by train2
With all the news of diners going away on the eastern trains, I though it might be nice to get in one last meal on a diner before the end. I always enjoyed them in the past. I don't currently pay a lot of attention to Amtrak so I need some details filled in, do I understand the end date is set as Oct 1st?
My goal is to get a diner meal in without a lot of inconvenience and expense. I have no need to take an overnight trip before Oct. For someone based in the northeast the most convenient train to me is the Capitol Limited, but am I correct that that train already is providing the boxed meals. What other trains already use the boxed meals between now and the end date?
One alternative, I have always heard you could take a trip on the corridor by booking a long distance train to a point south of DC. What I would like to know is do trains such as the Crescent and Meteor actually serve dinner while still on the Corridor? How do they handle meal time during the engine changes at DC? Is the diner closed then? I know a lot of diners have inconvenient periods of time they don't serve meals. Plus how do they handle seating in the diners now? Do you need to make a reservation the moment you get on?
Could I book a trip from say NY/Newark to Alexandria and get a diner in on the Crescent of Meteor? Bail off at Alex and ride back north? Both schedules look like that would work.
Any other ways to pull this off? What type of meals are on the Cardinal?
Finally I keep reading reference to coach passengers not having access to diners. Is this the new post Oct. scenario or current? Half my diner meals I have had were as a coach passenger. Is this still possible?
My goal is to get a diner meal in without a lot of inconvenience and expense. I have no need to take an overnight trip before Oct. For someone based in the northeast the most convenient train to me is the Capitol Limited, but am I correct that that train already is providing the boxed meals. What other trains already use the boxed meals between now and the end date?
One alternative, I have always heard you could take a trip on the corridor by booking a long distance train to a point south of DC. What I would like to know is do trains such as the Crescent and Meteor actually serve dinner while still on the Corridor? How do they handle meal time during the engine changes at DC? Is the diner closed then? I know a lot of diners have inconvenient periods of time they don't serve meals. Plus how do they handle seating in the diners now? Do you need to make a reservation the moment you get on?
Could I book a trip from say NY/Newark to Alexandria and get a diner in on the Crescent of Meteor? Bail off at Alex and ride back north? Both schedules look like that would work.
Any other ways to pull this off? What type of meals are on the Cardinal?
Finally I keep reading reference to coach passengers not having access to diners. Is this the new post Oct. scenario or current? Half my diner meals I have had were as a coach passenger. Is this still possible?