Aboard the Cardinal on 6/8/14. Is the train really that bad?

[dlagrua]

Paula and myself chose to start our trip to Seattle from PHL on Sunday June 8th. I have read many horror stories about this train on this forum but the train gave us a direct route into CUS and we always wanted to experience the scenery along the New River Gorge.

The Cardinal pulled into PHL on time, we boarded from the lounge and were brought to bedroom A, one of only two bedrooms on the single sleeper train. The accommodations are the same as on any other Viewliner but they only have the two bedrooms, the H room and only 8 roomettes to offer (as the dining car crew and SCA use four of them). Surprisingly we were offered breakfast boarding at 8:20 AM.

The entire consist was 7 cars with the sleeper at the very back end. When we were called for lunch we didn't expect much from the café car (that they call the diner lite) but the food proved to be good. The diner lite was staffed by an all purpose chef/waiter named Craig. With what little resources had in the kitchen ( mainly a convection oven) he prepared some very good meals, all served with fresh fruit and or salads. The beef short ribs for dinner were very good and the scrambled eggs at breakfast the next morning were fresh, soft and tasty. Combining Craigs magic in the kitchen with the incredibly good service from Tom our SCA ( former LSL) it made for a very enjoyable experience. We arrived on-time in CHI.

 

[crescent2]

Good to hear! I hope to be on the Cardinal next month. I know the Card's a little different, but I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for posting.

 

[Dakota 400]

Thank you for such a positive report! I had to cancel my journey on the Cardinal in May due to an injury. I would like to try a journey on this train sometime in the future.

 

[Railroad Bill]

We had Tom on our LSL back in April and he told us he would be moving to the Cardinal on his next run. Seemed like a good guy and we wished him well. We really enjoyed our Cardinal run a few years ago. I think you make an Amtrak train what you want it to be. Look out the window, enjoy the scenery and smile. Most of the time, things will fall into place.

 

[oregon pioneer]

I am looking forward to a journey on the Cardinal on my next trip back east (date TBD). Hubby won't consider it beause it doesn't have a full diner, but I'm prepared to be flexible and, as Railraod Bill says, enjoy the scenery and the journey.

 

[NW cannonball]

It's a crying shame so little room on the Cardinal. Maybe when the new railcars arrive -.

My daughter did NPN-CVS-CHI-MSP recently, in coach. She loved the Card. Not just the New River scenery.

A good OB crew, and interesting people. Great trip. BYO food - yeah - but a great train trip.

 

[shelzp]

I've only been on it once and that was a couple of months back on Easter. I enjoyed the scenery and the room attendant was good but the diner wasn't great. I'm not strict so wasn't bothered by this but at breakfast they simply shouted (and I emphasize shouted) that the only thing they had was french toast. It felt like somebody didn't feel like preparing anything else. At lunch I decided to ask to have my meal brought to my room. The attendant shook her head when I asked her to bring whatever sandwich they had. She advised against it and said she only recommends the cheeseburger because it is always good.

There was quite a bit of shouting in both the diner and the sleeper. I never heard any announcements so I assume there was a problem with the PA.

I'd say my experience left me feeling like it is a quirky little train but I wouldn't mind taking it again.

 

[neroden]

Is it really that bad?

Well, it doesn't run on the days of the week on which I need it to run on for the trips I want to take. So yes, it's that bad. Less-than-daily service is terrible.

If the day of the week it runs on works for you, though, there's nothing wrong with it...

 

[William W.]

I've taken a total of six trips on the Cardinal and here's my opinion:

It is a good route, with some of the nicest scenery in the east, and has the most friendly crews that I've seen on Amtrak so far. It has a more more personal feel, and feels less "mass produced" than other routes.

That being said, it is the most barebones route in the entire LD system. This is what it needs to be brought up to par:

-Daily Service

-An additional sleeper

-A full dining car

-Track improvements in Indiana (between CHI and IND)

 

[domefoamer]

The Cardinal can be atrocious. It was, at least, when I took it eastbound several years ago. Call it an unlucky combination of several circumstances:

1) The evening's CL had been canceled due to rockslides, so our lithe train was packed with as much as their overflow as possible.

2) It was NBA basketball finals week, with Indianapolis in contention, so the local midwestern clientele was wired, for a lively night, not tired like me.

3) The onboard staff seemed to sleep soundly out of sight while my neighbors in coach watched action movies and game action on their laptops, sans headphones. One lonely passenger was striking up a bromance with a disinterested man in the seat just ahead, standing in the aisle as if he was speaking to me, too.

4) With no lounge car, the diner lite roped off, and no empty seats, I was just as trapped in my seat as on an airplane.

After the sleepless night, I remember the long-awaited gorge, over on the opposite side of the train from my seat. I recall the overflowing cardboard garbage can that was my tablemate at the single meal I waited an hour to eat. Maybe the best part I remember was the rough track, on the aptly named Bucking-ham Branch.

Maybe I'll want to take the Cardinal again someday, after everything about it but the route changes. In a sleeper.

 

[William W.]

The Cardinal can be atrocious. It was, at least, when I took it eastbound several years ago. Call it an unlucky combination of several circumstances:

1) The evening's CL had been canceled due to rockslides, so our lithe train was packed with as much as their overflow as possible.

2) It was NBA basketball finals week, with Indianapolis in contention, so the local midwestern clientele was wired, for a lively night, not tired like me.

3) The onboard staff seemed to sleep soundly out of sight while my neighbors in coach watched action movies and game action on their laptops, sans headphones. One lonely passenger was striking up a bromance with a disinterested man in the seat just ahead, standing in the aisle as if he was speaking to me, too.

4) With no lounge car, the diner lite roped off, and no empty seats, I was just as trapped in my seat as on an airplane.

After the sleepless night, I remember the long-awaited gorge, over on the opposite side of the train from my seat. I recall the overflowing cardboard garbage can that was my tablemate at the single meal I waited an hour to eat. Maybe the best part I remember was the rough track, on the aptly named Bucking-ham Branch.

Maybe I'll want to take the Cardinal again someday, after everything about it but the route changes. In a sleeper.

As long as you have a sleeper, it's a good route to take. The SCAs are all good, and the dining car staff do a good job (considering the circumstances). There is one SA in particular that cooks EVERYTHING with the convection oven (others oftentimes just use the microwave). If you can get her, the food is almost as good as it would be with a full diner. Regardless though, the food isn't bad.

If you're going east, you'll get to see the New River Gorge, and the excellent scenery that West Virginia and Virginia offer.

If you want a fast, utilitarian train, take the Capitol Limited. If you want to take your time, receive excellent service from very friendly OBS, and see excellent scenery, take the Cardinal. It will be even better when they add another sleeper, and a Viewliner diner.