PetalumaLoco
Conductor
Leaving for the east coast tomorrow: CZ/CL/Regional to Connecticut.
I forget, will we be served dinner on the CL leaving Chicago?
Thanks!
I forget, will we be served dinner on the CL leaving Chicago?
Thanks!
They need to prioritize meals for sleeper passengers and offer coach passengers dinner upon availability. The price of dinner is already in the price of our tickets. If you go back to way back when the Brodway limited ran two diner cars on the Chicago run. Today we don't even have a diner on the CL but an oddball CCC car. Beech Grove was supposed to have a real diner ready for the CL this year but so far nothing has become available. It would be nice if we knew someone who works at the Beech Grove facility to get an update on how the refurbishment process is going. The guy who thought of the CCC idea deserves a pie in his face.I just returned from an eastbound trip on the CL. The dining car was unable to handle the demand for dinner with the capacity of the CCC car arrangement, and they finally closed at 10 pm. The same was true westbound, breakfast left some people without a meal before closing time into Chicago.
The CL has had a CCC for a few years now. I'm not sure of the exact date.A bit of a side-track here, but when did the CL get the CCC? I thought they still had the full dining car on that train.
and can you imagine being on a 27 hour overnight run without the benefit of any meals? I tell you this is terrible.I guess it IS a bit of sleight of hand on Amtrak's behalf.. they make a lot of fuss about the train facilities on their website, but nowhere can I find information warning that you might not be able to buy dinner, nor breakfast.. I think they should warn people to take their own food in coach!
Eddie
As of July 15th, out of the 20 Superliner cars scheduled to be returned to service, 8 have been returned to service. That includes 2 of the 4 dining cars scheduled for restoration. But my understanding is that all 4 diners are needed before the Capitol will loose the CCC's.Beech Grove was supposed to have a real diner ready for the CL this year but so far nothing has become available. It would be nice if we knew someone who works at the Beech Grove facility to get an update on how the refurbishment process is going. The guy who thought of the CCC idea deserves a pie in his face.
Good to hear that progress is being made but from the info that you provided it sounds like the 2 compeleted diners are moving West. Hopefully the CL will get their diner on the next release.As of July 15th, out of the 20 Superliner cars scheduled to be returned to service, 8 have been returned to service. That includes 2 of the 4 dining cars scheduled for restoration. But my understanding is that all 4 diners are needed before the Capitol will loose the CCC's.Beech Grove was supposed to have a real diner ready for the CL this year but so far nothing has become available. It would be nice if we knew someone who works at the Beech Grove facility to get an update on how the refurbishment process is going. The guy who thought of the CCC idea deserves a pie in his face.
I have no info on just where in the process the remaining 2 diners are.
It was stated by Amtrak that the plan was to take those 4 diners and use them to restore full dining car service on the Capitol Limited. The CCC's currently on the Cap were to then be transferred to the Empire Builder. The CCC's would replace the Sightseer Lounge on the Portland section of the train so as to provide full hot meals for the sleeping car passengers between Spokane and Portland. The Sightseer Lounge would become part of the Seattle section of the train so as to provide full cafe service for that section of the train between Spokane and Seattle. This would eliminate the need for the LSA to run a quasi-cafe service out of the rear booth of the dining car.I don't remember whether it was an announcement or just the expectation that the CL would get its diner back some time ago. But then there was that coffee pot incident in the Oakland yard and no more talk of a restored diner on the CL. I have no idea whether there is a connection or not.
By the way what is the status of that unfortunate diner?
2 Dining Cars caught fire?Haven't heard about the 2 dining cars that have caught fire since those plans were first announced and I have no idea if they need to be fixed before the above plans can be set in motion.
Lounge-type. I've never had a problem getting served meal on the Capitol Limited, whether in coach or sleeper. Admittedly I usually take the earliest seating available!It is now February, 2011. Is the CL eastbound using the real dining cars or the lounge-type car I see you folks referencing?
We haven't heard any news about the CL going back to a full dining car so I'll assume that the cafe car is still being used to serve all meals. Adding that multipurpose CCC car to the Amtrak fleet was one of the worse mistakes that Amtrak ever made. As the kitchen downstairs is virtulaly the same, they should be able to refurbish all of the interiors with full capacity dining car seating but will they?It is now February, 2011. Is the CL eastbound using the real dining cars or the lounge-type car I see you folks referencing?
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