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Comment by AnotherGoodName | Hacker News Reader

>Amtrak’s all-sleeper California Zephyr ended service between Chicago and Emeryville, California, in 1997

Interesting statement since it still runs and you can book a private sleeper room for that route. Same with the coast starlight train that already runs the SF-LA route with sleeper cars.

Note the weasel word all-sleeper. They run a non-sleeper passenger also car on both of the above for those getting off at the smaller stations on the way so that’s how they can claim those services don’t exist when you can just go book them online right now.

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Btw for anyone curious the zephyr between emeryville and denver is up there for one of the most scenic routes in the world.

Along the inlets of the bay, up the sierra nevadas, through the great basin, through the moab desert with mesas either side and then into the rocky mountains winding along cliff tops. It goes through the salt flats and salt lake city at night but the daytime views either side of that one night are incredible and make the train trip entirely worthwhile. A great way to experience a sleeper car, you’ll see why people do it rather than fly and a great experience all round.

Don’t bother with the denver to chicago leg though unless you really like corn fields (chicago is absolutely worthwhile visiting but probably not worth the extra night on the train when you can fly)

The only time I took a sleeper was uh...at night. Is that not the case/point with them? (Scenic or not would be moot)

8am start in emeryville. 7:30pm finish in denver the next day.

Getting from a to b is definitely not the point of such a trip. Think of it as a hotel where the view changes constantly and you just happen to end up somewhere new at the end of the stay.

I took a sleeper from Shanghai to Urumqi, spent 3 days on the train (this is before HSR).

AND if you do the zephyr during the full moon, you will see the salt flats in the moonlight. That's definitely a reason to stay up all night.

I've done a long sleeper solo from NY -> Chicago (it's just overnight, so not as long). It was fantastic, but I got reverse seasick after getting off the train. Trying to sit on a bar stool was a challenge for about 36 hours after my inner ear had got so accustomed to the rocking of the train itself.

"They run a non-sleeper passenger also car on both of the above for those getting off at the smaller stations on the way..."

...Or for people who just don't but the sleeper ticket but go any distance. I went coast to coast with regular seat tickets once. It's better than Greyhound, and people do long hauls with them daily.

Some of the long distance trains have a bigger mix of cars - if this train really does only have one coach car, it's a bit of an anomaly.

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