Decisions, Decisions - Card or LSL?

[Rail Freak]

Being from the Clearwater/St Pete area (STP), all reservations out west to Glenwood Springs (GSC) only offer the SM-CL-CZ. However, if I were to pay $20 for STP to Winter Park (WPK), it offers more options for WPK-GSC (AGR Points), ( the Card & LSL). Since I've taken the CL many times, including this trip's return, I thought it would be nice to have a little variety!!!

Question: which route would you take on the outbound leg?

Thanx

 

[the_traveler]

Going west, I personally would chose the LSL. The run up the Hudson River in daylight (and along the Mohawk River if during long days) is worth it to me!

 

[jnismith]

The views from the Cardinal going west were pretty unspectacular, and it is slow. The LSL has better views and probably better food. (The Cardinal food was pretty dire). Probably a sleeper will be cheaper on the LSL too.

 

[oregon pioneer]

I chose the Cardinal east bound for the reasons above.

Coming back west, I'll be on the LSL from Boston. I love the woods of Massachusetts!

 

[Palmetto]

I chose the Cardinal east bound for the reasons above.

Coming back west, I'll be on the LSL from Boston. I love the woods of Massachusetts!

I also like the westbound climb up Washington Hill in the Berkshires. At least Conrail left the double track intact on that part of the B&A.

 

[dlagrua]

My view:

Cardinal: three day a week train, single engine, smaller train, one sleeper (most of the time), "diner lite" meal service, usually less crowded, scenic route, more stops and slower from NYP to CHI

Lake Shore Ltd: daily service, two engines, longer train, full service diner, usually crowded, scenic route, less stops and shorter travel time NYP-CHI.

We've been beginning our trips from PHL in the past couple of years and now favor the Cardinal as it is a direct trip to CHI. The alternatives for us are NEC to WAS (for the Capital ltd.) or NEC to NYC for the LSL. I would say that the choice of trains sometimes depends on your departure and arrival destinations. From an efficiency/ comfort viewpoint on eastern trains from and to Chicago, I rate them; CL, LSL, Card in that order.

 

[andersone]

Wild and Wonderful West Virginia Cardinal. There is only one New River Gorge and your headed Westbound - they way to be

 

[Railroad Bill]

If you are traveling in the summer months with longer days, then either LSL or Cardinal are good choices. Both are not the best choices westbound during the shorter periods of light in winter. If it were me I would take the LSL westbound and take the Cardinal on a later eastbound trip out of Chicago. The connections going eastbound are not that good for any southbound trips to Fla (a short bus ride from Charlottesville to Richmond to catch the Meteor) but you would get a better view in daylight of the New River Gorge in WVa.

And it is true the food choices are better on the Lake Shore, but it is a much larger train with more people riding.

 

[jshell]

When I was planning a trip for May, I was evaluating LSL out of NYC for a while but was disappointed in how late it left Manhattan and how little daylight that allowed. Although I may have been thinking with a winter's brain. Anyways, I adjusted my trip to do the Cardinal from Washington DC to Chicago instead as it seems like a lot more interesting daylight scenery through central Virginia and West Virginia (scheduled to get into Charleston WV right at sunset the day I'm traveling).

Don't have experience riding either yet. What little I've seen of the Hudson Valley (NYC to Terrytown) is pretty spectacular.