Lake Shore Limited dining car status

Hi folks,

My wife and I are taking the Lake Shore Limited 449/49 from Boston to Chicago next week. This is our first time on this train. We love traveling by Amtrak. One of our favorite parts is dining in the dining cars. I am posting here to inquire about the dining car (or lack thereof) on 49. Some sources seem to indicate this train is not currently carrying a dining car, or at least not a full diner. Some call it "diner-lite". Can anyone tell me what the current practice is? It would be too bad if there is not a pleasant sit-down meal on this train. Thanks!

Alan in Maine

LSL has been using an Amfleet II recently, on both NYP and BOS spurs. The BOS spur you'll be riding has an Amfleet II, with cold meals for sleepers. The "diner lite" program on board Amfleet IIs has a selection of meals, as posted on the menus, but with the lack of a full kitchen, all items are frozen and ready to heat in the oven.

Meteor and Crescent have full service diners.

Believe 48/49 are still "Diner Lite" for now. Maybe in the next batch or 2 of View II Diners are cut loose from CAF,then the Lake Shore
will get Full Diners.
Believe the Silver Meteor and the "Silver Starvation" are next for the View II Diners.

Hate to disappoint you, but my recent trip to Chicago and back on the LSL presented me with some of the absolute worst meals I've had on Amtrak.
Ok, dinner was adequate, but the "omelettes" for breakfast were horrible. I should have eaten in the cafe car for breakfast.

I can't wait until real diners come back.

To their credit, with the LSL's Diner Lite they're at least trying to offer as much of the normal menu as they can. So it's a step up from the Cardinal (and worlds above the Star). I'm guessing we'll see diners back on the LSL after the 12th new diner is accepted, a few months after the last heritage diner has rolled off into the sunset...

As posted the lake Shore has a limited menu due to it's lack of a full kitchen, the menu is more complete than the Cardinal, or the lowest of low, The City of New Orleans.

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/1/7/Lake-S ... u-0517.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One big issue with the "heat and eat" menu is that sodium counts are through the roof, as someone who has to watch sodium content like a hawk, most of this menu is off limits.

Ken

We have no idea what the status of the new dinning car deliveries or the present Heritage diners demise. When you don't know when either end will happen how can we do anything but speculate on what services and when. The only thing certain is when at least 18 new diners are fully certified and operating will the single level trains all have new diners. The person who can get a date certain on that happening needs to get a job somewhere else due to his predictive abilities.

hs3730 wrote:To their credit, with the LSL's Diner Lite they're at least trying to offer as much of the normal menu as they can. So it's a step up from the Cardinal (and worlds above the Star). I'm guessing we'll see diners back on the LSL after the 12th new diner is accepted, a few months after the last heritage diner has rolled off into the sunset...

The only problem is what happens if the Heritage diners roll of into the sunset BEFORE enough new diners are accepted.

ThirdRail7 wrote:

hs3730 wrote:To their credit, with the LSL's Diner Lite they're at least trying to offer as much of the normal menu as they can. So it's a step up from the Cardinal (and worlds above the Star). I'm guessing we'll see diners back on the LSL after the 12th new diner is accepted, a few months after the last heritage diner has rolled off into the sunset...

The only problem is what happens if the Heritage diners roll of into the sunset BEFORE enough new diners are accepted.

Are some of the Heritage diners approaching dates for major required maintenance, or are problems just mounting on (nearly) seventy year old railcars?

OrangeGrove wrote:
Are some of the Heritage diners approaching dates for major required maintenance, or are problems just mounting on (nearly) seventy year old railcars?

Both!!

I have to report that on yesterday's trip on the Lake Shore Limited, my breakfast experience in the "diner-lite" was a world of a difference from my prior experience several months ago. The omelette then was best described as warm yellow plastic. I described it as such to my wife who this time around went for the Continental breakfast option.
Since that didn't appeal to me, I risked the omelette again and this time it was well prepared and actually quite good.

That said, still can't wait for the new dining cars!

Very good to know, Greg (I'm on 449 this Saturday).

Based on your earlier report, I had been sort-of dreading my wife's reaction to the food.

Perhaps a more general question: we'll be traveling with my almost-two-year-old (we're in a bedroom, and he's already a bit of a train (and anything else that qualifies as a thing that goes) nut), who's completely eating solid foods. He's under 2, so he's traveling free, but does he get meals in the diner[-lite]?

The May MPR shows Beech has worked on 3 Heritage diners with 1 to go. Did not say overhaul but evidently more than what MIA could do ( maybe the final punch list on the new diners ) the remaining car is being worked on at New Orleans.

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/467/804/Am ... y-2017.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

leviramsey wrote:Very good to know, Greg (I'm on 449 this Saturday).

Based on your earlier report, I had been sort-of dreading my wife's reaction to the food.

Perhaps a more general question: we'll be traveling with my almost-two-year-old (we're in a bedroom, and he's already a bit of a train (and anything else that qualifies as a thing that goes) nut), who's completely eating solid foods. He's under 2, so he's traveling free, but does he get meals in the diner[-lite]?

Good luck on the food.

I believe as long as you're in a bedroom, you all get a meal.

My wife, son, and I are taking the LSL from Boston to Chicago in August and I had a couple of questions relating to the dining car, since my last overnight trip on Amtrak was in 1985, things might have changed a little since then:

1) How does a passenger identify to the dining car crew that they are sleeping car passengers - are we given coupons for meals, or do we just show our tickets?

2) I assume that anything on the menu is "free" other than alcohol of course?

3) Are there seatings for meals, or do you just show up when you feel like eating?

Jon