Capitol Limited Dining Car

[librarian]

NARP reported on 9/19/2008 that the Dining Car on the CL has been replaced with the Cross-Country Cafe (Diner-Lounge) due to a shortage of traditional Superliner Diners. However, the CL will retain both the full diner menu and staffed Lounge car.

The same hotline news also states that the prototype Cross-Country Cafe 37000 will be brought up to the "standards of the rest of the fleet," relating to additional storage, convection-microwave ovens, and other features.

Expanded LD Dining car menus will begin October 1 with rotating menus, route-specific specials and more variety -- also part of yesterday's news.

 

[AlanB]

NARP reported on 9/19/2008 that the Dining Car on the CL has been replaced with the Cross-Country Cafe (Diner-Lounge) due to a shortage of traditional Superliner Diners. However, the CL will retain both the full diner menu and staffed Lounge car.

Gee, talk about a catch 22.

The only reason that Amtrak has a shortage of traditional Superliner Dining cars is because they've embarked on a program to convert them into CCC's.

 

[the_traveler]

Just in time for my trip in 2 weeks! :angry:

 

[AlanB]

Just in time for my trip in 2 weeks! :angry:

And mine.

 

[access bob]

Just in time for my trip in 2 weeks! :angry:

And mine.

and mine, wonder if we'll all be on the same train, I'm traveling west on the Oct 1 Cap limited

Bob

 

[AlanB]

Just in time for my trip in 2 weeks! :angry:

And mine.

and mine, wonder if we'll all be on the same train, I'm traveling west on the Oct 1 Cap limited

Bob

Not me. You'll be on it almost a week before me.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Just in time for my trip in 2 weeks! :angry:

And mine.

and mine, wonder if we'll all be on the same train, I'm traveling west on the Oct 1 Cap limited

Bob

Not me. You'll be on it almost a week before me.

I'll be on it later in Oct.

 

[the_traveler]

Just in time for my trip in 2 weeks! :angry:

And mine.

and mine, wonder if we'll all be on the same train, I'm traveling west on the Oct 1 Cap limited

Bob

Not me. You'll be on it almost a week before me.

October 6. As Maxwell Smart would say, "Missed you by THAT much" Alan! :lol:

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Since the CL is my home bound train- I take it often and get the know how. I heard a couple months ago that they wanted to make it look more like the Empire Builder- the next time I took her in I heard they were scrapping the dining car and making the CCC.

 

[Larry H.]

Gee we are lucking out too, as we travel on it from Chicago Friday, Sept 26th. From what I am reading though it sounds like the same food and service will be on it as the full diner? If so I won't mind the car so bad.. In fact if the lounge is still running, I might think if the food is the same that it may seem nicer than riding a half used full diner. And frankly the superliner diners are no beauties either. The CC if it would serve decent food is not a bad looking car.

I am more upset by finally reading the Lake Shore schedule closely and realizing were going to be sitting outside NY city for almost three hours where I expected to see some fall scenery in the hudson valley. I rode that route many years ago and recall it being all daylight in that area. They must have changed the schedule along the line. Thats my most irritating part of the trip..

 

[The Metropolitan]

All you guys are going to miss the WUS 100th Anniversary Special on the 4th and 5th!

Supposed to even be a GG1 on display these days!

 

[AlanB]

Gee we are lucking out too, as we travel on it from Chicago Friday, Sept 26th. From what I am reading though it sounds like the same food and service will be on it as the full diner? If so I won't mind the car so bad.. In fact if the lounge is still running, I might think if the food is the same that it may seem nicer than riding a half used full diner. And frankly the superliner diners are no beauties either. The CC if it would serve decent food is not a bad looking car.

Even though the diner is no beauty, and assuming that the CCC serves the same food, the diner still offers a major advantage over the CCC. It can seat more people at once, therefore ensuring that on a sold out train that sleeping car passengers aren't eating their dinners at midnight.

I am more upset by finally reading the Lake Shore schedule closely and realizing were going to be sitting outside NY city for almost three hours where I expected to see some fall scenery in the hudson valley. I rode that route many years ago and recall it being all daylight in that area. They must have changed the schedule along the line. Thats my most irritating part of the trip..

And as I already mentioned in the other topic, you won't be sitting in ALB for three hours.

 

[the_traveler]

All you guys are going to miss the WUS 100th Anniversary Special on the 4th and 5th!
Supposed to even be a GG1 on display these days!

Yeah, I hear about it after I made plans. :angry: I'll be just riding through WUS on the Crescent on Oct 4, and then having a layover there on Oct 6!

 

[access bob]

All you guys are going to miss the WUS 100th Anniversary Special on the 4th and 5th!
Supposed to even be a GG1 on display these days!

well this is business trip and the International Public transportation Expo will be in San Diego Oct 6-8

gotta work work work.

besides i go thru WAUS almost daily and there probably isn't a G motor I haven't ridden behind....

enjoy the "Big Motor"

Bob

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Where was this information? I can't find it.

Also, how certain is it they are keeping their lounge cars?

 

[dspacekd]

Just got off the CL tonight (9/21) in WAS from CHI. The dining car was the new style with the LED lights at the table and overhead. Also had new blue leather seating. The omelets in the morning were EXCELLENT (cooked freshly, not precooked like on the SWC the day before). Also the Flat Iron steak was mouthwatering and delicious... haven't had a steak that good in a while!

Only downside to the trip was the CL was 3:30 mins late into WAS so we missed some time with family.

 

[wayman]

Where was this information? I can't find it.
Also, how certain is it they are keeping their lounge cars?

NARP Hotline

 

[Brahmama]

Just got off the CL tonight (9/21) in WAS from CHI. The dining car was the new style with the LED lights at the table and overhead. Also had new blue leather seating. The omelets in the morning were EXCELLENT (cooked freshly, not precooked like on the SWC the day before). Also the Flat Iron steak was mouthwatering and delicious... haven't had a steak that good in a while!
Only downside to the trip was the CL was 3:30 mins late into WAS so we missed some time with family.

Good to hear the positive report about the dining car and especially the quality of the food. We'll be enjoying the CL in about a week.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

NARP reported on 9/19/2008 that the Dining Car on the CL has been replaced with the Cross-Country Cafe (Diner-Lounge) due to a shortage of traditional Superliner Diners. However, the CL will retain both the full diner menu and staffed Lounge car.

Gee, talk about a catch 22.

The only reason that Amtrak has a shortage of traditional Superliner Dining cars is because they've embarked on a program to convert them into CCC's.

I had a CCC on the texas eagle trip back in may looked no different then any other dining car.

 

[had8ley]

NARP reported on 9/19/2008 that the Dining Car on the CL has been replaced with the Cross-Country Cafe (Diner-Lounge) due to a shortage of traditional Superliner Diners. However, the CL will retain both the full diner menu and staffed Lounge car.

Gee, talk about a catch 22.

The only reason that Amtrak has a shortage of traditional Superliner Dining cars is because they've embarked on a program to convert them into CCC's.

I had a CCC on the texas eagle trip back in may looked no different then any other dining car.

Sounds like they used a full diner as the CCC is radically different in lay-out than the traditional diner. IIRC, May was the upstart for the CCC on the Eagle and you may have just missed the cut-over. We rode on a CCC from San Marcos to Fort Worth in May but don't remember exactly what day.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

NARP reported on 9/19/2008 that the Dining Car on the CL has been replaced with the Cross-Country Cafe (Diner-Lounge) due to a shortage of traditional Superliner Diners. However, the CL will retain both the full diner menu and staffed Lounge car.

Gee, talk about a catch 22.

The only reason that Amtrak has a shortage of traditional Superliner Dining cars is because they've embarked on a program to convert them into CCC's.

I had a CCC on the texas eagle trip back in may looked no different then any other dining car.

Sounds like they used a full diner as the CCC is radically different in lay-out than the traditional diner. IIRC, May was the upstart for the CCC on the Eagle and you may have just missed the cut-over. We rode on a CCC from San Marcos to Fort Worth in May but don't remember exactly what day.

then they just called the full diner a CCC as thats what they called it over the P.A and thats what the menu said

 

[had8ley]

NARP reported on 9/19/2008 that the Dining Car on the CL has been replaced with the Cross-Country Cafe (Diner-Lounge) due to a shortage of traditional Superliner Diners. However, the CL will retain both the full diner menu and staffed Lounge car.

Gee, talk about a catch 22.

The only reason that Amtrak has a shortage of traditional Superliner Dining cars is because they've embarked on a program to convert them into CCC's.

I had a CCC on the texas eagle trip back in may looked no different then any other dining car.

Sounds like they used a full diner as the CCC is radically different in lay-out than the traditional diner. IIRC, May was the upstart for the CCC on the Eagle and you may have just missed the cut-over. We rode on a CCC from San Marcos to Fort Worth in May but don't remember exactly what day.

then they just called the full diner a CCC as thats what they called it over the P.A and thats what the menu said

Well whatever came over the PA was not what you experienced. You probably had the diner-lite menu in the conventional diner. I now remember when you posted that you made the first CCC trip, about a week or so before our trip, and was rather bewildered when the on board Customer Service Manager said that our run was the first for the CCC. There are plenty of pix of the CCC on various posts on here. You might want to compare them to the diner you rode on. You can't call a full diner a CCC because it is as different inside as a baggage car is to a cabbage engine. The CCC's WERE diners before the conversion and are very different~ there is no way to mistake one for the other.

 

[The Metropolitan]

Here's a transcript of the Capitol's New Dining Car Menu:

BREAKFAST

MAIN COURSES

All breakfast entrees include jiuce (orange, apple, cranberry) and coffee, tea, or milk.

Chef's Good Morning Special: $8.00

Ask your server for a description of today's marketplace special.

Today's Omelet Selection: $9.00

Freshly made three egg omelet served plain, with natural cheddar cheese, or stuffed with today's vegetable filling, which your server can describe. Served with hash browned potatoes or grits, warm biscuit or small croissant. (Egg substitutes available upon requent)

Scrambled Eggs: $6.00

Scrambled whole eggs offered with breakfast potatoes or grits, warm biscuit, or croissant.

Classic Railroad French Toast: $7.50

Traditional thick slices of egg batter dipped toast, grilled to a golden brown and served with syrup, strawberry topping, and dusted with powdered sugar.

Continental Breakfast: $7.00

Available with a choice of cold cereal (Raisin Bran Crunch, Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes) or hot oatmeal, served with fresh whole fruit, a small croissant or warm biscuit and yogurt.

SIDES:

Breakfast Meats: $3.00

Smoked bacon strips, pork sausage patties, or smoked chicken maple sausage links (note that chicken sausage links contain no pork)

-------------------------------------

LUNCH

APPETIZER*

Spicy Buffalo Wings: $7.50

A basket of spicy wings, sized for sharing, accompanied by blue cheese dip, sliced cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes.

MAIN COURSES

All Luncheon entrees include coffee, tea, or milk.

Chef's Luncheon Special: $9.00

Ask your server to describe today's special hot offering which is served with a rice medley, small green salad, and warm roll.

Today's Warm Sandwich: $8.00

Your server can describe today's speicalty warm sandwich served on artisan bread which will include a small green salad with cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese.

Amy's Organic Veggie Burger: $7.75

A natural organic veggie burger patty served on a sesame bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, chips and optional cheddar cheese.

Angus Steak Burger: $7.75

Gilled Angus beef chuck burger served on a sesame bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, chips, and optional cheddar cheese.

Also available with two smoked bacon strips for an additional $2.00

Freshly Made Specialty Salad: $9.00

Crispy romaine with cherry tomatoes and fresh cucumbers, topped with a prepared protein salad which your server can describe. Served with a dressing selection and a warm roll.

---------------------------------------------------

DINNER

APPETIZER*

Spicy Buffalo Wings: $7.50

A basket of spicy wings, sized for sharing, accompanied by blue cheese dip, sliced cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes.

MAIN COURSES

(All Dinner Entrees include a small salad with dressing, warm roll and coffee, tea, or milk.)

Flat Iron Steak: $22.50

An 8 ounce steak marinated in garlic butter and cooked to order. Served with a baked potato, sour cream, and vegetable medley. This USDA corn-fed choice top blade steak is aged for 21 days to ensure flavor complexity. A glass of merlot or cabernet would complement this American Classic.

Today's Seafood Selection: $17.50

Please consult your server about today's marketplace offering which will be served with rice medley, complementary sauce and vegetable. Our chilled crisp Pinot Grigio would complement this main course selection.

Chef's Marketplace Dinner Special $16.95

Your server will describe tonight's special offering.

Herb Roasted Half Chicken $14.00

Thyme and parsley roasted chicken, served with rice and today's vegetable. Consider enhancing this menu choice by enjoying a glass of Chardonnay.

Vegeterian Pasta: $12.50

Today's menu selection will be described by your server and is offered with vegetables and a special sauce designed to complment this unique dish.

DESSERTS

Specialties: $5.00

Your server will tempt you by describing today's selections, which will include a cheese cake, a fruit or nut dessert, and a chocolate offering.

Ice Cream: $2.00

A mall cup of rich and creamy Haagen Dazs, chocolate or vanilla bean.

*Note that alcohol and appetizer selections are available as an extra purchase and are not included in first class meal packages.

 

[The Metropolitan]

A picture of some of the offerings from yesterday's Union Station Celebration:

 

[Guest_cpamtfan_*]

Don't you like the new food! The favored part of my trip to D.C. Sat was the Diner-Lounge :lol: .

cpamtfan-Peter