I would like to go BOS-WAS and then WAS-BOS on the Northeast Regional with golf clubs.

I contacted Amtrak and they responded by simply reiterating their policy.

Amtrak's policy says -

"Special Items: Ski equipment, snowboards, golf clubs and bicycles may generally only be handled as checked baggage on Amtrak trains, and not as carry-ons. Items are permitted onboard when they can be safely stowed in the exterior lockers of Superliner equipment, or onboard equipment that is specifically designed to safely and securely accommodate the storage of the items."

I also know that there is a nominal ($5) charge for handling golf bags in checked baggage. This is quite reasonable, especially compared to airlines' fees.

Also, checked baggage is only available on trains 66 (going BOS to WAS) and 67 (going WAS to BOS) (both are overnight trains) on these Northeast Regional routes.

I have 2 main questions:

1) Would I have any chance just carrying-on my clubs? It would be nice to not be limited to just taking the overnight trains with the clubs.

2) If carrying them on is not advisable....How does Amtrak handle checked "special items"? Are they put in a special area? Do people have bad experiences with checked bags on Amtrak? Would you suggest a hard travel bag for my clubs or would a soft bag suffice? I would prefer a soft case to a hard case. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsonite-4-Pi...570075&sr=1-19

So anyways...any suggestions or insight regarding golf clubs on the Northeast Regional?

Thanks!