Passenger Trains > Amtrak Dorm Car Tales

Given the comments below about train crews and dorm cars, I thought I'd provide the perspective of an on-board-service worker to those who have never had to spend the night in a dorm car.

Amtrak dorms were not the most highly maintained cars in the fleet. Once they left rebuild, they were pretty much a non-issue when it came to maintaining interior spaces. It was not unusual far a car with to have numerous writeups for defects, ranging from reading lights in the rooms, to water leaks, to no heat or AC. "Revenue" cars would get all the attention, all the dorms would usually get from coach yard forces were a shrug and the excuse, "Gotta release the train NOW", and they would slide off to catch a nap on the next trainset over. Occasionally ya could catch a guy that would try to fix something, but more often than not, the remarks in the cars defect book would simply say N.I.S. - meaning the part needed supposedly wasn't in stock. That was true for the entire fleet, not just the dorms. Rodent problems too.

The former U.S. Army Pullman built hospital cars converted to baggage-dorms had an odd interior arrangement, with a center aisle that wound a bit to and fro through along the car, like the draftsman had been up too late or had a three martini lunch before he put the plans to paper. There were a few single rooms, meant for the dining car steward or chef, but most rooms had double berths, much like an old open section, but with a door instead of curtains. These were a pain to get around in at night, as the bed was so wide it took up all the room, leaving little floor space. Wasn't unusual to see rearends in the hall at night as one went through the contortions necessary to get in bed. They seemed to have a rather poor air handling system, as they always seemed damp and musty. Ya might think that is from all the stinky sweaty diner crews taking showers, but no. The shower rarely worked though set up with standard plumbing fixtures available from any hardware. When they did, the hot water in the car was bad order or scalding hot. Took alot of sponge baths in those beasts. Plumbing leaks in the bathrooms were common, can't begin to relate the disgust of stepping on the pedal next to the toilet to flush it and having "fluid" came out on the floor at the base of it. The sinks in the bathrooms I believe had the older foot pedal valves, these often leaked too. The other type of low-level Heritage dorms I had the pleasure of attempting to sleep in were Budd built, and these cars had an aisle down one side. There were again a couple single rooms, the rest multiple bed arrangements with four beds each.

The former Santa Fe Hi-levels had their share of problems too. The raping of these fine chair cars for dorms has been dished about a long time ago, lets not rehash that. Known as "coach-dorms" by fans, crews referred to them as the "10 car" as that was the line number assigned in the consist, such as 0310 and 0410 for the Southwest Chief. They seemingly were done on the quick and dirty though. Initially the cars were redone with eight rooms at the front of the car either side of a center hallway ahead of the stairs, later another was squeezed in at the top of the stairs, making for nine rooms. Left in the coach section were either 36 or 40 coach seats, usually not in the inventory for sale, but often used when the train was oversold. A table for the use of the conductor was later installed at the top of the stairs in the front of the coach section. Train crews favored placing groups in the coach section when the train was full to provide breathing room in the regular coaches, as the doors would not need attending at each stop. If an overnight train, a deadheading conductor or engineer could have a room, so long as the onboard staff had theirs, but usually DHs were content sitting in the coach section of the car. Deadheads almost always got seats there, but a few stubborn conductors would never let anyone but working crew in. Every fan who ever rode Amtrak can attest to that.

The old porters room downstairs was redone for a shower, but it suffered the same problems as the rest of the dorm fleet. At least on a Superliner train, one could use the shower in a sleeper deluxe bedroom if there was a vacant room available. Thankfully, there usually was. If the train was full, you'd find yourself rubbing elbows with the passengers at the bathroom sink in the morning if folks had been seated in the coach section of the car, a bit of a pain.

They were solid, smooth riding cars, but not a good place to sleep at all. The walls of the rooms were of the thinnest, most sound transmitting material that could be found. If someone at one end of the dorm was snoring, everyone else knew. Since crews went "down" at different times, someone was always yakking in the aisle to someone else, slamming a door. It was normal for the door latches to be worn out, if a room was left vacant, the door would be banging all night. I recall using to duct tape to keep mine shut more than once. As train crew passed through the halls, they'd bump along, conductors switch keys rattling against the thin walls, or the sharp knock of their belt hung radio knocking you out of your attempt at slumber. Seemed they would never turn that thing down either. That table was where the crew would congregate, if ya had the room next to it, forget sleeping. No amount of pleading would get them to pipe down. If ya had a room at the front of the car, and it was winter, if was often very cold, as the front door would get stuck open. The diaphragm would usually make a horrid racket too, especially if coupled to a baggage car with a "hoover" diaphragm, one of those rubber tube ones. And if that didn't keep ya up, the horn of the engine came in loud and clear. Conductors were always messing around with the HVAC, they might come in from working the baggage car and be dripping sweat and turn off the heat, next thing ya know you're freezing under those thin blankets. I NEVER had a restful night in a coach-dorm.

You would usually have a room to yourself, but not always. On the Lake Shore or the Bone (City of New Orleans) you would as the crew was smaller than a Superliner train. More often than not I slept with another body in the room on the western runs. Note I said body, there were a few times when I had to share a room with a woman TA or waiter. I didn't mind if they didn't. Those were times I would rather have bunked with them than some other person of some of a more objectionable nature. Nope, was never tempted to engage in anything. Well, OK, once, but she was more a good friend. Things happened, I'm sure. I heard alot of wild stories from the old heads, if it could happen, it probably did once. Before random drug testing came along, well, just imagine. I do remember vividly one of my first trips, the beer cans and wine bottles I could hear rolling around bumping into the walls in the rooms one night.

There was some discussion about security for the crews belongings in the dorm. You had to pack for a six day trip, and you made your dorm room your home for that time. I felt better knowing that I could lock up all my stuff for the day, especially if the coach section was full of pax. I had to run passengers out of dorm rooms more than once. They always had the lame excuse "we didn't know", I guess they couldn't read the sign that said "CREW".

The coach section, though often bemoaned by fans for being inaccessible, was a sacred place to crews, a neccasary place to be allowed to unwind and get away from work. A six day trip on the Builder or Zephyr was brutal, moreso in the summer. One would have to go on four to six hours of sleep *at best* for two nights out, a fitful night in the hotel at Oakland or Seattle IF the train was on time, then repeat. The only place where a person could kick back and relax was the coach-dorm. A godsend to the on-board crews.

The old saying applies, walk a mile in their shoes sometime. Then add in the stress of wondering if the trains will still be running, whether you're going to have a job next year or not; being away from your loved ones for six days, late trains, poor maintainence, snotty diner staff pissing off your pax, chiefs that do their best work asleep.....as a railfan that came to work there, and having been railroading for 13 years now, don't cuss those crews needing a place "to hide" for awhile. It is their only respite in six days away from the comforts of home, the only place to "turn it off" if only for a little bit.

Amen Pumpkinhogger..... I work on the Sunset Ltd. where it's actually an 8 day trip. Three nights on the train followed by, at the very best, 12 hours in the Hotel and then back aboard for three more nights. In that time you have to have a place to get away. Passengers don't give any exposed crew member a moments rest. I have had passengers knock on a locked restroom door to ask some inane question like, When do we get to New Orleans? which was still 2 days away or where is the diner? While I am on the can for gods sake!!!

I rode trains a lot before I came to Amtrak and that did not give me any sense of how rough it can be out there.

Amtrak Passengers are like any other cross section of the society, 98% great 2% @#$# The problem is the customer is not always right. We are, whether its right or wrong, a non-smoking train. Is the passenger right when he smokes in the bathroom or his sleeper room polluting the air for everyone else??? what about the passenger who gets drunk and beligerant disturbing everyone around him?? Or the person that cannot understand basic life skills like throwing diapers in the trash instead of under the seat in front of her!! We must be allowed a place to get away from this for a while. Could you take 8 days of this type of environment without a break??

Another reason behind keeping the Dorms Non-Revenue involves a staffing issue. Who will work the car?? 6 economy rooms do not justify their own attendant. Giving them to the attendant in the next car would severly degrade service to the passengers in that car. So who should do it???

I feel strongly enough about it to state that if this policy was changed, I would immediately look for work and leave Amtrak never to return.

A-Amtrak
C-creates
E-employees
L-lousy
A-attitudes

The additional economy rooms in the dorm were meant for business pass riders. This would free up valuable space in the revenue sleepers. Alas things don't always go as planned.

Hogger: << Rodent problems too. >>

Hmm... Someeone complained on AOL's passenger rail board of having mice or rats in her room, even crawling on the covers while she was in the berth.

How do rodents get into a passenger car?

Bill in Texas

Pumpkin hogger et al, you are right on! I remember working the Broadway Ltd. in 1974-77, and we slept in the kitchen-dorm car of the twin-unit diner. Now one advantage of that dorm was nobody came through the car at night making noise, BUT it was simply open bunks for six waiters and four cooks. The guy above you smoked and the guy next to you farted. No privacy. I was a dining car steward, but my assigned room was sold many a time, so I ended up in the dorm. I slept with my money.....

And when a woman was in the crew, it was even more difficult. Most of them would simply sleep in an empty coach seat. I pleaded with conductors to find them a room, and often there was a spare bed in the slumbercoach.

The SP Sunset Ltd. dorms had a nice steward's room. Some of the UP cars did also.

The Army hospital cars (1400 series) turned into dorms were always a rolling joke. Perhaps one in five was fit for human habitation.

pumpkinhogger and crew,

thanks for sharing your war stories!

cheers,
Drew

Very interesting stories.
Raises a question, though.
Where was the union when you were being housed like cattle?
You paid dues.....for what ?
Some corrupt union guy to ride in a limo?