Hi Lloyd, I am sorry you didn't have a good experience on the sleeper. When I travel to London from Glasgow for work I take the sleeper as it is lower carbon than a flight and also it avoids a hotel if I go the night before or an early start if I fly down in the morning. I aim to get on about 10.30 and try to get to sleep as soon as possible before the train leaves the station. The quality of sleep can be variable and you're right about some berths being noisier than others. It usually works out for me as my work pays and I can get a berth with a shower (but the beds are no wider!). I don't do it both ways, I tend to get an ordinary train at the end of the working day.
"Where I have a choice, I try to take the low carbon route" ... No. You have the choice of not traveling - the low carbon "route" - staying local. You do a lot of traveling, and most often emit a lot of greenhouse gas in the process. ... "But my travel is necessary." ... That's what they all say. ... And the enormous travel greenhouse gas emissions continue - actually increase as the developing populations follow the lead of the developed populations. .. How about it, Lloyd? Quit traveling - a significant addition to your anti-global-warming leadership. We look forward to progress with green technology and infrastructure that will provide us with emerging green travel options.
I always know you will comment and you are always right. I talked about it with another Canadian who says,”I am teaching a thousand architects about embodied carbon” and I am flying to lecture about… sufficiency.
I had a better experience with a similar sleeper on Amtrak from Albany NY to Cleveland OH to visit my son and his family. I generally drive as the Amtrak schedule is limited to one trip daily, yet I decided if I could sleep through the nighttime westbound leg it might work fine. On the last trip I discovered they offer discounted fares on unsold berths. The conductor at the platform asked my name before I'd pulled out my ticket, and told me where my berth was without checking his list. When he got on he showed me the features of the tiny room--and apologized that it was a very old train. He told me when I was scheduled for dinner in the club car (surprisingly good; assigned shared tables), and he set up the bed while I was out. He provided wake up service (at about 4 AM) and offered to carry my bag to the door. As you experienced it was somewhat noisy and bumpy. Most would prefer the quick plane trip, yet I'm a fan of trains and the surprisingly good old-fashioned service made me want to do it again. Though my son was settled for life in Shaker Heights OH--he now has a new position at Indiana University, Bloomington--a two day drive. Guess I'll be flying.
It takes some getting used to. Having taken a train most of the way across Canada twice, I find that the first night I don't sleep well, but by the second night I'm so tired I can sleep through the noise. (Sleep deprivation is a great cure for insomnia.) The third and fourth nights are wonderful.
You should try the Amtrak cross country train out of NYC.
My family travelled from Poughkeepsie, NY to San Diego with our three year old daughter.
Fantastic experience, especially when thinking about songs like Steve Goodman's City of New Orleans or Woody Guthrie's Hobo's Lullaby! We had a comfortable sleeper car, the food was very good and the club car was much like Steve described!
When I travel by train I like to get a lower or upper berth. Trains tend to rock from side to side. If you’re in a roomette your bunk is crosswise so your head is going up and down.
If you take an upper or lower berth you will rock side to side like rocking a baby to sleep.
My family has traveled on overnight trains a few times. One hack: get the sleeper for just the night part, and then buy a coach ticket for the remainder. I sleep ok, waking up several times at bumps and the occasional stop.
I often travel overnight on Amtrak in the western USA. I find the roomettes perfect for one person. Amtrak staff are generally strict about not allowing one set of passengers bother others. I sleep pretty easily on the train and find it’s best to simple relax and be accepting. Where you are can make a difference. My husband had an exhausting trip where the movement of the train kept him up. I prefer berths on the upper floors.
The train stock on Caledonion Sleeper is some of the newest sleeper stock in the world, but it definitely suffers from the modern affliction of many vehicles (cars, trains) of being light and rigid. We took that train shortly after the stock was introduced, and I slept *really* badly. As a very young child (70s) I rode many sleeper trains in India which were very different (I have been back since). India's broad gauge helps, but even in the UK the older train stock in use on the sleeper to Cornwall is heavier and better sprung.
Hi Lloyd, I am sorry you didn't have a good experience on the sleeper. When I travel to London from Glasgow for work I take the sleeper as it is lower carbon than a flight and also it avoids a hotel if I go the night before or an early start if I fly down in the morning. I aim to get on about 10.30 and try to get to sleep as soon as possible before the train leaves the station. The quality of sleep can be variable and you're right about some berths being noisier than others. It usually works out for me as my work pays and I can get a berth with a shower (but the beds are no wider!). I don't do it both ways, I tend to get an ordinary train at the end of the working day.
"Where I have a choice, I try to take the low carbon route" ... No. You have the choice of not traveling - the low carbon "route" - staying local. You do a lot of traveling, and most often emit a lot of greenhouse gas in the process. ... "But my travel is necessary." ... That's what they all say. ... And the enormous travel greenhouse gas emissions continue - actually increase as the developing populations follow the lead of the developed populations. .. How about it, Lloyd? Quit traveling - a significant addition to your anti-global-warming leadership. We look forward to progress with green technology and infrastructure that will provide us with emerging green travel options.
I always know you will comment and you are always right. I talked about it with another Canadian who says,”I am teaching a thousand architects about embodied carbon” and I am flying to lecture about… sufficiency.
I had a better experience with a similar sleeper on Amtrak from Albany NY to Cleveland OH to visit my son and his family. I generally drive as the Amtrak schedule is limited to one trip daily, yet I decided if I could sleep through the nighttime westbound leg it might work fine. On the last trip I discovered they offer discounted fares on unsold berths. The conductor at the platform asked my name before I'd pulled out my ticket, and told me where my berth was without checking his list. When he got on he showed me the features of the tiny room--and apologized that it was a very old train. He told me when I was scheduled for dinner in the club car (surprisingly good; assigned shared tables), and he set up the bed while I was out. He provided wake up service (at about 4 AM) and offered to carry my bag to the door. As you experienced it was somewhat noisy and bumpy. Most would prefer the quick plane trip, yet I'm a fan of trains and the surprisingly good old-fashioned service made me want to do it again. Though my son was settled for life in Shaker Heights OH--he now has a new position at Indiana University, Bloomington--a two day drive. Guess I'll be flying.
I frequently take overnight Amtrak trips in a roomette and find the best part of the trip is the kind and helpful staff.
It takes some getting used to. Having taken a train most of the way across Canada twice, I find that the first night I don't sleep well, but by the second night I'm so tired I can sleep through the noise. (Sleep deprivation is a great cure for insomnia.) The third and fourth nights are wonderful.
You should try the Amtrak cross country train out of NYC.
My family travelled from Poughkeepsie, NY to San Diego with our three year old daughter.
Fantastic experience, especially when thinking about songs like Steve Goodman's City of New Orleans or Woody Guthrie's Hobo's Lullaby! We had a comfortable sleeper car, the food was very good and the club car was much like Steve described!
When I travel by train I like to get a lower or upper berth. Trains tend to rock from side to side. If you’re in a roomette your bunk is crosswise so your head is going up and down.
If you take an upper or lower berth you will rock side to side like rocking a baby to sleep.
My family has traveled on overnight trains a few times. One hack: get the sleeper for just the night part, and then buy a coach ticket for the remainder. I sleep ok, waking up several times at bumps and the occasional stop.
I often travel overnight on Amtrak in the western USA. I find the roomettes perfect for one person. Amtrak staff are generally strict about not allowing one set of passengers bother others. I sleep pretty easily on the train and find it’s best to simple relax and be accepting. Where you are can make a difference. My husband had an exhausting trip where the movement of the train kept him up. I prefer berths on the upper floors.
The train stock on Caledonion Sleeper is some of the newest sleeper stock in the world, but it definitely suffers from the modern affliction of many vehicles (cars, trains) of being light and rigid. We took that train shortly after the stock was introduced, and I slept *really* badly. As a very young child (70s) I rode many sleeper trains in India which were very different (I have been back since). India's broad gauge helps, but even in the UK the older train stock in use on the sleeper to Cornwall is heavier and better sprung.
Sleeping on a transport of any kind is an an acquired skill. Sleeping on a train is no different in that respect.
You paid for an economy ticket and in return you received an economy service.