Amtrak Capitol Limited Thread

[Tadman]

Check the downstairs lounge car for plugs. It was a nice trip when I went a year back. The train goes quite slow coming through Ivy City, you can get some great pics or reports for the unique sightings thread.

[SwingMan]

I have heard that as recent SSLs have been coming out of BG, they have been recieving outlets at both upper level booths and at the swivel seats. I'm not saying you're guarenteed to get a good car, but there's a very good chance you will get one.

lirr415-Peter

[Batman2]

Don't go. Really. The Capital Limited is crap. Speaking from experience, the biggest problem is that a lot of people transfer from the Empire Builder over when trying to transcontinental trips and so whenever there are delays on the Empire Builder Amtrak has to decide whether to delay the Capital Limited or put the transfers up in a hotel for the night. The choice is usually very easy for Amtrak, from what I understand. 3 hours sitting on the platform at Chicago Union Station says it all.

My opinion is that if you really don't want to waste the money, get off early and drive the rest of the way. Pittsburgh is pretty decent.

[mtuandrew]

The Capital Limited IS crap for timekeeping, yes, but it seems to generally be the fault of CSX and NS. The Empire Builder generally keeps excellent time over the BNSF and CP, and more often is the one being held by the Cap in Chicago than the one holding the Cap.

None of the eastern LDs are spectacular for timekeeping - it really depends on how kind CSX and NS are feeling.

[pablo]

In the interest of full disclosure, I will be leaving from Pittsburgh and traveling to Washington from there. I understand the lateness and all of that, which is why I don't have planned for anything until almost eight hours after the train gets in to D.C.

I have been thinking that its departure time from D.C. on the return leg should be more or less as advertised, since the train originates from there. Any thoughts to the contray are most welcome. In any case, we'll still be taking it, and since it departs late, we'll have a bedroom on the way back.

Dave Becker

[station122]

Planning a trip from Trenton, NJ (TRE) To Chicago - Union Station, IL (CHI) later this year and noted that the on-line menu shows all #29 Capitol Limited trains are sold out.
Just thought I'd ask here before calling................
Thanks in advance for any help.

[tomfuller]

Try booking WAS to CHI. I just checked it that way for Aug 29 and it worked fine, not sold out. You have many options for the train from Trenton to Washington.

[pablo]

As the trip gets closer, I'd like to know if anyone knows what the OTP is for the Capitol Limited departing from Pittsburgh East to D.C.

I've looked online in a lot of places, and I don't see perfromance in specific places.

Thanks in advance!

Dave Becker

[Jersey_Mike]

I routinely ride the Cap and is it usually no more than 15 down at PGH and an hour down at WAS. The B&O mainline over the Alleghenies is so slow that even if you're behind a freight train you won't notice the difference. I had a chance to talk with the operator at HANCOCK tower before it closed and he said that in the morning there isn't much running eastbound on the B&O except the Cap. Usually delays are in the form of a death by a thousand cuts by which I mean restrictions due to poor CSX MoW.

I love the Cap because you get a nice reverse view out the back from which you can take pictures of the CPLs. It's actually better for the CAP to be late as you can document the last remaining CPL's on the Keystone Sub starting at SINNS interlocking. As long as the Dinner Lite is in effect on the LSL there is really no other choice to/from Chicago unless you want to transfer to the Pennsylvanian in PGH.

[jobtraklite]

As the trip gets closer, I'd like to know if anyone knows what the OTP is for the Capitol Limited departing from Pittsburgh East to D.C.

I've looked online in a lot of places, and I don't see perfromance in specific places.
Dave Becker

Check out http://www.amtrakdelays.com/

[jp1822]

I routinely ride the Cap and is it usually no more than 15 down at PGH and an hour down at WAS. The B&O mainline over the Alleghenies is so slow that even if you're behind a freight train you won't notice the difference. I had a chance to talk with the operator at HANCOCK tower before it closed and he said that in the morning there isn't much running eastbound on the B&O except the Cap. Usually delays are in the form of a death by a thousand cuts by which I mean restrictions due to poor CSX MoW.

I love the Cap because you get a nice reverse view out the back from which you can take pictures of the CPLs. It's actually better for the CAP to be late as you can document the last remaining CPL's on the Keystone Sub starting at SINNS interlocking. As long as the Dinner Lite is in effect on the LSL there is really no other choice to/from Chicago unless you want to transfer to the Pennsylvanian in PGH.

It seems every year (except perhaps this one) that CSX has been doing track work on the former B&O railroad portion that the Capitol Limited traverses. I've been on the Capitol Limited many times when we were "delayed" due to CSX track work between Pittsburgh and Martinsburg.

In terms of OTP for the Capitol Limited, or how OTP will be for your trip, it's "luck of the draw" for the most part. I mean anything could happen to delay the train - beyond the norm. In the past month we've see the NYP-Albany corridor shutdown unexpectedly (i.e. derailment around Poughkeepsie and then the recent flooding). Not trying to be negative on the subject, but you just have to "hope for the best" and take all in stride with train travel.

[pablo]

Less than 12 hours before departure. Let me know if anyone wants to know anything as we go.

Dave Becker

[pablo]

Arrived at the station at 5:20 for a 5:45 departure.

Upon arrival, the sign says a 5:30 departure.

Train's late, and won't arrive until 6:00.

Dave Becker

[pablo]

Out of Pittsburgh easily, and out we go.

At least one intermodal seems to have been held for us; lights were on, and it was sitting just outside of the station when we departed.

Lots of little switchers all over the place, most notably the Union Railroad's many pups.

I needed to eat or I was going to eat my fist, so the wife and I had western omelets. Not too shabby.

Two hours' power left on the laptop and not an outlet in sight, save for the lounge car...whose outlets are already spoken for.

Dave Becker

[SwingMan]

Well your trip is probably almost over, but if the row of seats by the stairs was untaken, there's one there.