Texas Eagle Sightseer lounge discontinued

[crescent-zephyr]

They are very well designed for the job in question. But they’re talking about the golden age of rail travel, where it was considerably more luxurious.

I think people’s memories make the cars of old much more luxurious in their minds. The SSL Cars have such a great combination of viewing, seating, and food service possibilities. Now the fact the upstairs bar goes unstaffed and the lower level has become a self-serve convenience store with a microwave is another set of issues.

And anyone else remember the tiny TV screen in the first VL sleeping cars? Never saw anything appear on it, and it disappeared a year or so later.

I remember them. They always worked for me while they existed. Was kind of fun.

 

[Will Ray]

I saw on another list that the Texas Eagle sightseer lounge was being discontinued "permanently" between Chicago and San Antonio.

Evidently a desperate move on Amtrak's part to clearly show that their trains are not worth riding.

I seriously doubt that that is permanent, but merely an operational consideration with available equipment.

 

[ja5151]

We're taking the TE from ALN to CHI on Sunday. If there's no SSL, do they let coach passengers buy cafe food from the dining car, or are you out of luck unless you're in a sleeper?

 

[Cal]

If there's no SSL, do they let coach passengers buy cafe food from the dining car, or are you out of luck unless you're in a sleeper?

Yes, they do.

 

[MARC Rider]

We're taking the TE from ALN to CHI on Sunday. If there's no SSL, do they let coach passengers buy cafe food from the dining car, or are you out of luck unless you're in a sleeper?

Does the Texas Eagle have a Cross Country Cafe? The Capitol Limited has one, and the deal is that there's a cafe side (nearest to the coaches) where you can buy cafe food and sit a lounge booths and a diner side where they serve Flex meals to the sleeping car passengers (and presumably where the sleeper passengers can hang out if they want to get out of their rooms. At least that's the way it was on the Capitol when I rode it last June.

 

[Cal]

Does the Texas Eagle have a Cross Country Cafe? The Capitol Limited has one, and the deal is that there's a cafe side (nearest to the coaches) where you can buy cafe food and sit a lounge booths and a diner side where they serve Flex meals to the sleeping car passengers (and presumably where the sleeper passengers can hang out if they want to get out of their rooms. At least that's the way it was on the Capitol when I rode it last June.

Yep, it has a CCC

 

[F900ElCapitan]

Does the Texas Eagle have a Cross Country Cafe? The Capitol Limited has one, and the deal is that there's a cafe side (nearest to the coaches) where you can buy cafe food and sit a lounge booths and a diner side where they serve Flex meals to the sleeping car passengers (and presumably where the sleeper passengers can hang out if they want to get out of their rooms. At least that's the way it was on the Capitol when I rode it last June.

Yes, that is the service that is being provided.

 

[me_little_me]

Does the Texas Eagle have a Cross Country Cafe? The Capitol Limited has one, and the deal is that there's a cafe side (nearest to the coaches) where you can buy cafe food and sit a lounge booths and a diner side where they serve Flex meals to the sleeping car passengers (and presumably where the sleeper passengers can hang out if they want to get out of their rooms. At least that's the way it was on the Capitol when I rode it last June.

Great idea. It encourages the coach passengers to be thankful they didn't spend money for a room when they see sleeper passengers retching after eating flex food and it makes the sleeper passengers dream of the days when the burger and veggie-burger were offered at lunch when they see the microwaved cafe burgers and think how much better their life used to be.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Great idea. It encourages the coach passengers to be thankful they didn't spend money for a room when they see sleeper passengers retching after eating flex food and it makes the sleeper passengers dream of the days when the burger and veggie-burger were offered at lunch when they see the microwaved cafe burgers and think how much better their life used to be.

Will be on the TE next week... and of course dreading the over processed 5 ounce puddle of high fat, high sodium, high carb, tasteless, textureless, synthetic food product that they call a 'meal' I went ahead and ordered the Kosher meals... thinking it's a step up. Does anyone on the forum have experience with both who can share their opinion and advice on the Kosher option??? BTW I understand the Kosher meals are bland so I brought along seasoning salt and hot sauce

 

[F900ElCapitan]

Will be on the TE next week... and of course dreading the over processed 5 ounce puddle of high fat, high sodium, high carb, tasteless, textureless, synthetic food product that they call a 'meal' I went ahead and ordered the Kosher meals... thinking it's a step up. Does anyone on the forum have experience with both who can share their opinion and advice on the Kosher option??? BTW I understand the Kosher meals are bland so I brought along seasoning salt and hot sauce

I ordered the Kosher meals a few times during the height of covid. The breakfast omelette was definitely a step up from the Jimmy Dean back then. I think it is better than todays ”omelette”, but it’s closer. Lunch/dinner wise, the salmon was significantly better than anything offered on the flex menu. I never tried the chicken so I can’t really comment on it. My biggest complaint about these meals is the cooks didn’t pull the meal out of the freezer until serving it, so all of the things on the cold side of the meal were still frozen. You might ask your SCA to alert the diner crew to your choice so they can have the meal better prepared. Also, seasoning salt would be a good thing, but I am happy to add a little rather than be overdosed with sodium in the flex meals.

 

[20th Century Rider]

I ordered the Kosher meals a few times during the height of covid. The breakfast omelette was definitely a step up from the Jimmy Dean back then. I think it is better than todays ”omelette”, but it’s closer. Lunch/dinner wise, the salmon was significantly better than anything offered on the flex menu. I never tried the chicken so I can’t really comment on it. My biggest complaint about these meals is the cooks didn’t pull the meal out of the freezer until serving it, so all of the things on the cold side of the meal were still frozen. You might ask your SCA to alert the diner crew to your choice so they can have the meal better prepared. Also, seasoning salt would be a good thing, but I am happy to add a little rather than be overdosed with sodium in the flex meals.

Thank you for the advice!

Also ordered Kosher breakfasts, salmon, and chicken on the Cardinal, Crescent, and CONO. Don't want to risk whatever the beef might be. Of course when heading west on the EB it's real food once again!

 

[MARC Rider]

Great idea. It encourages the coach passengers to be thankful they didn't spend money for a room when they see sleeper passengers retching after eating flex food and it makes the sleeper passengers dream of the days when the burger and veggie-burger were offered at lunch when they see the microwaved cafe burgers and think how much better their life used to be.

Actually. when I got breakfast, I couldn't see the sleeper pax eating theirs in the other and if the car. But the cafe attendant did comp me a leftover brownie (still in its intact wrapper) from the sleeper flex dinners from the night before.

 

[Sidney]

Actually. when I got breakfast, I couldn't see the sleeper pax eating theirs in the other and if the car. But the cafe attendant did comp me a leftover brownie (still in its intact wrapper) from the sleeper flex dinners from the night before.
During my rail pass I was eating a very microwaved bagel in the SSL car. I was on facebook and a passenger next door in the dining car posted a picture of her wonderful looking french toast. Of course flex food and cafe food are about the same,so not having sleepers on the Eastern trains I rode was not too bad.

I was scheduled to go on the CONO and Cresent early next month on my pass,but Hurricane Ida thwarted those plans. Next month I m getting roomettes on both trains and spending two days in New Orleans. The wonderful food in NO will offset the flex crap on both trains.

 

[MARC Rider]

I have always thought that the purpose of reserving sleeping car space on a train was to avoid having to sleep sitting in a recliner chair next to a total stranger who may or may not be a congenial partner. Any food service that's included in the ticket is a bonus. Thus, I consider even the flex dining to be better than nothing, even if it's not the finest cuisine in the world. As far as whether the fares are too high, well, Amtrak does have a monopoly on sleeping cars serving scheduled trains that run between the major cities of the United States and points in between. Sure, the Canadian has better service, but that doesn't help if you want to ride a train between, say, Baltimore and Chicago. There are also "private varnish" excursion trains, but not only are they a lot more expensive than the equivalent high bucket Amtrak ride, they also operate intermittently and are even less reliable as practical transportation than the most behind-schedule Amtrak long-distance train, er, actually, the "private varnish" is usually hooked to the back of one of those way late Amtrak trains. so you're arrive as late as the Amtrak passengers do.

Actually, if I have a real beef with the downgrading of service on Amtrak long-distance trains, it's that the food offerings for coach passengers are abysmal. Coach passengers are no longer served in the dining car. The National cafe car menu was pretty limited before COVID, and now it's even worse. When I took that coach trip last June on the Capitol Limited from Pittsburgh to Washington, I would have gladly paid money for a flex breakfast omelet. As it was, I had to deal with a Jimmy Dean sandwich that was microwaved in its package, resulting in a goey mess of American cheese all over everywhere, except in the sandwich. Microwaved bread is chewy and inedible. The cafe car didn't offer any real alternative, not a bagel and cream cheese (even though that National Cafe car menu online has a bagel on the menu), not a single-serving cereal box, not a fresh fruit cup, no packaged hard boiled eggs, nothing, nada, except for the Jimmy dean sandwich and pastry. I did have the foresight to pack some stuff for lunch, basically, If I were to ride coach on a long distance trains, I'd pack most of my food, buying only snacks and drinks in the cafe car. (On that Capitol Limited trip, I should have brought one of those single serving boxes of a decent cereal like Raisin Bran or Shredded Wheat, and just bought milk and coffee in the cafe car.)

 

[Cal]

I have always thought that the purpose of reserving sleeping car space on a train was to avoid having to sleep sitting in a recliner chair next to a total stranger who may or may not be a congenial partner. Any food service that's included in the ticket is a bonus. Thus, I consider even the flex dining to be better than nothing, even if it's not the finest cuisine in the world. As far as whether the fares are too high, well, Amtrak does have a monopoly on sleeping cars serving scheduled trains that run between the major cities of the United States and points in between. Sure, the Canadian has better service, but that doesn't help if you want to ride a train between, say, Baltimore and Chicago. There are also "private varnish" excursion trains, but not only are they a lot more expensive than the equivalent high bucket Amtrak ride, they also operate intermittently and are even less reliable as practical transportation than the most behind-schedule Amtrak long-distance train, er, actually, the "private varnish" is usually hooked to the back of one of those way late Amtrak trains. so you're arrive as late as the Amtrak passengers do.

Actually, if I have a real beef with the downgrading of service on Amtrak long-distance trains, it's that the food offerings for coach passengers are abysmal. Coach passengers are no longer served in the dining car. The National cafe car menu was pretty limited before COVID, and now it's even worse. When I took that coach trip last June on the Capitol Limited from Pittsburgh to Washington, I would have gladly paid money for a flex breakfast omelet. As it was, I had to deal with a Jimmy Dean sandwich that was microwaved in its package, resulting in a goey mess of American cheese all over everywhere, except in the sandwich. Microwaved bread is chewy and inedible. The cafe car didn't offer any real alternative, not a bagel and cream cheese (even though that National Cafe car menu online has a bagel on the menu), not a single-serving cereal box, not a fresh fruit cup, no packaged hard boiled eggs, nothing, nada, except for the Jimmy dean sandwich and pastry. I did have the foresight to pack some stuff for lunch, basically, If I were to ride coach on a long distance trains, I'd pack most of my food, buying only snacks and drinks in the cafe car. (On that Capitol Limited trip, I should have brought one of those single serving boxes of a decent cereal like Raisin Bran or Shredded Wheat, and just bought milk and coffee in the cafe car.)

You need to watch out. If you continue praising flex meals I think @me_little_me is gonna go after you.


Anyhow, I do agree with your point. Coach options are very limited. I'm not sure what my plan will be for my coach trip on the CS in December, I'll probably come here for help when the time comes. (Although hopefully I can upgrade to business and get access to the diner)

 

[MARC Rider]

You need to watch out. If you continue praising flex meals I think @me_little_me is gonna go after you.


Anyhow, I do agree with your point. Coach options are very limited. I'm not sure what my plan will be for my coach trip on the CS in December, I'll probably come here for help when the time comes. (Although hopefully I can upgrade to business and get access to the diner)

Who says I'm praising flex meals? I'd love to see better quality food, in fact I'm planning to order the kosher meals for trip out to the Gathering just to avoid the flex food. In fact Amtrak has succeeded where decades of effort by my rabbis and Hebrew School teachers has failed -- Flex food has driven me to keeping kosher! My point was that (for me, at least) the train travel experience is more than just the meals.

As for suggestions on your next trip in coach: I like the little cheese and charcuterie plates that a lot of the more upscale supermarkets sell. Not very kosher, but they're tasty. They sell a single portion of Sabra Hummus in the cafe car for 4 or 5 dollars, you can find them in the supermarket for half the price. A good deli sandwich will keep reasonably well for the first day out. For breakfast, if the bagel hasn't come back, pack a single-serving box of a decent cold cereal and buy a milk from the cafe car. Actually, you could pack your own bagels and cream cheese, as they really don't need refrigeration, as I found out from a backpacking buddy years ago. Whole fruit and also nuts and other snacks. The final menu might be a bit weird, but as long as you have the calories to keep your blood sugar in equilibrium, you should be OK for an overnight trip.

 

[Cal]

Who says I'm praising flex meals? I'd love to see better quality food, in fact I'm planning to order the kosher meals for trip out to the Gathering just to avoid the flex food. In fact Amtrak has succeeded where decades of effort by my rabbis and Hebrew School teachers has failed -- Flex food has driven me to keeping kosher! My point was that (for me, at least) the train travel experience is more than just the meals.

As for suggestions on your next trip in coach: I like the little cheese and charcuterie plates that a lot of the more upscale supermarkets sell. Not very kosher, but they're tasty. They sell a single portion of Sabra Hummus in the cafe car for 4 or 5 dollars, you can find them in the supermarket for half the price. A good deli sandwich will keep reasonably well for the first day out. For breakfast, if the bagel hasn't come back, pack a single-serving box of a decent cold cereal and buy a milk from the cafe car. Actually, you could pack your own bagels and cream cheese, as they really don't need refrigeration, as I found out from a backpacking buddy years ago. Whole fruit and also nuts and other snacks. The final menu might be a bit weird, but as long as you have the calories to keep your blood sugar in equilibrium, you should be OK for an overnight trip.

Bookmarked this post to come back to.

 

[Danib62]

I'm waiting for one of the usual suspects to come and tell you how they always bring hearty bread and peanut butter!

But I agree with MARC Rider here. The purpose of a sleeper section is to provide me a private place to snooze while on the train. Any meals I get are a bonus. If I want fine dining I can go to a very nice restaurant that will far out perform even the much ballyhooed traditional dining for a fraction of the cost of sleeper accommodations.

 

[MARC Rider]

I'm waiting for one of the usual suspects to come and tell you how they always bring hearty bread and peanut butter!

But I agree with MARC Rider here. The purpose of a sleeper section is to provide me a private place to snooze while on the train. Any meals I get are a bonus. If I want fine dining I can go to a very nice restaurant that will far out perform even the much ballyhooed traditional dining for a fraction of the cost of sleeper accommodations.

In fact, I'm going to compensate for the flex food on my trip to the Gathering by having some fine dining in Chicago, if someone can suggest a good place. That's fine dining at a place that doesn't require a suit and tie.

 

[jimdex]

Again, this is why I think the sleeper charges and meal charges should be separate items.

 

[happycarrot]

If sleeper fares were lowered to more reasonable rates and did not include meal service, I would happily buy more LD sleepers. If sleeper fares remain consistent to where they are now and did not include meal service, I would be disappointed. I think a major draw for leisure LD train travel via sleeper is the inclusion of meals.

 

[Bob Dylan]

In fact, I'm going to compensate for the flex food on my trip to the Gathering by having some fine dining in Chicago, if someone can suggest a good place. That's fine dining at a place that doesn't require a suit and tie.

If they're still open, there are some really good Steakhouses in Chicago including Mortons, and Michael Jordan's in the Sears Tower( I just can't call it Willis)

I never wore a Jacket or tie to these places, just Dockers and a Dress Shirt.

Good Italian Resturants are also big in the Windy City, I'd ask AU members that have been in Chicago recently.

 

[zephyr17]

Berghoff's. about 1/2 mile toward the lake on Adams.

 

[Sidney]

Berghoff's. about 1/2 mile toward the lake on Adams.

Giordanos for deep dish pizza,very close

 

[jiml]

In fact, I'm going to compensate for the flex food on my trip to the Gathering by having some fine dining in Chicago, if someone can suggest a good place. That's fine dining at a place that doesn't require a suit and tie.

Sadly Lawry's Prime Rib location in Chicago has closed permanently. It was very good. It sort of depends on where you're staying and your tastebuds on the day. As has been pointed out, Italian places and steakhouses abound - both chain and independent. Some research might be needed to determine what's actually open (or still in business). Favorite restaurants seem to be failing or changing hands frequently in today's reality.