Maglev

At the end of September, I had time off from work and wanted to take an overnight train trip--anywhere, it didn't matter. Many trains were sold out, and rooms on other trains were very expensive. But I found Accessible Bedrooms on the Empire Builder that I could afford for one night, so I booked a joyride from Seattle to Shelby, Montana, in coach on points, then paid $700 for an Accessible Bedroom the same day from Shelby back to Seattle. There was a seven-hour layover in Shelby, enough time to assure the train wasn't late and I missed the connection, and also the boarding time on the return was early enough for dinner in the dining car.

Accessible Bedrooms on Amtrak are held for sale to disabled persons until two weeks before departure, and then made available to the general public. On the western "Superliner" (bi-level) trains, the Accessible Bedrooms are located downstairs at the end of the hallway by the toilets and shower. There is a toilet on one side of the Accessible Bedroom and a Roomette setup on the other side, with two facing seats (which fold together to form a lower berth) and an upper berth which folds down. There is a small window on each side of the car (one must sit on the toilet if one wants to sit and view the scenery out one side). And there is a large, empty space in the middle of the room.

The train out was listed at 80% full, but the coach seat next to me was only occupied for about an hour out of the eighteen I was aboard. The bathrooms remained tolerably clean, and the car was fairly quiet. I enjoyed a sandwich I had bought at a restaurant outside the station for dinner, and had the Breakfast Bialy from the cafe the next morning.

We arrived on-time in Shelby, and the station agent was very kind to store my pack for me. I went to lunch at what I determined was likely the high point of my day in Shelby, "The Griddle." My burger was fine, then I walked to a supermarket for a beverage, and spent the rest of the time relaxing at the station--it was 86˚ F (30˚ C) and sunny the day I was there.

The train back was a little early arriving at the station. My Sleeping Car Attendant had made a dinner reservation for me. I requested two extra pillows. When he brought them, I tipped him $5 and told him I would make my own bed. I enjoyed the scenery for a while, then went to a sunset dinner in the diner. My tablemates were a retired Amtrak Conductor and his wife. Two of us had the chicken and thought it was mediocre, but the desserts were tasty.

Room H was comfortable, and I did not have any problems with people trying to use my toilet. The room's door is right next to three other toilet doors, so people get confused. I also did not hear any noise or smell any odors from the bathrooms, and having the wheels so close did not seem to add any noise. The room is a little awkward in having no storage shelves, but there's plenty of empty floor space to pile one's luggage. The "stairs" to the upper berth are much narrower than in a Roomette, so if I were using the upper berth, I think a ladder would be helpful (I did not see one in the room). But it was great having my own sink and toilet , and nice to have windows on both sides.

I had far too much coffee to sleep well, but I enjoyed the comfort of a bed. Breakfast was with a couple from Britain as we ascended the Cascades shortly after sunrise. The attendant made up my room while I was at breakfast (as he must do). The train arrived in Seattle more or less on-time. My attendant seemed surprised when I tipped him another $20 even though he didn't turn down my bed, but he had done a good job with a full car.



View near Cut Bank, Montana



Half of Accessible Bedroom on a Superliner



There were six rolls of toilet paper, toilet seat covers, Kleenex, and paper towels (but no paper cups in the cup dispenser).

nequine

There doesn't seem to be too much legroom between the seats in your room, or is it just the way you took the photo?

Maglev

No, there isn't much legroom, and this is the same seating arrangement as a Roomette. The seat back will recline, and it's nice to put your feet up on the other seat. I always feel comfortable, and the privacy is wonderful, but there's no denying that a coach seat in a Superliner (with leg rests, foot rests, generous recline, and ample space between rows) is more comfortable for upright seating.

SW7London

Nice report! Something we dont have enough of - train trip reports!

Chaz_12

Thank you very much for the well written report.

Maglev

Amtrak travel is very different from most of the types of travel people do on this forum. Equipment is old, service can be surly, food quality can be very low, and trains are subject to multiple-hour delays.

An example of the type of thing one must endure to travel by Amtrak is the last-day remaking of rooms before arrival at the final destination. Amtrak does not provide pay for Sleeping Car Attendants to do this after arrival, so at some point in the last hours of a trip each room must be vacated for the Attendant to strip and re-make the beds. Then all the dirty linen is piled in the shower, blocking it from use by the 16 rooms that do not have a shower.

But the scenery is fantastic. There is no way to get to know this great nation by flying over it on an airplane. I think everyone should take a cross-country train trip at some time in their life.

Here's a few more photos of Montana from my coach seat:

nequine

Wow at the scenery!!!