LSL Boston section meals

I rode this section (449) about six years ago and upon leaving BOS they served a light cold meal after departing if you were in the sleeper. Is this still in place?

Also, I presume the BOS sleeper customers get the leftovers in terms of the box meals once the train departs ALB.

Has anyone taken 449 recently and if so how were the meals handled?

Thanks!

Boston section passengers get a "contemporary" boxed lunch upon departure. This is different from what they served six years ago. Whether it's better or worse I can't tell you.

Six years ago it was just a cold deli sandwich and something like cole slaw, IIRC. So it might be an upgrade.

On my recent trip, all sleeper people were called to the D/L (new diner/lounge )for a short explanation of the new boxed meal system. The one LSA(Lead service attendant) explained the three ways to receive your boxed meals. Come to the D/L and be served at the tables, pick up for take out back to your room, or have your car attendant pickup for delivery to your room. Most people stayed for the first meal at the tables. There were three choices . I had my hot short rib boxed meal in 5 minutes. Most cold boxes were delivered in less that 5 minutes from ordering. There were open rubbish containers to dump your trash on the way out. Most people did their own clean up. This is a fast system. No more agonizing waiting for service. Also there are not any set meal times. The LSA was there anytime(6am-10pm) I needed a meal, drink or snack. In fact I talked with the LSA quite a bit on visits to the D/L.He seemed kind of lonely at times. The amount and quality of the boxed lunches was good. Most people picked what they wanted and dumped stuff they didn't want.

NativeSon5859 said:

Six years ago it was just a cold deli sandwich and something like cole slaw, IIRC. So it might be an upgrade.

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Well here's the menu:

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/menus/routes/Lake-Shore-Limited-Sleeping-Car-Menu-0518.pdf

In case you're not familiar with Amtrak's so called "Contemporary Dining" on the Lake Shore and Capitol, it's basically a limited selection of pre-packaged mostly-cold meals, served exclusively to sleeper passengers in a "Sleeper Lounge". You don't get to choose your dessert or sides, since that's all put in the box ahead of time.

AG1 said:

On my recent trip, all sleeper people were called to the D/L (new diner/lounge )for a short explanation of the new boxed meal system. The one LSA(Lead service attendant) explained the three ways to receive your boxed meals. Come to the D/L and be served at the tables, pick up for take out back to your room, or have your car attendant pickup for delivery to your room. Most people stayed for the first meal at the tables. There were three choices . I had my hot short rib boxed meal in 5 minutes. Most cold boxes were delivered in less that 5 minutes from ordering. There were open rubbish containers to dump your trash on the way out. Most people did their own clean up. This is a fast system. No more agonizing waiting for service. Also there are not any set meal times. The LSA was there anytime I needed a meal, drink or snack. In fact I talked with the LSA quite a bit on visits to the D/L.He seemed kind of lonely at times.

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Did you take this trip when the NY section was suspended and the train only served Boston (before September 3)? Because the system for the Boston section might have changed, now that the ViewDiner Sleeper Lounge is on the NY section and Boston just gets the split Cafe/Business car...

Correct , the D/L meals start at ALB.

Amtrak promised a hot breakfast would be available by now. Anyone experienced that?

cocojacoby said:

Amtrak promised a hot breakfast would be available by now. Anyone experienced that?

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Firstly, I don't think they promised anything. If memory serves, a couple people just said that they were looking into something like that. And no, the breakfast menu is still the same cold sugar bomb.

Boston Sleeper passengers on 449 between Boston and Albany used to get a boxed lunch in the cafe car. In normal operation, the D/L goes to NY, and Boston passengers get dinner after the join at Albany. What needs clarification is actually what is happening now, do the Boston sleepers get the same lunch box selections as they will see at dinner in/after Albany, or have they gone back to the prior style.

PVD said:

Boston Sleeper passengers on 449 between Boston and Albany used to get a boxed lunch in the cafe car. In normal operation, the D/L goes to NY, and Boston passengers get dinner after the join at Albany. What needs clarification is actually what is happening now, do the Boston sleepers get the same lunch box selections as they will see at dinner in/after Albany, or have they gone back to the prior style.

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Considering Amtrak.com previously showed a special 448/449 menu, and now it just has the contemporary menu, my guess is that Boston section passengers get the standard boxed meals. Remember, they only offered that special boxed lunch and dinner on the Boston section because the cafe car couldn't produce the meals that the diner (or diner-lite) could. Now that it's boxed meals the whole way anyway, I see no reason why they would decide to offer some special different boxed meal to Boston pax.

Because the Boston commissary doesn't need to handle the boxed meals in any quantity. They have 1 sleeper worth of passengers at this point, for 1 meal. It might make sense not to handle them and get a more generic box. The suppliers of items to the commissary already supply items to the NER and Acela that are similar to what was offered for lunch. So, rather than speculating, I'll sit back and wait for a report from a 449 passenger or someone from Amtrak. I've ridden the LSL many times, but only from NYP. Albany, Chicago, and once from BUF, so I have never experienced the Boston to Albany run..

I rode the Boston section of the Lakeshore to Chicago the day after Labor Day, which was when it went back to 'normal' split/join at ALB with the NYP section. I always ride coach to/from ALB then ride in the NYP section sleepers to avoid the train horn all night long as well as formerly being adjacent to the diner. About Pittsfield, I went up to the lounge to get a hot meal and saw the sleeper passengers finishing up their boxed 'fresh choice' meals. I should have asked the attendant where they get the meals from. Pehaps they were put aboard a morning Acela from NYP to BOS as that's where I'd expect the 'fresh choice' commissary to be to stock the diner from NYP these days. I wouldn't be surprised if the NYP company puts meals aboard an Acela for WAS to put on the Capitol Ltd, either. Has anyone ever looked at the 'where packed' and date on any of the boxed meals? Do they even put that on the label?