Around the Eastern US in 36 hours – DC to NYC to CHI on 3-ish trains

[turtlypo]

This took place last week but I'm finally getting around to sharing my trip. I'm still quite new to being into trains as a hobby and wanted to take a trip to get a few more Amtrak rides under my belt. I live in Indianapolis and planned a journey with a simple premise: fly to D.C. for breakfast, take the Acela up to New York for lunch, take the Lake Shore Limited–having dinner and breakfast on board–and finish with lunch in Chicago. I wanted to pack as many modes of transportation as I could and use this as an opportunity to practice photography and videography. Some of the footage might turn into a YouTube video down the line, but for now my internet friends at AU get the trip report.

Part 1: Breakfast in DC

Woke up at 3:30am to drive to Indianapolis International Airport and take the early morning flight to Washington Dulles. For how much Indy’s airport gets touted by themselves as ranked “best airport in the country,” I find it to be just okay. For a medium-sized airport it’s definitely easy to navigate through, but I think I just prefer an airport that has every possible route imaginable.

Flight UA3494 was on an Embraer 175. I’m used to flying between ORD and SBN on “Satan’s Chariot” (CRJ-200s), so this upgrade in regional jet type is much appreciated.

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Beyond trains, I’m also interested in rare and unusual transportation methods. Dulles had the best version of this for me: the Mobile Lounge people movers. These oversized tall buses move people around from terminal to terminal, with a unique docking bay and everything. While a few other places used to have these (CDG, JFK, JED), Dulles is one of the only remaining airports with mobile lounges (YMX being the other) and is the birthplace of them. Architect Eero Saarinen had a grand vision when designing the airport and the mobile lounges were a core part of it. I learned a lot reading the walkway posters on the way to the Washington Metro station!

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After exiting the airport, I got on the Washington Metro to take the Silver Line to Metro Center, transfer to Red, then arrive at Union Station. I grew up taking BART in California and got to take MARTA earlier this year, so it was nice to see all three sister systems born from the 70s. I can only imagine the optimism people had in these systems when they were built.

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I got interested in the history of the Washington Metro after watching this video by Flying Moose. I love how the video showcases the funding challenges the Silver Line went through, how public officials overcame them, and how it’s never too late to build (the best time was yesterday, the second best time is today). Some really good optimism!

Rolling stock on the Silver Line was really clean, and felt great to be on! Makes sense, given how new the line is. Red line felt a lot more dated, akin to the A/B series BART cars that were recently retired. Was surprised at the immense security presence at Metro Center station. Armed police were on one platform and what looked like Secret Service (man in suit scanning the platform) was on the other. Makes sense given that it’s two blocks from the White House.

 

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Part 2: Brunch on the Acela

After the Washington Metro, I arrived at Union Station. I wanted to explore DC and grab breakfast somewhere special, but only had ~30 minutes so I got Blue Bottle and stayed in the Metropolitan Lounge. Come to find out later, my train 2108 was delayed by 30 minutes due to inbound train 2107 being delayed 60 minutes in NYP for overhead power issues. I could see the 2107 delay on asm.transitdocs.com, but Amtrak didn’t update the delay on the monitors until after the original scheduled departure time. Really wish they were better with communicating the delay.

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Staying in the Metropolitan lounge was fine; the ceiling is a bit low and I hear complaints about the lounge but it has most of the amenities you’d expect in a lounge like Chicago. Wi-Fi wasn’t working, which felt especially bad given that it’s not a moving train.

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I was really excited to board the Acela. Planning to try again next year so I can compare the Avelia Liberty with this experience. I got to use an upgrade coupon for first class; the primary difference between the two really seems to be the meal service.

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Got to order the black pepper beef, which really is more lunch than brunch. Presentation of the food wasn’t perfect, but overall I was really impressed by the quality of the meal! Food tasted good, and I loved that things were served on actual glass and ceramic (or ceramic-like) wares. If only Eastern LD trains could come close. Amtrak Sleepers are supposed to be somewhat on par with first-class service (at least they both grant lounge access), so why not have consistency in dining service?

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Only found out that alcoholic beverages are unlimited after seeing my neighbors get refills on their DIY mimosas. By the time I noticed I was too close to arrival (too anxious to ask) to order another beer.

Honestly, the Acela just felt like a modern European train. Bathroom was accessible and large, like the South Shore Line ones I’m used to.

 

[turtlypo]

Part 3: Lunch in NYC

I arrived in NYP 30 minutes late. Originally, I had wanted to take the subway to Brooklyn, have lunch at my favorite bakery in the area (Win Son Bakery), and then take the subway back just in time for boarding. It was a tight schedule in the first plan, made impossible with the delay. I settled with walking a block over to Ichiran for a bowl of ramen. I’ve been to New York before, but this was my first time at Penn Station. Moynihan Train Hall is beautiful, and I’m hoping in the future they can do more with actual Penn Station once they figure out what to do with Madison Square Garden.

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The Metropolitan Lounge at NYP was really beautiful. I enjoyed the lockers they had for you to store luggage; I used it during lunch. There aren’t any locks or keypads, so it’s definitely an honor system trust environment.

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Part 4: Dinner on the Lake Shore Limited

When it was time to board, the Lounge made a call. Unlike WAS or CHI, no attendants walked us over. The front desk just told us which gate to go to, which was simple enough.

Pre-Albany, the consist is Baggage, VL1 Sleeper (4912), VL1 Sleeper (4911), Diner, and Coaches (3 or 4 I lost count). After hooking up the Boston segment, there’s a total of 5 coaches and a cafe at the very front! I had a fun moment with another passenger when we were both walking to the cafe, passing each new coach and going “again?”

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@zephyr17 was right, there are now Viewliner IIs on the LSL currently. One day I’ll get to try a single-level without a toilet! I booked roomette 3, which is on the right-hand side facing direction of travel. It seems like the way to go is to book left side (even roomettes) for both 48 and 49. You get the Hudson River in the afternoon on the 49 and Lake Michigan on the 48. I made the mistake of originally having an even-number, calling to change to odd number for free, realizing my mistake and calling again (they wouldn’t let me change rooms a second time without charging the new rate). Really wish we had a twice-daily 12hr offset LSL; Cleveland deserves the daytime views!

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On LSL 49, you have the option to have dinner before Albany (5:30p- 6:20p) or afterwards (with the Boston segment folks). I think it’s definitely best to go before Albany, as early as possible. You dine along a view of the Hudson, with the golden hour sun setting at this time of year. Really feels like the Michael Schwab poster.

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For dinner, I had the beef burgundy. Flex dining on plateware and metallic flatware instead of their microwave containers and paper boxes is a welcome change. Like many others here have mentioned, I really do wish they would use ceramic instead of plastic plates and bowls. It adds a lot of cheapness, though I guess it’s on par with the fake flower I’m dining next to. If this cheapness is the compromise to make Eastern trains have better meals, so be it. Maybe they don’t have dishwashing equipment on VL2 diners.

There’s always small details I wish Amtrak could consider changing. Half of the LD trains I’ve been on have had safety cards so worn and stuck together, I wish there was a protocol for SCAs to inspect and replace them with new cards every time they turn a room. For the dining room, instead of small packets of ranch and Italian dressing, why not opt for a small restaurant-style bottle that’s occasionally taken out of the fridge for meal service? Small details would add so much value to the customer experience, and don’t even cost that much.

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After dinner, we arrived in Albany for a one hour layover and equipment connect. I got to snap some good photos of the station platform as well as some nice custom railcars in the distance. I got to chat with a station worker on the platform, who told me his employee anniversary (10-year?) was coming up, and as a benefit he’s taking the Auto Train with his family for free (only paying the tax). We chatted a bit about the bilevels. He didn’t know much about the ongoings so I shared with him the 2023 RFP news and how they’re going for a core accessible trainset. He shared how Albany’s the 9th busiest station for Amtrak, and how many private owners store their cars in Albany.

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After the layover, I went to the café for a nightcap, showered, and watched a movie before going to bed, being rocked to sleep as we passed along Lake Erie.

 

[turtlypo]

Part 5: Breakfast on the Kitchi Gammi Club

Secret morning section of the trip! This wasn’t part of my original itinerary, but a week before the trip I read a Trains.com article mentioning the Fort Wayne Railroad Historic Society moving the Kitchi Gammi Club for a term, being chartered on the exact LSL I was on. While not quite a “third train”, I booked a daytime ticket for the morning between Waterloo, IN and Chicago, and did a quick hop-off hop-on in Waterloo. I tried to go through the baggage car to the charter cars in tow (my SCA’s suggestion), but it was locked and wasn’t worth the explanation to the conductors.

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The Kitchi Gammi Club was built in 1923 and operated on the Nickel Plate from 1937-1953, before becoming a business car.

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In tow with the Kitchi Gammi Club was the Pacific Island, a 10-6 Budd sleeper.

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Breakfast aboard included French toast, bacon, and yogurt. It was nice seeing a private railcar with a traditional-looking kitchen.

 

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The best part of the ride was meeting all the other people on board. I met someone who’s working on restoring several electric interurbans and streetcars in the Indianapolis area. I got to meet the owner of the Kitchi Gammi, who was a trainmaster and now manages a shortline in New Jersey. Another person used to be a chief dispatcher for Norfolk Southern, but left after positions were all moved to Atlanta. Lots of conversation about the Class Is, lots of discussion about PSR and how service in the railroads have changed. Someone mentioned how the Amtrak charter cost is some $5/mile/car, making excursion railroads hard to operate no matter the person.

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[turtlypo]

Part 6: Lunch in Chicago

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After arriving in Chicago Union Station, I dropped my bags off at the Metropolitan Lounge, and walked over to Fulton Market to have lunch. I went to Au Cheval to have their famous cheeseburger, my second time visiting. The restaurant only takes walk-ins and can have hour-long waits, but going alone at 11am meant I got seated immediately.

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With that, my journey was complete! I was able to have a meal across a different place and a different form of transportation at every step of the way. I don’t know when I’ll be able to plan something like this again, but I hope to do more trips like this in the future!