Chicago-Boston direct service

[Trogdor]

I'm told from a source within Amtrak that starting with the new timetable (October 27), Amtrak will restore through coach and sleeper service to Boston on the Lake Shore Limited.

No further details at this time.

 

[dan72]

Given there is a chance I may get to head to Boston this summer again, that would be great news. I was not that crazy about leaving my rommette to be put into a an Amfleet I car - especially when the Business Class car was nowhere to be found. Keep us posted if you hear any thing else.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Are they going to handle this by taking one of the existing sleepers and not sending it to NYP? It seems like dealing with car / room assignments has the potential to be messy if they do this with less than 11 months notice to the reservation department.

Also, what are they doing about the alleged problem with the plumbing freezing?

Leaving a roomette to go to an AMF I has got to be better than leaving a roomette to transfer to a bus, as I did several months ago.

 

[Hamhock]

I read in some Amtrak publication that they were replacing the copper pipe plumbing with a high-grade plastic that could handle a wider temperature range without freezing/etc. They were starting with Superliners, but definitely were going to be doing the same with Viewliners at some point.

 

[frj1983]

I'm told from a source within Amtrak that starting with the new timetable (October 27), Amtrak will restore through coach and sleeper service to Boston on the Lake Shore Limited.
No further details at this time.

While this sounds like an interesting idea,

I wonder about how this will be accomplished...probably switching out the cars at Albany?

How much time would this add to the schedule? I'm not in favor of it if it adds more than an hour.

The neater thing in my mind (and I'll admit it's sometimes a little fuzzy), would be to have a dedicated train from Chicago to Boston. Yes, I know, dream on, and where's the equipment going to come from and all that...................

 

[x-press]

Would be nice . . . but just as cool (to me):

This COULD pave the way for restoration of sleeper service on one of my very favorite trains of all time: 66/67 (formerly known as Federal, Twilight Shoreliner, Night Owl). I'm told one of the main reasons this was discontinued was the removal of the Boston-Chicago sleeper service, which allowed them to rotate the viewliner into maintenance facilities.

Yes, Amtrak did not and does not have viewliners to spare, but at least it's in the realm of possibility (if true).

 

[Rafi]

Would be nice . . . but just as cool (to me):
This COULD pave the way for restoration of sleeper service on one of my very favorite trains of all time: 66/67 (formerly known as Federal, Twilight Shoreliner, Night Owl). I'm told one of the main reasons this was discontinued was the removal of the Boston-Chicago sleeper service, which allowed them to rotate the viewliner into maintenance facilities.

Yes, Amtrak did not and does not have viewliners to spare, but at least it's in the realm of possibility (if true).

Interestingly, when you go and attempt to book a reservation BOS-CHI, say on Dec 2, you get the option of a COACH-ONLY 449 train, but it's listing 449 for the WHOLE TRIP (not booking 449 BOS-ALB and then 49 ALB-CHI), suggesting that at least the coaches are going to be combined.

Here's what booking BOS-CHI gives you before the timetable change:

And here's what booking BOS-CHI gives you after the timetable change:

If the sleepers do show up, I agree... this could be paving the way to getting the sleeper back on 66/67, which is something Kummant seemed to think was a very good idea when I spoke with him during the summer (he liked the idea of marketing it to business travelers who want to save on hotels when traveling between BOS, NY, DC, and Richmond). If rmadison's got good sources on this, I'm not sure where they're getting the Viewliners, unless they're pulling them off of one of the Silvers for the winter, and instead allocating them to the 48/49 between NYP and ALB, they're allocating them over to Boston instead. Of course this scenario begs the question of what will happen in the spring when the Silvers need those Viewliners back! Of course this is all speculation at the moment. I'll see if I can dig anything up, though.

Rafi

UPDATE!!

Just pulled some strings and confirmed with NARP that effective of the next timetable, the Coaches AND SLEEPERS are running BOS-Chicago. Sleepers haven't been loaded into the system yet, which is why you can't book them, but they should be there in a day or two. NARP isn't sure where the Viewliners are coming from yet, but they're working on it. Haven't heard anything about the Viewliners interchanging with 66/67.

 

[printman2000]

I can't believe they would even bother switching a coach over from 48 to 448. I am not even convinced swithing a sleeper over makes a whole lot of sense. Seems the money could better be spent other places, like bringing back a DINING CAR to 48 & 49.

 

[Rafi]

I can't believe they would even bother switching a coach over from 48 to 448. I am not even convinced swithing a sleeper over makes a whole lot of sense. Seems the money could better be spent other places, like bringing back a DINING CAR to 48 & 49.

I'm actually very glad to see the return, assuming the Albany switching crew can keep to the timetable (maybe the Great Dome on the Adirondack was a second chance test for them?).

I really don't think that keeping the sleeper/coach combine off of the Lake Shore has much affect on Amtrak's ability to accelerate the repairs to the heritage diners. In fact, it's pretty much a completely separate matter.

Rafi

 

[saxman]

Amtrak had been splitting the train for long time with sleepers. I remember having a sleeper booked from Springfield to Chicago back in '04 and they called and said we would have to ride on the coach stub train to ALB as they were temporarily removing the through cars. Turned out to be more permanent. Glad to see Boston is actually getting a long distance train back.

 

[fizzball]

UPDATE!!Just pulled some strings and confirmed with NARP that effective of the next timetable, the Coaches AND SLEEPERS are running BOS-Chicago. Sleepers haven't been loaded into the system yet, which is why you can't book them, but they should be there in a day or two. NARP isn't sure where the Viewliners are coming from yet, but they're working on it. Haven't heard anything about the Viewliners interchanging with 66/67.

So is this going to change things already booked beyond that 10/27 date? Our T'giving trip is on the LSL, and having the sleeper the whole way would be rockin' like Dokken.

 

[had8ley]

Read where the money had been allotted for the new track in Albany station. Anybody know if it has been laid yet? This might help in switching/breaking up # 48 & 49 into #448 & 449.

 

[x-press]

If the sleepers do show up, I agree... this could be paving the way to getting the sleeper back on 66/67, which is something Kummant seemed to think was a very good idea when I spoke with him during the summer (he liked the idea of marketing it to business travelers who want to save on hotels when traveling between BOS, NY, DC, and Richmond) . . . Haven't heard anything about the Viewliners interchanging with 66/67.

Even the "corridors now, corridors forever" crowd might be able to re-program themselves just enough to tolerate the 66/67 sleeper. It could be a very lucrative service for Amtrak. I would use it regularly on my Boston, and maybe even New York trips southbound . . . and, while I may not want Amtrak to know this, I would NOT be in penny-pinching mode, considering the alternative of a $400/night hotel room in either of those two markets.

I'm not convinced they would start it up this schedule change . . . but think "baby steps!"

 

[printman2000]

I can't believe they would even bother switching a coach over from 48 to 448. I am not even convinced swithing a sleeper over makes a whole lot of sense. Seems the money could better be spent other places, like bringing back a DINING CAR to 48 & 49.

I'm actually very glad to see the return, assuming the Albany switching crew can keep to the timetable (maybe the Great Dome on the Adirondack was a second chance test for them?).

I really don't think that keeping the sleeper/coach combine off of the Lake Shore has much affect on Amtrak's ability to accelerate the repairs to the heritage diners. In fact, it's pretty much a completely separate matter.

Rafi

Well, I assume they went from splitting up 48 in albany to a stub train to save money. If that is true, then going back to that would cost more money than it currently does. That was my reasoning behind the money issue. I would rather them spend the money elsewhere.

I did this chi-bos trip last summer (roundtrip) in sleeper and going to the stub train was no big deal and perfectly acceptable.

 

[MrFSS]

With the sleeper restored, what do they do about meals for the sleeper passengers. Are they on that part of the train when meals are scheduled to be served?

 

[TimePeace]

Wow - I'm already booked for those trains on Nov. 6-7 with a roomette - I wonder if I'll get to keep my roomette all the way to Boston, and wonder if I'll get dinner also? Any ideas?

Thanks,

David

 

[had8ley]

With the sleeper restored, what do they do about meals for the sleeper passengers. Are they on that part of the train when meals are scheduled to be served?

Meals would be in the lounge car between Boston and Albany. It used to ride the hind end of #49 and the sleeper was on the head end so you'll get a little exercise getting a hot dog or whatever you desire for your meal.

 

[nr272]

Sorry if this has been addressed already, but does this mean the Boston and New York sections will not combine in Albany, or just that you don't have to leave the train?

 

[MrFSS]

Sorry if this has been addressed already, but does this mean the Boston and New York sections will not combine in Albany, or just that you don't have to leave the train?

They'll combine, you won't have to leave the train.

 

[Hamhock]

Wait, does this mean that the train would have 2 lounges once it was connected in Albany? Because I could definitely get used to having a separate lounge for sleeper cars.

 

[AlanB]

Read where the money had been allotted for the new track in Albany station. Anybody know if it has been laid yet? This might help in switching/breaking up # 48 & 49 into #448 & 449.

I haven't heard or seen any reports that would indicate that they've started laying track.

However I'll know in just about two weeks if anything is being done.

 

[ralfp]

I'm actually very glad to see the return, assuming the Albany switching crew can keep to the timetable (maybe the Great Dome on the Adirondack was a second chance test for them?).

They already switch the engines (the engines from 48 attach to 448). Does it take any longer to switch the engines + a car or two?

 

[AlanB]

I can't believe they would even bother switching a coach over from 48 to 448. I am not even convinced swithing a sleeper over makes a whole lot of sense. Seems the money could better be spent other places, like bringing back a DINING CAR to 48 & 49.

I'm actually very glad to see the return, assuming the Albany switching crew can keep to the timetable (maybe the Great Dome on the Adirondack was a second chance test for them?).

I really don't think that keeping the sleeper/coach combine off of the Lake Shore has much affect on Amtrak's ability to accelerate the repairs to the heritage diners. In fact, it's pretty much a completely separate matter.

Rafi

Well, I assume they went from splitting up 48 in albany to a stub train to save money. If that is true, then going back to that would cost more money than it currently does. That was my reasoning behind the money issue. I would rather them spend the money elsewhere.

I did this chi-bos trip last summer (roundtrip) in sleeper and going to the stub train was no big deal and perfectly acceptable.

They stopped splitting the train more because of the delays involved in doing so and in a larger effort I suspect the cut the costs of servicing the Viewliners in Boston. The cost of seperating/combining the trains in ALB isn't that substantial. Especially since they still have to have a ground crew to swap engines.

 

[AlanB]

Wow - I'm already booked for those trains on Nov. 6-7 with a roomette - I wonder if I'll get to keep my roomette all the way to Boston, and wonder if I'll get dinner also? Any ideas?
Thanks,

David

Hard to say what Amtrak will do, but I'd bet that you'll have to call them to make the switch. And probably you'll have to pay a few bucks extra too in order to remain in the sleeper.

 

[AlanB]

Wait, does this mean that the train would have 2 lounges once it was connected in Albany? Because I could definitely get used to having a separate lounge for sleeper cars.

Very unlikely. It never did before, so I'd imagine that they'll cut off one or the other of the cafes.