Capitol Limited discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

[MARC Rider]

Both serve Flex meals and have No Lounge, and have High Bucket Sleepers!

Flying is a much better deal IMO. YMMV.

Flying is a better deal unless what you're interested in is the train ride. Unfortunately, if you want a train ride between Chicago and the east coast, all that's available is flex meals and high bucket sleepers

On the Cap, they usually let you hang out in the Cross Country Cafe between meals.

I've hung out in the Cafe car of the Cardinal, and the Lake Shore Limited plates the flex meals for better service, and I think there's a full cafe car for hanging out.

 

[zephyr17]

Both serve Flex meals and have No Lounge, and have High Bucket Sleepers!

Flying is a much better deal IMO. YMMV.

Flying is almost always a better deal than sleepers. No news there.

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

Flying is a better deal unless what you're interested in is the train ride. Unfortunately, if you want a train ride between Chicago and the east coast, all that's available is flex meals and high bucket sleepers

On the Cap, they usually let you hang out in the Cross Country Cafe between meals.

I've hung out in the Cafe car of the Cardinal, and the Lake Shore Limited plates the flex meals for better service, and I think there's a full cafe car for hanging out.

Admittedly, yes it is. While one can occasionally find low bucket sleepers, a round trip in economy would cost just as much if not significantly less than one way in a sleeper. Having done both flying and sleeper to get to/from the northeast to Chicago, flying is the more practical option (from a time and money saving perspective), but the sleeper is the more fun option (if one is a train fan like myself). While I do have fond memories attached to the trips where I flew, it is stuff like riding Metra's NCS and CTA's blue line for the first time that I remember fondly from those trips as opposed to the actual flying part (though I will admit that seeing downtown Chicago out of the window of my United airlines flights was pretty cool).

 

[joelkfla]

Both serve Flex meals and have No Lounge, and have High Bucket Sleepers!

Flying is a much better deal IMO. YMMV.

Not necessarily High Buckets. On mid-month Thursdays:

Cap Ltd Roomette CHI to Was in Sept & Oct is $686, which is middle bucket.

Cardinal Roomette CHI to NYP in Nov is $623, which is 2nd lowest on the chart; LSL is $558 (chart appears to be missing some buckets.) Cap Ltd to WAS is $488, which is below low bucket on chart.

In Dec, LSL to NYP is a steal at $502! Card is still $623 to NYP. and is $544 to WAS.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Not necessarily High Buckets. On mid-month Thursdays:

Cap Ltd Roomette CHI to Was in Sept & Oct is $686, which is middle bucket.

Cardinal Roomette CHI to NYP in Nov is $623, which is 2nd lowest on the chart; LSL is $558 (chart appears to be missing some buckets.) Cap Ltd to WAS is $488, which is below low bucket on chart.

In Dec, LSL to NYP is a steal at $502! Card is still $623 to NYP. and is $544 to WAS.

Guess with the Cap going to Single Level Equipment helps with Roomettes, but with Fewer Bedrooms it'll no doubt be more Expensive!

 

[cocojacoby]

I did a search a while ago testing this exact situation. The Chicago - Cleveland city pair is the only place where you can compare Superliner and Viewliner rates since it offers both equipment types either on the Lake Shore Limited or the Capitol Limited. To my surprise the Lake Shore was cheaper than the Capitol for similar rooms. Doesn't make sense maybe but that was the result.

 

[B&Ofan]

I did a search a while ago testing this exact situation. The Capitol is the only train where you can compare Superliner and Viewliner rates since it offers both equipment types between Chicago and Cleveland. To my surprise the Lake Shore was cheaper than the Capitol for similar rooms. Doesn't make sense maybe but that was the result.

That may be because the LSL always has 3 sleepers where the Cap might only have 1.

 

[chadamfleetrailfan]

It looks like tonight's (10/7) #30 out of Chicago had a transdorm and a horizon car deadheading; however, the horizon car looks like is in revenue? (from the lights on and especially with a link from the transdorm car)



I'm assuming to help bring equipment for the upcoming Floridian route?

 

[blueman271]

It looks like tonight's (10/7) #30 out of Chicago had a transdorm and a horizon car deadheading; however, the horizon car looks like is in revenue? (from the lights on and especially with a link from the transdorm car)

View attachment 38008

I'm assuming to help bring equipment for the upcoming Floridian route?

The Horizon car is in revenue service, a passenger got off at Elkhart.

 

[zephyr17]

It looks like tonight's (10/7) #30 out of Chicago had a transdorm and a horizon car deadheading; however, the horizon car looks like is in revenue? (from the lights on and especially with a link from the transdorm car)

View attachment 38008

I'm assuming to help bring equipment for the upcoming Floridian route?

Hmm, that's flat out weird. Not the lights, though, the lights probably do not mean much, it was still probably deadheading. Maybe they were just left on or for crew convienence.

Where it's going is the weird part. The Floridian is going to use Amfleet IIs and the first 40(10) is likely to be the turn of 91(8). According to Amtrak.com, the last 91 will be 91(10) which should turn to be 40(12). 41(12) should be the turn of 40(10), assuming a same day turn in Chicago, there's time for it and there's an overnight turn in Miami. In other words, the first three 40s should just be turned 91s, but the first two 41 consists will need to be staged at Chicago. Miami does not need to have equipment staged but Chicago does. If they are planning additional coaches for 40/41, I doubt they'd be Horizons with corridor seat pitch.

Do any of the North Carolina services use Horizons? Does North Carolina want any to pad out their fleet with them?

Maybe they're going to Bear for some reason?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Hmm, that's flat out weird. Not the lights, though, the lights probably do not mean much, it was still probably deadheading. Maybe they were just left on or for crew convienence.

Where it's going is the weird part. The Floridian is going to use Amfleet IIs and the first 40(10) is likely to be the turn of 91(8). According to Amtrak.com, the last 91 will be 91(10) which should turn to be 40(12). 41(12) should be the turn of 40(10), assuming a same day turn in Chicago, there's time for it and there's an overnight turn in Miami. In other words, the first three 40s should just be turned 91s, but the first two 41 consists will need to be staged at Chicago. Miami does not need to have equipment staged but Chicago does. If they are planning additional coaches for 40/41, I doubt they'd be Horizons with corridor seat pitch.

Do any of the North Carolina services use Horizons? Does North Carolina want any to pad out their fleet with them?

Maybe they're going to Bear for some reason?

Could be headed to the Downeaster, but I think they usually use the LSL for those moves.

 

[Amtrak25]

Could there have been a large number of transcon misconnects from the day before ?

How many SL coaches were there if 5 Superliners in all ?

They also had to go through the trouble of finding a SL trans-dorm to have it in the consist. LSL is a fairly easy deadhead move for Downeaster serrvice.

NC doesn't use Horizons and Bear doesn't do anything but Amfleet.

 

[blueman271]

The Horizon was in revenue service. The Elkhart rail cam clearly showed a conductor opening the door, raising the trap, and letting a passenger off.

The usual CL consist has been 2 sleepers, CCC, and 2 coaches in that order. Last night the last coach was replaced with a transition sleeper and then the Horizon car.

 

[Amtrak25]

My guess is they put the Pittsburgh passengers, including Pennsylvanian refugees, in it, so not much commotion at Elkhart, and that car would be rather empty the rest of the way. Not much schlepping through the trans-dorm for breakfast.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The Horizon was in revenue service. The Elkhart rail cam clearly showed a conductor opening the door, raising the trap, and letting a passenger off.

The usual CL consist has been 2 sleepers, CCC, and 2 coaches in that order. Last night the last coach was replaced with a transition sleeper and then the Horizon car.

It’s also possible the passenger was an employee deadheading to Elkhart.

 

[Cal]

It’s also possible the passenger was an employee deadheading to Elkhart.

Apparently one could see multiple passengers in the Horizon at Elkhart.