I am a novice when it comes to train travel but with now more than 7000 kilometers of train travel in China, let me share my practical thoughts with you.
Top or bottom bunk? There is no easy answer here. I believe that if the journey is an overnight journey, where most of it is likely spent asleep, I would definitely take the top bunk. There you have more privacy, can sleep in later as you aren't disturbed by your cabin partners when they decide to climb down, and your personal space isn't invaded when someone decides to sit on YOUR bed! On the other hand (Darren!), if your journey is significantly longer than a 12 hour overnight trip, you may find the top bunk a little cramped, and if you yourself don't want to invade the lower bunk when you need to sit, you have to head out into the corridor to take a seat. The corridor can be quite a busy place if you want to eat or read. If you are a keen photographer, as I am, the top bunk does not leave you a comfortable vantage point from which to take photos. On longer trips I have opted for the lower birth.
Some advice for taking pictures: Its sometime difficult to find a window that you can open. On my 45 hour trip from Beijing to Urumqi I watched the windows become progressively dirtier and dirtier. I suggest you take a rag and make short trips outside at each stop to wipe your window. Also, make sure it is dry as it will pick up dust pretty quickly if it is wet. (If you are sleeping on the top bunk you will struggle to clean the top half of the window). Lastly, take along a circular polarizing filter as it will enable you get rid of some of the internal reflection on the windows.
Purchasing tickets: You have a number of options which range from doing it yourself, having your hotel /hostel purchase them on your behalf for a commission of usually RMB20 or the most expensive option getting them online from CITS or in Chinatripadvisor. I did all (except chinatriadvisor as I found them to be slow, they often provided me with incorrect information and their site was sometimes inaccessible) without ever hearing the dreaded "Mei you" (No have). For trips that I was making on short notice on busy routes or my international booking to Ulan Bator, I booked through CITS (2nd floor Beijing International Hotel - they sent me there when I went to the head office). In Shanghai I purchased a ticket from the ticket office at the train station. There is a booth marked "English speaking" and it was true to its word and was entirely hassle free. I had however arrived prepared, in the same way as I had done when purchasing ticket from non English speaking ticket offices. I had written out a note in Chinese script (which took some time) which detailed my destination, the train number (which I found on the Internet at ), my date of travel, the class of travel, the number of tickets I required, and which birth in a soft sleeper compartment I required. I have copied an example below.
I also believe it is worthwhile to print a copy of the train timetable before you leave. I was almost caught out... twice. On my trip to Harbin my guide book noted that you should not get off your train when you first get into Harbin as this is train station is Harbin North and after another 15 minutes your train arrives in Harbin Central. My first stop was Harbin Central although I didn't know this at the time. I could not bring myself to stay on the train after I watched absolutely everyone else get off and fortunately I joined them as I have no idea where I might otherwise have ended up. A similar thing happened on my journey to Shanghai although in this case I resisted the temptation to join the masses that disembarked when we first stopped and since Shanghai North train station remained another hour away, I am glad I stayed on the train.
Toilets in China are an experience and I was pleasantly surprised by the trains. That isn't to say that they aren't sometimes an adventure, but I expected worse. Most trains I traveled on where equipped with a squat toilet at one end of each carriage and a western toilet at the other end. I also discovered on my longer trips, where avoiding toilet altogether was unavoidable, that toilets are often cleaned at scheduled stops so I soon learned to schedule my toilet trips after scheduled stop. On the K23 I am traveling in style! I have a spotless toilet attached to my compartment which I share with my neighbouring compartment. Upon entering you need to latch the other door closed so that you don't have an embarrassing visitor. I recently heard to toilet flush and looked to see if my neighbour had closed my latch (indicated by a red "occupied" indicator). He hadn't. I hope I don't have the misfortune of interrupting him.
The rest I think is common sense. Don't stress about provisions. There has always been a restaurant car on the trains I have traveled on and there are always vendors selling drinks and snacks on the train, and at every stop. Take along wet wipes. Smile a lot, even if you don't speak Mandarin. I have found all the people I have met on the train, both passengers and attendants, to be delightfully helpful and courteous.
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