Cardinal discussion

[joelkfla]

Planning our 2024 trip now to the Grand Canyon North rim. Will drive up from Winslow once again. It always a tough decision deciding between two trains or three to get to Chicago to make the connection to the SWC. Usually the NER/Acela to WAS connecting to the CL is less expensive but not always. The Cardinal tends to be a longer trip at 26hrs vs 21 for the NER/CL but more convenient and the scenery is nicer. You need to depart PHL at 8am for the Cardnal as opposed to about 12:30 PM for the NEC/CL connection. At the same cost I would say the Cardinal is a better trip and you will probably ride in a VL2.

What about LSL?

 

[BlackDiamond]

What about LSL?

Cardinal probably has better scenery, once you get North of Albany not much on the LSL except maybe a little along the great lakes towards the end of the trip.

 

[jis]

Cardinal probably has better scenery, once you get North of Albany not much on the LSL except maybe a little along the great lakes towards the end of the trip.

I'd say West of Syracuse or even Rochester. The Mohawk River and Erie Canal are pretty nice scenery. And after that it is mostly night anyway until Toledo almost. Thence to Chicago is well, typical Midwest.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'd say West of Syracuse or even Rochester. The Mohawk River and Erie Canal are pretty nice scenery. And after that it is mostly night anyway until Toledo almost. Thence to Chicago is well, typical Midwest.

It's always interesting to me when approaching Chicago from the East, that after you come along side Lake Michigan, you pass the deteriorating City of Gary, the remains of the once great Steel Industry, the Casinos that look Slumy compared to the New Ones, and then after spotting the Skyline of Chicago, you wind your way through the Southside, Chinatown, cross the Chicago River and soon roll into Union Station.

 

[BlackDiamond]

It's always interesting to me when approaching Chicago from the East, that after you come along side Lake Michigan, you pass the deteriorating City of Gary, the remains of the once great Steel Industry, the Casinos that look Slumy compared to the New Ones, and then after spotting the Skyline of Chicago, you wind your way through the Southside, Chinatown, cross the Chicago River and soon roll into Union Station.

Agree. Although not everybody's cup of tea, I find industrial landscapes fascinating especially steel mills, since my first job out of college was working at one.

 

[chadamfleetrailfan]

With the Cardinal, when you start to approach Chicago (and Illinois in general), there's lots of open land with great scenery as well. I know it's interesting to see that when you pass through Lafayette, IN, there's miles of wind farms that you pass through as well.

The cafe car opens up right about that time on the Cardinal, and it's great to just chill in the cafe car at one of the tables and just take in the scenery.

 

[Asher]

My only trip on the Cardinal was in December heading West From DC. Very scenic through Virginia, then it gets dark and you miss so much. I never take advantage of the cafe or lounge because I hate to deal with crowds.

 

[dlagrua]

What about LSL?

For our LD trips we typically board in PHL at 30th st station. The LSL doesn't stop there so the choice is the Cardinal or CL out of WAS to CHI usually for the first leg of our trip West. The CL route saves us about 5 hours and we get a chance to have a good lunch at WAS. The Cardinal is more convenient, and sometimes allows for going into WAS for refreshments while they change engines. It is a more scenic trip. In the end the decison comes down to price. We have taken both many times.

 

[jis]

For our LD trips we typically board in PHL at 30th st station. The LSL doesn't stop there so the choice is the Cardinal or CL out of WAS to CHI usually for the first leg of our trip West. The CL route saves us about 5 hours and we get a chance to have a good lunch at WAS. The Cardinal is more convenient, and sometimes allows for going into WAS for refreshments while they change engines. It is a more scenic trip. In the end the decison comes down to price. We have taken both many times.

Theoretically you could go up to NYP and catch the LSL from there, but that would be a longer trip than via Capitol and will almost certainly cost more since the LSL is train with much greater demand and hence higher fares than the Cap.

 

[Donctor]

Theoretically you could go up to NYP and catch the LSL from there, but that would be a longer trip than via Capitol and will almost certainly cost more since the LSL is train with much greater demand and hence higher fares than the Cap.

Time and money may be barriers. That’s totally valid.

@OP:
I definitely prefer the scenery on the LSL. Much more interesting than the Cardinal. In the most respectful way possible, there’s something intensely fascinating about the urban decay visible from the LSL.

Dinner on the Hudson is beautiful. If you have a seat or roomette on the river side of the train, the views vary from impressive to stunning. It’s hard to beat seeing the sunset over the Hudson from a train.

Then, almost as soon as you get past ALB, things go south.

Once-thriving SYR, ROC, BUF, CLE, and TOL (and maybe Gary) are a patchwork of lights. On the LSL, what you see of urban communities embodies optimism, disillusionment, and everything in between.

The contrasts are striking:
• Concentrated modern investment vs. historic disinvestment.
• Beautiful new family homes in planned communities vs. swaths of unimaginable destitution and indescribable poverty.
• Brand-new dealerships competing to sell the latest cars vs. factory after factory rendered redundant by deindustrialization.

Time has left these cities behind. America has left these cities behind.

And, again with the utmost respect, it’s framed most poignantly by the lighting of dusk and dawn.

-

I will avoid discussing the (sizable) racial and cultural components of disenfranchisement here. I don’t imagine that AU is looking to become a hub for social commentary. I don’t imagine that anybody wants to argue about race and culture on a train forum.
— All that said, the class difference visible within each city is *stark.* The divide is intense.

No other route’s scenery so perfectly encapsulates the evolution of modern America.

It’s sad. And it’s beautiful.

 

[joelkfla]

Theoretically you could go up to NYP and catch the LSL from there, but that would be a longer trip than via Capitol and will almost certainly cost more since the LSL is train with much greater demand and hence higher fares than the Cap.

It's 170 miles longer driving, but it's a one-night trip by train either way.

The LSL also has more sleeper rooms than either of the WAS-CHI trains. It's probably more expensive more often than not, but in checking fares from FL to CHI, I've found each of the 3 trains to be cheapest at one time or another.

 

[Sauve850]

It's always interesting to me when approaching Chicago from the East, that after you come along side Lake Michigan, you pass the deteriorating City of Gary, the remains of the once great Steel Industry, the Casinos that look Slumy compared to the New Ones, and then after spotting the Skyline of Chicago, you wind your way through the Southside, Chinatown, cross the Chicago River and soon roll into Union Station.

Agree thats a good description!

 

[Charlie Seymour]

I’ve got a trip planned in early October. Leaving Wilmington to NYP ON THE Acela. Spend a few hours in NYP lounge etc and board the LSL…expect the foliage to be just about right (hopefully)…Get to CHI in the morning for a half day, the hop right back on the Cardinal (more foliage to see) to make the big loop back to WIL. 3 days on the rails. And relax…no driving on the roads around DC or Philly…woohoo!

 

[Penny Simunic]

Hello, will be traveling on Cardinal 51 from NY to Indianapolis. First time traveling long distance on Amtrak. Appears to have been assigned a room 1 on car 5100. Is this accurate, as I’ve been told it’s normally first come, first served? Is this over the wheels, for a rougher ride? Thank you in advance for you info.

 

[Brian Battuello]

Room 1 is slightly rougher and noisier, mostly from being near the door, but I've never found it to be a problem. I'm just happy to have a bed. I think if you call Amtrak and actually get through, an agent might be able to change it for you.

 

[dlagrua]

We decided on the Cardinal to CHI to pick up the SWC. and back from/to PHL on both trips. Trip is May 2024. An argument can be made that the NER to WAS to pick up the Capitol Ltd is better but at roughly the same price the two train segment seemed more convenient. The deciding factor was that once we boarded, there is no need to carry baggage off and back on to another train at WAS. Whether is was worth saving the 5 hours is the question but on the plus side we get a more scenic route and a newer train to ride.

 

[John Bredin]

A friend is traveling in October on the Cardinal with two accessible rooms, so I presume the Cardinal is running (or is scheduled to run in October) with at least two sleeper cars as every Amtrak sleeper car has only one accessible room. Has the Cardinal been consistent about having at least two sleepers, or is it one of the trains that had sleepers drop off without warning as was happening some months back?

Also, I should know this as I regularly commute into Chicago Union Station, but I've never needed a redcap, knock on wood!! Is there a redcap stand at one of the entrances that is kept staffed so one can just pull up curbside and expect a redcap there, or does one phone for a redcap if one is needed curbside? My friend wants to drop off her companions with a redcap to take them to the Metropolitan Lounge while she parks her car.

 

[jis]

A friend is traveling in October on the Cardinal with two accessible rooms, so I presume the Cardinal is running (or is scheduled to run in October) with at least two sleeper cars as every Amtrak sleeper car has only one accessible room. Has the Cardinal been consistent about having at least two sleepers, or is it one of the trains that had sleepers drop off without warning as was happening some months back?

Normally Cardinal runs with one Sleeper and a few rooms in the Bag-Dorm sold to customer too. Sometimes it is augmented by a second Sleeper.

 

[JWM]

I won't go into how slow this train is between Cincinnati and Chicago, but let's go positive. The daytime route through Virginia and West Virginia is worth the trip. I have hopes the "Cardinal" will go to daily service at some point. That being said, the Superliner sleeping cars, to me, are more comfortable.

 

[jis]

I won't go into how slow this train is between Cincinnati and Chicago, but let's go positive. The daytime route through Virginia and West Virginia is worth the trip. I have hopes the "Cardinal" will go to daily service at some point. That being said, the Superliner sleeping cars, to me, are more comfortable.

Cardinal though has Viewliner Sleeping Cars.

 

[BlackDiamond]

That being said, the Superliner sleeping cars, to me, are more comfortable.

Other than the upper bunk in the roomette. Viewliner has more headroom and has a window,

 

[jpakala]

Superliner bedrooms of course also have lower ceilings, which we don't like. And the wheelchair-accessible bedroom has narrow beds and two small facing seats by day. I had to sit in my wife's wheelchair when she broke her leg because she needed to keep it on the facing seat. That was from Chicago to St. Louis, because from NYC to Chicago our Viewliner I bedroom had a full sofa, a window on the aisle side with an outer aisle window allowing a view as well as that from upper & lower windows in the bedroom, regular-size upper and lower berths, and a wheelchair-accessible full bathroom rather than a toilet sitting in the bedroom like the Viewliner II has.

 

[joelkfla]

Superliner bedrooms of course also have lower ceilings, which we don't like. And the wheelchair-accessible bedroom has narrow beds and two small facing seats by day. I had to sit in my wife's wheelchair when she broke her leg because she needed to keep it on the facing seat. That was from Chicago to St. Louis, because from NYC to Chicago our Viewliner I bedroom had a full sofa, a window on the aisle side with an outer aisle window allowing a view as well as that from upper & lower windows in the bedroom, regular-size upper and lower berths, and a wheelchair-accessible full bathroom rather than a toilet sitting in the bedroom like the Viewliner II has.

The Superliner H-room is essentially a Roomette with an accessible bathroom "across the hall", but with the walls between the 2 removed. Hence the narrow beds and seats.

OTOH, Viewliner H-rooms are modified Deluxe Bedrooms, with the bathroom or shower moved outside the room perimeter to open up space.

 

[Big Iron]

Hello, will be traveling on Cardinal 51 from NY to Indianapolis. First time traveling long distance on Amtrak. Appears to have been assigned a room 1 on car 5100. Is this accurate, as I’ve been told it’s normally first come, first served? Is this over the wheels, for a rougher ride? Thank you in advance for you info.

Room 1 is more in the middle of the car just past the bedrooms on the same side of the car. Rooms 1-4 are my favorites due to the location mid-car. The link below has a floorplan of the viewliner sleeper.

 

[Big Iron]

Room 1 is more in the middle of the car just past the bedrooms on the same side of the car. Rooms 1-4 are my favorites due to the location mid-car. The link below has a floorplan of the viewliner sleeper.

Oops, forgot the link:

https://www.craigmashburn.com/amtrakcardiagrams.html