Originally Posted by
Duragrouch
From what I've heard and read, getting bikes on and off the luggage car, especially on, can be a challenge at smaller stations (I think you can request conductor help to offload luggage or bike, but not bring aboard). So I'm still putting my eggs in the folding bike basket.
An unboxed bike that travels in a true baggage car (as opposed to a dedicated space inside a passenger coach) involves a member of the train crew for loading and unloading. For example, on the Pennsylvanian, pictured above, the passenger lifts the bike up to a crew member (assuming a low plat) who then hangs/stows it. Amtrak calls it “train side checked” service. As far as I know, passengers are not permitted in baggage cars, if only for safety reasons.
“Roll-on” service is where the passenger brings the bike inside a coach and stores it in the designated area.