Yes, I was referring to the wine & cheese tasting that takes place onboard the train. We were invited by our sleeping car attendant as soon as the train pulled away from Chicago. I did ask the person serving in the dining car how long they've been doing this and she said for about two years. Perhaps the sleep car attendants don't always communicate this. For anyone that's interested, I recommend just walking over to the dining car and checking it out, whether or not this is mentioned by the attendant.
Lake Shore Limited discussion 2023 Q4 - 2025
- Thread starter pennyk
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glensfallsse
Service Attendant
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I've ridden the LSL many times and never heard a word about this.
trimetbusfan
OBS Chief
It's a pretty recent thing (within the past 6 mos or so)
I'll be on 49 the end of March so I'll have to check out the wine and cheese tasting.
njdon
Train Attendant
It was an interesting perk, a great way to start the trip.
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I believe the wine and cheese party was suspended several years ago probably pre COVID-19. I didn't know it was reinstated. I'm not a wine or cheese fan, but it's a nice gesture!
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I seem to recall that it was terminated as a cost cutting move several years before COVID. I am guessing it was probably 2014-2017. Corrections would be welcome.
I don't recall hearing any indication at the time that it was ever coming back but I am glad to hear that it is back.
I don't recall hearing any indication at the time that it was ever coming back but I am glad to hear that it is back.
I think the "wine and cheese" thing was added as part of the "flex plus" arrangement where they now serve the flex meals on plates. Back before that when it was regular flexible dining they did a night cap where you could go get a complementary beverage in the diner upon departure since they don't serve dinner on the east bound train. The only dinner on the east bound train is if you are going to Boston on the second day For the special "Boston" meals the lunch heading west is a choice of any cafe car meal, a cafe car snack, and a soft drink. Heading east the dinner is a flexible dining meal, a cafe car snack, and a drink (alcohol if you want.) The orders are taken before Albany so that the meals can be collected from the diner. If you board in the sleeper at Albany or after heading east you get a snack and drink from the cafe.
Chief0792
Train Attendant
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So here's something not encountered before (but somehow not surprising). My wife was on 49 from NYP to CHI on the 23rd and was told by the SCA that only one bathroom was open for passengers because the second one was reserved for his personal use (on a VII sleeper). It came about after she tried to go into it because the other bathroom was occupied. She asked if he was kidding since that left one bathroom for the rest of he car, and the SCA told her he would allow her to use it this one time, but it was off limits to passengers.
That's a new twist on making up rules as you go. The end result for my wife was deciding that the only way we'll travel on a Viewliner will be by bedroom if that's the case going forward, since you never know what version of the car (VI or VII) you're going to be on. Suffice to say, that'll be a phone call to Amtrak, for all the good it does.
Anyone else have that happen on on VII before?
That's a new twist on making up rules as you go. The end result for my wife was deciding that the only way we'll travel on a Viewliner will be by bedroom if that's the case going forward, since you never know what version of the car (VI or VII) you're going to be on. Suffice to say, that'll be a phone call to Amtrak, for all the good it does.
Anyone else have that happen on on VII before?
That is definitely a Customer Relations call.
trimetbusfan
OBS Chief
I think I have ran into this before, but it was on a VII baggage dorm car (the majority of the rooms on the car are for crew), not on the LSL btw. They closed it off by locking the bathroom from the outside after each use. (So I was never told it was unavailable, but it was always locked). However, it seemed to be the conductors (not the OBS) that did this or allowed this, as after a new set of conductors came on the bathroom was magically unlocked for use again.
I didn't call CR on it since it was only closed for part of the trip, but I am curious what kind of response they will give to your situation.
Bostontoallpoints
Service Attendant
Travel Adjustment: 1/26/2025 As of 7:51 AM ET, Due to equipment unavailability, Lake Shore Limited Train 449 is now canceled between Boston (BOS) and Albany (ALB). Alternate bus transportation will be provided from BOS to ALB. Please text 268725 for additional information. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.
If I recall, 6 of the original Horizon food service cars were built as full dinettes, designed for San Joaquin trains. Two have been coverted to biz-dinettes, 3 more in California livery are out of service sitting in Beech Grove since 2020 the last I head. I don't know what become of the other one.
I think the California ones ought to be placed in service on the Adirondack, with better visibility for the scenery than Amfleet-1 dinettes they have had for 20 years. Then assign 2 of them to the NY section of the Lake Shore Ltd between NYPS and Albany since coach passengers now have no food service at all.
I think the California ones ought to be placed in service on the Adirondack, with better visibility for the scenery than Amfleet-1 dinettes they have had for 20 years. Then assign 2 of them to the NY section of the Lake Shore Ltd between NYPS and Albany since coach passengers now have no food service at all.
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Would the train support an additional LSA to work the NYP-ALB snack car? Also, the Lake is 3 sets, so unless the cars are getting dropped in Albany at least 3 are needed. Protection/Maint spares will become an issue.
Two cars can cover 48/49 between NYPS and Albany, car cut and added with the loco change. The train has 3 60-seat coaches. Until Anderson ruined eveything, they took reservations up the Hudson for 2 diner seatings of coach and sleeper passengers. They also sold some takeout snacks from the diner. The Boston section justifies a snack car for a sleeper and 2 coaches, less capacity than the NY section.
It can be done right now. Amtrak is cheap and lazy. No other LD train lacks cafe service for 4 hours for coach passengers, and this is done here through meal periods. Inexcusable.
I could see it happening if the state would have Amtrak put cafe cars on all the NYP - ALB Empire Service trains. Absent that I would highly doubt Amtrak would stage dedicated cafe cars just to cover that leg of 48/49 simply because it it's long distance train while the other NYP - ALB trains don't have cafe service. If the state had Amtrak add cafes to every train then there would be a better economy of scale to put a cut off cafe car on 48/49. Coach passengers can now purchase meals from the diner once again on the Lake Shore since they implemented "Flexible plus" dining. Given this and that there are frequencies offered on this corridor that do offer cafe service and which one can determine when booking the easiest solution on the Lake Shore would just be to offer up some snacks once again out of the diner for coach passengers on that segment along with the ability to purchase meals as they now do again.
