Cardinal questions

[BillVasi]

Hello All

I was a somewhat frequent rider of the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington DC. I know they no longer have the dinning car , and only one sleeper. Does Amtrak give you a voucher for food from the cafe car, or are we in the sleepers on our own for paying for meals??? Also I am wondering do they put the sleeper on the back of the train or in the front near the engine??? Thanks for your information.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The Cardinal still has the diner-lite car and meals are included in sleeper fares.

 

[the_traveler]

The diner on the Cardinal is still the combination diner/café.

 

[Palmetto]

Somebody on another board mentioned that as of November 8, the train goes to/from New York again,

 

[cpotisch]

Hello All

I was a somewhat frequent rider of the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington DC. I know they no longer have the dinning car , and only one sleeper. Does Amtrak give you a voucher for food from the cafe car, or are we in the sleepers on our own for paying for meals??? Also I am wondering do they put the sleeper on the back of the train or in the front near the engine??? Thanks for your information.

I don't know what you're thinking of, but the Cardinal still has the same old Amfleet II diner-lite serving convection oven heat-and-eat meals, and sleeper passengers still have their meals included. Also, the sleeper is almost always in the back.

 

[cpotisch]

Somebody on another board mentioned that as of November 8, the train goes to/from New York again,

Yep. #51(11) and #50(08) will be the "inaugural" trips to/from Penn Station.

EDIT: Holy crap. Just realized that that is in less than two weeks. Time flies!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Hello All

I was a somewhat frequent rider of the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington DC. I know they no longer have the dinning car , and only one sleeper. Does Amtrak give you a voucher for food from the cafe car, or are we in the sleepers on our own for paying for meals??? Also I am wondering do they put the sleeper on the back of the train or in the front near the engine??? Thanks for your information.

I don't know what you're thinking of, but the Cardinal still has the same old Amfleet II diner-lite serving convection oven heat-and-eat meals, and sleeper passengers still have their meals included. Also, the sleeper is almost always in the back.

Except when it's not. I traveled on the Cardinal twice and once the sleeper(s) were on the back and once the sleeper(s) were on the front. So from my limited experience, there's a 50% chance the sleeper(s) will be on either end.

 

[BillVasi]

Hello All

I was a somewhat frequent rider of the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington DC. I know they no longer have the dinning car , and only one sleeper. Does Amtrak give you a voucher for food from the cafe car, or are we in the sleepers on our own for paying for meals??? Also I am wondering do they put the sleeper on the back of the train or in the front near the engine??? Thanks for your information.

I don't know what you're thinking of, but the Cardinal still has the same old Amfleet II diner-lite serving convection oven heat-and-eat meals, and sleeper passengers still have their meals included. Also, the sleeper is almost always in the back.

Except when it's not. I traveled on the Cardinal twice and once the sleeper(s) were on the back and once the sleeper(s) were on the front. So from my limited experience, there's a 50% chance the sleeper(s) will be on either end.

Which may mean walking thru the coaches to get to the dinning car?

 

[cpotisch]

Hello All

I was a somewhat frequent rider of the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington DC. I know they no longer have the dinning car , and only one sleeper. Does Amtrak give you a voucher for food from the cafe car, or are we in the sleepers on our own for paying for meals??? Also I am wondering do they put the sleeper on the back of the train or in the front near the engine??? Thanks for your information.

I don't know what you're thinking of, but the Cardinal still has the same old Amfleet II diner-lite serving convection oven heat-and-eat meals, and sleeper passengers still have their meals included. Also, the sleeper is almost always in the back.

Except when it's not. I traveled on the Cardinal twice and once the sleeper(s) were on the back and once the sleeper(s) were on the front. So from my limited experience, there's a 50% chance the sleeper(s) will be on either end.

When were you last on the Cardinal, then? Because every single recent video I can see of the Card has the sleepers in the back.

 

[cpotisch]

Hello All

I was a somewhat frequent rider of the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington DC. I know they no longer have the dinning car , and only one sleeper. Does Amtrak give you a voucher for food from the cafe car, or are we in the sleepers on our own for paying for meals??? Also I am wondering do they put the sleeper on the back of the train or in the front near the engine??? Thanks for your information.

I don't know what you're thinking of, but the Cardinal still has the same old Amfleet II diner-lite serving convection oven heat-and-eat meals, and sleeper passengers still have their meals included. Also, the sleeper is almost always in the back.

Except when it's not. I traveled on the Cardinal twice and once the sleeper(s) were on the back and once the sleeper(s) were on the front. So from my limited experience, there's a 50% chance the sleeper(s) will be on either end.

Which may mean walking thru the coaches to get to the dinning car?

To keep coach passengers from wandering into the sleepers and to make it easier for the diner staff to identify who is a sleeper passenger, Amtrak always puts the dining car next to the sleepers whenever possible. To my knowledge, sleepers are always next to the dining car (or diner-lite) on almost every Amtrak route, other than the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle through sleeper, the Empire Builder Portland section sleeper, and the Lake Shore Limited Boston section sleeper.

 

[philk]

Cardinal has a business class car between the sleeper(s) and dining car. Accessible only to first class passengers.

 

[cpotisch]

Cardinal has a business class car between the sleeper(s) and dining car. Accessible only to first class passengers.

And Business Class passengers, I assume...

 

[dlagrua]

We don't often take the Cardinal to CHI as the sleepers can get very expensive. On our four trips on the Cardinal the consist had one sleeper on April trips and two on June trips. All were in the rear and when we picked up the Hoosier state their coaches were coupled to the rear. To my knowledge there was never traditional dining car service but reheated pre-prepared meal service. The food is not great but better than the current boxed lunch served on the LSL and CL and you get table service..

 

[cpotisch]

...and when we picked up the Hoosier state their coaches were coupled to the rear

What do you mean when you say it "picked up the Hoosier State"?

 

[dlagrua]

...and when we picked up the Hoosier state their coaches were coupled to the rear

What do you mean when you say it "picked up the Hoosier State"?

The Hoosier State train runs from Indianapolis to Chicago on the same route as the Cardinal. On the days that it runs it couples onto the Cardinal train. I was told that by the SCA who complained of coach passengers walking through the sleeper and helping themselves to the coffee.

 

[cpotisch]

...and when we picked up the Hoosier state their coaches were coupled to the rear

What do you mean when you say it "picked up the Hoosier State"?

The Hoosier State train runs from Indianapolis to Chicago on the same route as the Cardinal. On the days that it runs it couples onto the Cardinal train. I was told that by the SCA who complained of coach passengers walking through the sleeper and helping themselves to the coffee.

The Hoosier state runs the four days a week that the Cardinal doesn't, so I don't think you're right.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

...and when we picked up the Hoosier state their coaches were coupled to the rear

What do you mean when you say it "picked up the Hoosier State"?

The Hoosier State train runs from Indianapolis to Chicago on the same route as the Cardinal. On the days that it runs it couples onto the Cardinal train. I was told that by the SCA who complained of coach passengers walking through the sleeper and helping themselves to the coffee.

The Hoosier state runs the four days a week that the Cardinal doesn't, so I don't think you're right.

Hoosier State is 850/851 and attaches/detaches to/from the Cardinal on the days the Cardinal runs between IND & CHI. Look at the Hoosier State's schedule.

 

[cpotisch]

...and when we picked up the Hoosier state their coaches were coupled to the rear

What do you mean when you say it "picked up the Hoosier State"?

The Hoosier State train runs from Indianapolis to Chicago on the same route as the Cardinal. On the days that it runs it couples onto the Cardinal train. I was told that by the SCA who complained of coach passengers walking through the sleeper and helping themselves to the coffee.

The Hoosier state runs the four days a week that the Cardinal doesn't, so I don't think you're right.

Hoosier State is 850/851 and attaches/detaches to/from the Cardinal on the days the Cardinal runs between IND & CHI. Look at the Hoosier State's schedule.

I'm looking and it shows them as running on different days.

 

[cpotisch]

...and when we picked up the Hoosier state their coaches were coupled to the rear

What do you mean when you say it "picked up the Hoosier State"?

The Hoosier State train runs from Indianapolis to Chicago on the same route as the Cardinal. On the days that it runs it couples onto the Cardinal train. I was told that by the SCA who complained of coach passengers walking through the sleeper and helping themselves to the coffee.

The Hoosier state runs the four days a week that the Cardinal doesn't, so I don't think you're right.

Hoosier State is 850/851 and attaches/detaches to/from the Cardinal on the days the Cardinal runs between IND & CHI. Look at the Hoosier State's schedule.

I'm looking and it shows them as running on different days.

Yeah, I did some more looking and verifying, and they *definitely* run on different days. The Hoosier State runs four times a week and the Card runs three times a week such that there is daily IND-CHI service. Maybe it used to be different, but it's definitely been this way for quite a while.

 

[E60JPC]

When I rode the Cardinal westbound from Charlottesville to Chicago last December, the consist of Horizon cars and locomotive that comprise the Hoosier State was coupled to the Cardinal's P42 locomotive in Indianapolis for the last leg of our trip from Indianapolis to Chicago.

Departing Indianapolis our consist from head end to tail end was a P42 locomotive, 4 Horizon cars (Hoosier State consist), another P42 locomotive, then the remainder of the Cardinal's consist. My Viewliner sleeper was on the rear of the Cardinal's consist FWIW. Anyone traveling in coach or business class boarding at Indianapolis, or at an intermediate stop between Indianapolis and Chicago, would travel in the Hoosier State's (Horizon) cars positioned ahead of the Cardinal's locomotive, not in the Cardinal's (Amfleet II) cars. Thus, the local Indianapolis-Chicago crowd would ride in the same equipment on days the Cardinal ran that they would ride in on days the Hoosier State runs. This means the local Indianapolis-Chicago passengers on the Cardinal eat in the Hoosier State's split Horizon business class/café, while passengers who boarded the Cardinal east of Indianapolis eat in the Cardinal's Amfleet II diner-lite/lounge.

 

[tonijustine]

When I rode the Cardinal westbound from Charlottesville to Chicago last December, the consist of Horizon cars and locomotive that comprise the Hoosier State was coupled to the Cardinal's P42 locomotive in Indianapolis for the last leg of our trip from Indianapolis to Chicago.

Departing Indianapolis our consist from head end to tail end was a P42 locomotive, 4 Horizon cars (Hoosier State consist), another P42 locomotive, then the remainder of the Cardinal's consist. My Viewliner sleeper was on the rear of the Cardinal's consist FWIW. Anyone traveling in coach or business class boarding at Indianapolis, or at an intermediate stop between Indianapolis and Chicago, would travel in the Hoosier State's (Horizon) cars positioned ahead of the Cardinal's locomotive, not in the Cardinal's (Amfleet II) cars. Thus, the local Indianapolis-Chicago crowd would ride in the same equipment on days the Cardinal ran that they would ride in on days the Hoosier State runs. This means the local Indianapolis-Chicago passengers on the Cardinal eat in the Hoosier State's split Horizon business class/café, while passengers who boarded the Cardinal east of Indianapolis eat in the Cardinal's Amfleet II diner-lite/lounge.

I rode on the Cardinal in March from IND to CHI and then back again a week later. In neither case was there a separate train. The entire consist came in from the east, stopped to discharge and pick up passengers, and left. I wonder if it was a weather-related anomaly.

 

[StanJazz]

The combining of trains likely happen just once a week. On Monday there is a Hoosier State in IND when the Cardinal arrives from New York. That Hoosier State is needed in Chicago for Monday's train so they have to combine the 2 trains to get the equipment back to CHI. The Cardinal does not run until Tuesday. Also on Tuesday the Hoosier State has to get to IND from CHI for that day's train but the Cardinal runs so the can combine the trains.

 

[NativeSon5859]

When I rode the Cardinal in the sleeper last March for the first time, it was on the rear, behind the dinette.

The food was pretty bad, even with it still offering table service. The beef entree for dinner was far worse than the warm sandwich they serve on 59 leaving CHI, though the breakfast was a little better than on 59. About a wash, all in all. Don’t take the Cardinal for the food, take it for the scenery.

 

[cpotisch]

When I rode the Cardinal westbound from Charlottesville to Chicago last December, the consist of Horizon cars and locomotive that comprise the Hoosier State was coupled to the Cardinal's P42 locomotive in Indianapolis for the last leg of our trip from Indianapolis to Chicago.

Departing Indianapolis our consist from head end to tail end was a P42 locomotive, 4 Horizon cars (Hoosier State consist), another P42 locomotive, then the remainder of the Cardinal's consist. My Viewliner sleeper was on the rear of the Cardinal's consist FWIW. Anyone traveling in coach or business class boarding at Indianapolis, or at an intermediate stop between Indianapolis and Chicago, would travel in the Hoosier State's (Horizon) cars positioned ahead of the Cardinal's locomotive, not in the Cardinal's (Amfleet II) cars. Thus, the local Indianapolis-Chicago crowd would ride in the same equipment on days the Cardinal ran that they would ride in on days the Hoosier State runs. This means the local Indianapolis-Chicago passengers on the Cardinal eat in the Hoosier State's split Horizon business class/café, while passengers who boarded the Cardinal east of Indianapolis eat in the Cardinal's Amfleet II diner-lite/lounge.

Ok, so the Hoosier State does not run actually as the Hoosier State on those days, but its equipment does. Interesting.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Because of the four times a week schedule for the Hoosier State, the equipment has to be deadheaded on the Cardinal on certain days. It doesn't happen on every run. People smarter than will be able to say which days this occurs,