the_traveler
Engineer
Note that "we" are not Amtrak, only mostly passengers who enjoy traveling on Amtrak. "We" have as much say towards these delays and changes as you do!
Capitol Limited & Lake Shore Limited Delays Summer/Fall 2014
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jis
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The Cap normally runs with three Coaches, two Sleepers and one TransDorm in which a few roomettes are sold to paying customers. In addition the crew normally gets accommodated in the TransDorm. Removal of the TransDorm essentially removes the 4 or so roomettes of the TransDorm and another 6 or so rooms from commercial use in one of the sleepers thus reducing Sleeper capacity by about 10 or so roomettes. The much bigger capacity loss is actually in the reduction from 3 to 2 Coaches.
Barciur
OBS Chief
I believe the reason is that they do not want to make the consist inconsistent, and they do not have enough SSL's to make an extra consist, so they just pulled them. I'm not 100% sure but that seems to be the jist of it.
Barciur
OBS Chief
If I have a trip booked that I booked 2 months ago, do you guys think there is a chance of any issues with my roomette being available due to the removal? Or would I be notified of that?
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Pete-M3
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I was watching the Chesterton, IN webcam tonight. Unlike #29 this morning (1 engine and 5 cars), tonight's #30 had 1 P42 and 7 cars and two or three nights ago, there was 1 engine and 6 cars. Apparently then, there is some flexibility under the new policy to accommodate varying ridership. Come to think about it, there would have to be because of existing reservations, some of which were made weeks or months ago. There was still no baggage car or SSL. Considering that the regular 8 - 9 car train rates 2 P42s, you have to wonder if one will be able to keep the schedule (schedule?, what schedule?), especially on the mountain grades. I know that the TE regularly runs with 1 P42 and maybe 7 cars (I've seen that many), but don't know how the grades on its route compare to #29/30's.
I expect what we are seeing with the temporarily reduced consists reflects the dropoff in ridership due to the persistent delays. So if enough people canceled, you will be fine in having a roomette available, although the room assignment may have changed. Coach ridership is probably taking a bigger hit than sleepers because of people switching to alternatives for the cities along the routes.
As for dropping the SSL, diner car, trans-dorm in one or more CL consists, those are the cars that are in short supply. With the extra consist for the EB, the many delays in recent months for the EB, CZ, CL, could be a lot of deferred maintenance and overhauls that they want to get caught up on before the winter weather hits to have enough spares on-hand.
Not sure why I keep doing this, but I have gotten hooked on checking the LSL and CL runs each day, so why not? Destination results for the October 22 departure CL and LSLs; all departed on time or close to it. Only LSL #49 had a "good" run, the rest did not.
CL #29(10/22): arrived CHI 4 hours and 24 minutes late. [Departed PGH 2 minutes late, dep EKH 4:32 late]
LSL #49(10/22): arrived CHI 1 hour and 16 minutes late.
CL #30(10/22): arrived WAS 3 hours and 7 minutes late [dep PGH 1 hour and 43 minutes late, so it lost time on CSX.]
LSL #48(10/22): arrived NYP 3 hours and 47 minutes late [dep CLE 3 hours and 22 minutes late]
neroden
Engineer
Yeah. The OTP collapse has really punished the Capitol Limited ridership. The LSL is holding up better.
I think this is because the Cap had a lot of end-to-end ridership, and probably a lot of riders connecting to other trains. The LSL has quite a lot of, well, upstate NY to Chicago ridership, who may actually just be going to Chicago (as I do most years). That end-to-end connecting ridership is the most likely to switch to airplanes or cancel their trips entirely when the OTP collapses and the connections break.
Hopefully the ridership will recover, but it'll probably take a year.
I sincerely hope it's still available to you cause I have the same issue, in about 5 weeks, that I booked a month ago. So please keep us posted about what happens.
jis
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It is only the slashing of the TransDorm that is unusual in that sense. It is not at all unusual for the Cap to run with only two Coaches during off season.
Jis is correct. 29/30 run probably 4-5 months of the year with only 2 coaches...
29 today is trans dorm 2 sleep cafe 2 oaches
the_traveler
Engineer
The CL is really downsizing - they have even cut the "c" out to save money! :giggle:
jis
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The "c" was needed elsewhere to add it to Amtrak to make it Amtrack
:giggle:The "c" was needed elsewhere to add it to Amtrak to make it Amtrack
Destination results for the October 23 departure CL and LSLs; all departed on time except #30. Only #48(23) had a "good" run through the NS guantlet. There was a big dedication ceremony for the Englewood Flyover project in Chicago on Thursday. Well, didn't help the westbound trains on Friday.
CL #29(10/23): arrived CHI 4 hours and 39 minutes late. [departed PGH 38 minutes late]
LSL #49(10/23): arrived CHI 3 hour and 45 minutes late. {dep CLE 1 hour and 25 minutes late]
CL #30(10/23): dep CHI 18 minutes late, arrived WAS 3 hours and 40 minutes late.
LSL #48(10/23): arrived NYP 1 hour and 34 minutes late [dep CLE 44 minutes late]
CL #29(10/23): arrived CHI 4 hours and 39 minutes late. [departed PGH 38 minutes late]
LSL #49(10/23): arrived CHI 3 hour and 45 minutes late. {dep CLE 1 hour and 25 minutes late]
CL #30(10/23): dep CHI 18 minutes late, arrived WAS 3 hours and 40 minutes late.
LSL #48(10/23): arrived NYP 1 hour and 34 minutes late [dep CLE 44 minutes late]
acelafan
Conductor
I like your daily check-ins, afigg. We won't call it an obsession but it's easy to get hooked on checking the stats!
All amenities undiminished on 29(24). Very good steak, larger salad, parfait dessert. Excellent lsa and sca. 1 hour late onto tol so I missed breakfast, but no complaints at all!
Barciur
OBS Chief
Amtrak reduced the consist to create an extra one to stick in Chicago.
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PerplexedReader
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Folks, some ordinary people read this blog to try to learn more about Amtrak.
Is there any chance of having the posts written in the English language so we can understand what is being said?
1) This site is not a blog, but a forum.
2) #29 (Capital Limited)'s consist was 1 trans-dorm, 2 sleeper cars, 1 cafe/diner and 2 coaches
George K
Conductor
OK. That made me spit (cheap) Scotch on my keyboard. You guys owe me.The "c" was needed elsewhere to add it to Amtrak to make it Amtrack
Destination results for the Friday, October 24 departure CL and LSLs; all departed on time. While all were late, one of the better days in recent weeks.
CL #29(10/24): arrived CHI 59 minutes late
LSL #49(10/24): arrived CHI 1 hour and 56 minutes late [departed CLE 48 minutes late]
CL #30(10/24): arrived WAS 1 hour and 34 minutes late [dep PGH 1 hour and 43 minutes late]
LSL #48(10/24): arrived NYP 1 hour and 44 minutes late [dep CLE 2 hours and 7 minutes late]
CL #29(10/24): arrived CHI 59 minutes late
LSL #49(10/24): arrived CHI 1 hour and 56 minutes late [departed CLE 48 minutes late]
CL #30(10/24): arrived WAS 1 hour and 34 minutes late [dep PGH 1 hour and 43 minutes late]
LSL #48(10/24): arrived NYP 1 hour and 44 minutes late [dep CLE 2 hours and 7 minutes late]
Destination results for the Saturday, October 25 departure CL and LSLs; all departed on time. Good day for the eastbound trains. Not so for the westbound CL and LSL, which were doing fine until they got west of Toledo and then the NS meltdown gauntlet from there.
CL #29(10/25): arrived CHI 2 hours and 52 minutes late at 11:37 AM [departed TOL 17 minutes late]
LSL #49(10/25): arrived CHI 2 hours and 2 minutes late at 11:47 AM [dep TOL 15 minutes late]
CL #30(10/25): arrived WAS 40 minutes late.
LSL #48(10/25): arrived NYP 9 minutes early!
CL #29(10/25): arrived CHI 2 hours and 52 minutes late at 11:37 AM [departed TOL 17 minutes late]
LSL #49(10/25): arrived CHI 2 hours and 2 minutes late at 11:47 AM [dep TOL 15 minutes late]
CL #30(10/25): arrived WAS 40 minutes late.
LSL #48(10/25): arrived NYP 9 minutes early!
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