Questions as I wander west (Cardinal and Empire Builder)

How do meal reservations work on these trains? Is lunch on the Cardinal whenever you want, or do you have reservations? Do they take reservations for dinner at lunch, or walk through the cars like they do on the Silvers? Same questions on the Empire Builder, plus if they walk through the cars to take reservations, will they remember to come downstairs and ask those of us there? What happens if you're in the Sightseer Lounge when they come through to take reservations and not in your room? I am used to the Viewliners, where it is almost impossible not to run into everyone, but the Superliners look so huge I don't see how they could possibly catch everybody.

Also, I am staying one night in Chicago both ways, just as a precaution in case my first train gets horribly delayed, to make sure I will make my next train. I would like a safe, midrange chain hotel (my local favorites are Hilton Garden Inn and Courtyard by Marriott, so that level) that I can get to safely (are cabs from the station safe there? I don't do Uber or Lyft, and I don't want to try public transportation in an unfamiliar city). I don't want to sightsee--just get to a decent hotel in a good area and not have to worry. I am okay in cities I'm familiar with, but don't want to try learning my way around Chicago this trip--the focus is Portland, and I'm sure there will be another time to learn more about Chicago.

And I know this is a stupid question, but I get lost easily so worry a lot and don't want to mess up. Train 7 to Seattle and 27 to Portland are the same train on the same track, right? So if for some reason I can't find anyone else boarding for Portland, I could follow people boarding for Seattle and still be on the correct platform, and I could even walk through if I had to? I am really scared that the lounge agents in Chicago will not get this right and will not direct me to the correct place or even announce the train. (I have only boarded from the lounge in Philly, where even I cannot get lost--they personally put you on the right elevator, and you end up on the right platform.)

As you can tell, I am starting to get slightly nervous about this big adventure, having never been farther west by train than western PA. Any advice will be appreciated--thanks!

7/27 are indeed the same train. I suspect there will be other AUers in the lounge that you'll meet up with before they call you to the train.

I've only stayed at the HI Hostel in Chicago, so can't help with hotels.

They should take your first dinner rez soon after you board, so you may want to stay in your room till both the LSA and the conductor have seen you. I can't remember about the other days (I've not been on the EB but have been on some of the other western trains).

The Builder often works by reservation for both lunch and dinner. The Cardinal definitely works by reservation and coach passengers are often shut out of the diner service on that train because of lack of capacity.

7/27 are one train in Chicago with the 7 section at the front of the train, 27 at the back. The Sightseer lounge car marks the separation. Everything forward of the Sightseer is going to Seattle (7), the Sightseer and everything behind it is going to Portland (27). If you are in a sleeper, you will be in the 2730 sleeper, so just go to the right car. Otherwise go to a 271x coach to board.

The lounge agents won't direct you, they'll just state the the Empire Builder is boarding and what track. The onboard staff at trainside on the platform will direct you.

If you're in the Portland sleeper, it will be at the very back of the train. If in one of the Portland coaches,it will be those between the SSL & the sleeper at the rear of the train. The Seattle section and the diner are on the front half. To get from the Portland sleeper to the Dining Car, you must walk thru 5 other cars each time!

The EB will board from track 28 (the thru track) and will be facing north (left)!

You've been given good answers for the Card and Builder Patty. Just ask your SCA for help when aboard your Sleeper.

The Diner Light on the Card is next to the Sleeper(s) and shares the Car with the Lounge.One person serves,as the LSA, "Chef"and Bus Person. All the OBS have Roomettes in the Sleepers) so you'll get priority on meals.

It is a long walk from the Portland,Sleeper to the Diner as was said, be sure and ask your SCA when you board about your Dinner Rez the first night and ask the LSA about the meals when you visit the Diner that evening.

You will be served a Boxed Breakfast in the Sightseer Lounge on the way down the Columbia to Portland by your SCA as the Sun comes up!

I suggest you use Redcaps in Chicago to detrain and go the Lounge ( tell your SCA before arrival)and to board the Builder. ( tell the Lounge attendant when entering. Great $ 5 invesyments for a ride and piece of mind for a Newbie to Union Station.!)

There are plenty of cabs outside Union Station and Chicago fares are reasonable for a Big City.

As for hotels in the Windy City, there are literally hundreds of choices in downtown Chicago, Just Google up the choices and pick one that's convienent and a good value for the money to you. All the Chains have locations in downtown as well as Famous Name and Botique Hotels!

The LSA when I rode the Empire Builder to Portland would not take reservations from passengers in the lounge car. One of the servers (whom I had been tipping well) convinced her to take my dinner reservation from the dining car after lunch, as I planned to spend the afternoon in the SSL.

The boxed breakfast for sleeper passengers on train 27 is disappointing. If I ever take that train again, I'll just bring along some of my own every-day granola and get some milk from the lounge. The views going along the gorge are fantastic!

Standard practice for years has been to take reservations from the lounge car last, and on every train ride I remember they'd announce that the LSA was coming through to take reservations and instructed passengers to return to their seats/accommodations if they wanted reservations since they'd only do the lounge car last. So if the LSA was passing through the lounge, it doesn't surprise me at all that he refused to take the reservation.

The 2730 Sleeper is the last car on the train with two Portland coaches before it and after the SSL. The Seattle (7) section will have two coaches after the SSL then the Dining Car followed by the two Seattle Sleepers then the Transition and Baggage car. Leaving Chicago the train will be 11 cars and two engines. The Portland section leaving Spokane is four cars and the engine.

Reservations used to be just Dinner, but this year I found only breakfast being first come first serve, and to avoid the wait list come before 7am. The LSA does good getting to everyone. They announce when they are coming through, or like the 422 section of the SL, the LSA had the SCA take the car's reservations then used the IC to update the LSA.

Thanks to all of you for the very helpful answers and suggestions--things are coming into focus a bit more now! I should have clarified in my original post that I will be in a sleeper--roomette on the Card and family bedroom (got a terrific deal on it on one of those weird bucket days) on the EB--so shouldn't get turned away for a meal.

It will probably take me about half a day to find the lounge car and everything else, so I will stay put until the SCA, conductor, and LSA show up. I will probably need a good hour or two to recover from the Chicago station and lounge (I do not like crowds).

I don't understand, though, if the lounge agents don't take you to the place to board, and it's hit or miss as to whether they are nice or not, and you have to tell them you want a redcap, what the advantage of the lounge is (free veggie sticks don't count). Can you go right up to a redcap directly and tell them what train and then never let them out of your sight til it's time to board? Or do redcaps have to be arranged through the lounge?

I am amazed that there is a waiting list for breakfast! I have a feeling the little Cardinal is going to be nice and relaxing in comparison to the huge Superliner, but both of course will be a terrific adventure!

I will probably have more questions for the way back east, but need to firm up dates for getting together with my California cousin, which I will do this week.

Thanks again for all the help--I would be lost (if not literally, then at least figuratively) without my friends on AU!

Since breakfast is first-come/first-served, there may be more people who want to eat at that time than there are seats available in the DC. It opens at 6:30 am, and I've never had been placed on the wait list. (In fact, most times I've had nobody else at my table.) Generally, if you go before 7 am (when they make the PA announcement - before that it's "quiet hours" when they can't), there is no wait list.

From the ML - They announce that those needing Red Caps to wait outside the front door, and you'll be taken. (They will tell you where, and most likely others will also be waiting.)

Just go forward to get to the Dining Car. Don't go out the back door of the train! If you do, watch out - that first step is a doozy! :giggle:

Thanks....sounds early for breakfast, even for a morning person like me. What I really need right away is my coffee--when will that be ready on the EB? And it's upstairs, right? I just go up the stairs and there it is? I will get coffee and then just take my chances with breakfast. I will make sure to go in the right direction, too!

Now I understand better about the lounge and the redcaps, but what about luggage? Do you carry it out to the redcap? Or does the lounge agent make you put it somewhere and then have to ask for it back? (Some people on AU have made the Chicago lounge agents sound so awful that I am actually scared of them!)

A couple of questions about the family room--I thought it was a great idea at the time, especially to avoid the swaying upstairs but still have some room. However, will it have more wear and tear because of lots of children having been in it? Also, will it be rocky? (Is it over the wheels?) I do like the idea of being tucked away in my own little den, like Badger in Wind in the Willows, without the outside world trekking back and forth, but still being able to go into the Wide World (upstairs) when I want.

I'm not sure when the SCA makes the coffee, but I'd guess 6 am or earlier. Yes, it's up the stairs & to the right.

The self service luggage room in the lounge is on the right side of the check-in desk. Many complain about the room and the attendants at the desk. I've never had a problem with either. Just take your bags out the door (when notified) & wait for the Red Cap.

If you're alone, or if there are only 2 adults, the FR is great. I've had no problem with it. All rooms on the lower level are located between the trucks (wheels). Even though the FR has windows on both sides of the car, they are each only 1/2 as wide as other rooms. And of course, there is no toilet in the room but there are many just down hall.

Back when my kids were small we packed as many as 5 people into a family bedroom! One so-far-unmentioned advantage of the family room is that the lower "adult" bunk is the same size as that in the bedroom, i.e. the widest on Amtrak. I find the ride downstairs to be smoother, though you will hear the wheels more, as they're right behind you. OTOH, you're essentially seeing America from rail level, so expect to visit the lounge for a good bit of your time aboard!

1. The SCA has always had coffee ready by 6:00AM or earlier if there are a lot of passengers up early.

2. 6:45 A is when I arrive at the DC, early for me, but i prefer the calm with the rising sun to start my day, Something about a quiet cup of coffee, watching the morning outside as your meal is prepared, verses a few more winks and the wait list, then listening for your number to be called, then squeezing in with others.

3. A note about the lounge, there are three LD trains that board within a 30-40 minute period, so congestion does occur at the front of people coming in, those going out for Red Caps, and those coming and going to the Luggage Room. I help an older gentleman get his bags just prior to his train being called, he sat near the door with them since his fear was his cane would get accidentally knocked away in the rush. Personally, I felt he needed a walker, but he was a proud gentleman and I was happy I could help. I think there are always passengers, especially in the Sleepers, who will be willing to help someone in need.

4. The FR is great for sleeping, bathroom, and the shower. Coffee is at the top of the stairs until 11 A. If walking to the DC is a problem or becomes a problem, your SCA can always bring your meal to your room. They are always very happy to do this for you.

Don't overthink this Patty, you're all set for a Great Trip West!

zephyr17 said:

The Cardinal definitely works by reservation and coach passengers are often shut out of the diner service on that train because of lack of capacity.

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Does this vary by time of year? When I took the Cardinal (May 2016, running with just one sleeper, but it was fully booked), none of the meals were by reservation - and I had a table to myself for both lunch and dinner.

I was on it a couple of years ago and it was pretty strict, so who knows? It isn't a train I ride with any regularity, so don't have much of a baseline, only a couple of experiences.

Maglev said:

The LSA when I rode the Empire Builder to Portland would not take reservations from passengers in the lounge car. One of the servers (whom I had been tipping well) convinced her to take my dinner reservation from the dining car after lunch, as I planned to spend the afternoon in the SSL.

The boxed breakfast for sleeper passengers on train 27 is disappointing. If I ever take that train again, I'll just bring along some of my own every-day granola and get some milk from the lounge. The views going along the gorge are fantastic!

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Speaking of this, am I correct in thinking the dining car goes to Seattle at the split of both train halves in Spokane, and that the sightseer lounge/cafe car goes to Portland? Still hadn't ridden the EB, but I'm sure I'll finally do so sooner or later. That's too bad about the boxed meals on the Spokane-Portland part of the EB, but I guess that'd probably be similar to the boxed meals sleeping passengers get on the Albany-Boston part of the LSL?

dogbert617 said:

Maglev said:

The LSA when I rode the Empire Builder to Portland would not take reservations from passengers in the lounge car. One of the servers (whom I had been tipping well) convinced her to take my dinner reservation from the dining car after lunch, as I planned to spend the afternoon in the SSL.

The boxed breakfast for sleeper passengers on train 27 is disappointing. If I ever take that train again, I'll just bring along some of my own every-day granola and get some milk from the lounge. The views going along the gorge are fantastic!

Click to expand...

Speaking of this, am I correct in thinking the dining car goes to Seattle at the split of both train halves in Spokane, and that the sightseer lounge/cafe car goes to Portland? Still hadn't ridden the EB, but I'm sure I'll finally do so sooner or later. That's too bad about the boxed meals on the Spokane-Portland part of the EB, but I guess that'd probably be similar to the boxed meals sleeping passengers get on the Albany-Boston part of the LSL?

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Yes, the diner goes to Seattle and the Sightseer Lounge goes to Portland. The boxed dinner isn't that bad, really; the breakfast leaves something to be desired IMHO.

I use Uber a lot but always use cabs for local chicago use. They are always waiting outside Union Station (ask a worker which door the cabs are at). They are not bad prices for short in town hops. (I do use Uber in chicago when going out of the city to the suburbs).

There is a great Hilton garden in close by, Hampton Inn etc. When I was up for the nickel plate 765 steam trips I got a $99 deal at the Hilton Palmer House (very neat historic hotel). Was right on hiltons website and it was for a weekend!

Johanna said:

zephyr17 said:

The Cardinal definitely works by reservation and coach passengers are often shut out of the diner service on that train because of lack of capacity.

Click to expand...

Does this vary by time of year? When I took the Cardinal (May 2016, running with just one sleeper, but it was fully booked), none of the meals were by reservation - and I had a table to myself for both lunch and dinner.

Click to expand...

I was on the Card this past February and the SCA told the sleeper passengers that dinner started at 6:00 and to go whenever we wanted, same with breakfast and lunch. I too had a table to myself with about 6 or 7 others eating for each meal. Coffee was started at 6:30 in both the sleeper and the business class car. In addition to the lounge space in the Diner Lite there is also similar lounge space in the business class car. Both were relatively empty most of the trip. In the business class there were full size sodas and snacks available for both sleeper and business class passenger. This was more of a reply to the OP.

The box breakfast from SPK to PDX is (IMHO) the worst meal on Amtrak, but the box dinner from PDX to SPK is the best meal on Amtrak!

I've stayed at the HGI North Loop for around $100/night in February. Good location near a 7/11 and some restaurants for snacks (and within walking distance of a grocery store as well, I believe,) friendly staff, and good rooms. I thought it was well worth the $100 or so.

the_traveler said:

The box breakfast from SPK to PDX is (IMHO) the worst meal on Amtrak, but the box dinner from PDX to SPK is the best meal on Amtrak!

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Dissenting voice here; I thought the box breakfast was pretty good.

ehbowen said:

the_traveler said:

The box breakfast from SPK to PDX is (IMHO) the worst meal on Amtrak, but the box dinner from PDX to SPK is the best meal on Amtrak!

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Dissenting voice here; I thought the box breakfast was pretty good.

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Hear, hear!