Dining car menus have rotated

[battalion51]

For those of you (Viewliner) who have been looking forward to a particular menu on an upcoming trip you should know this, Amtrak has rotated the cycles. It looks like Cycle 1 trains have gone to Cycle, Cycle 2 to Cycle 3, and Cycle 3 to Cycle 1. So here are the trains on their current cycle:

CYCLE 1 MENU APPLIES TO TRAINS 3, 5, 8, 14, 21, 28 (SPK-CHI), 421 (CHI-SAS).

CYCLE 2 MENU APPLIES TO TRAINS 1, 4, 19, 22, 48, 50, 58, 91, 98, 421 (SAS-LAX), 422 (SAS-CHI), 448 (CHI-ALB).

CYCLE 3 MENU APPLIES TO TRAINS 2, 6, 7, 11, 20, 27 (CHI-SPK), 30, 49, 51, 59, 92, 97, 422 (LAX-SAS), 449 (ALB-CHI).

So adjust you tastebuds accordingly. For those of you who have yet to see the menus, they can be found here

 

[jccollins]

Thanks batallion... only one problem. Train 6 has been using cycle 3 on all its trains for the last three weeks (I know - I was onboard from MTZ-RNO the last three consecutive Sundays and the florentine quiche was on the menu all three times). Does this mean it will still stay on cycle 3? Thanks!

 

[Viewliner]

One thing they do that I don't understand is that they have the same cycle for 91/98 and 97/92 which means that If one were to use a combination of the Silver Star and Silver Meteor (such as what I'm doing in December/January) you wind up with the same menu. If Amtrak would only use logic (something Amtrak doesn't seem to know about) they'd have it 91/97 and 92/98.

 

[battalion51]

Viewliner what you said WOULD MAKE SENSE! :lol: As for what you said JD, I'm not sure of the exact effective date, as Sunday was the first time I'd been in the Dining car in over two months. :blink: (The Isabel cancellations played a role in that).

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

(The Isabel cancellations played a role in that).

Had you already made reservations when you were forced to cancel your trip? Im asking because I was curious what Amtrak did in regards to your refund.

 

[Viewliner]

(The Isabel cancellations played a role in that).

Had you already made reservations when you were forced to cancel your trip? Im asking because I was curious what Amtrak did in regards to your refund.

He has a Florida rail pass, and didn't get to ride on a consist with a diner for a while after the storm.

 

[AlanB]

One thing they do that I don't understand is that they have the same cycle for 91/98 and 97/92 which means that If one were to use a combination of the Silver Star and Silver Meteor (such as what I'm doing in December/January) you wind up with the same menu.  If Amtrak would only use logic (something Amtrak doesn't seem to know about) they'd have it 91/97 and 92/98.

Well you're just thinking about the Silver Service only. Remember that part of the idea is to avoid having someone on a multi-day trip using the same menu over and over.

So in this case train #30 connecting with the Star is using Menu #3, hence the Star getting menu #2.

It may also be that more people take the same train to and from Florida. You are switching from the Star to the Meteor. I'd bet that the vast majority of people go down and back on the same train, be it all on the Star or the Meteor.

But the bottom line is, that there is more than just the Silver Service trains in play here.

 

[tp49]

So basically then do they split the country into 3 regions say East Coast, Midwest and West Coast trains then rotate the cycles around the system that way? Would trains that originate say in NYP, DC, FL, have one cycle, trains originating in CHI and NO have another then trains originating in LAX, EMY, PDX be on the 3d?

 

[battalion51]

It actually is somethig more like this, Amtrak tries to blanket all the routes in a region with a smattering of Cycles 1, 2, and 3 so that you hopefully don't get the same meal twice.

 

[piedpiper13]

Fantastic!! Our trip in March will now have 3 chances at menu #3. My wife loves the Cornish Game Hen!!!