I’ll be taking a coast-to-coast trip on Amtrak next month and I’m truly excited about it. As with anything, I have a question of two, and hopefully the members here will be able to help me. Because of where I’ve lived, most of my rail travel has been on the old NP between Missoula, MT and Chicago on the North Coast Limited, and with a single trip on the Bulder between Whitefish and Chicago. Those were my college years and I treasure those trips dearly, but being a student, it was pretty much all coach for me. Other notable trips were eight transits of Donner Pass on Amtrak between Reno and Emeryville, also coach only.
Now that I’m retired in Italy I I’m doing what I haven’t done before, go first class. Our relatives reside in Maine and in California, with my 50th high school reunion just outside of Chicago thrown in. For old time’s sake we scheduled an overnight in Seattle too. The last time I was there in 1973, we rode the North Coast Hiawatha, a memorable experience since we saw Sky Lab go over while climbing Evaro Hill.
Anyway, this time it’s a RT between Boston and Portland on the Doweaster, then an overnight on the Lake Shore Ltd from Boston to Chicago. A question keeps knawing at me tho since there is only a cafe-lounge to Albany with the full diner coming up from New York. We leave there at 7:30 PM, and I’d love to have dinner in the diner. Will it be open that late?
From Chicago we take the Builder to Seattle, then the next day it’s the Coast Starlight down to Emeryville-Frisco. Since we’ll have a shower available in our bedroom to Chicago, and communal showers the rest of the way, what do you do about soap and towels? I have doubts that Amtrak provides this stuff, and with the overseas baggage requirements stiffened, this becomes a space issue for us. Does anyone know about this? Any help would be appreciated. I just wish we could have made it a coast-to-coast round trip, but time and budget constraints always are a big bugaboo. I think we’ll still have fun tho.
I agree. I have never eaten that late, except when leaving Chicago on the City of New Orleans, but the diners are open until late in the evening
As I recall, from our last trip, there should be a good supply of towels, washcloths, and soap in the shower room (on our last trip, we had to use Room H because my wife’s mobility problems had become worse since our previous trip, on which we had regular (formerly, deluxe) bedrooms, which were stocked with all the necessary supplies)
If you travel first class on VIA, you will be provided, in your room or section, with a bag of the necessary supplies.
The LS will be the weakest of the trains. The equipment is getting tired and I’ve found the crews among the least customer friendly on Amtrak. However, the Viewliner sleepers are the most comfortable and the upper bunk is a great spot to drop off to sleep watching the night lights zip by. They are also most luggage friendly with lots of room on top of the shower/toilet. You’ll want to check everything you can on the Builder and Starlight as there is not much extra space in the bedrooms. Crews on the Builder and Starlight really try to give you great service. If you have the time and reservations will allow, spend the night at the Issac Walton Inn in Montana. It is right next to the tracks, is a scheduled stop and there is lots of action to watch. You can pick up the next Builder on the following day. Have a great trip!
I wnat to thank everyone for thier mosy usefull information. It saves me the worry of food and stuffing towels into a bag for an overseas flight. Thanks a lot.
With regard to the Superliners out West: Sleeping cars have several different accommodations. Downstairs have a coach-wide family suite and also a handicaped room, all with their own showers/toilets. Upstairs there are both bedrooms and roomettes. The bedrooms have their own showers (with toilet facilities), whereas the roomettes do NOT have shower/toilet facilities, which are down the hall for common use. Regardless, once you reach your BEDROOM accommodation, you will find fresh towels and soap, both in the shower and separate sink, and extra supplies in a cabinet. Meal service is generally available at half-hour seatings, with reservations required for sleeping car passengers. If a train departs close to the commencement of a meal, that diner car will generally stay open for a truncated period.
I must differ with traveling engineer. Having spent several nights in handicapped bedrooms in Superliners on our last trip, I know that even though there is a washbasin and a toilet in the room, there is no shower. Also, the family room has no facilities; the users of these rooms make use of the common rooms.
“Roomettes” in Viewliners do have both toilet and washing facilities These rooms are much more cramped than the old roomettes (which you can use on VIA’s Canadian) are, though you do not have to put the berth up to use the toilet (it’s no fun to wake in the middle of the night, realize you have to use the toilet, and put the berth up first). The bedrooms in the Viewliners are comparable to those in the Superliners, and the Viewliner handicapped bedrooms do have showers.
As to meals, breakfast is usually first come, first served (We have never had to make a reservation for breakfast). Depending upon which train you are riding, lunch may be either reserved seating or first come, first served.
I apologize, “Deggesty,” for speaking without fully knowing. Thanks for your personal information regarding the handicapped and family suite facilities on the Superliners. I’ve “never been there,” except a quick look while they were unoccupied. The Amtrak website (www.amtrak.com) has some scenes of the various accommodations. Regarding Viewliner roomettes: I am told that it is somewhat unnerving to sleep with your head rather close to the head! A couple of other traveling points: 1) Be sure to use the complimentary Metropolitan Lounges (wherever available) for sleeping car passengers, Chicago’s being quite nice - calm amidst the storm of a terminal; and 2) If you are departing Chicago just before a dinner, the dining car host will often come into the Metropolitan and take dinner reservations before train departure.
travelingengineer, your apology is accepted. The family room is the only current Amtrak accommodation we have never used (the last time we traveled as a family was in 1974, from Ft. Lauderdale to Birmingham, and we had a bedroom suite (no shower, of course, back then), but it is easy to learn just what accommodations are available on the Amtrak website (www.Amtrak.com), once you figure out just where to go. Here is the specific link which shows what is available in sleeping accommodations: http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Content_C&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241267399802
Once you learn how to navigate the site, you can learn all sorts of things and do all sorts of things–even make reservations for simple trips (but you can no longer order a timetable even though you can print one); since we take advantage of the 15 day and 30 day passes, we have to call to make our reservations (we may yet take advantage of the 45 day pass).
The Lake Shore Limited certainly does serve dinner departing Albany, which it does shortly after 7 PM. In fact, the dining car crew makes sure to leave plenty of seats in the diner for “the Boston crowd,” as they call you folks.### Dinner in The Lake Shore Limited’s diner is one of the nicest experiences an Amtrak patron can enjoy. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your meal. At breakfast, even though they “don’t do” scrambled eggs, if you ask for a cheese-less omelet (as one of them advised me), viola! scrambled eggs.### As far as the crews’ friendliness, I find them no better or worse than crews elsewhere. They are, in my opinion, working hard, often for patrons who don’t know tipping etiquette. Many are friendly beyond the call of duty; I’ve seen it.### In the diner as you leave Albany, try sitting on the port side (left) of the car to get a really wonderful view of the Mohawk River for some miles.### Lastly, all Amtrak trains have lots of towels, washcloths, soap, etc. No worries about that.### Enjoy your long-awaited train trip to the max! Best wishes.
I rode the Lake Shore Limited from New York City to Chicago five years ago. The dinning car was open for a considerable distance beyond Albany, as noted in a previous post.
Last week I rode the Crescent from Washington to New Orleans. The food in the dinning car was passable, but it is nothing to write home about.
The Amtrak website has excellent diagrams and depictions of the sleeping car accommodations. Here is a link: