confused about cardinal...help

[sutton]

Hi guys,

I've been planning on taking Three Rivers from NYC to Chicago, next late spring. I didn't know about the Cardinal, but someone mentioned it as going New York to Chicago via DC. Does one have to change trains? Supposedly it leaves NYC at 9:15am but I couldn't find this departure time while trying to 'make' a reservation on the Amtrak website? What's the deal with Cardinal? Is it a nice train...compared to Three Rivers??

Thanks for any light you can shed!

Scott

 

[PRR 60]

The Cardinal travels between New York and Chicago only three days each week. It leaves New York heading west on Wednesdays (9:25am), Fridays (9:25am) and Sundays (9:05am), and departs Chicago at 7:30pm eastbound on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. So if you checked the Amtrak system on one of the four days each week it does not operate, you would not see the listing. It is a through train between NYC and CHI. No change of trains is required.

The Cardinal is a full-service train similar to the Lake Shore Limited. It has sleeping car(s), a lounge, and a full-service diner. So, in this way, it has a leg up on the Three Rivers. However, it takes a long and meandering route to Chicago. The trip, run via Washington DC, Charlottesville VA, Huntington WV, Cincinnati OH and Indianapolis IN takes over 26 hours. One plus is some particularly scenic areas in Virginia and West Virginia, including the famed New River Gorge, but on the negative side is the long and rather dull trek traveling the length of Indiana from the southeast to the northwest corners. By contrast, the Lake Shore and Three Rivers make the same trip, on more direct routings, in about 20 hours.

So the choice is yours. If time is not important, or if having more time on the train is even a plus, the Cardinal offers a relaxed and interesting trip over an unusual route with full, long-distance services. If an extra six hours is not desirable, both the Lake Shore (full service) and Three Rivers (limited dining service) provide speedier alternatives.

 

[sutton]

PRR 60,

Thanks for the info. I did try a different date and found it! I'll have to give it some thought. I'm waiting for some good rail sales to pop up in the next couple of months. Thanks again!

 

[Amfleet Fan]

Despite the Three Rivers having limited services compared to the Cardinal, I would recommend the 3R over the latter any day.

The crew on the Three Rivers is exceptional and up to par with service you would find on VIA Rail.

I think the crew on the 3R feels that customers have a choice of trains and they are grateful that those passengers chose the 3R over it's competitors, namely the Lake Shore and Cardinal. Granted this is only true for those traveling from endpoint to endpoint. Regardless, the crew's wonderful attitude and demeanor on this train makes up for the limited dining service and lack of lounge car.

 

[battalion51]

I'm not sure if anyone's ever said it or not (excuse me if it's been said), but what entree choices do First Class passengers have while on board the Three Rivers.`

 

[AlanB]

I'm not sure if anyone's ever said it or not (excuse me if it's been said), but what entree choices do First Class passengers have while on board the Three Rivers.`

I think that the choices do vary, but they are now doing a service similar to that which is used in the first class cars on the Acela Express. Real meals prepared in a convection oven, not typical cafe car fare.

The meals are also served by an extra attendant and one half of the cafe car is set up like a diner, with table cloths, flowers, silverware and such.

 

[Amfleet]

I'm not sure if anyone's ever said it or not (excuse me if it's been said), but what entree choices do First Class passengers have while on board the Three Rivers.`

I think that the choices do vary, but they are now doing a service similar to that which is used in the first class cars on the Acela Express. Real meals prepared in a convection oven, not typical cafe car fare.

The meals are also served by an extra attendant and one half of the cafe car is set up like a diner, with table cloths, flowers, silverware and such.

If I stand corrected, however, this is only done going westbound at dinner time. It is not done for breakfast or lunch and dinner eastbound.

 

[AlanB]

If I stand corrected, however, this is only done going westbound at dinner time. It is not done for breakfast or lunch and dinner eastbound.

While I've yet to ride the 3R's since this was implemented, my understanding and info is as follows:

Westbound serves dinner in this fashion as already mentioned. The extra cafe car attendant detrains at Pittsburgh, so breakfast is typical cafe car food for those in the sleeper.

Eastbound the train basically leaves to late for dinner, however sleeping car pax can still get comped in the cafe car, should they wish a late snack or dinner. Typical cafe car food only.

Breakfast also is typical cafe car food too. The extra attendant then boards at Pittsburgh and will proceed to serve a typical Acela Express First Class lunch in the cafe car. I don't know if he pulls out the flowers and table cloths for this or not. However real silverware is supposed to be used.

Dinner is too close to Philly and the loss of power, so again nothing is done. Anyone in a sleeper can get typical cafe food again, assuming that they get there before he closes for the arrival into Philly.

 

[Amfleet Fan]

Let me share my experience on the 3R going westbound from NYP to CHI this past summer.

I was in Bedroom 1 aboard Viewliner "Moonlight View"

After Philly, the extra attendant, I believe her name was Carol visited my room as well as the other passengers to enform us of the dinner selections and seating times. I selected the 5:30 seating which was a mistake because they sat me with this couple and their 2 year old child who they could not control. This kid kept grabbing the table cloth and pulling it, grabbing my silverware and everything else that was not nailed down. Future tip, select later dinner seatings since most kids and their parents seem prefer eating early.

I was at the point where I was about to ask to be reseated because this made my dinner experience quite unenjoyable.

Regardless, the tables were adorned with white tablecloths, white roses in a small vase, and silverware.

The dinner selection I chose was sirloin tips in a brown sauce with white rice. I don't remember the rest but there was a chicken and also a pasta selection. From what I understand, this food is catered by "Uncle Ben's".

Even though it is not a full diner, the crew does a fantastic job of assimilating the full dining car fare, service, and atmosphere, even if it is a Horizon Dinette.

I will be taking the 3R eastbound from CHI to NYP in February so I guess I'll find out how they work the dining service in that direction at that time.

I was going to switch to the Cardinal, but I am trying to save money and the change would have cost more than I wanted it to.

Happy Holidays.

 

[AlanB]

Thanks for the mini report. That sounds more or less like the menus that I see on the Acela Express trains.

Nothing special for breakfast though, right?

 

[Amfleet Fan]

Thanks for the mini report. That sounds more or less like the menus that I see on the Acela Express trains.
Nothing special for breakfast though, right?

Nope, nothing special. Woke up the next morning, took a shower, went to the dinette and had the usual Ham and Cheese on an English muffin they serve in all the cafe cars.

Watching the sunrise through the fog over the Indiana farmland was a nice way to start the day though.

 

[AlanB]

Nope, nothing special. Woke up the next morning, took a shower, went to the dinette and had the usual Ham and Cheese on an English muffin they serve in all the cafe cars.

Thanks. That ties with what I've heard is supposed to the routine.

 

[battalion51]

Fortunately breakfast in the lounge has gotten better with the addition of items like muffins, plus the usual cinnamon rolls, pastries, cereal, etc.

 

[Amfleet]

Fortunately breakfast in the lounge has gotten better with the addition of items like muffins, plus the usual cinnamon rolls, pastries, cereal, etc.

You are correct. Breakfast items in the Lounge/Cafe cars now a days are much like what you would get at a Hampton or Comfort Inn as a continental breakfast. So the Three Rivers is not the Broadway Limited, but it certainly is better than it used to be 2 years ago.