# Washington Station and The Capital Limited (29)



## Boxcar (Jun 24, 2006)

Our arrival into WUS was without fanfare or anything unusual. What this small station makes up for in size in shown in a truly elegant First class Lounge. While checking into the near empty lounge, the door burst open and a group of 37 British tourist came rushing in. They were there to catch the Capital Limited 29 to Chicago. Now while there, I observed the imvention of the Century. Now this old country boy has seen many different "crappers" in his life. I've seen 1 hole, 2 hole, porcelain commodes,

Army Latrines, Japanese Benjo ditches, airline and Amtrak toilets, Central Park Port-a-potties, but I've never seen a toilet seat with a plastic cover that you change with the push of a button. This would have made Sir Thomas Crapper swell with pride. 

The time came to board the Capital Limited to Chicago and all went well until we actually got into our #6 sleepette. This room was a wreck. It had gouges carved into the walls and the carpet was coming loose from the kick boards and steps to the upper bunk. The door was off the track and was almost more than I could do to close it. I checked a couple more rooms that were empty and the doors were the same. I protested this condition to the attendent but to no avail. This is where either fate or a Higher Power steps in. We didn't have to stay in that room or the other wrecks.

While waiting there another man boarded with reservations for the same room. After checking our tickets, we discovered that all our return tickets were dated for JULY 19-21 not June like the ones going to NYC.

After 3 months holding these tickets, planning and double checking everything and traveling from NYC to Washington, no one noticed the Month including myself.

When the conductor arrived we were already underway to Chicago and were basically stowaways :unsure: The sleepers were full due to the British tourists so we had to move back too coach.

What a mess. The ticketing process is very complicated, as is anything the Goverment has a hand in. All segments of a trip are tied into the other segments. On every ticket it states that tickets cannot be cancelled after the trip has began. Well this should have been caught in NYP and WAS but was not.

The conductor gave me back my ticket and I had to purchase 2 coach tickets from Was to Chi at the lowest fair.

The coach area we were in wasn't really that bad. There were no kids close by and mostly adult women and the car was filled. It was actually more quite than the sleeper on the Texas Eagle going up. The seats are more comfortable and recline futher and there is more leg room. Because of my bad back however, it also was the longest, most miserable night in many years. Also all the restrooms are downstairs and really gave my bad knees a workout. We did spend as much time up in the lounge car as we could.

Another downside of this segment of the trip was being held up by slow moving freights all night and arriving into Chicago 3 hours late.

The upside was seeing some of the most spectacular scenery God created.

Another is the fact that this whole ordeal worked out to be a blessing in disguise. I learned this when correcting my tickets in Chicago......BD


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## caravanman (Jun 25, 2006)

I hope my fellow Brits behaved themselves!

Ed B)


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## Boxcar (Jun 25, 2006)

caravanman said:


> I hope my fellow Brits behaved themselves!Ed  B)


Ed...For such a large group I'd say they were well behaved.....BD


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## Sam Damon (Jun 26, 2006)

Boxcar Dummy said:


> The coach area we were in wasn't really that bad. There were no kids close by and mostly adult women and the car was filled. It was actually more quite than the sleeper on the Texas Eagle going up. The seats are more comfortable and recline futher and there is more leg room. Because of my bad back however, it also was the longest, most miserable night in many years. Also all the restrooms are downstairs and really gave my bad knees a workout. We did spend as much time up in the lounge car as we could.


Superliner coach actually is pretty good. I was impressed with how well the Superliner cars ride for such a large object.

BD, given your bad knees, perhaps you should have asked the conductor politely if there were any lower level coach seats available. At least you wouldn't have had to climb down and up steps to use the restroom. It still sounds like you had a decent trip as #29 goes.


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## Boxcar (Jun 28, 2006)

Sam Damon said:


> Boxcar Dummy said:
> 
> 
> > The coach area we were in wasn't really that bad. There were no kids close by and mostly adult women and the car was filled. It was actually more quite than the sleeper on the Texas Eagle going up. The seats are more comfortable and recline futher and there is more leg room. Because of my bad back however, it also was the longest, most miserable night in many years. Also all the restrooms are downstairs and really gave my bad knees a workout.  We did spend as much time up in the lounge car as we could.
> ...


You know Sam, thats a very good question? To be honest, even after all the discussions on this forum about lower level seating, I had forgotten.

On all the trips below I never viewed any seating to jog my memory.

All I saw was just the restroom I was in need of and the Ladies dressing area that my wife used. There was a closed door that was posted no access. Could that have been the seating area and closed off or can they do that except as a safety item?

Boy....if so that would have been much more comfortable.....BD


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## battalion51 (Jun 28, 2006)

Well not all the coaches have Lower Level seating. There are baggage coaches (with a baggage area on the lower level), Snack Coaches (with a snack counter), and maybe one or two smoker coaches (with a smoking area that has since been closed, these are being reconverted to baggage coaches).


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## Boxcar (Jun 28, 2006)

battalion51 said:


> Well not all the coaches have Lower Level seating. There are baggage coaches (with a baggage area on the lower level), Snack Coaches (with a snack counter), and maybe one or two smoker coaches (with a smoking area that has since been closed, these are being reconverted to baggage coaches).


Thanks Batt51...There was an area for baggage and I bet that was it.

Whoooo, I thought I was losing it there because I sure didn't see any seating..  ....BD


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