Any body here ever sleep over night on a train?

I slept overnight on the coast starlight up to Portland. Had a little compartment on the lower level. Unfortunately, the air conditioning would not shut off, so I almost froze. Bummer, as sleeping on the train was to be a highlight of the trip. Took a plane back home. Air travel is ugly, but at least it's over relatively quickly.

My Mom, sister and I travelled by train from New Orleans to Chicago back in the 1950s and I still have some vague memories. We were really on a budget and didn't book a sleeper but the pullman man was kind to us and offered us a bunk after 9 or 10pm I think it was. We had been asleep and I was scared stepping between the cars as we walked through a couple of cars that night!

Many times.. Southwest chief.. Coach and a roomette...yap Roy..froze..they could not turn off ac..

The heat came when I was leaving the train at KC.

I have slept in the dressing rooms. Cause the person they put next to me snored ..and slept i ..the cafe car ..or no sleep at all..

They need single seats.. Which I wrote a track about..and a shower car..pay extra 5 bucks to use it.

As usual management doesn't have a clue.

I've had rooms on trains a number of times. I'm a big guy, 6'-1", and one of the worst was back in the late 70's between New York and Chicago. I had a "roomette" (duplex sleeper). I swear the bed was 5'-9" and I couldn't get comfortable. Two nights on the Empire Builder, with its Superliner cars in the mid 90's was better. I was actually able to sleep a little. The same trip we rode back through Canada on Via. They were using classic streamlined cars from the 50's. My ex wife and I were traveling with a tour group. We were given a standard double birth, but when it came time to convert the beds, the porter couldn't get the upper to come down. The tour group leader switched rooms with us, which meant we got the drawing room in the dome lounge observation. Now that was SWEET!

Yep; on both Amtrak and Class 1 office car trains.  

One memory that stands out was a trip I made on the Texas Eagle and Broadway Limited with my oldest son when he was four.  On the Broadway; we had a roomette in a heritage sleeper on the rear end of the car above the truck.  There was a flat spot on one of the wheels and I can well remember that thumping all night across Indiana and Ohio as we rolled east.

Flat wheels aside; my biggest issue sleeping on trains has always been my fear that I might “miss” something.  Suffice to say; I tend to doze rather than actually sleep.  😉

Curt

When I was 21 back in 1976, I brought a USA railpass for $200 or so.

I went to the NMRA convention in Chicago ( at the O'Hare airport Hyatt ).

5 nights in coach on the then  "new" Amtrak service, I will never forget.

You can sleep in a chair car, but it is not fun.

But if you are young and have little money, it can seem to be an adventure.

I still do model trains and ride Amtrak, but not overnight.

totrainyard posted:

When I was 21 back in 1976, I brought a USA railpass for $200 or so.

I went to the NMRA convention in Chicago ( at the O'Hare airport Hyatt ).

5 nights in coach on the then  "new" Amtrak service, I will never forget.

You can sleep in a chair car, but it is not fun.

But if you are young and have little money, it can seem to be an adventure.

I still do model trains and ride Amtrak, but not overnight.

 

 

I was at that convention. I was only 15. Registration number was 474, and the first 500 got to visit EMD LaGrange.

Actually, I prefer Slumbercoach over a roomette.  At nigjt you did not have to tear the bed apart to use the toilet#

In the early '90's rode first class by train from London to Edinburgh overnight.  IIRC, we boarded at 11 p.m. or so.  I slept okay.  Would have preferred a night in London with a good hotel, then travel by rail to Edinburgh first class departing a.m.  But schedule would not work that way.

Thanks every one for sharing.

Sure,  PRR from New York City to Chicago and return,  Santa Fe's San Francisco Chief between Chicago and Frisco,  chair car on the El Cap from LA to Chicago,  and New Orleans to Chicago on the IC.  Frankfort to Bremerhaven to pickup my automobile.  John in Lansing, ILL

Overnight on the Southwest Chief, the Coast Starlight, the Capitol Limited, and the California Zephyr.

And, 30 (at least) overnight trains in Europe.  Plus a week on Rovos Rail in Africa.

There aren't too many things that I would trade my overnights on trains for ....

During 1961 and part of '62 I commuted from Greensboro to NYC 's Penn Station at least two weeks monthly. I caught the Piedmont Limited northbound on Sunday night in Greensboro at 8:30 p.m. and slept overnight arriving at Penn Station around 6:30 a.m. and crossed the street to check into the Statler-Hilton. Then walked up to our 40th and Broadway office usually having breakfast on the way. Most always awakened to the bump when changing from Southern to Pennsy electric power in D.C.

Returned on Friday night at 6:30 via the Peach Queen arriving back in Greensboro Saturday morning about 8;30 a.m.  Efficient and comfortable  way to commute to NYC given the air service at the time especially in bad weather. But eventually ended up on the new Eastern Airlines Electras as rail service began to go downhill.  Instead of  having supper in the Diner I usually went over to 8th avenue, bought a hot loaf of Italian bread with butter crammed in it and some sausages,salad,soda,etc and dined in my traveling bedroom. 

Like many others my first overnight train travel came upon entering the military in 1949. To San Diego (Navy) via Southern Ry via new Orleans and SP to California.  Took awhile to cross the continent upon discharge when I returned to the states in 1953 as I booked several roads for the "experience" and ended up in St. Louis, Indiana and then Asheville and the Carolina Special down the mountain to Greensboro. (but had to catch the Carolina Trailways bus  to my hometown of Summerfield--the A&Y had discontinued passenger service to Summerfield in June 1939).

We've ridden the Autotrain many times. Done coach every time. Not bad but..... I'm 6'5" and can manage. I wouldn't say we sleep, cat nap would be more accurate. On the south bound trip it's a piece of cake since the resort pool is a short drive away. Northbound I have a 6 hour drive back with NYC metro traffic waiting for me at the end. Still beats driving the whole way.
We considered room-etts but for a family of 4 it was not worth it for one night.

I was scheduled to do an overnight on Amtrak once, but plans changed.  

I did some research back then in preparation for my trip, and the things you needed to take were duct tape, cardboard, and a few wood shims (door jamb).  These items would allow you to eliminate squeaks, stray light, and control the temperature.

Last year one-way on the Silver Meteor, Phila to Ft. Lauderdale. This year a repeat in March, and in May, a one-way from Phila to New Orleans on the Crescent, then onto AZ on the Sunset Limited. We fly home. 

Since my wife and I are in our 70s, we each get our own roomette so we don't have to cope with a top bunk (even the slightly larger "bedroom" has a top bunk, and at a higher price than 2 roomettes).

Sleeping was fine, however you tend to roll a bit when the train is hitting curves at 60 mph, and you are passing crossing signals ringing. Also areas over many switches may wake you for a second.

Sleeping car passengers get a extra bonus with a private waiting room in major stations. In Philadelphia a red cap brought us with our luggage down in a elevator to our correct platform area, and got us onto our assigned car. The car attendant brought us to our "rooms" where we found welcome signs to Joe and Susan. Dining car meals are included in the sleeper price (but please leave a tip). The tip for the car attendant (porter) should be $10. per day per person. Due to great service, I doubled that.

The vacation starts when you board a train, where the flying experience is something you have to get through before the vacation starts. However, be prepared for long-distance trains running late...sometimes very late. Often freight trains have priority, for a number of reasons. I actually brought a bit of duct tape (for rattles) but did not need it.

How about a troop train from the west coast to Chicago, this was back in the 50's. I was a young lad back from Korea. DOnt remember to much but glad to be back in country.  WE have taken a m track from d c to fla. not bad and overnight.

Many times roomette & bedroom in the past 3 years. Been everywhere. Empire Builder, California Zephyr, South West Chief, Meteor & more.

You remember that song "I've Been Everywhere"?  Well me too. Most recently the Autotrain to and from Florida about a week ago, coach. My wife fed me a Melatonin and it worked like a charm. I slept well. Benedryl works too.

Many times and I've hit almost all of the options. Pullman berth after I was inducted in 1964 on the way to South Carolina for basic, Montreal to NYC on the D&H/NYC, with family to Chicago with adjoining bedrooms opened during the day into one big room, slept sitting up to Chicago once on Amtrak. More recently I've been traveling on the Silver Star to FL (was a fine trip when they still had the diner) both in roomettes by myself and later with my wife now we reserve the handicapped bedroom. As Joe said it does have an upper berth but has an enclosed toilet and a lot of room.

Now that I think about it I've actually done a wide variety of long distance trains (and for my sins I even commuted on the LIRR in the late 60's).

Lived in the Chicago area and during the 1960's would visit my sister in Wahpeton/Breckenridge. Slept in the dome cars seats of the Empire Builder, arriving at about 1 AM! I loved watching the small towns go by at night while we were speeding across Minn at 60 or 70 MPH.

Had a brother in Denver, many trips on the CZ and DZ (1960's), spent nights up in the Vista Domes. But one year, I had a roomette. Was great, never had A/C or heating issues. Daytime I would sit in a Vista Dome.

In the 1950's, with a group of young kids, we went to Washington DC, shared a roomette with another kid, but don't know what RR or train we were on. Remember running up and down the isles between rooms looking for my other friends.

Just finished a return VIA trip from Toronto to Kamloops (train finishes in Vancouver). It was 4 nights on the train each way. VIA uses the classic Budd stainless steel cars. The insides have been upgraded a few times since the 50's, with the newest upgrade to a premium "murphy" double bed in a double sized bedroom (only 6 bedrooms per car = 12 people).

The original sleeper cars have 2 configurations, the Manor cars have 4 single bedrooms, 6 double bedrooms and 3 upper&lower births. (the 4th birth was replaced with a shower). car sleeps 22 people. The other sleeper design is a Chateau car with 6 single bedrooms, 4 double bedrooms and 3 upper&lower births plus the shower.

In sleeper class, the food is included. The diner car holds 44 people, and they had 2 and 3 sittings, depending on how many people were on the train. the food is prepared on board by a chef, and the quality is excellent. there are always 3 choices per meal, with no repeats over the 4 days. The food is served on real china (no plastic). Liquor is extra.

Park car rear dome:

Lounge under the Park car dome

View entering Toronto:

Dining car and food presentation:

Skyline dome (mid train) lounge:

Upper birth: The lower birth is the larges sleeping area on the train.

Double bedroom (2 bedrooms with adjoining wall removed) sleeps 4:

Bedroom showing upper and lower birth. Sink is on the right. Washroom is the door beside the sink: I am 6'-1" tall and sleep on my side. Room is tight but I sleep very well on the train. My sons are 6'-4" & 6'-6" and sleep on the top bunk, on their sides. 

Some views of the train:

This year the configuration was 1 baggage car, 2 coach cars, 2 skyline dome cars, 8 sleeper cars and at the end a park/dome car. 

The staff is friendly and the service is excellent. This may be one of the best train rides in the world. The total duration is 4 days on one train. (however I have not travelled any overnight trains in Europe, yet)

Those Canadians sure know how to do things right for the Customer. Took a Rocky Mountaineer tour a few years ago, Gold Leaf, from Calgary to Vancouver. Picked up the train in Banff to Vancouver. All I can say is FANTASTIC. From the cleanliness of the cars, to the crew and scenery. And the food was 5 star. 

Looking forward to doing another trip on the Rocky Mountaineer soon. I'm tempted to do a VIA trip as I heard nothing but good things about Via Rail.

RAY

My dad was a Canadian National  hogger back in the  40s 50s  and was able to get free passes for our family.  My grandfather had some type of trailer on  a few  acres in Florida and My Mom, sister and myself made the trip to Florida rail stating in Toronto and eventually Tampa . I was 7 or 8 and can't remember much except going through the tunnel at Sarnia,  Chattanooga, and Jacksonville and eventually Tampa .   I have no idea what crack passenger train we were on although silver meteor rings a bell.   Quite a ride  and we did have a bed room on some parts of the trip. Sometimes the railway take you parts of a city or country that you\d have to see to  believe. Favourite part for me was riding in Observation car with an unlimited supply of potato chips and coke  supplied by fellow passengers.

We drove home with my Grandfather and saw the prison gangs working on the highways. It's a long drive but my grandfather had purchased 6 pieces of Gargraves flex track someplace in Tampa that we smuggled over the border.

In 1987 or ‘88 I wanted to do something romantic with an unusual twist (at least, in my girlfriend’s eyes), so I purchased us train tickets to Raleigh, NC which included a sleeper room. It seems like it cost an additional $100 for the room. 

The train departed Jacksonville, FL just before midnight. We both slept well. In fact we awakened just in enough time to have breakfast in the diner before we arrived in Raleigh. A completely satisfying experience. 

The return trip home... not so much so. We went back “economy”, coach that is. It was a completely different experience. 

Sometime in the early 60s I rode the overnight sleeper from Edinburgh to London with my parents. My strongest memory is waking up at Kings Cross station with the room stinking of diesel fumes from the idling Deltic locomotive at the head end. (Twin Napier deltic naval gunboat engines - white hazy smoke everywhere) 

https://gfycat.com/beautifulbronzeindri

In 2005 my wife, daughter and of course myself traveled from Union Station in Chicago to Flagstaff, AZ as the start of a week long Grand Canyon/Vegas vacation. We rode coach since Amtrak's cost for a sleeper was very high. The worst part of sleeping in coach was NOT the reclining seat, but rather the gassy passengers ahead and behind us - OMG!!

Great trip - somewhere over the Rockies I'm pretty sure I saw the exact spot where so many old 40's and 50's westerns were filmed - you know, "the gulch" where the bad guys hung out!

George

Been so long can't remember the trains. But in June of 52, New York to Chicago then Elgin to Momence, Il.

Then in early 60s, for some reason I was picked to carry all the papers for recruits and got a Roomette in which I got to pick one other guy. Chicago to Louisville, KY. overnight then in morning bussed to Ft Knox. Travelled a lot by trains, many overnighter. But do remember once when a train ticket to Hopkinsville, KY overnighter from Chicago were rail service was cancelled. After that many destinations were slowly seen cancelled. So bus service was needed. My favorite train trip has to be when I came back from overseas and my parents had bought me a tickets from San Diego to Chicago. After 1970 never rode on an overnighter again. Best sleep I ever had, were on trains.

Many times both on the AutoTrain and US Military Troop Trains some good experiences and some not so good. Best thing is not driving all the way to Florida and you get a room with a bathroom and upper bunk. Trying to sleep with children running up and down in coach plus snoring folks is tuff going. 

Gregg posted: ...snip...

It's a long drive but my grandfather had purchased 6 pieces of Gargraves flex track someplace in Tampa that we smuggled over the border.

Probably Chester A. Holley "THE MOST" 3812-20 South Himes Avenue.

I took the Star from FTL to PHL and noticed this motor as the lead unit:

I always preferred the Star over the Meteor as (for the same fare) I got four more hours of train time and one more meal as the Star goes to Tampa; two hours from Auburndale each way. Sleeper is the only way to travel if going overnight. I even saw AMTK 1 again in WAS on my return trip although it was not assigned to the southbound Star this trip:

Many times. 

 Most recent - an overnight on one of the "Green" trains (the slow, traditional kind) in China - a small berthing compartment - me and 5 other people. Very basic but the adventure more than made up for the surroundings...besides - I was asleep most of the time.

 Most luxurious - riding the Ghan from Adelaide to Alice Springs in Australia. I splurged and had my own private room. Nothing like waking up in the morning, getting dressed, going to the dining car, sitting down at table and, as the sun rose, watch a couple of kangaroos race along side the train.

Curiously different - Checking into a single sleeping car on a siding at Exeter-St. David in the evening - going to sleep in my berthing compartment and the next thing I know - a quick knock on the door, the car steward entering with tea and crumpets, a quick nod from him, and "London in 20 minutes, sir."  They attached that car to the train sometime during the night and I never felt or heard a thing.

Childhood memory - taking the UP from Sacramento, California to Council Bluffs, Iowa all by myself for a summer visit with my Grandmother. Sleeping in coach, feeling a gentle tap on my shoulder, waking and seeing the Pullman porter from the next car signaling quiet and gesturing that I follow.  Getting to the vestibule between cars where the porter opened the top half of the door and feeling, smelling the salt air of the Great Salt Lake.  Looking out across the moonlit water and finally having the porter tell me this is his favorite part of the trip.  Nothing more was said.  When we came to the end of the bypass, he closed the top door, indicated I better get back to my seat, and he, in turn, went back to his Pullman.

I slept in a CIWL sleeping car between Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Innsbruck (Austria). It was a compartment for two but I was alone. The conductor anyway made up two beds otherwise I should have paid first class.

I slept in a sleeper between London and Penzance (SW England); very small one person compartments but I slept well.

I slept in a (stationary) caboose (Red Caboose Motel).

Regards

Fred

I have ridden in three sleepers,one from Vienna to Florence and we woke up when they changed engines at the border and looked out the window at all of the snow,pretty neat.We rode from Milan to Paris and it was pretty cramped in our compartment and woke up early to see the scenery on the way into Paris,very nice.We rode from Paris to Munich and the compartment was pretty rommy and woke up early to Coffee and a Croissant,very nice ride.Sadly many of the Nite trains have been discontinued.

Mikey

Nope, never slept in a passenger train. Only ridden ONE "sure 'nuf" (i.e. not an excursion) passenger train: Early 1980s, Amtrak from Dallas to Texarkanna, spent the night, back via Amtrak the next day. Wife and I, and our 3-4 year old daughter.

Now, have I ever slept on a train?

Lands yes. More times than I can remember.  Seems with night jobs (especially) you get holed-up somewhere waiting for another train and there's nothing to do... so get as comfy as you can and saw some logs. I remember being on loan-outs out in Kansas, on night in particular. On that loan out and that particular night, the lead unit in the set of power had high-back, TILT back seats. We had to wait on a train (imagine that), and according to dispatch "it's going to be a while". Middle of the night, long before the buttcrack of dawn... snappy weather... great heater in the lead unit... so tilt the seat back and get comfy and... zzzzz.

With an EMD or Alco purring behind the electrical cabinet (and the cab rumbling/vibrating softly), the heater adjusted just "so"... maybe crack the side window just enough to feel a bit of the cool air... and buddy... you can do some significant damage on making the time pass. (I've snored myself awake sometimes!)

Long time ago I tried to get a picture of one of those night time situations. Below is the result. Yes, it's a sorry pic. Poor camera. Didn't do well in low light and because of that, this was the only time I ever tried taking an onboard night shot.  However, this WAS a pic taken on such a loan out (but not specific to the above story). And yes (as I recall), it WAS taken out in Kansas somewhere. So, not the best of pics, BUT... it "sorta" gives you the idea. What you're seeing (I think) is a meet that we'd been waiting on for "a spell".

Andre

Like RoyBoy, we had a compartment where the air conditioning blew all night.  We shared the compartment with a French couple who spoke less English than we spoke French.  It was a night train from France to Italy.

Four nights on Amtrak - one back in 2002 or so on the California Zephyr, from Denver to Chicago. Had a roomette on that one - don't recall sleeping very well, but not why that was.

Only other trip involving nights was New York to Tucson in 2013, Lake Shore Limited (coach), Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited (roomette on those legs). Coach was rough - mainly since, as in Curt's story, we had a wheel with a flat spot. Thump-thump-thump all night long. Roomette was much better - good sleep both nights, though interrupted in a good way in San Antonio for the switching move.

After the move, the sleeper I was in was the last car in the consist - nice view out the window in the rear door, from the corridor.

When I was a young child (around 1964), family took the train from Chicago to Denver to visit paternal grandmother. The only thing I recall from the trip was being scared to walk from car to car.

These are rather poor pix, but here's a couple of the roomette on the 2013 trip, as we were waiting to depart Chicago, and a shot from the rear of the train. I THINK we were climbing out of El Paso.

David

Robert S. Butler posted:

 

Childhood memory - taking the UP from Sacramento, California to Council Bluffs, Iowa all by myself for a summer visit with my Grandmother. Sleeping in coach, feeling a gentle tap on my shoulder, waking and seeing the Pullman porter from the next car signaling quiet and gesturing that I follow.  Getting to the vestibule between cars where the porter opened the top half of the door and feeling, smelling the salt air of the Great Salt Lake.  Looking out across the moonlit water and finally having the porter tell me this is his favorite part of the trip.  Nothing more was said.  When we came to the end of the bypass, he closed the top door, indicated I better get back to my seat, and he, in turn, went back to his Pullman.

What a wonderful story.

Beyond also sleeping in The Red Caboose Motel, took overnight train from connection with fjord rack rail in Norway through Copenhagen to Frankfurt to pick up rental car and drive the Romantischer Strasse.  Woke up when cars were switched out at border, but generally slept well