An Irritating Complication on The Cardinal, #51

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Dakota 400

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When I booked this train as part of my trip to San Diego, checked baggage service was offered at my boarding point: Cincinnati. I found out today that on the date I leave, no checked baggage service is available. The bag I had planned to check is going to have to share the space with my 2 small carry-on bags in my Roomette. (I hope there will be room for me.)

The Amtrak agent with whom I spoke said that I could check that bag at Chicago through to San Diego. I hope she is correct.

Given that Amtrak's timetable is for the Winter and Spring of 2014 and it shows checked baggage service available out of Cincinnati, I really do not appreciate them changing the services that are currently published.
 
The bag I had planned to check is going to have to share the space with my 2 small carry-on bags in my Roomette. (I hope there will be room for me.)
There is a large luggage storage rack in the sleeping car as you board for any bags you do not wish to take to your room. Then you can still check it at Chicago thru to San Diego if you wish.

At least you will have access to it while enroute.
 
This is a little bizarre. Amtrak added checked baggage on many Cardinal stops not too many years ago, explaining that it was good for the bottom line (raised more revenue than it cost). Even if there is nobody to handle the checked baggage at Cincy, I would assume that it would be possible to get it stored in the baggage car anyway (given the way single-level trains work).

So I can only assume that Amtrak is REALLY running short on baggage cars and simply won't have a baggage car on the Cardinal on the day you're travelling. The new Viewliners need to come ASAP.
 
The Cardinal has a Viewliner Sleeper which means there is NOT a Luggage Rack on this Car! A Viewliner Roomette has a Cubbyhole for Luggage above theToliet that will hold a fairly good sized bag! You can also either use the Top Bunk for Luggage Storage or as some of us prefer, Sleep on the top bunk and keep the Room in daytime configuration and leave your bags on the bottom!

Cinn is supposed to have checked baggage even though the calling times for the Card are terrible! I would call back and ask about the checked baggage,this doesn't sound correct, phone agents make up stuff all the time!

If they give you a reason for no checked baggage (no baggage car/ no agent?????) As was said, you can check it in CHIvall the way to your destination!
 
As Jim said, the Viewliner roomettes have a cubbyhole which can easily hold two full-sized suitcases. You'll probably be fine.
 
I have to believe that, if there will truly be no baggage service at CIN on your date of travel, it must be because there will not be abaggage car on the train. CIN is probably the busiest station between DC and CHI (despite the horrible arrival times) and, in the past there have been at least two agents when i have travelled. Is you travel soon? If not it would seem odd that the ansence of the baggage car would be known far in advance---unless the srvice is being abandoned.
 
When I rode the LSL last year in a Viewliner, the SCA let the passengers in the car put their luggage in the unused handedcaped room.
 
When I rode the LSL last year in a Viewliner, the SCA let the passengers in the car put their luggage in the unused handedcaped room.
Yes, that happened on our ride on the Cardinal a couple years ago. Hoping you have a good SCA like Tom we recently met on the LSL, who is moving to the Card this week. Jim is also correct. There is a lot of room above the hallway in each roomette that can handle all but the largest suitcase. I think you have several options and your SCA should help with those. Have a great trip and don't worry. :)
 
I have to believe that, if there will truly be no baggage service at CIN on your date of travel, it must be because there will not be abaggage car on the train. CIN is probably the busiest station between DC and CHI (despite the horrible arrival times) and, in the past there have been at least two agents when i have travelled. Is you travel soon? If not it would seem odd that the ansence of the baggage car would be known far in advance---unless the srvice is being abandoned.
Cincinnati was the 3rd busiest stop in 2013 on the Cardinal between WAS and CHI according to the NARP statistics sheet. Charlottesville was the busiest, IND was #2.

What is odd is that I plugged in CIN to CHI for several dates next week and the reservation results show no checked baggage. But checked baggage for the same train is available at Huntington WV and Charlottesville. So the issue appears to be Cincinnati. CIN shows no checked baggage for several random dates in May, so the change is for more than just a week,
 
OK, this means this is most likely to be an error in the reservations database. Either that or the position of the person who handles checked baggage at Cincy is temporarily vacant.

Get your baggage on the train and your attendant will probably offer to carry it to the baggage car.
 
Cincy is having staffing problems , so they are limiting baggage.

On the Cardinal, the sleeper is right next to the baggage car..Your sleeping car attendant will probably assist you but putting your bags just inside the door of the baggage car and getting them for you at you destination... not officially "Checked" but basically the same service.

The attendants on this train tend to go above and beyond.
 
I don't consider the roomettes to have a lot of room above the toilet for baggage. Even fitting a carry-on that is too thick is a problem.

On the other hand, dropping down the upper bunk, putting bags on it, then pushing it back up is something that has worked for me when we had two roomettes on one trip.
 
Cincy is having staffing problems , so they are limiting baggage.

On the Cardinal, the sleeper is right next to the baggage car..Your sleeping car attendant will probably assist you but putting your bags just inside the door of the baggage car and getting them for you at you destination... not officially "Checked" but basically the same service.

The attendants on this train tend to go above and beyond.

I don't consider the roomettes to have a lot of room above the toilet for baggage. Even fitting a carry-on that is too thick is a problem.

On the other hand, dropping down the upper bunk, putting bags on it, then pushing it back up is something that has worked for me when we had two roomettes on one trip.
This is good to know. Thanks for the information.
 
From what I have been able to learn, there is a Baggage Car attached to #51.

Does anyone think it might be possible to get the Amtrak Cincinnati agent to attach a routing tag for that bag to San Diego, even if that person or persons might not handle checked baggage? I would not object to taking the bag to the Baggage Car if it could be boarded.

A previous poster said that staffing problems at Cincinnati was the issue. I depart May 1st. Any idea if this "issue" might be resolved and checked baggage will be resumed?

My concern is that I really do not want to deal with a piece of luggage in a Viewliner Roomette that needs to hold items for a 13 day trip that includes a cruise from San Diego to Vancouver.

If I had known the change of the checked luggage situation from Cincinnati to Chicago, I would have chosen to fly to Chicago and join The Southwest Chief there. Given the cancellation policies for Sleeping Car accommodations, it is too late for that now.
 
Given that your car should be right next to the bag car I'd be shocked if your attendant and/or Conductor doesn't allow you to check it on board. When you board, just ask them. Most of them carry blank destination tags so the bag at minimum can be checked to Chicago where you can re-check it. They may go above and beyond and grab a Chicago transfer tag at Indy so you won't have to touch it again. Not saying these things WILL happen, but they are in the realm of possibility. If you ask nicely, they'll likely help you out, from my experience you get what you give (in terms of kindness and attitude).
 
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