Lake Shore Limited discussion

[Tlcooper44]

I just boarded my LSL in Boston and noticed it’s a VII. Is this new? It’s a very welcome and pleasant surprise.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Probably one of the ones they took off the Silver Meteor

 

[jis]

Probably one of the ones they took off the Silver Meteor

448/449 got a VL-II before anything was removed from the Meteor. The switch of the VL-I and VL-II between 48/49 and 448/449 predates the Meteor change.

The additional Sleeper that 48/49 got recently, arguably came from the Meteor.

 

[bratkinson]

Perhaps the switch to a VL-II occurred so the VL-I could be sent to Beach Grove for bad order repairs, annual maintenance or perhaps a refurb. To claim one reason or another is pure speculation without Amtrak insider knowledge.

I'm sure there are multiple possibilities as to why a sleeper was removed from the Meteor. My best ->guess<- is reduced demand for space on Florida trains during the summer. It also allows the cars to be sent for annual maintenance. But remember, once in Chicago, any 'loose' cars awaiting movement to Beech Grove can be readily deployed to any train that needs one.

 

[joelkfla]

Perhaps the switch to a VL-II occurred so the VL-I could be sent to Beach Grove for bad order repairs, annual maintenance or perhaps a refurb. To claim one reason or another is pure speculation without Amtrak insider knowledge.

I'm sure there are multiple possibilities as to why a sleeper was removed from the Meteor. My best ->guess<- is reduced demand for space on Florida trains during the summer. It also allows the cars to be sent for annual maintenance. But remember, once in Chicago, any 'loose' cars awaiting movement to Beech Grove can be readily deployed to any train that needs one.

The VL1's on the LSL Boston section didn't go anywhere, they simply swapped places with the VL2's on the NYP section. The total number of each type across both sections remained the same, until the additional sleeper was added to the NYP section.

A Silver Service LSA said on Facebook that the 3rd sleeper was removed from the Meteor because Amtrak felt it could be better utilized in another market. I don't know whether that came down as official word, but the fact that an additional VL2 appeared on the NYP section of the LSL at the same time that a VL2 was deleted from the Meteor bears it out.

 

[west point]

A Silver Service LSA said on Facebook that the 3rd sleeper was removed from the Meteor because Amtrak felt it could be better utilized in another market. I don't know whether that came down as official word, but the fact that an additional VL2 appeared on the NYP section of the LSL at the same time that a VL2 was deleted from the Meteor bears it out.

Poor excuse from Amtrak to its employees. If all the V-1 & -2s were in service the Meteor could have kept the extra sleeper and Crescent could have another. By the way both Meteor and Crescent sleepers sold out tomorrow.

 

[joelkfla]

By the way both Meteor and Crescent sleepers sold out tomorrow.

Yes, I've found that H-rooms are scarce on the Meteor for the rest of the summer.

 

[Lonestar2804]

As I had hoped, I managed to score a V2 on car 4812. It seems like 12 is usually a V2, though I have seen it swapped for a V1 every now and then. Plus 448’s sleeper is a V2 if you’re headed to Boston.

 

[NYP2NFL01]

I’m booked in 4911, Room 5 next month. It will most likely be a VL1. I don't mind the VL1 roomettes, as I prefer the in-room toilet. I just wish Amtrak would begin the VL1 refresh in earnest. The VL1 roomette I had on 49 last summer was in really bad shape. Among other problems, the metal bottom of one of the cup holders was missing, leaving a gaping hole in its place. I stuck a plastic cup acquired from the Metropolitan Lounge in the hole, so I could make some use of the cup holder! Also, last year's trip was in Room 4, which had a Hudson RIver view. Usually, the odd-numbered rooms have the river view. Hopefully that will be true this time.

 

[lesonyr]

I have a newbie question. I am traveling from Chicago to Boston. I see that one option is a Bedroom from Chicago to Albany on train 48 and then a transfer to a Roomette on train 448 for Albany to Boston.

Does this simply mean that when the train gets to Albany, I'll just move from the Bedroom on one side of the train to a Roomette on the other?

Is there any downside to doing this?

Thanks

 

[AmtrakBlue]

You will change cars. 48 & 448 are the same train but split in Albany. I believe the 448’s cars are on the front of the train, so you will be moving from one of the cars on the back of the train to the car at the front of the train.

 

[lesonyr]

You will change cars. 48 & 448 are the same train but split in Albany. I believe the 448’s cars are on the front of the train, so you will be moving from one of the cars on the back of the train to the car at the front of the train.

Groovy. Thanks. Is there any downside to this that you can think of?

 

[PVD]

Just the walk down the platform if it's the middle of the winter. Bedroom is much nicer, but if you are traveling solo, roomette is usually fine. Bedroom runs the price up usually.

 

[Septa9739]

Groovy. Thanks. Is there any downside to this that you can think of?

Not really. The dwell time in Albany is plenty long enough to change sections no problem. Make sure your bags all come with you.

 

[fdaley]

Quite possibly the price of a bedroom on one portion plus a roomette on the other will result in a higher overall cost than a through room of one kind or another in the Boston sleeper.

 

[joelkfla]

Quite possibly the price of a bedroom on one portion plus a roomette on the other will result in a higher overall cost than a through room of one kind or another in the Boston sleeper.

Perhaps, but OP said it is "one option," so I assume this is being presented on the booking page, and any rooms available all the way on 448 would also be presented,

 

[BlackDiamond]

I have a newbie question. I am traveling from Chicago to Boston. I see that one option is a Bedroom from Chicago to Albany on train 48 and then a transfer to a Roomette on train 448 for Albany to Boston.

Does this simply mean that when the train gets to Albany, I'll just move from the Bedroom on one side of the train to a Roomette on the other?

Is there any downside to doing this?

Thanks

If this was my only option, I might consider saving money and booking coach for the ALB to BOS segment. The only thing you miss is dinner which is out of the cafe car anyway. Of course a roomette or bedroom in the 448 sleeper would be the most convenient if available.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Quite possibly the price of a bedroom on one portion plus a roomette on the other will result in a higher overall cost than a through room of one kind or another in the Boston sleeper.

Perhaps the only room option for the full length of the trip is what she stated. The other option is probably bedroom-coach

 

[fdaley]

It certainly could be that this bedroom-roomette arrangement is the only option for having a sleeper room the whole distance on this particular departure. However, if cost is a consideration, it might be worth checking the preceding or following day's departure to see the price of a through room. My guess is that Amtrak's system is giving the price for a bedroom CHI-ALB plus a roomette ALB-BOS, which would likely be more than the cost of a CHI-BOS bedroom if one were available -- and certainly more than a CHI-BOS roomette.

Switching to coach for the last leg would also save money, though 448 only has a couple of coaches and they often are jammed. If I'm using both coach and sleeper on the same trip, I'd much rather have the coach portion be at the beginning of the ride, when my tolerance for adventure is greater.

 

[lesonyr]

Thanks, everyone. Indeed, the issue is that the bedrooms on the Boston train are sold out

 

[Rasputin]

I understand that Amtrak service to Worcester is being suspended for a number of days and that the Lake Shore will bypass Worcester.

I also understand that MBTA service to Worcester will continue. Corrections would be welcome.

https://www.amtrak.com/alert/lake-shore-limited-service-changes-worcester-station-track-work.html

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I understand that Amtrak service to Worcester is being suspended for a number of days and that the Lake Shore will bypass Worcester.

I also understand that MBTA service to Worcester will continue. Corrections would be welcome.

https://www.amtrak.com/alert/lake-shore-limited-service-changes-worcester-station-track-work.html

I don’t know about MBTA, but the Amtrak announcement seems clear to me. Amtrak will not be serving Worcester on weekends the last weekend in July and all of August.

 

[fdaley]

I believe the T trains have for some time been using a temporary platform east of the station, near the old depot that Amtrak used before Union Station was revived, because of the construction. The T had announced a plan for bustitution on the same weekends between Worcester and Grafton, the next stop to the east, but they canceled that and apparently have figured out how to continue using their temporary platform through this phase of the work.

 

[fdaley]

I was driving north into Rensselaer on Route 9J about 6:25p on Saturday when 49 whizzed past on its way from New York. With three coaches, diner, three sleepers and baggage car, it looked a bit healthier than it has in recent years. As it was at speed and I was driving, I couldn't discern the mixture of V1 and V2 sleepers, and because I was overdue elsewhere, I didn't dare stop at the station to find out.

Then just as I was slowing down at the junction of Route 9, I heard a train horn on my right, and 449 came rumbling in on the Post Road line from Boston, with the usual sleeper, lounge and two coaches. The sleeper was a V2, and I noticed it had a nameplate on the side, "(something) River." Are the V2 sleepers all named for rivers? I was surprised to see the name, as Amtrak seems to have scrubbed nearly all of the View-series names from the V1 sleepers.

 

[PVD]

On track On line has a list of all of the names...The VL1 were renamed for rivers as well, I don't know if the names have been put back on since the original names were removed.