A Great Adventure

[lrdc9_metroplitan_sub]

At the end of the month I will begin my first EVER Amtrak trip outside the NEC (and that was only once). It is a round trip. WAS-CHI on the #29 Capitol Limited, CHI-EMY #5 California Zephyr, EMY-SFW #5005 Thruway.

Return:

#5006 Thruway - SFW-EMY

#6 California Zephyr - EMY-CHI

#50 Cardinal - CHI-WAS

Honestly, I am most excited about the Cardinal, but please tell me (and others on this forum who might be interested) what you can about the operation of, and the scenery on these routes. Please, spare no details! I am very excited about this trip. We will be traveling coach.

 

[jackal]

On the Capitol Limited, the scenery out of DC through Harpers Ferry and into Pennsylvania is very pretty. Hopefully you can see the pretty stuff before nightfall. (I'm not sure what the westbound times are and when it gets dark--I did the CL eastbound and woke up just out of Pittsburgh.)

On the Zephyr westbound, make sure to grab a seat in the Sightseer Lounge BEFORE the masses board at DEN. Otherwise, you may not get a seat! Try to sit on the right side, too--that's where the best scenery is, although it's all good. DO NOT LEAVE your seat in the lounge (even for a bathroom break) until you hit Glenwood Springs (after that, the scenery, and therefore the crowds in the SSL, thins out a bit).

As for the Cardinal, you're going the right direction for the best viewing during daylight hours! Unfortunately, I did my trip on the Cardinal right after flying for 20 hours and spending eight hours connecting from other trains, so I was completely beat and fell asleep almost immediately after boarding. I knew the scenery was good, but I hadn't yet discovered this site (where I found out that it's really the best Amtrak train, scenery-wise, east of the Mississippi!). Now I'm kicking myself!

Have an awesome trip--sounds like you'll have a blast!

 

[Guest_Michael_*]

At the end of the month I will begin my first EVER Amtrak trip outside the NEC (and that was only once). It is a round trip. WAS-CHI on the #29 Capitol Limited, CHI-EMY #5 California Zephyr, EMY-SFW #5005 Thruway.
Return:

#5006 Thruway - SFW-EMY

#6 California Zephyr - EMY-CHI

#50 Cardinal - CHI-WAS

Honestly, I am most excited about the Cardinal, but please tell me (and others on this forum who might be interested) what you can about the operation of, and the scenery on these routes. Please, spare no details! I am very excited about this trip. We will be traveling coach.

We rode the Cardinal WAS-CHI in October 2007 and thought the scenery was so good that we're doing it again in April 2009.

Firstly, there is no checked baggage but we were able to have a bags checked onto the Capitol Limited - the bags were waiting for us when we arrived in Chicago. The dinette service was very good, the best meals we have ever had on Amtrak, and when you see the facilities they have to work with you'll be impressed. We had a bedroom for the trip, once again the accommodation impressed - an upper berth that you can sit up in! Wish they had viewliners in the west. The lack of a proper lounge wasn't a problem because the upper berth window just seems to bring the scenery right in.

The scenery is much better than the Capitol Limited. That's the reason we're repeating the journey (after all, we could fly out of JFK and be back in Australia while the Cardinal was still in Indianapolis). Wish I knew why the train has to sit for two hours in Indianapolis.

I'm sure you'll be pleased with your chosen route.

BTW we'll be continuing on the Zephyr to fly out of San Francisco after a few days in Chicago.

 

[the_traveler]

I think your choices are very good, but I may make a suggestion.

On your return, you're "departing" from SFW. I don't know if you are aware of it, but SFW is only a bus stop (marked by a bus stop sign). You may consider returning from SFC instead! This is an actual building - with a waiting room and checked baggage. Although #50 does not have checked baggage, you could (if you want) check your bags, and they would go to WAS on the CL (#30)! (You could pick them up in WAS!)

The CZ (#5 & #6) is considered by many to be the most scenic route on Amtrak! Especially from Denver to Glenwood Springs! Much of the route is thru an area that can not be seen from a car - because there are NO roads in the area!

 

[AlanB]

Wish I knew why the train has to sit for two hours in Indianapolis.

Because Indianapolis is very close to Beech Grove, Amtrak's major repair and rebuilding facility. So the Cardinal tends to become what many call the hospital train, taking sick cars to BG for repair as well as picking up cars that have been repaired/rebuilt. The two hours allows for switching operations, as well as a bit of schedule recovery time just in case the train is already running late.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I bet the scheduling of the Hoosier State also plays a role. Does it do hospital work, too?

 

[AlanB]

I bet the scheduling of the Hoosier State also plays a role. Does it do hospital work, too?

Yup, it sure does.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Wish I knew why the train has to sit for two hours in Indianapolis.

Because Indianapolis is very close to Beech Grove, Amtrak's major repair and rebuilding facility. So the Cardinal tends to become what many call the hospital train, taking sick cars to BG for repair as well as picking up cars that have been repaired/rebuilt. The two hours allows for switching operations, as well as a bit of schedule recovery time just in case the train is already running late.

The eastbound Cardinal is almost invariably behind schedule by the time it even gets to LAF, from what I've seen on amtrakdelays.com.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Is that to both questions, Alan?

 

[MrFSS]

The EB Cardinal has a very short dwell time in IND. The WB has almost two hours which is schedule padding for the most part. While the Cardinal can bring cars that will go to Beech Grove, it is usually the Hoosier State that does so. At least this is what I have been told.

 

[AlanB]

The EB Cardinal has a very short dwell time in IND. The WB has almost two hours which is schedule padding for the most part. While the Cardinal can bring cars that will go to Beech Grove, it is usually the Hoosier State that does so. At least this is what I have been told.

That may be true, but remember that the Cardinal's schedule hasn't changed much over the years and the Hoosier State is a relatively new train. The Cardinal used to be the only regularly scheduled service through Indy for many years.

 

[AlanB]

Is that to both questions, Alan?

Sorry, that was only to the last question. The Hoosier State's schedule is based upon the same time slot that the Cardinal has and what the Kentucky Cardinal used back when it ran.

 

[MrFSS]

The EB Cardinal has a very short dwell time in IND. The WB has almost two hours which is schedule padding for the most part. While the Cardinal can bring cars that will go to Beech Grove, it is usually the Hoosier State that does so. At least this is what I have been told.

That may be true, but remember that the Cardinal's schedule hasn't changed much over the years and the Hoosier State is a relatively new train. The Cardinal used to be the only regularly scheduled service through Indy for many years.

Alan - I think the WB Cardinal time has changed quite a bit. Last time I took it from NYP to IND, in 03 or 04, we left NYP about 10:30 AM. It now leaves about 6:55 AM.

 

[sky12065]

At the end of the month I will begin my first EVER Amtrak trip outside the NEC (and that was only once). It is a round trip. WAS-CHI on the #29 Capitol Limited, CHI-EMY #5 California Zephyr, EMY-SFW #5005 Thruway.
Return:

#5006 Thruway - SFW-EMY

#6 California Zephyr - EMY-CHI

#50 Cardinal - CHI-WAS

Honestly, I am most excited about the Cardinal, but please tell me (and others on this forum who might be interested) what you can about the operation of, and the scenery on these routes. Please, spare no details! I am very excited about this trip. We will be traveling coach.

This information is not specific to the routes you will be traveling, but if you like to read about the experiences of other riders of the rail, try this link:

http://www.trainweb.com/travel/

You just might enjoy some of the stories you'll find here!