Lakeshore Limited

[dan6681]

Thanks for all the great info on the LSL! I am taking it from BOS-CHI with a roomette next month and I had a few concerns.

1. How will they deal with our dinner? Dinner time is during the link up in Albany. Do they give preference to first class travelers for dinner reservations? I don't mind eating at say 8pm, but will the Boston attendent be able to make us a reservation with the NY train?

2. How is the food? I know we will not have a proper dinning car, should we expect the equvilant of a domestic first class airline meal or better?

3. Where is the Boston sleeper on the BOS-CHI train? If it is the second car is it noisy because of the horns from the engine?

 

[Donctor]

1. How will they deal with our dinner? Dinner time is during the link up in Albany. Do they give preference to first class travelers for dinner reservations? I don't mind eating at say 8pm, but will the Boston attendent be able to make us a reservation with the NY train?

They do give preference to sleeper passengers for dinner. If you're walking to the New York Diner-Lite, leave early; it's a long walk.

2. How is the food? I know we will not have a proper dinning car, should we expect the equvilant of a domestic first class airline meal or better?

On my various LSL trips over the past year, I have had terrible meals and good meals. The food won't be great, but the exact quality will depend highly upon who's heating it and what's being served.

3. Where is the Boston sleeper on the BOS-CHI train? If it is the second car is it noisy because of the horns from the engine?

The Boston sleeper is the second car. In my experience, it is noisier than the New York sleepers, but not amazingly so. If you can't sleep through a slightly muffled train horn, buy some earplugs. I'm a pretty sound sleeper, so it doesn't bother me so much, but the noise is definitely there.

 

[dan72]

Diner-Lite car.

Thanks. Then if post #2 is correct, I'll get plenty of exercise since I'm in the Boston sleeper.

I wonder what the procedure is? When the call in the Metro Lounge comes to board, can one first stow luggage in the sleeper, and then walk back, preferably outside on the platform, to the diner-lite for the get-together.

Yep, you'll get plenty of exercise being in the Boston sleeper. When I boarded last week, they didn't call us out of the lounge until 8:30. By the time I got on board, checked in and my stuff stowe and made my way to the dining car for the reception, the coaches were boarding which made it kind of tough to get through as people were trying to board and settle in the coach cars.

Also, I forgot to mention earlier, the P42's do go to Boston, the New York half is split off and given a P32 and the P42's are refueled in Albany along with a crew change.

Dan

On my trip, they refueled after the split and pulled onto the platform for passengers to alight if they wished. Here is a shot I took of them refueling:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dptomhave/BIG4...521779786672898

 

[printman2000]

On my trip, they refueled after the split and pulled onto the platform for passengers to alight if they wished. Here is a shot I took of them refueling:http://picasaweb.google.com/dptomhave/BIG4...521779786672898

The truck was probably on the station side and that is why I did not see it. Thanks for the pic.

 

[dan72]

Thanks for all the great info on the LSL! I am taking it from BOS-CHI with a roomette next month and I had a few concerns.
1. How will they deal with our dinner? Dinner time is during the link up in Albany. Do they give preference to first class travelers for dinner reservations? I don't mind eating at say 8pm, but will the Boston attendent be able to make us a reservation with the NY train?

When it came to dinner, our attendant came around to all of our rooms and told us our choices and took our orders. It is a cold meal and I had the beef tips with potatoes and a salad. I thought it was pretty good. He brought the meals to our rooms to eat, so we did not need to go to the lounge car as I thought would be the case. Our attendant said he varies where he takes orders so you may nor may not have a lot of choices by the time he/she gets to you.

When I headed back to Chicago on Sunday, the sleeper was the first car in that consist, but was second heading east, so you will definitely be hearing the train horn if that's the case with you. However, I also take comfort that if I'm hearing a lot of horn, that means the engineer is doing his/her job.

Dan

 

[dan6681]

Thanks for all the great info on the LSL! I am taking it from BOS-CHI with a roomette next month and I had a few concerns.
1. How will they deal with our dinner? Dinner time is during the link up in Albany. Do they give preference to first class travelers for dinner reservations? I don't mind eating at say 8pm, but will the Boston attendent be able to make us a reservation with the NY train?

When it came to dinner, our attendant came around to all of our rooms and told us our choices and took our orders. It is a cold meal and I had the beef tips with potatoes and a salad. I thought it was pretty good. He brought the meals to our rooms to eat, so we did not need to go to the lounge car as I thought would be the case. Our attendant said he varies where he takes orders so you may nor may not have a lot of choices by the time he/she gets to you.

When I headed back to Chicago on Sunday, the sleeper was the first car in that consist, but was second heading east, so you will definitely be hearing the train horn if that's the case with you. However, I also take comfort that if I'm hearing a lot of horn, that means the engineer is doing his/her job.

Dan

When you came back BOS-CHI did you eat dinner when you meet up with the NY train?

 

[dan72]

Thanks for all the great info on the LSL! I am taking it from BOS-CHI with a roomette next month and I had a few concerns.
1. How will they deal with our dinner? Dinner time is during the link up in Albany. Do they give preference to first class travelers for dinner reservations? I don't mind eating at say 8pm, but will the Boston attendent be able to make us a reservation with the NY train?

When it came to dinner, our attendant came around to all of our rooms and told us our choices and took our orders. It is a cold meal and I had the beef tips with potatoes and a salad. I thought it was pretty good. He brought the meals to our rooms to eat, so we did not need to go to the lounge car as I thought would be the case. Our attendant said he varies where he takes orders so you may nor may not have a lot of choices by the time he/she gets to you.

When I headed back to Chicago on Sunday, the sleeper was the first car in that consist, but was second heading east, so you will definitely be hearing the train horn if that's the case with you. However, I also take comfort that if I'm hearing a lot of horn, that means the engineer is doing his/her job.

Dan

When you came back BOS-CHI did you eat dinner when you meet up with the NY train?

I've not taken the LSL west from, BOS (I took the roundabout way back as I wanted to ride the Acela and then the Empire Service to Rochester to stop off and visit an old college roommate), but I think you're joined up in Albany by dinner time can you use the diner-lite. But somebody who has done this would need to clarify this point.

Dan

 

[sky12065]

Thanks for all the great info on the LSL! I am taking it from BOS-CHI with a roomette next month and I had a few concerns.
1. How will they deal with our dinner? Dinner time is during the link up in Albany. Do they give preference to first class travelers for dinner reservations? I don't mind eating at say 8pm, but will the Boston attendent be able to make us a reservation with the NY train?

When it came to dinner, our attendant came around to all of our rooms and told us our choices and took our orders. It is a cold meal and I had the beef tips with potatoes and a salad. I thought it was pretty good. He brought the meals to our rooms to eat, so we did not need to go to the lounge car as I thought would be the case. Our attendant said he varies where he takes orders so you may nor may not have a lot of choices by the time he/she gets to you.

When I headed back to Chicago on Sunday, the sleeper was the first car in that consist, but was second heading east, so you will definitely be hearing the train horn if that's the case with you. However, I also take comfort that if I'm hearing a lot of horn, that means the engineer is doing his/her job.

Dan

When you came back BOS-CHI did you eat dinner when you meet up with the NY train?

I've not taken the LSL west from, BOS (I took the roundabout way back as I wanted to ride the Acela and then the Empire Service to Rochester to stop off and visit an old college roommate), but I think you're joined up in Albany by dinner time can you use the diner-lite. But somebody who has done this would need to clarify this point.

Dan

On June 26th we boarded the LSL to CHI at ALB. The LSL was running more than an hour late so in the terminal LSL sleeper passengers were served some pizza and other snacks. Once onboard surprisingly (in light of the pizza and stuff) we were served dinner, or at least we got meals in our H room. I hope this information at leasts gives a better outlook as to if you would be served dinner after the BOS & NYP hookup is completed and you're on your way!

 

[Gord]

Elephant style on our 48 trip on June 26-27.

I would think that back-to-back is always preferable. It allows the engineer to pass between locmotives more easily and allows for much easier reversing of directions.

The counter-argument being that if the lead unit had a significant failure and had to be set off, say for the sake of discussion; fire damaged, broken axle, wheel or drawbar, seized suspension bearings and so on, the remaining unit might have to continue on running in reverse (very akward) until there happened to be a wye, turntable, or balloon (loop) track available.

Gord

 

[DET63]

Elephant style on our 48 trip on June 26-27.

I would think that back-to-back is always preferable. It allows the engineer to pass between locmotives more easily and allows for much easier reversing of directions.

The counter-argument being that if the lead unit had a significant failure and had to be set off, say for the sake of discussion; fire damaged, broken axle, wheel or drawbar, seized suspension bearings and so on, the remaining unit might have to continue on running in reverse (very akward) until there happened to be a wye, turntable, or balloon (loop) track available.

Gord

Can a P42 even be run in reverse as the lead loco? I would think that reverse operation would be limited to push-pull services run in the push direction.

Of recent Amtrak locomotives, I would think that only the P32 would have been suitable for LHF (long-hood forward) operation.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

i don't think it can. while it may have whats called a spotters stand i don't think there are any engine control's at the rear of the loco.

 

[DET63]

Have any passenger trains, either pre- or during Amtrak, ever been run with the lead locomotive going LHF? I would assume such a practice would have been at least theoretically possible when freight engines, most of which are hood units, pulled at least some passenger trains.

 

[railiner]

Have any passenger trains, either pre- or during Amtrak, ever been run with the lead locomotive going LHF? I would assume such a practice would have been at least theoretically possible when freight engines, most of which are hood units, pulled at least some passenger trains.

I recall back in the '60's, the Southern, or maybe the N&W (not sure which or maybe both), used GP type locomotives that were equipped with steam generators for passenger service. They ran long hood forward. I believe their short hood was also a high hood. These were not great for visibility, but sure gave engineers better protection for grade-crossing accidents.