Reasons to take Cap Ltd + NE Regional over Lake Shore Ltd?

[oregon pioneer]

I am starting to think about my next cross-country trip, which will be just about a year from now. I always go in winter *and* book early, LOL, because I can only afford low-bucket days. I have just about enough points saved up so that when my sister tells me what dates work for her, I'll be ready to book.

I'll be headed to the Route 128 stop just south of Boston. In the past, I've always taken the LSL and my sister picks me up at South Station. But sometimes the train is quite a bit later than its 8pm scheduled arrival, and it's about a 40-minute drive to South Station for her, so I'm looking at a change-up this time.

I am thinking of taking the Capitol Ltd from CHI to WAS, and changing to the NE Regional #178, which arrives at 12:01am. Sis says that's easy for her even at that hour, as she lives 4 miles from RTE. It takes a little longer for me, but the pricing is similar (even a little cheaper if I go coach on the NER). And there are two sleeper cars on the CL, so I have twice as many chances to get the low bucket roomette. So, here are my questions:

• Is the NE Regional more likely to be on-time than the LSL? I think yes (looking at juckins.net/amtrak_status/archive/html/history.php), but what's your experience? Noting that RTE is discharge-only, so they can even leave early.
  
• Any recommendations for good healthy food to carry on with me at WAS? Though the cafe menu on the NER doesn't look that bad.
• Is there any reason to get up at 5am, and transfer to the Pennsylvanian from Pittsburgh to NYP? I have not ever taken that train. Any special scenery that I won't see on the other routes (which I have already been on in the past)?

I might think of other questions later, but that's it for now. Thank you!

 

[Palmetto]

I am starting to think about my next cross-country trip, which will be just about a year from now. I always go in winter *and* book early, LOL, because I can only afford low-bucket days. I have just about enough points saved up so that when my sister tells me what dates work for her, I'll be ready to book.

I'll be headed to the Route 128 stop just south of Boston. In the past, I've always taken the LSL and my sister picks me up at South Station. But sometimes the train is quite a bit later than its 8pm scheduled arrival, and it's about a 40-minute drive to South Station for her, so I'm looking at a change-up this time.

I am thinking of taking the Capitol Ltd from CHI to WAS, and changing to the NE Regional #178, which arrives at 12:01am. Sis says that's easy for her even at that hour, as she lives 4 miles from RTE. It takes a little longer for me, but the pricing is similar (even a little cheaper if I go coach on the NER). And there are two sleeper cars on the CL, so I have twice as many chances to get the low bucket roomette. So, here are my questions:

• Is the NE Regional more likely to be on-time than the LSL? I think yes (looking at juckins.net/amtrak_status/archive/html/history.php), but what's your experience? Noting that RTE is discharge-only, so they can even leave early.
  
• Any recommendations for good healthy food to carry on with me at WAS? Though the cafe menu on the NER doesn't look that bad.
• Is there any reason to get up at 5am, and transfer to the Pennsylvanian from Pittsburgh to NYP? I have not ever taken that train. Any special scenery that I won't see on the other routes (which I have already been on in the past)?

I might think of other questions later, but that's it for now. Thank you!

The scenery between Johnstown and Harrisburg is nice. Up and over the Alleghenies with the famous Horseshoe Curve on the East Slope [right side]. Between Altoona and Harrisburg, the train follows the Juniata River for a while [left side]. then crosses the Susquehanna just west of Harrisburg on a wonderful viaduct. So yes, it might be worthwhile making the change at Pitt.

 

[jebr]

The biggest downfall towards doing the transfer would be the potential for missed connections. If you're connecting same-day from a western LD train, the LSL is a far more doable connection. Along with that, the connection from the Cap to 178 is missed about 9% of the time, at least according to ASMAD. That'd likely result in getting pushed to the overnight NER, #66, which gets in at 7:34 AM the next morning.

Would Framingham be any easier to be picked up at on the LSL? If so, perhaps that's a better happy medium (though there's no checked baggage service if needed.)

 

[rrdude]

The scenery on the Cap is pretty good, and if they have a SSL car, it can be great. Food? Let's not start another thread on that............ yet. However, as other posters have state, scenery East of PITT is good too, but you are viewing it from the small confines of an AmCan, not a double-decker lounge car. It depends on if you "count" your mileage, or "routes covered". I will go on a route, even if the scenery and the food sux, if that mileage, ("route") is one I haven't traveled yet. Only issue I have with winter travel is that daylight hours are short-short-short. That's my two cents. YMMV.

 

[the_traveler]

I always wanted to see Horseshoe Curve, so I once took the Pennsylvanian from the CL.

As you said you have to get off in PGH at 0 dark 30 and wait a couple of hours for the departure. Once aboard, I fell asleep! I happened to wake up and went to the cafe to get coffee - and just happened to look out the window only to see that we were half way around Horseshoe Curve!

Since RTE is only R from BOS or BBY (it is served locally by MBTA) and if Framingham is not good, I personally would take the CL to WAS and come up on a Regional.

 

[Rasputin]

I don't think I have enough knowledge to help you with most of the questions except to say that CAVA at Union Station is a great place for food. We eat there at least once every time we are in DC and our son, who lives in DC professes to eat there at least once a week since he is adverse to cooking. It is in the corner of the great hall across from Chipotle as I recall. Beware of pigeons.

https://cava.com/

 

[Steve4031]

The biggest issue is missed connecting in Chicago from west coast train. Amtrak will reaccommodate you if you book the entire trip from the west coast to Boston on one ticket.

Amtrak will either put you up overnight on a hotel or put you on the lake shore limited. If you have sleeping car space for the entire trip it’s not a sure bet you get sleeping car space o lsl if you miss the capitol limited.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Why not just take the LSL all the way to South Station (or Back Bay) and then take MBTA to Route 128? Why go all the way down to New York and back up to Boston and change trains? The subways most likely run more often,you won't have to worry about a missed connection, and the extra fare can't be that much. Maybe Amtrak's multi-city feature will even let you book the Night Owl southbound out of South Station to Route 128 (8:01pm arrival into BOS on 48, 9:30pm departure out of BOS on 65/67). I tried CHI to Route 128 using the regular scheduling and it only gave me WAS as a transfer option.

 

[TC_NYC]

If you're doing sleepers, I prefer the viewliners on the LSL a lot more. Since you're going to be traveling during the winter, I would avoid all the connections and stick with the LSL to Framingham or Boston. That 7 hour ride on 178 is rough and the train makes every stop NYP-RTE.

 

[zephyr17]

The Cap has no real on time advantage. They share the same route from Cleveland on.

The Cap has a Sightseer Lounge, which I always like. The scenery is nice enough on both.

If taking a sleeper, roomettes on the Cap are often considerably cheaper than on the LSL.

I've done both from New York and have no real preference except that the LSL gives me a later departure with more time in New York. That is usually trumped by the cheaper cost of the Cap, though.

However, from Boston, the Cap becomes much more of a pain and personally I would tend not to do it just because of the logistics.

 

[user 14106]

The Pennsylvanian has some nice scenery. If you were going in the summer I’d advise the Lake Shore as the scenery between Albany and Springfield is very nice - in the winter though on 448 it will be dark for a lot of that.

 

[MARC Rider]

I don't think I have enough knowledge to help you with most of the questions except to say that CAVA at Union Station is a great place for food. We eat there at least once every time we are in DC and our son, who lives in DC professes to eat there at least once a week since he is adverse to cooking. It is in the corner of the great hall across from Chipotle as I recall. Beware of pigeons.

https://cava.com/

CAVA is pretty good, but for eating on the train, I prefer Pret a Manger. It's all made fresh, and the sandwiches are nicely made, well packed, and don't make a mess when you eat them on the fold down tray table at your seat.

 

[bratkinson]

Living in the Springfield MA area, I tend to switch between taking the Capitol Ltd or Lakeshore Ltd to Chicago. On the Lakeshore, because the Boston sleeper is directly behind the locomotives, I always take coach or business class SPG-ALB (train #449) and then switch to a New York sleeper (train #49) which is at the rear. Doing that saves some money as well and I can sleep in peace. I was on the Lakshore CHI-ALB-SPG #48/448 just last week.

However, in many instances, taking a regional train in business class to/from WAS and the Capitol Ltd from there frequently saves money. It also gives me lots more time riding the rails. While going TO Chicago makes a fairly safe connect at WAS of 3 hours #141 to #29, going the opposite direction, the same 3 hours to connect to #178 might be 'a little tight', but usually safe. Also consider that the NEC is a rougher ride than the Capitol or the Lakeshore, especially WAS-BAL.

That said...as mentioned before, the big 'rub' is connecting from a western train (#8) to the Capitol Ltd in Chicago is 'pushing your luck' in my opinion. #8 is late in Chicago enough times to miss your connection to the Capitol Ltd. Taking the Lakeshore Ltd gives an extra 3 hour 'cushion' for #8s tardiness. 4 or 5 years ago, I missed the same connection in Chicago and they put me on the Lakeshore, but no sleeper space was available. Spending a night in Chicago is the safe bet to make the Capitol Ltd. For what it's worth, at the end of April, I'm leaving #8 in Milwaukee and spending the night there with friends then taking a Hiawatha to connect with #30 the next day. I learned not to risk making #8 to #30 in Chicago again.

As for food at WAS, there's an outstanding food court in the basement and a number of food choices on the first floor as well. I generally switch between Chick-Fil-A in the basement, Shake Shack on the first floor, or Potbellies on the first floor as well. As I generally try to eat at places not available in the Springfield area, the last two see me more often than Chick-Fil-A. Depending on how long you have between trains in WAS, I highly recommend any of the restaurants and suggest buying food to go and eat it on the train. Unless you're in Business Class on #178 and its unlimited free non-alcoholic beverages, buy whatever you like to drink onboard in the station as well. With the advent of contemporary/flexible dining on all eastern trains, I now buy all my meals in or near the station and take on board. Note: grinders/subs/torpedos do pretty well unrefridgerated over night if wrapped tightly and in its bag. The food court at Chicago Union Station has too few choices. A quick walk from CUS to Madison St and the Oglivie Center METRA station has a far better food court, and any of the east-west streets east of CUS has an exceptional variety of restaurants, mostly aimed at downtown workers during the day and generally close about 7PM.

 

[niemi24s]

If taking a sleeper, roomettes on the Cap are often considerably cheaper than on the LSL.

FWIW, a low bucket Roomette on the CL for one adult is $310 and the same thing on the LSL from BOS is $391 or 26% more.

 

[oregon pioneer]

Wow, thank you for all the ideas and discussion! I am still leaning towards the Cap Ltd, even though the connection from the EB is missed more of the time than the LSL. At the time of year that I tend to travel east, the LSL usually has an open sleeper or two (or more) if they need to rebook me due to a missed connection in CHI. And, Hubby and I found out this winter that BN has improved the Highline so much that the oil trains don't interfere with the EB's on-time performance like they used to. While there can still be delays due to weather and equipment, our trains to MSP and back in December ran pretty much right on-time, both directions. Still lots of oil traffic ((though down from the peak), but we just breezed on by them all on new double track and sidings.

If I get to WAS, I definitely will find Cava and get some to-go food for the 178. It looks a lot like Oregon's Laughing Planet Cafe, maybe even better! But I am still leaning towards the Pennsylvanian, just because it's new scenery for me. I'm in agreement with the folks that think more train time and new scenery are a plus, even if I only do it once, and go back to the same-old, same-old LSL next time (or on the trip home). In fact, some of the considerations listed here will have me doing more research before I decide which direction to view the new scenery.

Thanks again!

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Do the Pennsylvanian on the way back west. No 5am wakeup/boot off the train in Pittsburgh or worrying about missing the connection in Pittsburgh. You do have to worry about several hours to kill in the Amshack in PGH and if you're going in winter would it be dark in Horseshoe Curve?

 

[oregon pioneer]

Do the Pennsylvanian on the way back west. No 5am wakeup/boot off the train in Pittsburgh or worrying about missing the connection in Pittsburgh. You do have to worry about several hours to kill in the Amshack in PGH and if you're going in winter would it be dark in Horseshoe Curve?

I believe the horseshoe curve is near Altoona (towards NYP or towards PGH?)? The sunrise/sunset calendar for Feb 20, 2021 at Altoona says that sunset is 5:54pm, and twilight at 6:22. I know it depends whether it's on-time, but the southbound train is *supposed* to go through Altoona at 5:13pm. The northbound train at 10:10am sounds like a sure bet for daylight (in fact, the whole route would be in daylight), and I really don't mind getting up at 5am to see something new.

Amtrak.com is driving me nuts today. I just will *not* show me the option for the Cap Ltd plus Pennsylvanian, unless I choose NYP for a destination (RTE and BOS both come up with a blank on that option). I *know* it showed me that option the other day. Oh, well, I am going to have to call to book this anyway.

 

[Seaboard92]

To do it on the thru rate make it as a multi city reservation.

Your origin to NYP. Then the NYP-RTE within the next 23 hours. It’ll be a thru res that way using stopover rules

 

[Acela150]

@oregon pioneer I'm a regular user of RTE and the Courtyard next door. I would avoid Framingham if at all possible. While it's not to far from the RTE area, it's further then you'd think. Stick to RTE. I'm guessing that she lives in the Dedham/Westwood/Norwood/Walpole area. And RTE is perfect for those.

 

[oregon pioneer]

@oregon pioneer I'm a regular user of RTE and the Courtyard next door. I would avoid Framingham if at all possible. While it's not to far from the RTE area, it's further then you'd think. Stick to RTE. I'm guessing that she lives in the Dedham/Westwood/Norwood/Walpole area. And RTE is perfect for those.

Thanks! I wasn't going to do Framingham. Might as well do Back Bay, but if I have bags for a 3-week stay, I'd rather get picked up than take the commuter rail (it's beyond the end of the T lines).

And thanks, Seaboard. I will do it multi-city. I always try to do my itinerary online, even if I have to call to get my favorite roomettes (if you reserve at low bucket, the system automatically assigns roomette #2 which is too close to the slamming restroom door for me). Agents are always impressed and friendly when I have everything lined up for them.