride: We changed trains at York, I believe, with some clanging and
banging.
Service: good.
Would I do it again? Only by First Class to get a more comfortable
bed. I have somewhat frail health and would not jeopardize a night's
sleep again as I did then. But it enabled me to spend an extra day with
dear friends whom I don't see very often.
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The last sleeper car I was in was a 24 hour trip in China. There were
four of us in one sleeper (upper and lower bunks, both sides). It was me,
my wife, and 2 friends. It was tight space, and boring. We read a lot, and
slept and played cards a lot too. The scenery was sufficiently interesting to
occupy some of our time. Given that we wanted to see the country side, and
didn't have time to stay in the country side, it was a good choice.
I think I would do it again, if:
1. I and my companions can have a compartment to ourselves.
2. There is interesting scenery to be seen (that cannot be experienced
otherwise).
3. It is no longer than 24 hours, and flying would get us there no more
than 1/2 day earlier.
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I use sleepers on the VIA Rail system fairly often. The cars are old
enough to run for political office being from the early and mid fifties
and are often cooled with ice and heated with steam.
My wife and two children and I used to use a sleeper on the 8 hour trip
to Saskatchewan since it is so pleasant - heck everybody is sleeping
which is a vast improvement on a very bored three year old. But they
changed the schedule so we go in the day time, sigh.
These antiques have four pairs of berths which are four pairs of double
seats in the day time which become bunk beds at night. You can rent
both beds as a section or just one (the upper berth is cheapest). Each
bunk is enclosed in an extremely heavy curtain. In addition to the upper
and lower berth there are maybe ten private bedrooms with doors and
their own toilet (to me that is over kill) which sleep one, two, or
four people. The bedrooms are extremely cramped.I have used the
bedrooms but prefer the berths because I don't like to be closed in
or isolated.
In summary I like it, it beats driving always and flying usually.
Thanks,
Denise McAuliff
ihlpa!dmm