Are There Places to Hang Out on Lakeshore Limited & SWC?

I may soon travel on Amtrak from Worcester, MA to Kansas City, MO which apparently means I will take the Lakeshore Limited to Chicago and from there take the SWC to Kansas City, MO.

I would probably take a coach seat.

If I want to get away from my coach seat and stretch out, what are the chances on those trains that there will be many empty seats where maybe I could find two seats together with nobody sitting in them? What about dining cars, lounge cars, etc-will the train always have at least one of those and could I sit on seats on one of those cars to possibly stretch out and get out of my coach seat at least some of the time?
Just curious to know as I have no idea of what to expect on this trip. Thanks for any advice.

You will have a Cafe Car on the Lakeshore which also serves as a mini lounge. Not really any better viewing than from your seat, but you do get the opportunity to hang out with other passengers while enjoying a beer, cocktail, soda or nothing.

The SWC will offer a full double decker Sightseeing lounge. Upstairs is a lounge with panoramic views. Downstairs is a smaller cafe similar to the LSL's. During mealtimes, you are also welcome to enjoy the dining car and purchase a meal with the likelihood of being sat with total strangers for that authentic railroading experience.

As far as moving around in Coach, getting up and walking around is fine. Station stops are about an hour apart. Keep your timetable handy. I'd always try to NOT be in an unclaimed seat from a station stop for around 15 minutes until the conductor had completed his seat checks. An unclaimed seat has no paper seat check slip in the railing above. If there is a paper slip, they could be hanging out at the dinner or cafe or wandering the train, too.

Sounds like fun! Enjoy!

I believe the LSL is one of the trains that for at least the foreseeable future will transition the diner to "sleeper lounge" and will not be available for the coach passengers. Your date of departure will determine whether this change is in effect This does not apply to the SWC. Also, business class may be available at a decent price on the LSL, it is one end of the cafe car with nice seating that most people really like, with the caveat that some people don't like them for sleeping.

LSL and the Capitol Limited have been this way for nearly a year. All the other Eastern one night trains are moving to what these two trains already have.

Smacking my head. Of course, the Lake is already transitioned, date of departure doesn't change the non-availability of the diner for coach passengers at this time. I've already traveled on the LSL a few times since the change over, and also reported on it on this board. I should have my first cup of coffee before I comment!

No worries. I've had my fair share of caffeine free posts.

If you meant "stretch out" to mean in order to sleep, I have seen people sleeping on the booths of the lounge car (never mind that there was a table of noisy drunk folks playing cards nearby). I also was shocked to walk into one of downstairs bathrooms on the SWC that had a "lounge" prior to the toilet area and found a lady curled up on a tiny bench in front of the mirror. She had gone down there to sleep because the coach car was very cold and she had not expected it. (Dress in layers, by the way).

The seats in coach or BC on the LSL are large enough to stretch out for most people. OTOH, ambient conditions such as noise, light, or temperature affect folks in different ways. And some people struggle to sleep in any chair. There is a program underway to "refresh" the AM2 interiors similar to the one just done to the AM1 coaches, I have not sat in any of the re-covered and re-cushioned seats in an AM2 yet, all I can say is they look good in the pictures, but that really doesn't mean much....