Lake Shore Limited

I'll be on Amtrak an awful lot the next couple of months, just coincidentally (including on 85 later today). But I generally ride ~1/mo and have not really noticed the cafe menu changing much/any. I'm vegetarian, though, so maybe things I'm not ordering are changing.

I wonder what everyone who seems to like with this change will do with that extra $1.85 or whatever of Amtrak subsidy that they won't have to fund some time in the future from their taxes. I hope it's a nice bag of chips you're getting.

Hey, you get to bring what you want on with you, and TSA is not there to make you throw it away.

If they let you use the microwave.......

They do not let you use the microwave. Fridge neither.

farecard wrote:Hey, you get to bring what you want on with you, and TSA is not there to make you throw it away.

If they let you use the microwave.......

That would be a no no. FDA regs.

What FDA regulation prohibits you using the microwave? They allow you to use a microwave at work, so why not on a train?

Would a restaurant let you use their fridge or microwave for your own food? And no, the Vodka induced make-your-own Waffle House hangover breakfast while the employees are asleep doesn’t count.

I've stayed in hotels where the lounge allows you to use the microwave. Just stick a "customer" microwave in the diner-turned-lounge. The lounge attendant would have to maybe wipe it down a few times over the course the trip.

The Government has not yet cracked down on 7-11 convenience stores with microwave ovens for customers to use to heat frozen purchases.

You must remember its a place of business. The microwaves and the ovens are there for the LSA to heat up food PURCHASED on the train. Its not for communal use, even crew members are not supposed to use it. Same for the coolers its there to store AMTRAK product not for random passenger or crew use. When I was behind the counter it was my car and I was accountable for all stock. Come up short, its coming out of my pocket.

As stated above what do you think would happen if you strolled into a restaurant and said, could ya keep this cold for me and Ill be back around dinner time so you can heat it up. The answer would sound something like get the @#$% outta here.

Its Amtrak rules and the FDA. Same can be said with no shirt no shoes no service. One last thing if your traveling with a small child please dont put them on the counter. Its where the food is served. These cars are randomly inspected by the FDA and you best have your ice scoop, a stem thermometer, a bottle of sanitizer, a product your using to check the temps of the cold food.

Manual A dated February 1 1992

Rule C. Passenger Policies

2, Refrigeration requests

a. Passenger Medication: Ice maybe supplied but meds cannot be stored inside coolers
b. Infant Formula: Infant formula may be heated upon request, not to be stored in coolers
c. Passengers Food & Beverage: Food or beverage items brought on board by passengers may not be heated or refrigerated. Ice may be supplied only in the
case of special dietary problems.

General Rules

12. Employees may not use the Amtrak food service equipment for storage, refrigeration, freezing, or cooking personal food items. Exceptions MUST be
authorized in writing by the district manager or regional director.

Some of this book most likely has been updated but Ill bet the above hasnt changed.

Can you imagine how gross a shared microwave would be on a train? I've seen office microwaves in rough shape, now throw in a bunch of people that don't have to get along for more than 12 hours together... woof.

You could always bring your own microwave; they do have outlets!

Railjunkie wrote:As stated above what do you think would happen if you strolled into a restaurant and said, could ya keep this cold for me and Ill be back around dinner time so you can heat it up. The answer would sound something like get the @#$% outta here..

Mr. Junkie, off topic and off rails, but related to your comment, some restaurants, even if they have a liquor license will allow a customer to "bring their own". I've done it in the past with "a special bottle and a special occasion". I have had no objection whatever if a "corkage fee" is added to the check, so long as the wine is properly chilled, presented, and served. Anywhere between $10 and $20 for such I think is fair and to which tax and tip will be added.

Looks like the Lake Shore schedule will be 30 minutes shorter westbound this summer leaving Boston at 1:20 PM, but no change eastbound.

bostontrainguy wrote:Looks like the Lake Shore schedule will be 30 minutes shorter westbound this summer leaving Boston at 1:20 PM, but no change eastbound.

Since there will no longer be a #48/49 to combine with/separate from at ALB, the 30 minutes 'lost' for their slowpoke train split/new power will no longer be necessary. It still gives them a 30-minute schedule padding at ALB. Why do I say 'slowpoke'? Back in the good old days, as recently as 2000, the same split/new power at NHV was usually done and both trains gone in 15-20 minutes. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as Amtrak has YET to update the online timetable for the Lakeshore showing no NY section.

Earlier today, I booked an SPG-CHI round trip for July. I usually take 449 coach to ALB then to a NYC sleeper at ALB...it usually saves some bucks. Interestingly, Amsnag doesn't even OFFER train 48 or 49 CHI-ALB! I checked the Amtrak.com website and yes, they are GONE as of 5/24 (last departure of #48/49 each way). After that, it's #448/449 only. Even 'playing' with Amtrak.com doesn't even offer an Empire Service train NYP-ALB to connect to the Lakeshore after 5/24! The only NYP-CHI options available involve the Capitol Limited and optionally via the Pennsylvanian connection at PGH. Way to go, Flyboy! The large number of New Yorkers that board between NYP and POU are now 'on their own' to figure out how to connect to the new, 'improved' Lakeshore Ltd at ALB.

I'm mildly surprised that Amtrak didn't 'cancel' #48/49 for post-5/24 reservations sooner. I've been using Amsnag for a couple of weeks to find the best price and it always showed the #48/49 'connection' until maybe last night, or the night before. I didn't like the exorbitant prices for a sleeper so I kept on checking. Today, I found only #448/449.

That's the bad news. The good news is that it appears the NY sleepers and, presumably, the 'new' cold-dinner/first class lounge car as well as the NYP coaches are all going on 448/449. I'm booked in the 4920 car going and 4821 returning (the 20-cars are Boston section, 10-cars for New York). So there's at least 2 sleepers in the next expanded Boston-only Lakeshore Ltd. As they are 'new' line numbers for those trains, almost all the roomettes must have been empty this morning when I first checked at with only a couple of exceptions, all of June and all of July were at the lowest bucket fare, $334 each way. Late this afternoon, most of those low buckets were gone so I snapped one up! My guess is that Amtrak sent an email to all passengers in NY section sleepers after 5/24 and told them to contact Amtrak to revise their itinerary. One would think they would have been automatically rebooked in the 'new' 20 & 21-car and the customer contacted. Amtrak did one of those on my a couple years ago when they had some kind of schedule adjustment on #49 and it cancelled my reservation and forced me to contact Amtrak to 'get it back'. Good thing I acted quickly, as that was the first leg of a 3-trains each way trip! They only cancelled the #49 segment, but that would have ultimately wiped out the entire reservation had I not called back.

So, I guess my persistence paid off. I got a great price for a summer trip to the Windy City. The bad news is they didn't drop the price to reflect the much less costly 'Alpo Salad Bowl' or whatever they want to call the new meals. Hopefully, they will be as tasty and nutritionally balanced as the cold diner I had in my room on #28 out of PDX a couple weeks ago. I was tempted to going to the lounge car and getting something hot after eating most of the cold TV-dinner-style meal.

EDIT: I just read on another site that one CAN book New York City to Chicago, but have to use the Grand Central code, NYG rather than NYP to get the Lakeshore Ltd via Empire Corridor train connection. So now, Mr/Ms 'average rail passenger' is forced to figure out on their own to use NYG rather than NYP to book.

Is Amtrak THAT illiterate? There should at least be a popup notice when someone tries to book NYP-CHI that NYC-CHI is the way to get to the Lakeshore!

On the weekends of July 28-29 and August 4-5 2018, track east of Beacon Park Boston will be closed for a bridge replacement project. This is similar to the work done last year. Haven´t read what Amtrak plans to do. This is quite a chokepoint where I-90 (Ma$$achusetts Turnpike), Commuter Rail tracks, trolley tracks and busy roads come together.

Mentioned in viewtopic.php?f=65&t=165150#p1471831

nomis wrote:...
http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/ ... ement.aspx

MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line & Amtrak's Lakeshore Limited Line

• Service impacts for two weekends: July 28-29 and August 4-5.
  Service will be maintained during weekdays....