Lake Shore Limited discussion

[pennyk]

The last time I was on the Lakeshore Limited, the NY sleeper were in the rear. Is that still the case now? I have not taken 49 in a long time and am considering taking it as part of my cross country points trip in early December.

Thanks.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Yes, the New York sleepers are in the rear.

The typical current consist is as follows:

P-42 (BOS)
P-42 (BOS)
Viewliner I Sleeper (BOS)
Amfleet I Cafe/Business Class (BOS)
Amfleet II Coach (BOS)
Amfleet II Coach (BOS)
Amfleet II Coach (NYP)
Amfleet II Coach (NYP)
Viewliner II Sleeper Lounge/Diner (NYP)
Viewliner I Sleeper (NYP)
Viewliner I Sleeper (NYP)
Viewliner II Baggage (NYP)

 

[zephyr17]

Anyone know if they are allowing lounge use of the Viewliner diner ("sleeper lounge")?

 

[pennyk]

Anyone know if they are allowing lounge use of the Viewliner diner ("sleeper lounge")?

That was going to be my next question. I travel on the Silvers all the time and I use the Sleeper Lounge quite often.

 

[Exvalley]

Anyone know if they are allowing lounge use of the Viewliner diner ("sleeper lounge")?

They were the last time I rode it, but it been a while.

 

[Railroad Bill]

I was on 449/49 on Monday night. The consist listed above was correct. I was only in the dining car around 7 for dinner but the only people in there were passengers eating. It was a very full train and a line of people who wanted to eat in the diner. Many chose just to grab their meal and take it to their room or have the SCA bring it to them. It is possible that the NY diner may have been used as a lounge in non meal times. I know my last trip on 48 we were permitted to sit in the diner after meal time.

 

[Exvalley]

Every time I have ridden the LSL, in the New York section, the odd numbered roomettes have been on the right side (facing forward).

This is a dilemma. I prefer the left side of the train for the views of the Hudson river. But I prefer to sit facing the roomette toilet rather than right next to the toilet. Since the toilet issue is more important to me, I always book an odd numbered roomette and plan on sitting in the lounge for the first part of the trip for the Hudson river views.

 

[jis]

Every time I have ridden the LSL, in the New York section, the odd numbered roomettes have been on the right side (facing forward).

This is a dilemma. I prefer the left side of the train for the views of the Hudson river. But I prefer to sit facing the roomette toilet rather than right next to the toilet. Since the toilet issue is more important to me, I always book an odd numbered roomette and plan on sitting in the lounge for the first part of the trip for the Hudson river views.

You are correct. A properly oriented Sleeper on the LSL will have odd numbered Roomettes on the RHS. I have no particular preference relative to Commodes, but I do prefer LHS, not only for the Hudson and Mohawk and Erie Canal views but also because in general you get to see more railroad stuff on the LHS, though that is less certain now with almost all main line tracks bidirectionally signaled now.

For the first time on my recent trip to/from the OTOL shindig in Roanoke, I made extensive use of the Lounge feature of the Diner/Lounge. I met a fascinating couple both US citizens but foreign born (like me), wife Hungarian, husband Finnish, and had a long unusually deep technical conversation about many subjects including things like meta-mathematics and foundations of modeling and such. Very good exercise for the brain. We met over dinner at around 7pm and we stayed at it past midnight in the Lounge. Some alcohol and caffeine was involved naturally. This was on the Silver Meteor (98).

In decades past I have had similar experiences on the LSL too, o the better rides. OTOH on all trains sometimes one gets the other extreme where the conversation could put you to sleep in no time too.

 

[Rasputin]

I am told that passengers in the Boston sleeper are requested to volunteer to take coffee up to the engine crew during certain stops and these volunteers receive extra guest reward points for doing so. They also operate the locomotive at times for the convenience of the engine crew and receive 100 guest reward points for every correct whistle sequence.

 

[pennyk]

Every time I have ridden the LSL, in the New York section, the odd numbered roomettes have been on the right side (facing forward).

This is a dilemma. I prefer the left side of the train for the views of the Hudson river. But I prefer to sit facing the roomette toilet rather than right next to the toilet. Since the toilet issue is more important to me, I always book an odd numbered roomette and plan on sitting in the lounge for the first part of the trip for the Hudson river views.

Those are my thoughts exactly.

 

[daybeers]

I am told that passengers in the Boston sleeper are requested to volunteer to take coffee up to the engine crew during certain stops and these volunteers receive extra guest reward points for doing so. They also operate the locomotive at times for the convenience of the engine crew and receive 100 guest reward points for every correct whistle sequence.

Sometimes I've seen rates for roomettes be around $200 cheaper for the Boston sleeper rather than the NY one. Whether that savings is worth walking a few more cars for meals if you don't want them delivered and hearing the horn all night is up to you.

 

[railiner]

I am told that passengers in the Boston sleeper are requested to volunteer to take coffee up to the engine crew during certain stops and these volunteers receive extra guest reward points for doing so. They also operate the locomotive at times for the convenience of the engine crew and receive 100 guest reward points for every correct whistle sequence.

Today is not April 1st….

 

[Dakota 400]

Today is not April 1st….

But, any day is a good day for a "funny"!

 

[JontyMort]

You are correct. A properly oriented Sleeper on the LSL will have odd numbered Roomettes on the RHS. I have no particular preference relative to Commodes, but I do prefer LHS, not only for the Hudson and Mohawk and Erie Canal views but also because in general you get to see more railroad stuff on the LHS…

I’m definitely with you in that I like to be on the same side as the opposite track, but I’m more eccentric in that I like to travel backwards in that seat - you get the full view but running the film in reverse, so to speak. Reading these forums I do detect an aversion to travelling backwards that mirrors the view here in the UK. It isn’t really logical, but people get conditioned. For me, one of the joys of train travel will always be a journey with four people round a table.

 

[jis]

I’m definitely with you in that I like to be on the same side as the opposite track, but I’m more eccentric in that I like to travel backwards in that seat - you get the full view but running the film in reverse, so to speak. Reading these forums I do detect an aversion to travelling backwards that mirrors the view here in the UK. It isn’t really logical, but people get conditioned. For me, one of the joys of train travel will always be a journey with four people round a table.

There is no problem traveling forward or backward when in a Roomette. You can choose your direction, whichever way you like. I sometimes like to travel backwards too, and Roomettes are ideal for deciding whichever way and change the decision as many times as one wants.

 

[user 14106]

Use of the "sleeper lounge" terminology seems to be fading away. On my recent trips they're mostly back to calling it the dining car or the "sleeper diner" as one of my SCAs called it. Coming home on my recent trip on the LSL use of the diner was completely unrestricted -all tables open except for ones used by crew - and in both cases the ordering process was more similar to traditional dining - the LSA instructed me to take a seat and eventually came over to take my order and provided table service. On the way back it seemed there was an second OBS employee working in the diner. Although it was the flex meals, both trips provided good service. All the flex meals on my trip (lake shore both ways and Zephyr out and Coast Starlight EMY - LAX - my eastbound return leg on the chief was traditional dining) tasted better than previous trips on the Silvers - they appear to be using ovens now instead of microwave heating - I could see the LSA opening the convection oven as I was leaving the diner heading back up to the Boston sleeper - looked like Subway/Dunkin donuts ovens where the door opens out and downward..

 

[Bob Dylan]

This is good news for the Eastern Trains, which unfortunately still don't have a "date certain " when Traditonal Dinning will return, but at least there is a place to " Lounge" unlike the Texas Eagle and Cap, which currently don't have Sightseer Lounges, and use CCC Food Service Cars to serve the Flex Meals and the Cafe Menu..( Coach Passengers can't eat in the Diner side and Sleeper passengers can't hang out in the Diner side,)

ALL Passengers are not allowed to use the Cafe end of the Car since the Crew uses the few tables there as a Crew Lounge!

And One LSA is doing the Work of 4 on the Eagles by running the Cafe,, the Diner, the Kitchen and Taking orders and Serving.

 

[Seaboard92]

And One LSA is doing the Work of 4 on the Eagles by running the Cafe,, the Diner, the Kitchen and Taking orders and Serving.

And that is exactly how you force poor attitudes among crews, and cause attrition rates to go higher. If you work an employee to death they will do a progressively poorer job, and will eventually effect their health and well being. Usually that point the employee quits and you have to hire someone new.

 

[user 14106]

This is good news for the Eastern Trains, which unfortunately still don't have a "date certain " when Traditonal Dinning will return, but at least there is a place to " Lounge" unlike the Texas Eagle and Cap, which currently don't have Sightseer Lounges, and use CCC Food Service Cars to serve the Flex Meals and the Cafe Menu..( Coach Passengers can't eat in the Diner side and Sleeper passengers can't hang out in the Diner side,)

ALL Passengers are not allowed to use the Cafe end of the Car since the Crew uses the few tables there as a Crew Lounge!

And One LSA is doing the Work of 4 on the Eagles by running the Cafe,, the Diner, the Kitchen and Taking orders and Serving.

For Eastern trains - Only the lake shore and silvers are running with a both a staffed dining car and separate staffed cafe car. The CONO is a similar situation to the cap and eagle with the CCC car except the CONO also has an unstaffed SSL in the consist where one can sit. The Crescent and Cardinal are running with split Amfleet cafe/dinette cars. I predict if traditional dining returns to the east it will be expanded to the silvers and the lake shore. The other VL2s diners will be turned to cafe/diner combos and they’ll maybe revamp the flexible dining setup for the remaining trains - I think eventually the CL is going to change to single level equipment - if it does the CL, Crescent, and Cardinal would get the modified cars. Just a guess based on what they are doing now - could be totally wrong.

 

[barskin]

Hi, newbie here. Out of excitement, I bought my tickets well in advance (January 2 departure) for a trip from Boston to San Antonio (and back again). I am taking the LSL in a roomette from Boston to Chicago, then the TE in a bedroom to San Antonio . I need a decent amount of luggage for my weeklong stay, and I read that I can no longer check baggage for the LSL from Boston. I will be alone, so how much luggage will I be able to comfortably fit in a roomette? I plan to check my luggage for the TE part of the trip. Also, if I may be so bold, may I ask about....toilets. Okay, there I said it - toilets. Do you think there will still be toilets in the LSL roomettes in the beginning of January. I booked the roomette believing there would be one, but now I hear about the remodeling going on, so I wonder. Will I have to be scurrying to bathrooms?

(I hope I am asking this on the correct thread)

 

[pennyk]

Hi, newbie here. Out of excitement, I bought my tickets well in advance (January 2 departure) for a trip from Boston to San Antonio (and back again). I am taking the LSL in a roomette from Boston to Chicago, then the TE in a bedroom to San Antonio . I need a decent amount of luggage for my weeklong stay, and I read that I can no longer check baggage for the LSL from Boston. I will be alone, so how much luggage will I be able to comfortably fit in a roomette? I plan to check my luggage for the TE part of the trip. Also, if I may be so bold, may I ask about....toilets. Okay, there I said it - toilets. Do you think there will still be toilets in the LSL roomettes in the beginning of January. I booked the roomette believing there would be one, but now I hear about the remodeling going on, so I wonder. Will I have to be scurrying to bathrooms?

(I hope I am asking this on the correct thread)

The roomettes are fairly small, but in the Viewliner sleepers (Lake Shore Limited), there is a storage space above the hallway. (there are some threads with photos that describe the space) I rarely use that space because I travel very light and I am short with shoulders that do not like my lifting anything heavy over my head. Others can tell you the approximate space available. About the toilets.... I am hoping that the Lake Shore Limited will still be running with Viewliner 1 sleepers in December (since I booked a trip in a roomette for then). My "home" train is the Silver Meteor, which now runs with 2 new Viewliner sleepers and one older one. Because of the toilet situation, I now book bedrooms on the Silvers (which usually cost me more than double that of a roomette). Before booking my LSL roomette for December, I asked a very knowledgeable friend for his opinion whether new sleepers will be on the LSL in December. He responded that most likely they would not.

With regard to luggage, I suggest that you reconsider the amount of luggage you wish to take. Too much luggage can be a burden when traveling.

Edit to add links to threads regarding Viewliner storage: Roomette luggage capacity
https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/luggage-question.76968/#post-833014

 

[PVD]

If you are traveling alone, the upper bunk makes a great luggage rack on a viewliner. While there is no baggage car running on the Boston leg, some have mentioned bringing bags a day early and having them sent overnight to NYP on your train's NY section Not sure if this is still done, or if it is practical for you or if you would be comfortable with it.

 

[Rasputin]

The roomettes are fairly small, but in the Viewliner sleepers (Lake Shore Limited), there is a storage space above the hallway. (there are some threads with photos that describe the space) I rarely use that space because I travel very light and I am short with shoulders that do not like my lifting anything heavy over my head. Others can tell you the approximate space available.

I took a tape measure with me on viewliner sleeper trip a view years ago. This is the result which I posted in another thread:

"The overhead storage bin in a Viewliner roomette is 21 inches deep, 16 inches tall and 35 and half inches wide so you can measure your luggage and compare the measurements to this space. There is a raised rim at the opening which is one or two inches tall and there is a railing at the opening to hold the luggage in place.

Note that in order to place luggage into the storage bin, the luggage has to clear a protruding light fixture and the railing mentioned above and this clearance is a little over 12 inches. So although the storage bin is 16 inches tall, a suitcase with rigid sides much over 12 inches thick would not fit into the bin because you wouldn't be able to get it through the opening.

Also note that if your luggage it heavy, it may take considerable effort to boost it up into the storage bin."

NOTE: This information is from the roomettes in the old viewliner sleepers (viewliner Is, I believe). I don't know if it holds true for the roomettes in the new viewliner sleepers but hopefully someone can remember to take a tape measure and provide the answer.

 

[Seaboard92]

It's funny on a Viewliner I use the lower berth as the luggage rack and I use only the upper bunk for the entire trip. You can store a lot of stuff on the lower berth.

 

[PVD]

It's funny on a Viewliner I use the lower berth as the luggage rack and I use only the upper bunk for the entire trip. You can store a lot of stuff on the lower berth.

I like to sit in the chair and use the laptop on the table, so it's the opposite for me...