Capitol Limited Dining

[Bob Dylan]

We've been discussing this ever since the Boardman/ Mica "cuts" started occuring on the LD Trains.

I'm wondering where the OBS Unions are as the Suits continue to cut staffs and force almost impossible workloads on the OBS?

This is ridiculous and every railsupporter and railfan in the US needs to speak up and let the Politicians and the Bean Counters in Suits know their opposition to these "cut your way to profitability" schemes on the backs of the paying customers and the hard working Amtrak OBS!!

 

[daybeers]

Wow. I really hope things aren't this bad when I go WAS-CHI on June 16th.

 

[RalphCT]

The Capitol Limited CHI to WAS is Train 30. My wife and I rode #30 leaving CHI on April 17 after arriving on the Empire Builder. Yes, we made our dinner reservations in the Metropolitan Lounge shortly after our arrival. We then spent the rest of the layover in the bar upstairs visiting with relatives we hadn't seen in more than a year. After boarding the Cap we spent some time in our roomette then headed down when called for dinner. Seating time was 7:30 I think. The CCC was full at that seating for dinner but the Dinning Car Attendant was really hustling. Everyone got their dinner and the next seating was on time. Breakfast the next morning was perfect as well since it was first come first serve and spread out over a longer time interval. During both dinner and breakfast the food was good.

If I ran into the question of eating that late in the CCC or eating in my room I'd choose to eat earlier in my room. Our Sleeping Car Attendant (Bill) was excellent and he would have gladly gotten our dinner for us. Secondly if you think service needs improvement make a complaint to Amtrak.

 

[jis]

If you get poor service, the minimum that you can do is keep sending in those complaints to Amtrak, and if you get a chance send a copy to NARP.

 

[FormerOBS]

These issues are not covered in the Union contract, and I think I'm safe in saying the Company would not entertain the possibility of including them in future contracts, no matter what the Union asks for. Wages and scheduling, yes. Staffing levels, no. There is also nothing in the contract to prevent the Company from promising a service that no human employee can provide due to time constraints and overall work load. It's the Company's choice, not the employees'.

Tom

 

[TinCan782]

If I ran into the question of eating that late in the CCC or eating in my room I'd choose to eat earlier in my room. Our Sleeping Car Attendant (Bill) was excellent and he would have gladly gotten our dinner for us. Secondly if you think service needs improvement make a complaint to Amtrak.

Had a good experience with SCA Bill on #29 last August.

 

[Railroad Bill]

My railroad club (12) of us, rode the CZ and CL back from Denver last week. We arrived in CUS on time and scheduled dinner at 7:00pm with the Metro Lounge agent. The CL used the modified CCC car and has for several years now. We were seated at 7 and the one server worked her rear off getting our orders and efficiently covering the 12 people in the diner at that time. At 7:30 the next seating of passengers arrived. This included a few people from coach, *an interesting pair of guys from Australia who had some great stories to tell across from my table. Still, this same female server covered their needs and finished us up with desserts. It seemed like they were short handed but she said she was to handle the diner side for the evening. I believe there were at least two other seatings for the evening. We tipped her well and wished her well for the evening.

The other side of the diner had cafe service and had a long line of people waiting to order from the bar. A few were seated in the other side of our CCC car but most seemed to take their food back to the seats in the SSL. The lower level of the SSL was closed to patron traffic.

And yes, Bill is one of the great SCAs on the Capitol Limited. We have had him several trip to WAS and back.

 

[Deni]

Since it has been an insanely long time that I have taken an LD train out of Chicago I don't remember the dinner reservations being taken in the Metro Lounge (of course I usually didn't hang out there, would usually check in there to find out what time they would board sleeping car passengers the go hang out at the Metro Deli bar), has this always been the case?

So will they be taking the reservations anytime I show up the day of my trip on the CL or do they do it at a certain time? Would they do the same thing in DC for my return trip, reservations made in the ClubAcela? Or in DC do they wait until you are on the train?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Since it has been an insanely long time that I have taken an LD train out of Chicago I don't remember the dinner reservations being taken in the Metro Lounge (of course I usually didn't hang out there, would usually check in there to find out what time they would board sleeping car passengers the go hang out at the Metro Deli bar), has this always been the case?

So will they be taking the reservations anytime I show up the day of my trip on the CL or do they do it at a certain time? Would they do the same thing in DC for my return trip, reservations made in the ClubAcela? Or in DC do they wait until you are on the train?

I've taken the CL from Chicago a couple of times in the last 3 years and they took my dinner reservation when I checked into the lounge (even as early as 7 am). I only took the CL from Washington once (2011) and dinner reservations were done on the train.

 

[Deni]

I've taken the CL from Chicago a couple of times in the last 3 years and they took my dinner reservation when I checked into the lounge (even as early as 7 am). I only took the CL from Washington once (2011) and dinner reservations were done on the train.

Good to know, thanks!

 

[IndyRacingNut]

Strange....I arrived about 3hrs off the SWC to Chicago and when I went into the lounge, they didn't take my reservation...Had to do it once I got on the CL. And while I was seated promptly (I took the later dinner), I was seated with a family of 3 who didn't speak a word of English. (Made for a very awkward dinner) I ordered the crab cakes like I did on one of my SWC meals to compare the food prep difference, and believe me, the CL prepared dish wasn't even close to as good as the SWC one was. It was served much colder, and oddly enough, the chardonnay I ordered with it was almost room temperature. Breakfast wasn't bad, but again, the omelette wasn't exactly hot off the grill. Makes me wonder about proper cooking temperatures for the food on the Capitol Limited....ESPECIALLY the crab/shrimp cakes.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Makes me wonder about proper cooking temperatures for the food on the Capitol Limited....ESPECIALLY the crab/shrimp cakes.

If it makes you feel any better (???) I'm pretty sure the crab cakes come fully cooked, and are just heated up on the grill. Just a guess. ha.

Of course, train to train doesn't really matter (for example Capitol vs. Chief)... it's all about the crew. I've had wonderful food and service on the Capitol, and I've had lousy food and service on the Capitol.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I've taken the CL from Chicago a couple of times in the last 3 years and they took my dinner reservation when I checked into the lounge (even as early as 7 am). I only took the CL from Washington once (2011) and dinner reservations were done on the train.

Good to know, thanks!

On one of my Cap trips from Chicago, Dinner reservations were taken in the Metropolitan, but then the LSA came around shortly after we pulled out and took her own set of reservations! And by the 9 pm seating, the Diner was running almost an hour behind! But at least the chow was good.

 

[Reno89502]

When I rode the Cap Ltd back in December, the one thing that I found interesting is that they did not serve Pre-Packaged Burgers and Hot Dogs in the Cafe like they do on every other Amtrak route. When you ordered a Burger or Hot Dog on the Cap Ltd, it was made downstairs by the Chef, and included Lettuce & Tomato as well as Chips. Of course, this drove the price up to $11.50 each.