Food service questions...

[Jim G.]

Is dinner served on the Capital limited departing Chicago at 6:10pm. Is lunch served on the CL arriving Washington at 12:40pm. Is breakfast served on the CL arriving Chicago at 8:45am. Thank You.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I don't know about eastbound (30), but do know you get dinner & breakfast on westbound (29).

 

[river]

Eastbound--yes to dinner. When we took the Capitol Limited about 18 months ago, we could even be seated for dinner before the train left Chicago. Dinner was served until 9 pm. Breakfast and lunch the next day were also served, but the lunch period was abbreviated--maybe ending by 11:30 or so?? Can't remember, but we skipped lunch as we were still full from breakfast. You could eat breakfast at 6:30 and have lunch at 11 if you wanted to.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I would not take with certainty that lunch be served on 30.

 

[OBS]

I think it is combo of bkfast. and limited lunch items served continuously from 630 til 11am on #30. Bkfast. on 29 ends upon arrival into SOB, so plan accordingly....

 

[Big Iron]

When I rode #30 on 2/19/12 the diner closed as we were arriving Martinsville, VA. IIRC the train was late by 30 minutes. I was perturbed because there was no announcment about the abbreviated lunch service, only that the diner had closed. The SCA did not inform me of the dining options.

If you arrive at the diner before 11:00 then you will get fed.

EDIT: change Martinsville, VA to Martinsburg, WV.

 

[the_traveler]

OBS is correct, on 30 breakfast and lunch are served continously and concurrently from 6:30 to 11 - and you can order off either menu! And if you are a sleeper passenger, you are entitled to 2 meals that day (if you want)!

So if you wanted to, you could eat at 7 and 10 that day!

 

[gatelouse]

I read in another trip report thread that last call is at Martinsburg (10:30am if on-time) given the earlier schedule for 30 these days. The 11am cutoff probably applies if the train is running a little late. But not too late, otherwise you'd be on a bus.

The concurrent and continuous breakfast and lunch service is a nice touch given the earlier timing of 30. I guess the idea carried over from the days that the train had a CCC...

 

[Dovecote]

On my CAP eastbound trips (one or 2 times a year) all of the LSA's I have had display a cloak and dagger attitude towards serving breakfast and lunch. Do not rely on annoucements for these meals.

If you have sleeping accomodations you have to be proactive to make sure you have the meals you are entitled to get. Also on more than one occasion I have seen coach passengers denied lunch service. The dining car staff informs them to order lunch in the lounge car.

 

[Ashland Train Enthusiast]

OBS is correct, on 30 breakfast and lunch are served continously and concurrently from 6:30 to 11 - and you can order off either menu! And if you are a sleeper passenger, you are entitled to 2 meals that day (if you want)!

So if you wanted to, you could eat at 7 and 10 that day!

This is correct, and when was on 30 at the tail end of last year, I took advantage of just this, had an early breakfast, watched the sun come up over the WVA mountains in the SSL, then had an early (about 10:30) lunch. One note, for the lunch portion of the brunch, the menu was abbreviated, so certain items on the lunch menu were not available. IIRC, my choices were the Specialty Sandwich, the Angus Burger, and the Veggie Burger.

~ DCTE