Passenger Trains > Coast Starlight question

On the northbound Starlight, are the sleepers normally set up so that the deluxe bedrooms are on the north end of the car, or is there no normal pattern? Thanks.

No normal pattern.   Sleepers can face in either direction with 50-50 probability.

Thanks. I remember years ago, they made sure the deluxe rooms were on the ocean side. Guess not anymore.

Theoretically the deluxe rooms are supposed to be on the front both ways on all trains (that includes southbound on the Starlight, when they would be on the land side).  In my experience they are more likely than not to be set up that way, however, don't count on it--maybe two thirds of the time will be right.  It you're in a deluxe room you can keep your door open and sit on the sofa looking out the window across the aisle, but you do lose some privacy.  You can also check with the attendant to see if there's an empty ocean side small room you can use (I do that when I'm in a small room on the wrong side, and so far I've always been able to find a place--just pick up after yourself and don't make extra work for the attendant).

I rode the Starlight last week.  Only 1 of the three full sleepers had the bedrooms in the front of the southbound train I was on. The other 2 had the roomettes towards the front.  As the train gets turned at each end, unless there's a swap out for routine maintenance or bad order, that is one of the 4 sets running.  The sleeper arrangement on each set may likely be different from the others.  Don't forget, there's a dorm/sleeper at the front of the sleepers as well.  That car always has the dorm end toward the engines.

This is why the Parlor Car came in handy! If in a roomette or the deluxe room face the "land side" of the train, one could always know there was "space" in the Parlor Car - if you got their early enough etc. Now, with three sleepers (sometimes four in peak season), dorm space being sold, business class, and coach class - everyone gets to pile into the Sightseer Lounge car on the upper level. The Auto Train gets two lounges, and next to the Auto Train, the Coast Starlight in PEAK season has the next most busiest lounge cars. Original plan called for a Superliner Cross County Cafe to be replaced with the Parlor Car. Now, everyone gets crammed in for a wonderful experience in the Sightseer Lounge car. Leaving Klamath Falls (northbound), some in coach often get bumped to the Sightseer Lounge Car for regular seating as the train gets over sold. Amtrak has crushed the Coast Starlight experience of what was, and what could be. But it seems they have no real motivation to make it any better as the train is pretty well sold most of the time. It's the off peak and and certain weekdays in peak season where the train just can't reach total capacity given the consist Amtrak marks out for it. Some seasons it will get the 1433 sleeper (fourth sleeper) and sometimes it won't. Same for qty of coaches during the daylight portions. Heavily travelled trained in both classes in peak season - but Amtrak doesn't always allocate enough sleepers or coaches to the train to get that extra elasticity with increased passengers.