districtRich
Service Attendant
[SIZE=14.6667px]I’ll be posting to this thread as I make my trip. I’m on the Capitol Limited from DC to Chicago where I am connecting to the Wolverine back to Troy, Michigan to visit family for a week. On the 26th I’ll take the Wolverine back to Chicago where I will connect with the Cardinal back to DC.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]So far this trip has started like normal: two friends came with me to Washington Union Station and we had a Manhattan at the bar in the middle of the great hall before we walked around to check out the stores in the old concourse. As usual, the bartender makes a great Manhattan! They left me around 3:15 and I went to the Acela lounge to wait to board the Capitol Limited. At checkin the attendant asked when I would like dinner on the train and I told him 8pm. For a holiday travel weekend the lounge didn’t seem too busy at all. I think the train was definitely close to selling out, but maybe not everyone in the sleeper cars knows to go to the lounge to wait.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]They called the lounge crowd to board about 3:30 and we went out the lounge door to track 15. The consist is three coaches, SSL, CCC, two sleepers, transition, baggage, and engines. I boarded car 2900 and met Percy my sleeping car attendant. The roomette was stocked with the two bottles of water as usual and I hung my coat up, waited for Percy to come back to introduce himself again, and then I went to the SSL to sit as we pulled out of Washington Union Station.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]The lounge didn’t take too long to fill up. Once the conductor scanned the coach passengers tickets they started filing through to the lounge and the cafe section of the dining car. The sunset was gorgeous as we went through the suburbs of DC. By the time we got to Harpers Ferry it was dark out. The ice machine in the cafe section of the dining car isn’t working, so the attendant is relying on bags of ice brought up from the lower level of the dining car.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I stepped outside at Cumberland with the smokers to take a pic and stretch my leg, They didn’t give them the full 7 minutes to smoke, but they sure seemed appreciative of the break anyway. We just turned west to head towards Pittsburgh (and now I lost my cell signal, so when this posts I’m sure I’ll be closer to Pittsburgh).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Dinner was delicious. They were short of staff as most of the train is apparently being serviced by staff from the extra board. The dining car only had 1 waiter serving the dining side. Miles did an amazing job though and served everyone efficiently and accurately. I had the steak, veggies, side salad, and strawberry cheesecake. I ordered red wine for a drink, and unfortunately when I got back to my roomette I knocked the glass over onto the sheets. Percy had already turned the room into night mode and I made a mess. He quickly came and changed the sheets without trouble though. I'm off to the SSL to finish a glass of wine that is left and then I will get to bed.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]So far this trip has started like normal: two friends came with me to Washington Union Station and we had a Manhattan at the bar in the middle of the great hall before we walked around to check out the stores in the old concourse. As usual, the bartender makes a great Manhattan! They left me around 3:15 and I went to the Acela lounge to wait to board the Capitol Limited. At checkin the attendant asked when I would like dinner on the train and I told him 8pm. For a holiday travel weekend the lounge didn’t seem too busy at all. I think the train was definitely close to selling out, but maybe not everyone in the sleeper cars knows to go to the lounge to wait.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]They called the lounge crowd to board about 3:30 and we went out the lounge door to track 15. The consist is three coaches, SSL, CCC, two sleepers, transition, baggage, and engines. I boarded car 2900 and met Percy my sleeping car attendant. The roomette was stocked with the two bottles of water as usual and I hung my coat up, waited for Percy to come back to introduce himself again, and then I went to the SSL to sit as we pulled out of Washington Union Station.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]The lounge didn’t take too long to fill up. Once the conductor scanned the coach passengers tickets they started filing through to the lounge and the cafe section of the dining car. The sunset was gorgeous as we went through the suburbs of DC. By the time we got to Harpers Ferry it was dark out. The ice machine in the cafe section of the dining car isn’t working, so the attendant is relying on bags of ice brought up from the lower level of the dining car.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I stepped outside at Cumberland with the smokers to take a pic and stretch my leg, They didn’t give them the full 7 minutes to smoke, but they sure seemed appreciative of the break anyway. We just turned west to head towards Pittsburgh (and now I lost my cell signal, so when this posts I’m sure I’ll be closer to Pittsburgh).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Dinner was delicious. They were short of staff as most of the train is apparently being serviced by staff from the extra board. The dining car only had 1 waiter serving the dining side. Miles did an amazing job though and served everyone efficiently and accurately. I had the steak, veggies, side salad, and strawberry cheesecake. I ordered red wine for a drink, and unfortunately when I got back to my roomette I knocked the glass over onto the sheets. Percy had already turned the room into night mode and I made a mess. He quickly came and changed the sheets without trouble though. I'm off to the SSL to finish a glass of wine that is left and then I will get to bed.[/SIZE]