Joe, Mrs RJR & I also are too creaky to climb into an upper berth. I suggest that instead of 2 roomettes, you look into a bedroom (Not the family bedroom on lower deck). Mrs. RJR & I are quite comfortable sharing the lower bed in the double-decker upstairs bedrooms. You also get a private restroom with shower. On the double deckers, Bedroom A is the least desirable, as it has a slightly different and more cumbersome layout.
An alternative route for you, especially if you like scenery, would be the Cardinal to Chicago and the SW Chief from there. The Chicago layover is during the day. A downside would be that the Cardinal historically runs late.
ANother alterntive would be to take the NE Corridor (schlepping your own baggage, to NYC or DC, and then take the Lake Shore or the Caoitol Limited to Chicago.
Note both the Cardinal and the Crescent are single deckers. I personally did not like the Viewliner roomettes, with the toilet under the seat.
