Lake Shore Limited

[MIGN-Todd]

My wife and some of her friends are heading out to New York for a reunion and I talked them into talking Amtrak . Has anyone out there ever taken the Lake Shore Limited? I'm not too concerned about the power but are they running Superliner cars? Is the food decent- the views- the trip in general? Any answers would be most welcome as I want them to have a compfy trip- Thanks in advance.

[esprrfan]

Spend the money for the sleeper on whichever train remember that price includes your meals and all the bottled water or juice you want. more comfortable too. Plus there are different price ranges too depending on the room size you want. Coach can be done but people getting on/off wakes you all night.

[Fred]

Have ridden it many times. Like said already, book the sleeper. The sooner you book it, cheaper it is. Price is high but like said, it includes your meals (which could add up otherwise). Lakeshore operates with Viewliner equipment. Runs along Hudson River in NY, good scenery. Only way to travel if time & money no problem.

[SD80MAC]

I did coach overnight on the California Zephyr (CHI-DEN and return) and I would NEVER do it again. Spend the extra and get a sleeper, sooooo much better!

[railohio]

I've done countless overnight trips on Amtrak in coach and never had a significant problem. First class is nice, but at about $300 a night each way it's not really worth it, even if they do throw in a $25 steak dinner.

[Jochs]

Of course you know this train runs through Northern IN and OH, and does not run thru Michigan...unless NS has a li'l boo-boo.

[MIGN-Todd]

Thanks everyone. I know it doesn't go thru Michigan- They are going to drive down to Indiana and catch it there.

[Ypsi]

I road coach last summer, I only was able to sleep for less than three hours... But it was still fun. If I did it again I would go sleeper.

[Raildudes dad]

You said you wanted them to be comfy - then they should book a sleeper. They can look at the folks in coach and decide if they want to try that next time. I'm afraid they go coach first, it will be their last trip on Amtrak.

[Stinger4me]

We rode the train in 2002. We chose to board the train in Bryan, OH. It was 1 hour and 15 minutes late. It appeared folks who got on at each station were really slow about finding seats, you could only choose the empty ones. The trip was nice and breakfast was good. We did not have sleeping accommodations and I am not sure if Business Class was an option for us. Returning from NYC, we had to travel to Springfield, MA and changes trains there. IT was an OK trip. IT was much better than my last airline experience in March. Riding in a boxcar would beat flying Delta Airlines. Enjoy the trip.

[CSX_CO]

It appeared folks who got on at each station were really slow about finding seats, you could only choose the empty ones.

You mean the people already seated didn't want you sitting on their lap? What a bunch of prudes.

Practice Safe CSX

[esprrfan]

Also another "perk" of the sleeper is in bigger stations your sleeper ticket gets you into private waiting areas with free soda and snacks, if you feel like walking around you also get the use of a free luggage locker.

[GP30M4216]

I arrived on 449-04 at Toledo, OH two mornings ago from Springfield, MA. That was my 6th trip on the Lake Shore since last summer, always on the Boston segment. I haven't taken the New York-Albany leg, but it's a unified train from Albany westward, which as of late has been numbering 13 cars:

B 1 Baggage
B 1 Viewliner Sleeper
B 2 Amfleet II coaches
B 1 Amfleet full Cafe
N 4 Amfleet II coaches
N 1 Heritage Diner
N 2 Viewliner sleepers
N 1 Baggage
B = Boston segment, N = New York segment

I've ridden coach every time, but it's all I can afford. I've never spent a night in a Viewliner sleeper but I've been lucky enough to go in a Superliner sleeper before. To echo the others, if you can afford to do so, book a sleeper.

I've found the food in the full Diner to be very good. Dining service seems to depend on the crew....the one I had just a day ago was stellar....but others I've had in the past have been less courteous and fast. Not rude, just not as courteous. Heritage Diners are the norm and they're interesting to ride in with their tall ceilings and varied decor. The one I was just on was 8531, a former CB&Q car with interior posters of the 20th Century Limited, North Coast Ltd., and Floridian, all steam-era. Others I've been in have been more plain. Dinner in the diner is always the highlight of my trip.

The scenery going east is probably more scenic unless you're a railfan (inwhich case the steel mills and yards of NW Indiana are pretty scenic too!). The sun comes up before Erie, PA in the summer and is up the rest of the journey. Vineyards in PA, the Erie Canal and mountains across New York, and the Hudson River are all beautiful.

Boarding at Toledo, Elkhart or South Bend will get you a real station building to wait in. SB and Toledo also both have checked baggage. Waterloo and Bryan each have a different type of shack for passengers. New York Penn has a ClubAcela, which is where sleeping car passengers can wait before and after their journey.

Hope this helps.....if you have more specific questions, please ask.

[gtw5812]

Thanks everyone. I know it doesn't go thru Michigan- They are going to drive down to Indiana and catch it there.

If you are US Army retired, book it for them, book it early as well. I am currently active duty, and prices drop significantly.

R/
Galen

[MIGN-Todd]

Thanks again everyone... my wife is pretty geared up about the trip. I would be too if I were going but I hate New York.

[esprrfan]

If you go sleeper too you can take along like a bottle of wine or such too

[Robert MacDowell]

I have taken it many times. It's a perfectly comfortable ride, and the scenery is good. Along the Mohawk you see lots of pretty country and tremendous canal works. You aren't "right next to a freeway the whole way" like some routes. South of Albany it is every bit the equal of the Starlight or Zephyr, you are down in the Hudson River canyon moving 110 mph, with numerous high bridges, stack trains on the other shore, and West Point high above the bluffs.

They used to have a second-class sleeper called Slumbercoach which was affordable and simple. They were just running the last miles off old New York Central equipment and they did not replace them. Now I usually ride coach, and have on dozens of trips. First class sleeper is VERY nice, the difference is like night and day.

Sleepers sleep 2 and are charged by the room NOT the person. Therefore they are much more economical for couples than singles. You recover the cost of all meals and the trouble of bringing food/worrying about it etc.

Sleeping is a pain, but the problem isn't the coach seat, but simply that it is unfamiliar. Same problem as the family that buys a house near a busy railroad, the first night they are woken up by every train, cursing what they were thinking buying a house near the tracks, and fearing they'll never sleep again as long as they live. By night 3, they sleep like a baby and the trains never bother them again. The trouble with train travel is "night 3" never happens. So no, they will not arrive rested, fact of life.

The food is perfectly nice. You've not had dinner in the diner? Nothing could be finer. Applebees quality and pricing but it's really a bit better. If you are boarding in Indiana don't count on the diner still being open.

The alternative is the "AmCafe" which you surely know about. It's chips, sodas, and microwave burgers and pizza. Quality and pricing like 7-11, yuck. Hours are also like 7-11, the guy takes 30 minute breaks for his meals.

Of course you know to brace them for the possibility of being quite late. Some travelers absolutely go insane at the thought of this but it's a reality of travel on a train that takes 20 hours to run. If the French TGV had 20-hour runs, lots of them would be late too.