Trip on Lake Shore Limited

[SFbrkmn]

We recently returned from a trip to see the histirical sights in Boston. This involved flying from Wichita-Chicago roundtrip and doing a flip on Lake Shore both directions. Comments on the food service change: the breakfast of sliced fruit, muffin, gronola bar and something else that came w/it was not bad. This is more healthy than eating a greasy egg. The lone attendent in the diner car was doing a good job and was pleasant to talk with.                                                                   As for supper later in the day: I had the braised beef, Kim had the salad. This was consumed in the sleeper car.Not great, but not bad either. Hint: eat it once it is received. It will not stay hot forever.                                                                Coming back a few days later, the diner attendent was doing best he could serving out boxed suppers but the supply was going to run out before every sleeping car rider could be served. Not good. 

To be honest, the service is not all bad but tweaks need to be made. One is the hard to open plastic containers. Would this type of service be wise for the long distance trains west from Chicago that are on the road days at a time?No. But a short haul like the Lake Shore, is likely more cost effective and makes sense. Going east, the diner on LS is only serving on one calendar day. 24 hours after leaving Chi, you are in Boston. 

This is just one opinion of seeing the service hands-on. I doubt I would ride that route again as beyond the food issue, there was horrible quality with the sleeping car attendent and a lack of proper communication. The Albany condr even stated that this is an issue w/service employees on this route and it drives him nuts. 

On the day hurrican Michael rained on Boston, I took the quick day flip to Portland on Downeaster. This is a very good corridor w/good service both directions. By doing this quick run to Maine, I have now been in or through all 48 inland states.                                                  

[PJS1]

SFbrkmn

.....Wichita-Chicago roundtrip and doing a flip on Lake Shore both directions. Comments on the food service change: the breakfast of sliced fruit, muffin, gronola bar and something else that came w/it was not bad. 

As for supper later in the day: I had the braised beef, Kim had the salad. This was consumed in the sleeper car.  Not great, but not bad either.................          

Interesting report.  I have a few questions:

1. What percentage of the sleeping car passengers ate their meals in the dining car as opposed to their room?
   
   
2. What percentage of the tables in the dining car were occupied when you and your partner ate your meals there? 
   
   
3. Did you pre-order your meals or did you complete an order ticket when you got to the dining car?
   
   
4. How do you think you would have reacted if you could have eaten your meals in your room or gone to a beefed-up lounge car, i.e. there was no dining car on the train.
   
   
5. What was the reaction of your fellow passengers to the changed meal services on the Lake Shore Limited?  I suspect this may take a bit of mind reading and facial expression analysis, but give it a go.
   
   
6. Would you do the trip again?
   
   
7. Less than 10 percent of the passengers on Amtrak's long-distance trains, with the exception of the Auto Train, ride from end point to end point, which means that in many if not most instances they are on the train for less than 24 hours.  If you and your partner were going from Chicago to Denver, as an example, and the California Zephyr had food service like what you had on the Lake Shore Limited, would you do it?
   
   
8. Would you have taken the train if instead of room sleeping cars, it had a business class car equipped with sleeping pods like those found in business class on overseas flights?

Thanks. 

[SFbrkmn]

Going east: breakfast tables in diner were I believe close to full. Wife stayed in slpr, I took her box to the room.That eve the slpr guy took pre orders. The were delivered to the room. Going west: supper diner was full. Food was in short supply. We 'lucked' out by going early. Just about every rider had a thumbs-down on the new format. Some of these clients will not be coming bk. The food overall was not bad. However, this is something one would not want to endure on a western trip say from Chi-Lac. The only reason we took the Lake Shore was to see hands on the new food format. We plan on returning to Boston for more sightseeing in a few yrs. Likely we will fly instead of taking the rails.

[Deggesty]

I do not know how many sleeper passengers were on board last month when I came back from Washington, but very few ate at real tables while I was eating thus.

[PJS1]

Deggesty

 I do not know how many sleeper passengers were on board last month when I came back from Washington, but very few ate at real tables while I was eating thus. 

Deggesty,

You may be the most traveling participant in these forums.  How many trips on average do you take on Amtrak in a year?  Also, do you always travel by train?

Thanks

[Deggesty]

PJS1

 

 

Deggesty

 I do not know how many sleeper passengers were on board last month when I came back from Washington, but very few ate at real tables while I was eating thus. 

 

 

Deggesty,

You may be the most traveling participant in these forums.  How many trips on average do you take on Amtrak in a year?  Also, do you always travel by train?

Thanks

 

Currently, I plan two trips a year, each one taking about two weeks. Since I prefer to travel in civilized comfort (as my wife described travel by train, in the seventies, I go by train (though I had to travel by bus the last three years to get to my college for reunions).

[PJS1]

Deggesty

 Currently, I plan two trips a year, each one taking about two weeks. Since I prefer to travel in civilized comfort (as my wife described travel by train, in the seventies, I go by train (though I had to travel by bus the last three years to get to my college for reunions). 

Thanks for the insight.

I go to the east or west coasts at least twice a year to ride on the NEC or Surfliners. 

I had been taking four or five trips a year on the Texas Eagle between Dallas and San Antonio or vice versa, but the Eagle has been running so late - a average of 3 hours off the schedule into San Antonio recently - that I have given it up.  

[northeaster]

While living in Ithaca, NY for the past 15 years, we would use the Lake Shore out of Syracuse, NY to catch west bound trains in Chicago or for our annual cross Canada VIA trip we would take the Maple Leaf to Toronto. Always sleeper on the Lake Shore. Over the years we probably made at least 3-4 trips annually on the Lake Shore and for the past several years we made bi monthly trips to/from Denver to visit kids/grandkids. I never experienced "greasy eggs" in the dining car since all the offering was for scrambled eggs or omlet. On my first Amtrak dining car trip I asked why there was no toast offered and the explaination was that the toasters were coniniually stolen when the trains were being serviced! Don't stop the theft, remove the toasters sort of typifies Amtrak managements thought process. By far the best part of the Lake Shore overnight to Chicago was the morning breakfast, when she was on time, usually pulling into Toledo, getting a copy of USA Today, having scrambled eggs with grits and a biscuit with my coffee...now that is far better than some cold starch in a bag! Always, a big tip for breakfast staff: a pleasant greeting, a smile and a warm breakfast makes for a good day on the train.