New train (40-41 Floridian) between Miami and Chicago via Washington DC

[Amtrak25]

Tonite's #40 from Washington to Chicago will be 5 hours late.

2 hours for freight train issues in Hamlet + 3 hours late for trespasser incident near Richmond.

The Floridian works on paper, not in reality.

 

[Stevenz]

Sitting on the 41 now, bound for PIT. Left Chicago on time, went 500 metres and stopped. Supposedly a “computer issue.” I have a half bottle of a decent Chardonnay and two seats to myself, so far. I’m not in a hurry but I’d rather be moving since that’s the nice part of trains.

 

[Stevenz]

Spoke too soon. Just now underway.

 

[west point]

Nice seeing all 5 of these Florida trains running on time

View attachment 38459

You did not check around Richmond . Both 40 & 41 delayed due to bicycle rider getting hit by CSX freight,

https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/bicyclist-killed-hit-by-train-hungary-road-henrico-nov-24-2024

 

[Qapla]

Yep, seems to be back to "business as usual"

 

[west point]

There have been discussions why the intercity rail map only shows 41 going to Delray Beach and 40 only to Toledo. The problem is in the Amtrak web site at the track your train location. Click track now.

https://www.amtrak.com/track-your-train.html

That brings up all system wide trains. locate 40 or 41. that shows a box with full destination. Click the detailed train status. Scroll down and it on show to TOL or DLB.

This is where intercity rail map gets its info.

Now one item is that the number of stations shown on the EB is same number shown for 40 and 41. You also have to count the seasonal stop that is not shown in the count. I guess Amtrak IT built the software for the detailed train status based on the EB number of stations. Now will it ever get around to correcting this problem??? It may be difficult to add in 4 additional stations

This problem will rear its ugly head again if the Crescent's 33 has the added stops of Meridian to DFW added to the break out schedule.

 

[OmahaRoad]

Tonite's #40 from Washington to Chicago will be 5 hours late.

2 hours for freight train issues in Hamlet + 3 hours late for trespasser incident near Richmond.

The Floridian works on paper, not in reality.

Yep, my girlfriend and I were on this train and it was somewhat maddening (and tragic for the people involved + their families), because we were behind not only the one, but a second trespasser incident north of Rockville, MD. That one had happened over an hour before we arrived in the area and was apparently with a freight. Was another 35+ minutes of delay for 40.

However, we were lucky with the first one that we hadn't left Staples Mill Rd. station and so during the 2+ hour delay there, passengers were able to walk on the platform! It was pretty funny, because a number of people took to taking long 'laps' of the platform, including one intrepid older woman who said she normally gets "16,000 steps a day, but on the treadmill" and didn't think she'd get her steps on Sunday, but she definitely ended up doing so! Kudos to her! I think I walked the better part of 2 miles myself!

All told, we incurred over 5 hours of delay (30+ minutes in Toledo as well, and some elsewhere too) but thanks to the schedule padding etc., we were "only" about 5 hrs late, or a tish less, into Chicago. It was my second and my girlfriend's first-ever roomette experience, and so it was pretty disappointing to be that late, which made us miss the Borealis connection in Chicago (thank goodness for "old reliable" train 7 to take us back to Minnesota). Combined with the rather brusque and perfunctory attitude (though generally helpful) of the onboard staff after the D.C. crew switch, it wasn't the best experience. Food was good and the Viewliner dining car remains one of my favorite cars in Amtrak's fleet! Our original SCA Brian was excellent.

We also learned more about how best to deal with luggage/space in a roomette and would definitely do it differently in the future, were we to spring for a sleeping car room again. But not likely to happen in the near future. Glad to have tried the Floridian, though, and the direct train from NC to Chicago is very helpful!

 

[Septa9739]

@OmahaRoad or anyone else who’s actually been on the train. Were you able to get a sense of how many people were traveling through Washington?

 

[OmahaRoad]

Were you able to get a sense of how many people were traveling through Washington?

I didn't try to venture into coach since we were in a roomette (and frankly didn't want to be yelled at by anyone for going somewhere I 'wasn't supposed to') so I don't have a great sense of coach. We did get off at Washington during the break and it looked like a large percentage of coach passengers disembarked, and not as many as that got on. But that's not much to go off of.

For the sleeping cars, relatively few were occupied all the way to Chicago, even fewer than I may have expected. I did a count walking through the two cars and only 5 of the 10 roomettes available were in use (and two were occupied by one person each--a parent/teenage child who had one each), and just one bedroom. The second sleeper (VL I) was a little more occupied--it was hard to get as good of a count since it wasn't 'our' car and it was harder to tell which were occupied, but maybe 7 of the 11 (or however many were available) at the most were in use. 2/3 bedrooms were in use.

There were definitely a decent few coach passengers getting off in Chicago, but again, didn't seem like it was full or anything.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I didn't try to venture into coach since we were in a roomette (and frankly didn't want to be yelled at by anyone for going somewhere I 'wasn't supposed to') so I don't have a great sense of coach. We did get off at Washington during the break and it looked like a large percentage of coach passengers disembarked, and not as many as that got on. But that's not much to go off of.

For the sleeping cars, relatively few were occupied all the way to Chicago, even fewer than I may have expected. I did a count walking through the two cars and only 5 of the 10 roomettes available were in use (and two were occupied by one person each--a parent/teenage child who had one each), and just one bedroom. The second sleeper (VL I) was a little more occupied--it was hard to get as good of a count since it wasn't 'our' car and it was harder to tell which were occupied, but maybe 7 of the 11 (or however many were available) at the most were in use. 2/3 bedrooms were in use.

There were definitely a decent few coach passengers getting off in Chicago, but again, didn't seem like it was full or anything.

As a sleeper pax, you have access to the coach cars. Just don’t try occupying a seat. I always take walks through the coach cars to get my exercise.

 

[Cal]

As a sleeper pax, you have access to the coach cars. Just don’t try occupying a seat. I always take walks through the coach cars to get my exercise.

And of course to look out the railfan window if you're on a superliner train! Unfortunately (and perhaps with reason) the crew don't like passengers hanging in the vestibules on single level cars.

 

[joelkfla]

Unfortunately (and perhaps with reason) the crew don't like passengers hanging in the vestibules on single level cars.

If it's a single level LD train, there's likely to be a baggage car bringing up the rear, anyway.

 

[xzperu42]

“Thanksgiving” breakfast on train 41 near Cumberland:




Dining Car food much better than LSL we took to Chicago. My wife had the grits and eggs with cheese. She thought them solid, and she really enjoyed her grits. I ate her biscuit and it was pretty good. The French toast is just heated on board I believe (as has been the case for decades) so it was just ok. Bacon a bit on the thin side, but cooked nicely and tasty.

I think we are currently more or less on time. Yes, a bit early into Cumberland.

Update: Arrived into DC early.

Overall a solid trip. The car attendant was good and the dining car staff was good too. The windows were reasonably clean. My wife gave her compliments to the chef (the steak the previous night was enjoyable… sides less so… but still waaaaay better than LSL). We had a Viewliner 2 that was in good condition. Bathroom was kept clean.

Side note: My lowball bid of $125 for a bedroom (to WAS) was not accepted (as I expected). Consist was 2 locomotives, 4 coaches, cafe, dinner, V1, V2, baggage car. The V1 was looking a bit rough.

 

[Cal]

I've personally

Bacon a bit on the thin side, but cooked nicely and tasty.

I've personally always loved Amtrak bacon because of it's thinness.

 

[Qapla]

WOW! Can you believe it?? At the moment, none of the Florida trains are running late

 

[tomfuller]

I was recently planning a spring trip from the west to Morgantown WV (not served by Amtrak) My first thought was to take the Floridian (former Capitol Limited) to Alliance Ohio and rent a car from there. Arriving at 3AM and waiting for the car rental didn't work for me.
My second thought is taking the Cardinal which I have never ridden to Charleston WV. The arrival time (mid morning), works out much better even though I have to leave a day earlier and arrive in CHW a day earlier than planned.
Since the Cardinal and the Capitol Limited go between Chicago and Washington DC, did Amtrak even consider making the Cardinal a daily train with a choice of routes for the Floridian? I can picture people who live near CIN who would like this option.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I was recently planning a spring trip from the west to Morgantown WV (not served by Amtrak) My first thought was to take the Floridian (former Capitol Limited) to Alliance Ohio and rent a car from there. Arriving at 3AM and waiting for the car rental didn't work for me.
My second thought is taking the Cardinal which I have never ridden to Charleston WV. The arrival time (mid morning), works out much better even though I have to leave a day earlier and arrive in CHW a day earlier than planned.
Since the Cardinal and the Capitol Limited go between Chicago and Washington DC, did Amtrak even consider making the Cardinal a daily train with a choice of routes for the Floridian? I can picture people who live near CIN who would like this option.

I believe that would have been more work since they have to negotiate with the host RR to make the Cardinal daily.

 

[Trollopian]

I was recently planning a spring trip from the west to Morgantown WV (not served by Amtrak) My first thought was to take the Floridian (former Capitol Limited) to Alliance Ohio and rent a car from there. Arriving at 3AM and waiting for the car rental didn't work for me.
My second thought is taking the Cardinal which I have never ridden to Charleston WV. The arrival time (mid morning), works out much better even though I have to leave a day earlier and arrive in CHW a day earlier than planned.
Since the Cardinal and the Capitol Limited go between Chicago and Washington DC, did Amtrak even consider making the Cardinal a daily train with a choice of routes for the Floridian? I can picture people who live near CIN who would like this option.

I don't know the rental-car situation in Cumberland, MD...

But, it's a quick hour drive from Cumberland to Morgantown on I-68 (old US-40, the "National Pike"), and The Train That I Will Stubbornly Continue to Call the Capitol Limited stops at Cumberland during reasonable times of day, both directions, if it's anywhere near to being on-time. Just an idea.

 

[Cal]

I was recently planning a spring trip from the west to Morgantown WV (not served by Amtrak) My first thought was to take the Floridian (former Capitol Limited) to Alliance Ohio and rent a car from there. Arriving at 3AM and waiting for the car rental didn't work for me.
My second thought is taking the Cardinal which I have never ridden to Charleston WV. The arrival time (mid morning), works out much better even though I have to leave a day earlier and arrive in CHW a day earlier than planned.
Since the Cardinal and the Capitol Limited go between Chicago and Washington DC, did Amtrak even consider making the Cardinal a daily train with a choice of routes for the Floridian? I can picture people who live near CIN who would like this option.

Why not get off in Pittsburgh?

Since the Cardinal and the Capitol Limited go between Chicago and Washington DC, did Amtrak even consider making the Cardinal a daily train with a choice of routes for the Floridian? I can picture people who live near CIN who would like this option.

The Floridian and Cardinal both approach DC from the south, so they would have to switch directions at DC if they used the Cardinal. I'm sure it's possible but it's an extra step that would require an unnecesary engine change. The Cardinal would probably also need additional funding to become daily, which might be hard to come by, and of course CSX would have to let it become daily. The Cardinal is also a viewliner train, and the point of the change was to free up Superliners used by the Capitol to let them go to the western trains because there is a lack of superliners right now. That whole benefit would be lost on the Cardinal.

So there's a host of reasons why the Cardinal wouldn't work.