Capitol Limited & Lake Shore Limited Delays Summer/Fall 2014

[Bob Dylan]

Since 29 and 49 have been turning at Toledo, and buses carrying the passengers to Chicago, are they making connections to the SWC? Anybody know?

Thanks,

jb

Yes, several of the AUers on #29 and #49 on the way to the Gathering were bused in the last couple of days between TOL and CHI and made the connections to #421/#3/#5!

 

[Henry Kisor]

Got four relatives coming in from DC to Chicago this Saturday on 29. They called Amtrak to see what was going on and were told that the problem was due not to trackwork but to "flooding" and that Amtrak expects things to be back to normal by the weekend. Flooding, huh? Huh?

 

[Guest]

Excessive freight train flooding, they meant, surely.

 

[acelafan]

29& 49 are still waiting to enter Chicago as of 5:30pm CST. Yes, the CL has passed the LSL in a great battle to see which train can get to CHI first. Neither of course made their western connections today so everyone in that category was a loser again.

29/CL and 49/LSL westbound pax really need to consider using 51/Cardinal to make LD West Coast or other vital connections in CHI.I know the Card's limited 3/day/week schedule can be tough to work around but you just can't beat it's on time performance.The Card services both NYP and WAS so it can be used by both CL and LSL pax. For the last 6 weeks, that's 18 trips, it has been either EARLY or ON TIME arriving CHI the last 13 out of 18 times!!! That is 72.2% on time record compared to virtually 0% for 29/CL and 49/LSL. Plus, the 5 times it was late were all under an hour except for 1 trip that arrived 1 hour,21 minutes late. When was the last time the CL or LSL got in even as early as 1 hour,21 minutes late?Yes I know it is a circuitous long trip and leaves early in the morning but you will make your CHI connections most assuredly.I have already dumped my 49/LSL tix for the 51/Card myself and will just get up early that morning and relax onboard knowing that my connection to 3/SWC will be made.

I agree with you - I am thinking about a trip in November but I'll take the 51 Cardinal since it's been running more reliably than the Lake Shore or Capital. Of course anything (and everything) can go wrong on the RR but I'll hedge my bets toward the good ol' Card on the Buckingham Branch right now.

 

[afigg]

Depending on how fluid or not Porter to Engelwood is, this may be a moment when Amtrak seriously ought to look at temporarily rerouting those trains, perhaps coupled together, via Michigan, putting in place necessary modification to schedules on a temporary basis.

Checking the Michigan service trains for Oct. 7 on Amtrak Status maps, some had long delays between Chicago and the first IN or MI stop. Had to be some very unhappy passengers on the MI trains. #350(10/7) departed CHI on time, then departed Hammond, IN 1 hour and 35 minutes late. #354(10/7) got the worse hit after departing CHI on-time, then MCI 3 hours and 2 minutes late.

So a re-route through Michigan for the CL and LSL may get jammed running the detours from Porter from Chicago.

 

[Henry Kisor]

At 9:40 CDT the Amtrak delay map was showing No. 29 three hours and 1 minute late into South Bend and No. 30 two hours and 15 minutes late into Connellsville. That means maybe the bustitution has stopped. Let's hope so . . . otherwise one of my incoming party to D.C. will have to cancel because she gets horribly bus sick.

 

[richm49]

29& 49 are still waiting to enter Chicago as of 5:30pm CST. Yes, the CL has passed the LSL in a great battle to see which train can get to CHI first. Neither of course made their western connections today so everyone in that category was a loser again.

29/CL and 49/LSL westbound pax really need to consider using 51/Cardinal to make LD West Coast or other vital connections in CHI.I know the Card's limited 3/day/week schedule can be tough to work around but you just can't beat it's on time performance.The Card services both NYP and WAS so it can be used by both CL and LSL pax. For the last 6 weeks, that's 18 trips, it has been either EARLY or ON TIME arriving CHI the last 13 out of 18 times!!! That is 72.2% on time record compared to virtually 0% for 29/CL and 49/LSL. Plus, the 5 times it was late were all under an hour except for 1 trip that arrived 1 hour,21 minutes late. When was the last time the CL or LSL got in even as early as 1 hour,21 minutes late?Yes I know it is a circuitous long trip and leaves early in the morning but you will make your CHI connections most assuredly.I have already dumped my 49/LSL tix for the 51/Card myself and will just get up early that morning and relax onboard knowing that my connection to 3/SWC will be made.

I agree with you - I am thinking about a trip in November but I'll take the 51 Cardinal since it's been running more reliably than the Lake Shore or Capital. Of course anything (and everything) can go wrong on the RR but I'll hedge my bets toward the good ol' Card on the Buckingham Branch right now.

Since 8/24( about the last 45 days or so) 51/Cardinal has arrived CHI either EARLY or ON TIME 14 of the last 19 trips! 4 of the 5 times that it was late were all less than an hour( 27,52,41 and 40 minutes) with only one exception( 8/29 arrived 1 hour,21 minutes late). You can count on getting to CHI for any and all connections using 51/Cardinal. Even with it's slow, circuitous route, early morning departure from NYP( 6:45 A.M except Sunday 6:55) and no real Dining car( uses Dining/Cafe car only) which limits menu options it is still better than the other options. I don't want to pay for sleeper accommodations to CHI and ride a bus from TOL-CHI!!!!

 

[Henry Kisor]

29 was 2 hours late into Chicago today, 30 expected to be about 2 1/2 late. That's MUCH better. Hope it holds.

 

[Barciur]

According to status maps and people on TO, 29 did not arrive into Chicago, but rather terminated in Toledo and still got bussed.

 

[montana mike]

This is supposed to stay that way thru 10-12 correct?

 

[John Bobinyec]

This is supposed to stay that way thru 10-12 correct?

The Amtrak notice about the delays is through January 12.

jb

 

[Barciur]

Yes but nothing official about buses.

 

[justinslot]

I'm just curious what justinslot meant by "refund my sleeper cost Chicago-Toledo" on top of the $200 voucher.

I'm also curious how my trip turns out - Lancaster-Milwaukee in a sleeper from Pittsburgh roundtrip on Oct 31 with return on Nov 2. Will definitely be doing a very detailed travelogue with pictures and will take a journal along to note exact times of happenings, since it sounds like it will be an eventful trip.

Well I assume the $80something they put back on my card was how much it would have cost to sit in a bedroom between Chicago and Toledo.

 

[Orangesaint]

Taken from Amtrak.com: Costs on a Wednesday in October for Chicago to Toledo:

30: Coach: $40 Superliner Roomette: $207. You're rightfully owed $167.

48: Coach: $40 Viewliner Roomette: $274. You're rightfully owed $234.

Wednesday Oct 29th fares used as a comparison.

So a $200 voucher plus $80 refund is "fair". But it's not as if its some great wonderful gesture.

 

[Barciur]

Well, when I bought my roomette from PGH to CHI, it cost $113 for a roomette - so it must be higher buckets.

 

[Henry Kisor]

Barciur, do you mean that Amtrak's status reports are of the BUS arriving into Chicago today, not the train 29 itself?

 

[Barciur]

Yeah I'm not sure where you see that but this connecting to status maps has 29 not arriving anywhere past Toledo - http://dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bin/getmap.pl?mapname=Midwest

and someone on TO said:

29 & 49 BUS departed Elkhart west @ 1:17pm EST

So more confusion!

The amtrak train app for smartphones says it is estimated to arrive at 11:08 but does not say arrived or anything. Weird.

 

[afigg]

Barciur, do you mean that Amtrak's status reports are of the BUS arriving into Chicago today, not the train 29 itself?

I think what you are seeing on Amtrak check train status is the predicted arrival time, not the actual #29 which was stopped at Toledo. It should be showing a service disruption (as is the case for the October 7 status check), but the SD may not have been entered. Amtrak status maps which uses the actual reports shows both trains ending at TOL.

However there is a departure time for #29(10/7) from Toledo in the status map data. It is possible that after placing the passengers on the buses, the CL consist was sent on to CHI for maintenance, but with the expectation that it could take a long time to get to CHI. With advance notice, Amtrak could have assembled a replacement consist and sent it east to Toledo during the day. Send the train and see how long it takes to get between CHI and TOL to get am updated read on the NS situation. Pure speculation on my part, though.

Gene Poon on trainorders posted that Amtrak is planning to turn the CL and LSL around at TOL through at least Saturday. But the Michigan service trains today (10/8), SO FAR are having a much better day than yesterday getting between CHI and their first Michigan stop.

 

[Barciur]

I guess from a personal perspective it looks like this:

If I get bussed both ways, I expect a nice compensation. So it'll be a good trip as it'll be a lot cheaper, but also less quality. I don't want to do 5 hours on a bus, but I will if that means geting to Chicago say at 1pm, rather than 7pm.

If I don't and I get delayed, at least I'll have the roomette to be in - so it won't be as bad as being delayed in coach. And on the way back if I have to be sent to WAS to be eventually put to Lancaster, then once again - at least it'll be in a roomette.

So I can't lose. Just exciting to follow all of this.

 

[Orangesaint]

What's up with 49 today? Not even bothering with having it leave NYP?

 

[richm49]

I guess from a personal perspective it looks like this:

If I get bussed both ways, I expect a nice compensation. So it'll be a good trip as it'll be a lot cheaper, but also less quality. I don't want to do 5 hours on a bus, but I will if that means geting to Chicago say at 1pm, rather than 7pm.

If I don't and I get delayed, at least I'll have the roomette to be in - so it won't be as bad as being delayed in coach. And on the way back if I have to be sent to WAS to be eventually put to Lancaster, then once again - at least it'll be in a roomette.

So I can't lose. Just exciting to follow all of this.

Getting a nice compensation from Amtrak may be fine financially but who really wants to leave CHI on a bus at 9:30 P.M ( the scheduled departure time for 48/LSL) and ride 5-6 hours in the middle of night to board a train in TOL in wee hours of the morning? I sure as hell do not want to do that. I will be avoiding this entire IN-OH freight rail delay mess and re-route my entire return trip from Arizona down to the Southern route via 2/SL and then 20/Crescent direct to NYP instead of my original route 4/SWC and 48/LSL. It will cost a few bucks extra and will require overnight in NOL on my dime but I will at least avoid this whole freight delay and bus mess by staying as far away from CHI as I can.

 

[RRCOMM]

According to someone on Train Orders, things are happening in Chicago:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3543711

 

[Barciur]

I guess from a personal perspective it looks like this:

If I get bussed both ways, I expect a nice compensation. So it'll be a good trip as it'll be a lot cheaper, but also less quality. I don't want to do 5 hours on a bus, but I will if that means geting to Chicago say at 1pm, rather than 7pm.

If I don't and I get delayed, at least I'll have the roomette to be in - so it won't be as bad as being delayed in coach. And on the way back if I have to be sent to WAS to be eventually put to Lancaster, then once again - at least it'll be in a roomette.

So I can't lose. Just exciting to follow all of this.

Getting a nice compensation from Amtrak may be fine financially but who really wants to leave CHI on a bus at 9:30 P.M ( the scheduled departure time for 48/LSL) and ride 5-6 hours in the middle of night to board a train in TOL in wee hours of the morning? I sure as hell do not want to do that. I will be avoiding this entire IN-OH freight rail delay mess and re-route my entire return trip from Arizona down to the Southern route via 2/SL and then 20/Crescent direct to NYP instead of my original route 4/SWC and 48/LSL. It will cost a few bucks extra and will require overnight in NOL on my dime but I will at least avoid this whole freight delay and bus mess by staying as far away from CHI as I can.

Of course it all depends on who you are and what the purpose of your trip is etc. If I'm travelling with my mom or someone I know to connect to a westbound train or if I have to be back on time somewhere, I am totally with you. If I'm 10 years older than I am now and don't care for those kinds of adventures, I am totally with you.

If I'm me in my current situation, though, where I have an extra day off at work to fall back on and I'm in this primarily for an adventure, I'll just chalk it down as an abnormal adventure, grit my teeth through the bus ride and make the most out of the the trip. And come back when things are better. I've gotten used to crappy connections and uncomfortable trips with my 24 hour door-to-door trips across the atlantic

In short - I don't want to do it, but it won't be as bad as it will be for most people. Still, sounds like it **might** become irrelevant, because:

According to someone on Train Orders, things are happening in Chicago:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3543711

That sounds great. Here's hoping!

 

[Guest]

So it looks like there's no LSL from CHI on Saturday??? It doesn't appear as an option when I look to see what's available for sale. I'm leaving on the Cardinal on Saturday, and my train went from moderately full to completely sold out within a day. And the Cap Limited is the same way. Glad I booked my Roomette early!

 

[WindyCityTexan]

** DUPE POST FROM ABOVE. I didn't realize I wasn't signed in. **

So it looks like there's no LSL from CHI on Saturday??? It doesn't appear as an option when I look to see what's available for sale. I'm leaving on the Cardinal on Saturday, and my train went from moderately full to completely sold out within a day. And the Cap Limited is the same way. Glad I booked my Roomette early!