In general they keep the same train cars together on each trip.

For example a train that leaves LAX on Day 1 as train 14 would arrive in Seattle on Day 2. This same train set would be turned (wyed) and return leaving SEA on Day 3 and arrive back into LAX on Day 4. It may turn around in LAX and depart to SEA again on Day 5 depending on equipment, but LAX is where maintenance is performaned as well. If a car has a problem (bad ordered) then it will be removed from the train set and another car placed into the train set (consist).

It is true when I rode the Coast Starlight to commute between Northern and Southern California on weekends I often saw the same consists and some of the same crew members, mainly conductors (had a few inside jokes with a few but that's another story!)

As stated before, the car orientation is "random" by our standards. Car A might have the bedrooms facing West while Car B just behind it may have them facing East. The train does not reverse though at the end. In normal operation the train will be turned at the end of the route. As in the front end of car end heading north from LAX-SEA will still be the front end heading south from SEA-LAX.

If you are not on the west side, as stated above the PPC or SSL (depending on your fancy) are great alternatives and often much more scenic then looking out the Roomette window. If you'd rather have the privacy of the room you can always ask the SCA and Conductor if a roomette on the other side is available.

I personally have not asked to change but sometimes have been asked by the SCA to use a different room than I'm booked for various reasons. They did ask and not tell but I didn't mind helping them out.

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