Do the new design sleepers under construction now have sinks in the roomettes? I understand the toilet for roomette passengers in the new cars is down the hall. This makes for a better arrangement than two births and a toilet!
I have not seen a floor plan for these cars. Where are the toilets and, let’s get basic, how many, divison by sex. If so let’s hope the women get more sit-downs and the men have access to sit-down urinal.
I read that the rationale for placing the toilets at the end was not having the plumbing for running water run the length of underneath the car. So I would expect that NO is your answer for sinks in the compartments. I don’t get why that is a concern.
Concerns about freezing in cold weather?
I have a memory (possible faulty) that the problem with the toilets was odor in the roomettes, and that there will be basins in the roomettes. Superliners have plumbing down below; is special care taken so that it does not freeze.
The heritage cars had toilets in all the rooms–and they fed the life below the cars.
Two births and a toilet sounds awful! Two berths and a toilet sounds better, at least to me.
Somewhere in these posts on the subject of new sleepers it was disclosed that the real reason Amtrak has eliminated in-room toilet facilities is not because they freeze (we had sleepers 120 years ago) or for any esthetic reasons. No, it’s simply because it’s cheaper. No other reason.
I’ll keep saying this until they chloroform me, but having to go down the hall in the middle of the night to use a common (and commonly dirty) restroom is stupid. Women especially dislike this idea (I know; I’ve talked to several about it. Does Amtrak ever talk to women?). So, once again, the public be damned. Where airlines are falling all over themselves trying to capture the business or upscale traveler, on Amtrak it’s quite the opposite.
While they’re at it, how about putting the light switches where they can easily be found at night in the dark, since the light behind the present pressure switches burned out years ago.
I agree–one toilet for eighteen passengers is not enough–even the six section sleepers had two toilets. It is nice to have a shower available for “roomette” passengers.
I also dislike fumbling for a light switch in the night–and the "night light"is too bright for me.
It would appear that Canadians are more inteligent than the US as the 50+ years old refurbished Budd sleepers on the Canadian have detention toilets in the bedrooms, and in the duplex roomettes as well as the two bathrooms for the sections. And some how they run in the subzero cold of the Alberta, Manitoba & Saskatchewan in the winter. How in the world can they do that, asks me facetiously
What is a ‘detention toilet’?
It’s the special ‘hardened’ kind of fixture found in our finer institutions of penal reform.
Completely in keeping with the sense of being in stir that accompanies so many delayed Amtrak trips, perhaps?
[I’m sure he meant retention toilet…]
One that detains the contents until it is safe to discharge. Amtrak’s superliners have detention toilets that discharge when the train is at speed and when in Washinton and Oregon, they have to put them in retention mode while in some water shed areas that are used for municipal water systems. I believe these systems macerate the solids and may add chlorine before discharge. A retention is like one in a camper that has to be emptied at a dump station. These are used in the horizon liners and amfleet cars. I don’t know which kind are used in the viewliners.
I believe it’s called a retention toilet, not a detention toilet. Detention is like jail, retention is like keeping it. The old non-retention toilets flushed right onto the tracks. Anyone remember the signs “Do not flush toilet while standing in the station” ?? There’s a reason for that.
Jail is considered temporary detention. One gets out of jail or is dent to prison.
My subdivision has a detention pond. It is normaly dry until an extra heavy rain occurs and it will hold water and slowly release it to the storm sewer system. Its drain has a 4 inch restriction to limit its discharge. A neighboring subdivision has a retention pond that holds water at a predefined level. So I will reiterate that I believe the amfleet cars use retention toilets which have to be emptied at their terminals. Superliners have detention toilets that macerate their solids, and then when at speed dump them unless they are placed in retention mode to protect drinking water areas as I stated.
From Wikapedia
Chemical retention tanks are usually included on newer carriages and railcars in wealthier and more densely populated parts of the world. One issue is that th
Retention … detention. Tomato … tomahto. Seriously, Electroliner, I do get your distinction. It just seems like the term “detention” isn’t as common for the distinction you are pointing out.