Hey Bill, You,re our kind of Amtrak traveler. We travel with our two grandchildren ages 13 (girl) and 11 (boy) and they always have to have three things plugged in an outlet somewhere. If you are familiar with the family bedroom, it sleeps four and is on the lower level. It has been very comfortable for us until this past summer when we became painfully aware that the family bedroom is better suited for smaller kids than ours now. Two of the bunks are for smaller children. You are right about hunkering down for a good sleep followed by a hot shower and a hearty breakfast. We enjoy the food for all three meals and love it. This past summer we took Amtrac from Florence,SC where we live to Washington DC where we spent four days, then on the Capitol Limited on to Chicago where we spent one day and then on to Seattle on the Empire Builder. We spent three days sightseeing in Seattle before back tracking over the same rails back to Florence. What a wonderful vacation thanks to Amtrak's hospitality. Next trip will require a delux bedroom where they open the wall between two bedrooms and wa-la-- a beroom for four. We keep part of our luggage in the extra bathroom and use the other one for those too lazy to walk downstairs. I really like to go downstairs where the showers are a lot more spacious. Anyway, we have solved the electrical outlets by bringing our own plug in outlets. Two grandchildren still have a lot of "electronic silliness" to deal with so a little planning solves the problem. Glad to hear we have another Amtrak traveler who is happy. Take care and enjoy your next trip.
Bob Stacy of South Carolina
I ride the "Superliners" a lot, and, frankly have never noticed. I leave what little 'electronic silliness' I have at home and look out the windows at America, on my trips. Comes darkness, I hunker down in my bedroom, get up in the morning, take a shower, and have a wonderful breakfast. Darn! I don't even own a cel-phone! An American anachronism? Yar!
Bill
The outlet placement on Superliner coaches is a bit spotty--as built, they essentially only included one outlet in the middle of the car, which was used to plug in a vaccum cleaner when the cars were turned. That outlet wasn't intended for the passengers, so sometimes it ends up blocked by the seats (instead of turning the whole train, you can simply hit a lever and swivel the coach seats so that they face the other direction.) When the seats face a certain way, the outlet is blocked.
As the Superliners go through Beech Grove, particularly with the stimulus funding, outlets are being added all along the coaches so that passengers can plug in laptops, DVD players, etc. Quite a few are out there, but there's no real rhyme or reason to their placement--although chances are the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight would get them, as those trains are 'featured' a bit more than the Texas Eagle or City of New Orleans, which usually run with battered, unrebuilt Superliner I's.
I think that the outlets were installed originally for such appliances as electric shaver, curling iron, etc., and it was not expected that passengers would have the large number of devices that need 110 volts that are now carried. On on trip, several years ago, we were recharging camera batteries, the attendant stopped by, saw the red light on the charger and asked (with a little terror in his voice), "What's that?" We calmed him down.
Johnny
Kon
Modelling the BN 1970-1995
The Empire Builder I rode several weeks ago had them in coach.
Terry
Willy2 It must vary from car to car because I rode the California Zephyr this summer and our Superliner had an outlet at each seat pair.
It must vary from car to car because I rode the California Zephyr this summer and our Superliner had an outlet at each seat pair.
SL- I, or SL-II, or some midlife upgrade?
Willy
VERY FEW OF THEM!
On our family vacation this summer the CZ only had 1 coach with them. I wouldn’t bank on it!
The road to to success is always under construction. _____________________________________________________________________________ When the going gets tough, the tough use duct tape.
Burlington Northern RailsHello, do the Superliner cars have power outlets to charge notebooks?
I can't speak of the coaches, but there is a 120 volt outlet in each bedroom. We have used them to recharge camera batteries.
I don't know about the superliners but every Amrtak train I ride has 120 VAC at every seat pair.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
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