2010 Summer Amtrak Adventure.

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Every summer I take one big Amtrak trip, 2006 was SAN-LAX-SEA, 2007 was MIA-WAS-CHI-SEA and 2009 was DEN - SAC - SEA

Well I will be in DC again this year so im planning my next trip.

First option

WAS - CHI (Capitol Limited)(Coach)

CHI - PDX (Empire Builder)(Sleeper)

PDX - TUK (Cascades)

Second

WAS - CHI (Cardinal)(Coach)

CHI - PDX (EB)(Sleeper)

PDX - TUK (Cascades)

Third

WAS - NYP

NYP -CHI (LSL)(Coach)

CHI -PDX(Sleeper)

PDX - TUK

I've basically done option one with exception of SPK -PDX (of that I did Portland - Pasco behind the 4449 in 1997)

Either way I want to do the gorge again plus the roomette is cheaper for the dates I've selected. So 2 and 3 are what I'm considering, so I guess my question is which train is the better deal Cardinal or LSL.

 

[MrEd]

Cardinal.

 

[the_traveler]

I'd do all 3! :lol:

But honestly, heading westbound I'd pick the LSL. (If you were going eastbound, I'd say the Cardinal.)

If you're going coach on the LSL, do you have any AGR points? :huh: Coach in the Northeast Region is only 3,000 points - and you can go WAS-BUF for 3,000 points and start paying for your trip (assuming this is a paid trip, as it sounds like it is) from BUF! (You can include the LSL in the 3K point award - I did in March! )

 

[Shanghai]

I'd go the Cardinal. I'll be on it in April.

 

[Shotgun7]

Going east, I'd pick the Cardinal for scenery, but westbound I'd much rather be in a Superliner coach and have a Sightseer Lounge on the Cap than a bumpier Amfleet II with a cafe car that shouldn't even be called a lounge.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

I don't find Amfleet to be nearly as bad as people say they are. Anyway, the Cardinals scenery beats, taking a ride up the Hudson River?

 

[AlanB]

I don't find Amfleet to be nearly as bad as people say they are. Anyway, the Cardinals scenery beats, taking a ride up the Hudson River?

While the Cardinal's run through New River Gorge is more spectacular than the run up the Hudson River is IMHO, the problem is that going westbound on the Cardinal you get to the Gorge after dark for all months except April, May, June, July, and August. And if the train is even late by more than 1 hour, something not uncommon with the Cardinal, then April and August riders will also see it in the dark. More than 2 hours late and you can pretty much forget seeing the gorge at all.

And of course even though the Sunset still occurs after the train hits the gorge when on time during those months, things are already getting dark in the gorge with the sun below the mountain tops.

So if one is willing to gamble that the train runs right on time, then the Cardinal could be a good choice. But if things go wrong, then any trip outside of May or June starts getting dicey at best and anything more than a 4 hour delay kills seeing the gorge no matter what month it is.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Well I will be traveling during the last week of June. Also is the Cardinal running with a full diner now or what.

 

[Nickrapak]

No, the Cardinal still has a Diner-Lite, and probably will for the foreseeable future, since there is only one Viewliner. However, I would still recommend the Cardinal, as you are traveling close to the longest day of the year, and so have a good chance of seeing the gorge.