Viewliner or Superliner Bedrooms (noise?)

If you're going from CHI-WAS and you see the Cardinal and the Capitol Limited (both going to WAS at different times) have their bedrooms at the same price on their respective trains, which bedroom would you select?

Take the Cardinal. It's often very, very expensive, so take the opportunity to ride at a decent rate (or at least at a rate not more expensive than the Capitol Limited).

Patty is correct if you've never ridden the Card, but if you have, the Cap is a Superliner Train with a Real Diner and much better calling times and OTP.

It would be rare to find the Card with the same fares as the Cap IME.

If you can get the Cardinal at the the same rate as the CL, and you have not taken the Cardinal, you should take it. For regular travel between CH and WAS, I always used the CL for times, and Dining Car. One should do the Cardinal for the scenery.

I agree with that. Very rare to see a bedroom on the Card that cheap. Lots more Bedrooms on a CL, often priced very favorably. I've gotten a CL Bedroom at the same price as a LSL roomette more than once.

Lonestar648 said:

If you can get the Cardinal at the the same rate as the CL, and you have not taken the Cardinal, you should take it. For regular travel between CH and WAS, I always used the CL for times, and Dining Car. One should do the Cardinal for the scenery.

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Is everyone saying that the diner on the Cardinal is not as good as the Cap Limited? Is the food bad? Please explain.

The Cardinal has an Amfleet diner-lounge, which serves a limited menu. The Capitol Limited has a Superliner dining car, which has a more extensive menu including cooked-to-order items. I found the food on the Cardinal to be totally acceptable, and in fact the salmon I had was the best dinner on my eight-night trip last January.

Don't forget the CL also has the SSL. I'll be taking my first trip on the Cardinal in early January, taking advantage of the (relatively) lower bedroom prices.

I'm taking a trip on a Viewliner Amtrak to from WAS-CHI and was worried about neighbor noise between the A and B bedrooms.

If the neighbor talks on his phone, would I be able to hear it? If he plays a game or movie on his laptop? Anyone know how soundproof these bedrooms are or not at all? is it no better or worse than Roomettes?

Just want to be prepared.

Soundproofing between any room isn't much, though I dont hear much personal conversations, but people seem to talk louder on the phone, so I do hear those. Music and games are to be used with head phones so no noise from them. Overall It is fairly quiet.

Kbyrdleroydogg said:

Lonestar648 said:

If you can get the Cardinal at the the same rate as the CL, and you have not taken the Cardinal, you should take it. For regular travel between CH and WAS, I always used the CL for times, and Dining Car. One should do the Cardinal for the scenery.

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Is everyone saying that the diner on the Cardinal is not as good as the Cap Limited? Is the food bad? Please explain.

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The food on the Cardinal consists of reheated pre-prepared meals, while the CL has a kitchen that serves some fresh cooked food. IMO the Cardinal food is passable but not as good as the food on trains with full diners .On four trips we had the same food preparer twice (John) and a different guy (who I won't mention) on another two trips. John seemed to have a better method to reheating the meals as the breakfast omelets were moist and tasty. The other FSA prepared the same dish but it was dry and rubbery. I would not let this stop you from taking the Cardinal trip. It is a small train with one or two sleepers (depending on season), has few amenities, its a long trip, but its nice to experience. We stopped taking it due to escalating sleeper prices but would not rule out another trip if they come down. As for noise; you will hear some shakes and rattles but its the same in almost any sleeper. We can usually get 6 hours of sleep in our trips

How is it? Is it good to ride in? Is it roomy? How is the noise factor from the adjacent room

I've found a good price on one for Feb and was wondering.

kendoggbyrd said:

How is it? Is it good to ride in? Is it roomy? How is the noise factor from the adjacent room

I've found a good price on one for Feb and was wondering.

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Bedroom is 6'6" x 7'6" Has an armchair, slightly larger window, sink, toilet and shower , couch that folds into a bed and a bed above that folds down.. When the beds are down they take up most of the space.

Is it roomy? For a train yes but nothing like a hotel room.

Roomette is 3'6" x 6'6" sink and toilet on Viewliner sleepers only Two reclining seats which convert to a bed and an upper bunk that folds down

All dining car meals are included for bedroom and roomette occupants. Most of the food is acceptable but not gourmet.

Good to ride in? That's a subjective term. Far more room than on an airline. Noise? Less than on an airline. Not quiet, but no heavy noise.. Depends a lot on who's next door. Most people are quiet and retire by 10PM..

Bottom line is that you must accept that trains are not airlines. Its overnight to CHI and not a 3-4 hour flight from most regions. Its a comfortable ride for us but the best part is that you travel as ladies and gentleman not like an animal who gets molested and/or sexually harassed by an overly aggressive TSA agent.

Other than the steak dinner and egg breakfasts, the dining car meals are just as pre-made as anything you find in the diner-lounges. (I don't mean for this to be a negative- Many of them are very good. They just aren't made onboard the train.)

Maglev said:

The Capitol Limited has a Superliner dining car, which has a more extensive menu including cooked-to-order items.

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&

dlagrua said:

The food on the Cardinal consists of reheated pre-prepared meals, while the CL has a kitchen that serves some fresh cooked food.

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This is true. However, as mentioned above, the "cooked to order" items on the Capitol Limited are limited to scrambled eggs for breakfast and steak for dinner. There are no cooked to order options for lunch.

kendoggbyrd said:

If the neighbor talks on his phone, would I be able to hear it? If he plays a game or movie on his laptop?

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In my experience, yes. That doesn't mean it will be unbearable, but I would expect to hear any of these examples.

kendoggbyrd said:

Anyone know how soundproof these bedrooms are or not at all? is it no better or worse than Roomettes?

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Neither option is soundproof, but the roomettes can be quieter than the bedrooms due to the flimsy bedroom dividing door. However, if the compartment next to you is making too much noise you can always ask them to be quieter. I think a lot of passengers just assume the walls are thicker and denser than they really are. For me, the main sources of excessive noise are children who haven't been taught about indoor/outdoor voices or public/private behavior. Sometimes talking to a parent or guardian can work wonders. Other times it's like talking to a brick wall. Like many things in life riding Amtrak can be a bit of crap shoot.