Lake Shore Limited

bratkinson wrote:

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.

The only NYP-CHI options available involve the Capitol Limited and optionally via the Pennsylvanian connection at PGH. Way to go, Flyboy!

Reminds me of a recent proposal by Fred Frailey from Trains magazine:

Eliminate the Lake Shore Limited (New York/Boston to Chicago), the Silver Star (New York to Tampa/Miami) and the triweekly Cardinal (New York to Chicago), and convert the Capitol Limited to single-level equipment. Use the equipment from these discontinued trains to run the Pennsylvanian from New York and the Capitol Limited from Washington as full-service trains (probably three sleeping cars apiece) and combine them between Pittsburgh and Chicago.

Mr Anderson has nothing to do with the "new" Lakeshore. The train is being discontinued ALB to NYP do to track work on the Empire connection. If you wish to ride the Lakeshore from or to NYG it will be in a coach on a local train. There are no facilities in NYG for servicing long distance trains. For this reason they are going to re open the commissary in Albany.

I could see them doing something like that as a fill in for when the LSL isn't going to NYP, but not permanently. They could add extra cars to the Pennsylvanian for Coach passengers and have a better timed transfer in Pittsburg and throw in an Acela ride to WAS for sleeping car passengers.

The Capitol Limited will always use Superliner equipment because it provides a way to cycle cars on and off the Auto Train to where they are maintained in Chicago without deadheading. If it goes single level, then the Cardinal would be converted to Superliner equipment and cut to WAS.

Of the three East Coast to Chicago trains I don't see the LSL getting the ax. It's the fastest way from New York and it provides access to Chicago for anyone on the Hudson Line or Empire Corridor.

Can anyone tell me if the LSL diner is available for any meals from NYP to Albany? Would like to eat there one more time before it's taken off but it looks as if it leaves NYP too late for lunch, and may not serve until 5PM according to the Amtrak website.

At New Haven, Conn., the Amtrak schedule allowed 15 minutes for engine change and detaching or combining Springfield and Shore Line sections, 8 minutes if only an engine change on a New England Metroliner with no splitting or combining.
Will an Albany - Rensselaer commissary allow food service in the Cafes on Empire Service trains that only run South of there?

Trying to book BOS-CHI this summer and all the results for June, July, and August on Arrow and Amsnag are coming up as sold out. Was wondering if they're planning on running BOS-ALB with no sleeper, but ALB-CHI comes up as sold out as well. Are they only running the one Boston Sleeper car for the entire route this summer or is this a bug?

To quote an oft repeated comment by Oliver Hardy 80-90 years ago..."This is another fine mess you've gotten me into!"

I wonder how long it will be until Amtrak emails me the dreaded 'schedule change/reservations cancelled' email? Or maybe they've temporarily locked out any new reservations so they can reaccomodate passengers booked in the NYP sleepers that no longer 'exist' except as part of 448/449? The 'lock out' seems to tell me I really lucked out and got lowest bucket prices on previously high-bucket-only accomodations!

Maybe they need to add a sleeper? The NYP sleepers must be available, right?

CHI-BOS is showing sleeper availability. Hopefully it's a temporary glitch.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:

Railjunkie wrote: For this reason they are going to re open the commissary in Albany.

Mr. Junkie, while I know you reported this development in good faith, you've been around Amtrak long enough to know what they say today means they will do something else tomorrow.

Earlier in the topic and immediately captioned, paying passenger Mr. Atkinson reported it was his understanding there would be "fresh and contemporary" available to and from Boston, and presumably served in or from a VII-D. Now your caption reports that they are re opening the Albany commissary (hadn't that been with a flight service caterer in the past?). If there is foundation to the report, I would like to think this means Amtrak has come to their senses and sees the folly of handling a bunch of empty cars "over hill and dale" and that they will cut the otherwise NY cars at Albany? Or have they decided, independent of 448-449, that they best re-establish a "top off" point for the through trains offering F&B?

Enquiring mind wants to know.

Sometimes it not the next day but perhaps the next hour. An old timer once told me believe half of what you see and nothing that you hear. But...

There are no service facilities in NYG. So it sounds like Albany will be it for all trains with cafe service. Not sure how its going to happen. Its way above my pay grade. The entrance to the commissary has been locked for weeks. The contractor that re did the elevators ans such used it for storage, door was never locked. New storage spots have been made for the electric carts we use to get around the yard, always stored inside the commissary portion of the station. The TPMS clerks office has a desk and computer, for years it stood empty. Last week we had a couple of managers that came up from NYP inspecting the commissary as it currently stands.

Train sets will remain intact, havent seen nor heard of any plans for cutting or adding cafe cars at Albany this summer. Most of the work will be adding and subtracting cab cars and dual modes on through trains.

Cafe cars are where the business class passengers ride. I can tell you even without nothing extra they still sell out. 18 seats at a higher fare is better than nothing...

Railjunkie wrote: There are no service facilities in NYG. So it sounds like Albany will be it for all trains with cafe service. Not sure how its going to happen. Its way above my pay grade. The entrance to the commissary has been locked for weeks.

MNCR had a commissary for the bar cars until few years ago. Had this still been the case, could the Empire trains been serviced via MNCR's commissary?

bostontrainguy wrote:

bratkinson wrote:

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.

The only NYP-CHI options available involve the Capitol Limited and optionally via the Pennsylvanian connection at PGH. Way to go, Flyboy!

Reminds me of a recent proposal by Fred Frailey from Trains magazine:

Eliminate the Lake Shore Limited (New York/Boston to Chicago), the Silver Star (New York to Tampa/Miami) and the triweekly Cardinal (New York to Chicago), and convert the Capitol Limited to single-level equipment. Use the equipment from these discontinued trains to run the Pennsylvanian from New York and the Capitol Limited from Washington as full-service trains (probably three sleeping cars apiece) and combine them between Pittsburgh and Chicago.

That is how the Capitol and then then Broadway Limited ran in the 1980's. I took a trip Chicago - Paoli in 1985 and it was set up that way, with the trains splitting/combining in Pittsburgh. One perk was getting to ride the Capitol's dome between Chicago and Pittsburgh (which it had at that time), as the Broadway never had domes before.

jonnhrr wrote:
That is how the Capitol and then then Broadway Limited ran in the 1980's. I took a trip Chicago - Paoli in 1985 and it was set up that way, with the trains splitting/combining in Pittsburgh. One perk was getting to ride the Capitol's dome between Chicago and Pittsburgh (which it had at that time), as the Broadway never had domes before.

Another interesting "perk" back then is you rode backwards between New York and Philadelphia on the Broadway!

It occurred to me that there are no fewer than five minor league ballparks within a 1 mile walk of a Lake Shore Limited station: the Toledo Mud Hens, Erie Seawolves, Buffalo Bisons, Rochester Red Wings, and Syracuse Chiefs.

The South Bend Cubs are 2.2 miles from Amtrak, unfortunately, or it would be six. If the Pawtucket Red Sox were to move to Worcester, that could be another.

If I had the time and money I'd plan a trip hitting them all in a row and only traveling by LSL. At the very end, from NYP, I guess one could take the D/F/N/Q to the Brooklyn Cyclones, or the 1 and a ferry to the Staten Island Yankees.