My first Amtrak trip

[Fireflite]

Greetings, I've been a lifelong railfan, but I've never taken and overnight trip by rail. I decided this is the year. I plan taking the Lake Shore Limited from New York City to Chicago in late July / early August. I'm traveling by myself, and I'll get one the small compartments with a bed. I live in central Jersey not far from the Northeast Corridor. I see the train leaves Penn Station around 3:45, so I'll have plenty of time to catch a morning train from Trenton or Princeton Junction to New York. Since this is my first time traveling on Amtrak for more than an hour or two, I'd be interested in any advice you seasoned travelers out there might have. Is there any special way or time I should buy my tickets, a particular compartment I request, or anything else I should know? Thanks in advance. Tom

[dakotafred]

If you're going this summer, and want sleeping car space, book now! My next trip isn't until October, and I've already reserved my space.

Reasons are scarce sleeping-car space ... and price, which gets higher as travel time approaches.

Good luck, and enjoy your trip!

[NKP guy]

Dear Fireflite,

   You've come to the right place for information and tips about The Lake Shore Limited, a train I have ridden several times each year since it started operating in November, 1975.

   To begin with, you're doing exactly the right thing by reserving a roomette; this is a wonderful experience for a single person.  But let me repeat what dakotafred told you:  Get your tickets ASAP; they will only increase in price and scarcity.  You are traveling at a peak time of the year.  Don't wait.

   When you buy your ticket, be sure to telephone Amtrak and not book online. You must speak directly with a reservation agent and not "Julie." This is because you don't want any old roomette, you want one with an even number only (2, 4, 6, 8).  Even numbered roomettes will give you a spectacular view of the Hudson River for the 140 miles to Albany.  People in the more expensive bedrooms and odd-numbered roomettes enjoy a view of a cliff or wall, or at best, a woods.  You will thank me for a long time for that piece of information.

   You're a railfan?  Be sure to take your scanner and have the correct frequencies programmed into it for the various segments of your journey.  You probably know how to find them out online.

   When you arrive from New Jersey into Penn Station be sure to take your bags to the Acela Lounge, easily found in the southwest corner of the station.  Your first class ticket will allow you free beverages, maybe a donut or two, and a safe place to stow your bags in case you want to explore the station neighborhood.  B&H Photo, a mecca for men who like electronic stuff, is but one block from Penn Station.

   I'm not sure of your age, but you can enjoy beer, wine, or liquor in your room.  I find a can of Planter's Cocktail Peanuts and a suitable amount of Dewar's White Label scotch enhances the ride through the lovely Hudson Valley.  About dinner:  My custom is to walk into the dining car as soon as the train starts moving west from Albany about 7 PM.  That way you can enjoy dinner in a fast-moving diner, one of the best reasons to ride a train.  What you want to avoid is being in the dining car while the train is stopped for what will seem like 2 weeks in Albany;  eating in a stopped dining car is a rather dull experience, to say the least.  Although your dinner is included in your fare, the tip isn't.  Be sure to be a gentleman and tip about five or six dollars to your hard-working waiter.

   The morning's ride into Chicago is not real fascinating.  After breakfast (tip about three dollars) one Indiana cornfield looks pretty much like any other.  When you get off the train you should offer the car attendant a tip of five or ten dollars.

   The first class lounge at the Chicago Union Station is available to you, too.

   Your cell phone will work pretty well from NYP to Syracuse.  Then try later around Buffalo, Cleveland, etc.  Be sure to take a good book or some music or something.  Whenever you leave your room (to eat, to shower, to just stretch your legs) be sure to put your valuables where they'll be safe.  Although I've never had a single problem with security on the train, why not be prudent?  Also, a roll of duct tape or masking tape can solve almost any problem, including rattling doors and curtains that may move and reveal your more private moments to people walking in the corridor.

   It's a great train ride.  Take lots of pictures.  And count on being several hours late into Chicago.  

   Bon voyage!

[ACY Tom]

NKP Guy has covered it pretty well. If possible, try to get a room close to the center of the car. The ride will be smoother than it would be if you're over the trucks or near the end of the car. I will disagree with one of NKP's comments. I've always thought the last lap into Chicago was fascinating. Are you returning on the same train? You might consider the Capitol Ltd. (which uses Superliners) from Chicago to DC, and a Corridor train back to New Jersey. If you're taking the Lake Shore back, I suspect the sleeper will be turned in Chicago. In that case, NKP's advice about even vs. odd room numbers may be reversed eastbound. Hopefully NKP will respond and confirm or deny this. For my part, I haven't ridden that particular train in years.

[oltmannd]

ACY

NKP Guy has covered it pretty well. If possible, try to get a room close to the center of the car. The ride will be smoother than it would be if you're over the trucks or near the end of the car.

+1

Also, if you're like me, you'll have a mixture of  "can't stay awake", "too much going on to sleep -afraid I'll miss something"," where are we?" and "can't sleep".  You'll wind up getting just enough sleep to get by the next day.

Dinner in the dining car while going up along the Hudson River!  Just do it!

[NKP guy]

I can indeed affirm, ACY, that the train is turned (wyed?) in Chicago, just as it's turned at Sunnyside, thus placing the odd-numbered roomettes and the 3 bedrooms on the Hudson River side of the car on the eastbound journey.  

I certainly agree that just as the train gets close to Chicago the steel mills offer fascinating views.  If Fireflite is awake when The Lake Shore Limited departs Cleveland he will see from his even-numbered roomette a wonderful view of the Flats and the downtown bridges and skyscrapers, especially my favorite, the Terminal Tower (1930), the unofficial symbol of the Forest City and one that can bring tears to my eyes when I've been away too long.

May I also add that the the name The Lake Shore Limited originally was used by NYC predecessor the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, headquartered in Cleveland.  So please understand if some of us from this neck of the woods feel that Amtrak 48 & 49 are, in some mystical way,  our trains.  

[Fireflite]

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm seriously considering ACY's advice about the Capital Limited for one direction. My parents did exactly the same thing about 12 years ago. Any suggestions for which room to request on the Superliner sleeper? I have my trip planned out with the dates, and I got my OK for vacation this afternoon, so I'm ready to jump right now. Thanks again. Tom

[ACY Tom]

On a Superliner, the economy rooms are numbered 1-14. No's 11-14 are on the lower level. Some people prefer that because the shower is also on the lower level, and there are more restrooms there. There are a couple downsides to being downstairs. While rooms 11-14 are fairly close to the center of the car (11 and 12 are closest), it's likely that you'll hear more noise from the tracks, just because you're closer to them. Also, the "accessible" room for people with physical challenges, and the family room are on the lower level. Sometimes little kids can get noisy. But in actual practice, I've found that most kids have no trouble getting to sleep on the train. They often conk out by about 8 pm just because the train rocks them to sleep. But the family room isn't always occupied by families with kids, so this might not be an issue at all. Since all foot traffic from car to car is on the upper level, you won't get as much noise from passing fellow passengers. The lower level puts you close to the doors, so you might hear noise from boarding or detraining passengers at intermediate stations. On the upper level you will find 5 bedrooms, plus economy rooms 1-10. Room 1 is the attendant's room. It's centrally located and it has the attendant's annunciator board which tells him (or her) when a passenger is calling. Room 2 is directly across from the attendant's room. The closer you get to 9 and 10, the closer you are to the end of the car. There is only one public restroom upstairs, and it's right next to the attendant's room and across from the coffee station. Upstairs is probably quieter than downstairs in terms of road noise. Notice that I call those little rooms "economy" rooms. That's what they were called when we first got them from the builders, but nowadays a lot of people are calling them "roomettes". I don't call them roomettes because they aren't. I worked many 10/6's over the years, mostly ex-U.P. or ex-Santa Fe cars, so I know what a roomette is. These rooms are more properly a modern version of a section sleeper, except that they have a sliding door for privacy. In any case, don't try to make up the bed yourself. The attendant will have premade it and rolled the mattress in a particular way so that he can open it up quickly and easily. If you try it yourself, you're likely to undo his work and make it necessary for him to remake it for you. A standard Superliner sleeper has 43 beds for the attendant to make (including his own). Please don't make him do any more than that. Also, in the morning when you leave the car to go to breakfast, don't forget to push the call button. The attendant may not see you. He might be making up some other passenger's room or he might be serving a meal to somebody who needs to be served in the room. Pushing the call button tells him to check your room and make it up while you're gone. Assuming the train's schedule isn't radically changed between now and this summer, the train should leave Pittsburgh just before dawn eastbound, and you can enjoy the scenery crossing the backbone of the Alleghenies during the morning. The westbound schedule isn't as good, scenery-wise. Both trains (Lake Shore and Capitol) follow the same route west of Cleveland. If you're awake just west of Sandusky, Ohio, you might be on the lookout for the long bridge across Sandusky Bay. But then again, it may be too dark. I remember seeing a westbound steam-powered NYC freight train crossing that bridge when I was a kid, around 1953. Mr. NKP grew up in Cleveland, so it's natural that he would be attracted to the old NYC Lake Shore. I grew up in Akron, so my connection was with the B&O's Capitol Ltd. long before I ever worked for Amtrak. I'll bet you never expected to be presented with so many factors to consider! Whatever you do, have fun. Enjoy the sights.

[ACY Tom]

What are your dates of travel? I may know somebody who's working the Capitol when you go. And by the way, It's the Capitol Ltd ---- not the Capital Ltd.

[Fireflite]

Hey everybody, sorry I didn't get a chance to follow up sooner. Life got busy real quick. Anyway, here's how things shook out. The price online for the Lake Shore was considerably higher than Capital...er, Capitol Limited, presumably due to availability. The website said there were "three rooms left at this price" on the Lake Shore, so I wasn't too optimistic. As suggested I called Amtrak to see what rooms were available, and the guy quotes me a price much higher than the website. I said I'd think about it. I lied. After I hung up I immediately booked a round trip on Capitol. I leave Trenton on Friday July 4, and depart Chicago on Monday July 14. Now I have a question about the baggage. The policy on my receipt says I can carry on two pieces of luggage, measuring 28x22x14 maximum. That's bigger than the biggest piece of luggage I own, the one I usually fly with. Now, I'm traveling between Trenton and Washington on Northeast Regional trains. If I'm reading this right, and can take TWO suitcases, EACH measuring up to 28x22x14, onto the NER trains. Is that right? Where are these going to end up exactly? Remember, I ride regional rail all the time, but I rode Amtrak exactly once, to Atlantic City, about 25 years ago. When I'm flying, I check the big suitcase, and then I get to carry on one official FAA Carry-On bag and one "Personal Item", which would be my laptop. I'm thinking the Amtrak conductor might count that as three bags. So if I use a suitcase a bit larger than the FAA Carry-On and stuff my laptop into that, will I be okay? I just don't want to find this stuff out when I'm standing on the platform on departure day. Thanks, Tom

[Deggesty]

Fireflite, the Amtrak website gives more information as to what may be carried on board; be sure to check on the "More about carry-on baggage." I am currently carrying, in addition to a suitcase and a small bag, my laptop in a case (which holds more than just the laptop) and a bag with medical items I need everyday as well as what I need specifically while traveling--and no one has yet challenged me.

[aricat]

Pack light, the less you carry the more you will enjoy your trip, especially if you book an economy sleeper.

[CMStPnP]

When I took the Capitol limited last September it was cheaper than both the Lake Shore Limited and the Cardinal and I think that relates to both......more sleeper space as well as a much shorter trip.    Of the three trains I would suspect the Capitol Limited is the most efficient cost wise and probably has more turns equipment wise..........and really this is the type of criteria Amtrak should be using with LD trains.

[henry6]

Yes, Amtrak pricing is based on demand and the closer to departure the more the demand pressure and the fewer spaces still available. The secret is to be able to make your buying decision as far in advance as possible. Airlines of course have always done this. And while this is all true, differences between trains and routes happen. Like between the Lake Shore and the Cardinal...routes, mileages, host railroad costs and charges, and on board services all play a role, too. And not all trains carry checked baggage, etc. so, as several have indicated, be aware of this, travel as light as possible and know what can and can't be taken aboard noting that there are differences by train. I will admit here, too, that my Amtrak experiences have been limited to NE Regionals and Empire Service out of NYP and one Acela Ride Philadelphia to Newark, NJ. Prices are higher than MNRR or NJT/SEPTA over those same routes but the ride, the timeing, and the services are well worth the price (but one has to admit the Acela was not worth the higher fare than a Regional train).

[Anonymous]

The average cost per mile for the Lake Shore Limited during FY13 was approximately $.85 to $.96, depending on how the Boston section is factored into the equation, whereas the average cost for the Capitol Limited was $.89.  Both numbers are before depreciation, interest, and miscellaneous charges.

The Lake Shore Limited lost 18.4 cent per passenger mile, whereas the Capitol Limited lost 22.1 cents per passenger mile.  

Parenthetically, the price of sleeping car accommodations usually increases as it gets closer to train time but not always.  On several occasions I have seen the price of a roomette on the Texas Eagle from Taylor to Dallas drop from $80.06 to $40.00 a day or two before day of travel.

If one can be flexible with travel dates, she frequently can get a better deal. I am returning from Los Angeles on the Texas Eagle later this month. The cost of the train ride departing on a Wednesday night was $458. Had I departed on either of the other two days the Eagle operates from Los Angeles, my fare would have been $632. 

[daveklepper]

In both directions, be sure to use the 1st Class Amtrak lounge at Washington Union, again a good place to store your bags if you wish to explore a bit of Washington between trains.  And the station has more than one really excellent restaurant.  The new Benning Road light rail line might be open by then or at least in regular test operation.

[DaveinMd]

Relax, take a book, and plan to be late. That's how we seasoned train travelers enjoy the trip.