Views From the Cardinal

[njdon]

I'm taking the Cardinal tomorrow from TRE-Chi (I'm trying to look as experienced as other participants using these abbreviations ) I've heard a lot about the magnificent views of the New River Gorge area and was wondering which side of the train provides the best view. Also, is it possible to tell which side of the train a particular room is on? I also what to thank everyone for previous responses and threads . After reading the threads I'm traveling with a scanner and GPS. Can't wait.

 

[AlanB]

Going to Chicago, the correct side is the right side, although for a short stretch right as you enter the gorge you'll want the left. And no there is no way to know for sure how Amtrak will orientate the sleeping car. Probably 75% of the time you'd want an odd numbered room, but again the car can run either way and if they flip it for some reason, you'd then need an even room number.

So you may want to just stake out a seat in the lounge or stand in the vestibule of your sleeper if you're not on the correct side when you reach the gorge.

 

[njdon]

Going to Chicago, the correct side is the right side, although for a short stretch right as you enter the gorge you'll want the left. And no there is no way to know for sure how Amtrak will orientate the sleeping car. Probably 75% of the time you'd want an odd numbered room, but again the car can run either way and if they flip it for some reason, you'd then need an even room number.
So you may want to just stake out a seat in the lounge or stand in the vestibule of your sleeper if you're not on the correct side when you reach the gorge.

Thank you Alan

 

[the_traveler]

Of the 2 times since October that I was on the Cardinal going eastbound from CHI, the sleeper was on the rear of the train both times, and the even numbered rooms were on the right. I've never gone westbound, but I think the odd number rooms will usually be on the left. (I hear the H room is usually by the cafe/lounge, but it could be set either way.)

 

[njdon]

Of the 2 times since October that I was on the Cardinal going eastbound from CHI, the sleeper was on the rear of the train both times, and the even numbered rooms were on the right. I've never gone westbound, but I think the odd number rooms will usually be on the left. (I hear the H room is usually by the cafe/lounge, but it could be set either way.)

Thank you.

 

[Rafi]

Alan, you sure about that? To be honest, there are great views on both sides of the car, but most of them, in my experience when heading toward Chicago, are going to be on your LEFT if you face in the direction the train is moving. The train enters the gorge on the right side of the river and it isn't until Thurmond that the other track starts running on the other side of the river. So between the beginning of the Gorge and Thurmond, the train is running on the right side of the river, which means the views are on the left. While there is a crossover not far past Thurmond, both times I've been on that part of the train we haven't crossed the river until just before Montgomery, which is when you get the right-sided views.

The Cardinal's Viewliner Sleeper will almost always run with the Vestibule toward the front of the train, so that means that if the rooms with the best views are going to be on the left side of the car, those will be the even-numbered Roommette rooms. None of the Deluxe Bedrooms will have that view.

Rafi

 

[the_traveler]

The Cardinal's Viewliner Sleeper will almost always run with the Vestibule toward the front of the train, so that means that if the rooms with the best views are going to be on the left side of the car, those will be the even-numbered Roommette rooms. None of the Deluxe Bedrooms will have that view.

Rafi - I respectfully disagree. When I was going eastbound, the vestibule was forward both times. In Oct, I had an even numbered roomette, and was on the right side. In March, I had an odd numbered room and was on the left side. So if it the same westbound, the odd numbered rooms will be on the left side - with the best views of the gorge!

 

[printman2000]

The Cardinal's Viewliner Sleeper will almost always run with the Vestibule toward the front of the train, so that means that if the rooms with the best views are going to be on the left side of the car, those will be the even-numbered Roommette rooms. None of the Deluxe Bedrooms will have that view.

Rafi - I respectfully disagree. When I was going eastbound, the vestibule was forward both times. In Oct, I had an even numbered roomette, and was on the right side. In March, I had an odd numbered room and was on the left side. So if it the same westbound, the odd numbered rooms will be on the left side - with the best views of the gorge!

Looking at the online diagram (http://trainweb.org/crocon/sleeperplans.html), if the vestibule(and bedrooms) is forward, the even numbers are on the left.

 

[Rafi]

The Cardinal's Viewliner Sleeper will almost always run with the Vestibule toward the front of the train, so that means that if the rooms with the best views are going to be on the left side of the car, those will be the even-numbered Roommette rooms. None of the Deluxe Bedrooms will have that view.

Rafi - I respectfully disagree. When I was going eastbound, the vestibule was forward both times. In Oct, I had an even numbered roomette, and was on the right side. In March, I had an odd numbered room and was on the left side. So if it the same westbound, the odd numbered rooms will be on the left side - with the best views of the gorge!

Wow, well, I was looking at the same diagram that printman posted, so that's why I said left side=even. On my last trip, that was the case, as I was in roommette 6, and sure enough, I was on the left side of the car with the vestibule facing forward. Maybe there are a few Viewliner cars out there with numbers swapped?

Rafi

 

[AlanB]

The Cardinal's Viewliner Sleeper will almost always run with the Vestibule toward the front of the train, so that means that if the rooms with the best views are going to be on the left side of the car, those will be the even-numbered Roommette rooms. None of the Deluxe Bedrooms will have that view.

Rafi - I respectfully disagree. When I was going eastbound, the vestibule was forward both times. In Oct, I had an even numbered roomette, and was on the right side. In March, I had an odd numbered room and was on the left side. So if it the same westbound, the odd numbered rooms will be on the left side - with the best views of the gorge!

Wow, well, I was looking at the same diagram that printman posted, so that's why I said left side=even. On my last trip, that was the case, as I was in roommette 6, and sure enough, I was on the left side of the car with the vestibule facing forward. Maybe there are a few Viewliner cars out there with numbers swapped?

Rafi

I'm not aware of any Viewliner's that have their numbers swapped. Not saying that it's not possible, but I've never seen one.

 

[the_traveler]

I'm sorry - I was wrong!

Looking at my records, I was in #1 in October and #2 in March. So I had it backwards!

I need a trip - FAST!