Alphaboi wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:20 pmEven with the recent change in dining options and F&B service in general “East of the Mississippi” for single overnight LD trains, I’d still book the Capitol Limited. I find the Superliner equipment to be superior than the single level/Viewliner equipment. More “bedrooms” available for booking on the Capitol Limited. The Cross Country Cafe car becomes exclusive use to sleeper car passenger (Sleeper Lounge as they now call it). This is also where you get your meals. The Superliner equipment just has a more “open” feel to it. You also can meander into the Superliner Sightseer Lounge car, in addition to your own “Sleeper Lounge.” The concept of the Sleeper Lounge reminds me more of the old Starlight Pacific Parlor Car on the Capitol Limited. Lake Shore and Capitol are both the busier trains. Cardinal just takes forever and the recent F&B service now offered on the Cardinal is even more of a downgrade of what this train used to have with its Diner Lite program. And with the longer train route, your enduring the same meal options more frequently. Scenery is definitely worth it on the Cardinal, but wait till Amtrak comes to its senses and put the Viewliner Diner on the route - like on the Lake Shore Limited (Viewliner Diner = Sleeper Lounge). Cardinal doesn’t get a Viewliner Diner for some ridiculous reason, in my opinion. The Capitol Limited has a shorter run time, and gets out of Chicago at 6:30 pm - more civilized than the 9:30 pm Lake Shore. No dinner on the Lake Shore - just breakfast and lunch and a horrible arrival time into NYP. If connecting to another train, you have to grab dinner in NYP Station, or the connecting train’s cafe car. On the Capitol Limited you get dinner and an extended breakfast the next morning heading eastbound. If the train is running late into DC, consider buying a sandwich before boarding in Chicago or grab something from the Sightseer Lounge/Cafe before they run out of food.danib62 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2019 3:53 pm Booked a trip from CHI-WAS in September. This will be my first trip on an Amtrak sleeper. Are the rooms assigned? How early do they let you board in CHI?Danib62, I'm very curious to know how your trip went? I'm thinking of finally taking my first sleeper trip this summer (August) and I'm leaning toward the Capital Limited (over the Cardinal or Lakeshore Limited). If I take the Capital Limited it'll be Eastbound. I'll have to train to Philadelphia followed by a Thruway Motor Coach to get home (vs Cardinal/Lakeshore followed by a bus), but it'd be in a Superliner vs a Viewliner.
Lake Shore Limited was always my preferred train to Chicago, but in the past 15 years or so, I’ve opted for the Capitol Limited. Largely due to the schedule and the fact that the Capitol Limited had a better dining program over the Lake Shore, prior to the box meals etc.
Good Luck!
