Please tell me all about the Capitol Ltd from Chicago to Washington

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TracyK

Train Attendant
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Sep 19, 2004
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We will be holidaying from the UK and have booked this journey from Chicago to Washington. I have read that this is a scenic route. Much of the journey is through the night and we have booked a Superliner roomette. What scenery should we look out for during the daylight hours? Would you recommend a particular side of the train?. We have got room no 2 in car 3000? Is this good or bad and what side of the train is it? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
 
TracyK said:
We will be holidaying from the UK and have booked this journey from Chicago to Washington. I have read that this is a scenic route. Much of the journey is through the night and we have booked a Superliner roomette. What scenery should we look out for during the daylight hours? Would you recommend a particular side of the train?. We have got room no 2 in car 3000? Is this good or bad and what side of the train is it? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
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Welcome Tracy! There is an online route guide available on Amtraks web site, you might want to read it! Your roomette is upstairs on the Superliner, right behind the coffee kiosk and across the hall from #1 where the Sleeping Car Attendant has his room! The restroom is in front of him! Ive ridden in #2

alot, its right by the stairs to go downstairs so is convient! Depending on which way they hook up your car you could either be on the left (if the bedrooms are in the front of the car) or on the right if they hook it up "backwards"! most of the time the deluxe bedroms are in the front! You will be right next to the diner, the sight seer lounge will be behind your car and you will be able to see out both sides (see the car layout/panorama on this web site)of the train!

As you said, most of it is @ night, daylight shopuld could right after Pittsburgh (if its on time), there is some nice scenery in Penn?Maryland and West VA.,

most on the right side of the train! Also dont forget you will be able to use the Metro Lounge in Chicago while awaiting your train and the Club Acela lounge in Washington upon arrival! If you have any questions, please ask have a great trip! :)
 
Thanks so much Jim, some great info there.

Thanks Long Train Runnin' your trip report is very useful.
 
TracyK said:
Thanks so much Jim, some great info there.
Thanks Long Train Runnin' your trip report is very useful.
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We're booked on the Capitol Ltd. on October 11. We're in Car 3000, Room 3 from Chicago to DC. We eventually head back to Denver via ACELA to NYC, then LSL to Chicago, and the CZ back to Denvver can't wait!
 
ColoradoJim said:
TracyK said:
Thanks so much Jim, some great info there.
Thanks Long Train Runnin' your trip report is very useful.
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We're booked on the Capitol Ltd. on October 11. We're in Car 3000, Room 3 from Chicago to DC. We eventually head back to Denver via ACELA to NYC, then LSL to Chicago, and the CZ back to Denvver can't wait!
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Nice trip, the Acela ride is cool! Good trains, give us a report when you get home!!! :)
 
Be sure to look at the beautiful view of Harpers Ferry when it pulls into the station. It's a lovely town built on a hill and has a lot of history. It's probably my favorite place along the Capitol's route.
 
Everydaymatters said:
Be sure to look at the beautiful view of Harpers Ferry when it pulls into the station. It's a lovely town built on a hill and has a lot of history. It's probably my favorite place along the Capitol's route.
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If you like cities You'll also get a good look at some of the older suburbs of Washington, DC
 
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como said:
Everydaymatters said:
Be sure to look at the beautiful view of Harpers Ferry when it pulls into the station. It's a lovely town built on a hill and has a lot of history. It's probably my favorite place along the Capitol's route.
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You'll also get a look at Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo. The last two hours of your trip will give you a great view of steel mills and some of the industrial areas near Chicago.
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Tracy is on train 30, which is traveling eastbound from Chicago to Washington, D.C.

Tracy, welcome to the United States, and I hope you will enjoy Amtrak. It will be quite different from British Rail. The Capitol Limited operates with double deck Superliner equipment. I don't know how to do links, but somebody else on here will probably be able to do so when they see my post.

Your room is well located. It is on the top level near the center of the car, and the stairs to the lower level. There is a bathroom (wc) on the top level, and several more on the lower level. There is also a shower on the lower level. There are shelves for you to stow your bags on the lower level. There will not be much room for luggage in your room so plan accordingly. The room will have two facing seats, and the top bunk may seem somewhat claustrophobic. Only the person in the bottom bunk can look out the window. There are rooms on both sides of the aisle, and the car can operate in either direction, so it is impossible to tell which side your room will be on.,

The dining car should be an enjoyable experience for you. Dinner, Breakfast, and lunch are included in your sleeping car fare. After the unreliable catering on British rail, you will enjoy the sit down meals. Amtrak's website www.amtrak.com will provide you links to sample menus. Also, I believe by the time you travel, there will also be a lounge car where you can buy alcoholic beverages, snacks, etc.

I don't know what time of year you will be traveling. In the summer you have longer daylight hours, and should easily be able to see some of the sights leaving Chicago. About 20 minutes after leaving Chicago, the train makes a turn to the left and angles across the Dan Ryan Expressway. If you are on the left side of the train, you can see a nice view of the Chicago Sky line. About 10 minutes later you will get your first view of the steel mills and Lake Michigan. If you happen to be awake about 20 minutes before Sandusky, You can see the crossing of Sandusky Bay. Even though it is night time, with the lights turn off in your room, you will be able to see quite well.

Downtown Cleveland will be on your right as you pass through Cleveland, and the Rock and Roll hall of Fame will be on your left shortly after pulling out of the station. You will see the Cleveland Browns stadium on your left shortly before arrival into Cleveland.

About 30 minutes before Pittsburgh, the train starts running along the Ohio river which will be on your right. Even thought it is night time, if you happen to be awake, this is a nice view. After Pittsburgh, you will have lots of views of the Allegheny mountains as the train makes its way to the summit at Sand Patch which is about 30 miles from Cumberland Maryland. You will have a since of the train climbing to the summit, and descending into Cumberland. After Cumberland, you will enjoy the ride along the Cumberland River which is mostly on the left. There is one place where the train passes through a tunnel, exits the tunnel onto a bridge over the river, and then enters another tunnel. This is about 40 minutes beyond Cumberland IIRC.

Some other things to remember. The trains in the U.S. share tracks with freight trains, and are sometimes delayed by them. The freights also wear down the track, which makes for a bumpier ride than you are used to in England. Most of the line is double track, so you will see lots of freight trains. At times, your train may switch tracks to overtake a freight traveling the same direction. This happens frequently between Chicago and Cleveland.

I hope you have a great trip. I visited the UK several times, and have had wonderful experiences each time. I enjoy the vastness and variety of your rail system. The roomette will be smaller than rooms on the overnight sleepers in operation between London and Scotland. However, the food service in the dining car will be better than on these trains. Good luck
 
Thanks for all the replies.

Steve4031 I really appreciate the detailed information. I will print it all out to take with me. We will be travelling in April and although I have stayed in the US many times we have only used the train for a couple of trips. This will be our first time with accommodation and we are really excited about it. I just love travelling by train :D
 
Tracy,

I'm spoiled and travel the CZ alot when it comes to scenery....it doesn't get much better than the California Zephyr. But in my opinion, I was very suprised on how beautiful the scenery was on the Cap. Matter of fact, probably a close second to the Zephyr in my view. One thing my girlfriend and her kids noticed was this.....the tracks are just rough as heck. Felt like a jackhammer under my bed. So you might want to have a sleep aid or two. (Tylenol PM) and chow those down before going to bed. Keep your expectations of Amtrak modest, if you do then they should exceed your expectations and you will have a great trip!

Al
 
RailFanLNK said:
Tracy,I'm spoiled and travel the CZ alot when it comes to scenery....it doesn't get much better than the California Zephyr. But in my opinion, I was very suprised on how beautiful the scenery was on the Cap. Matter of fact, probably a close second to the Zephyr in my view. One thing my girlfriend and her kids noticed was this.....the tracks are just rough as heck. Felt like a jackhammer under my bed. So you might want to have a sleep aid or two. (Tylenol PM) and chow those down before going to bed. Keep your expectations of Amtrak modest, if you do then they should exceed your expectations and you will have a great trip!

Al
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Thanks RailFan the scenery sounds beautiful. Sounds like we are in for a rocky ride :eek:
 
Tracy,

You will enjoy riding on the Capitol Limited. The scenery along the Youghiogheny River (starting shortly after Pittsburgh) and later the Potomac (especially near Harpers Ferry) is quite beautiful, and April will be a nice time of year for it. As someone suggested above, if your roomette ends up on the left side of the train, plan to spend some time in the Sightseer Lounge in order to enjoy the views on the right side of the train.

Everydaymatters is right: whatever you do, don't miss the view of Harpers Ferry. (Once again, on the right side of the train.)

As for the tracks, I haven't found them to be too rough during the night, but maybe that was just me...

P.S. Another thing not to be missed, in my opinion, is the historic train station and roundhouse at Martinsburg. (Station will be on the right, roundhouse on the left.)
 
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I didn't find the tracks that rough either! Even if they are somewhat bumpy, I just find that it helps me sleep better - rocking me to sleep! Normally on this run, I sleep later than I normally do when on a train - waking up about 6 or 7 AM! Although the last trip I did wake about 4:30 AM - but I had a good excuse. (I awoke and the couple in the roomette across the hall were getting off in Pittsburgh, and I was taking to them for awhile. :) )

Here's the location of Roomette 2 (see the Superliner upper level). As you can see, it is in the center of the car. Roomette 1 is the car attendant's room, and the coffee and juice station is right outside your roomette! (The white area by the stairs.)

Enjoy your holiday!
 
If the tracks are rougher on the Capitol Limited than the California Zephyr then you will need hold on tight. :eek: We thought we might get bounced out of our sleepers on our trip on CZ. Some in our party just gave up on sleep and went to the Sightseer Car for the rest of the night.
 
RailFanLNK said:
Tracy,I'm spoiled and travel the CZ alot when it comes to scenery....it doesn't get much better than the California Zephyr. But in my opinion, I was very suprised on how beautiful the scenery was on the Cap. Matter of fact, probably a close second to the Zephyr in my view. One thing my girlfriend and her kids noticed was this.....the tracks are just rough as heck. Felt like a jackhammer under my bed. So you might want to have a sleep aid or two. (Tylenol PM) and chow those down before going to bed. Keep your expectations of Amtrak modest, if you do then they should exceed your expectations and you will have a great trip!

Al
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I have only travelled on the only CL once each way (2006), but my recollection too was that it was rougher and noisier (lots of crossings at night with horns blaring) than my experiences on the EB, CS, and CZ.
 
The roughest part of the CL's route is between PGH-WAS, when very few people are sleeping... you might get an early wake up Eastbound or find it hard to get to sleep Westbound, but the night-time journey in NS territory through Ohio is generally smooth.

If anybody wants to argue my dozens of experiences on the CL, feel free to contradict :p

Sincerely, ALC

I'm always awake when you are not....
 
My wifey and myself just booked our summer vacation to Chicago on the Capital limited out of Pittsburgh PA. for mid June 2010. Total trip cost each way in First Class (bedroom w bath and meals) was $300.00 which is not too bad. HOpe that it is easier to sleep on the Capital Limited than on the AutoTrain. On the Autotrain it moves along at a good pace and because the trackage is primarily a freight route the trip can get rocky at times. Our sleep success on the AutoTrain is about 50% so anything is possible on this route. The Capital leaves Pittsburgh at midnight and will make 7 or 8 stops going to Chicago so it might end up being a more leasurely trip. I'll be sure to take pictures and give a report here.

Anyone here ever take the Capital Limited? If so what was the trip like?
 
Guest_dlagrua_* said:
HOpe that it is easier to sleep on the Capital Limited than on the AutoTrain. On the Autotrain it moves along at a good pace and because the trackage is primarily a freight route the trip can get rocky at times.
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All LD Amtrak trains run on freight track. The difference mainly is who owns them and what terrain we're using. The CL uses the double-tracked NS WV mainline between PGH and ALC, where it switches to the double-tracked CLE line and then its on to CHI. The track is kept in good condition because NS relies on it heavily. Between PGH and WAS it is on CSX track and switches mains a few times, some of them aren't heavily trafficked at all-- its also over mountainous terrain along river beds (whereas on NS it runs pretty much straight with few grades).
 
Ok-I must agree the ride is 'a little rough', I rode in Oct 09 from Chicago to Washington, DC, we were behind schedule so I think we may have been traveling a little fast but the ride was rough. Our ride from Washington to Chicago was alot smoother/slower.

I agree Harpers Ferry was great, I wish I got off the train, Observation car is great, I suggest a cold drink of choice and hang out there, plenty to see ------Washington to Chicago-left side, Chicago to Washington-right side. Staff was great, I have limited experience in Europe and you will find our trains, at least this ride, a lot rougher than the 'high speed european trains'. Enjoy your vacation, I'm sure you will find the US Train crowd very inviting

Upgrade to a bedroom, we thought the difference was worth the added cost. We upgraded on board in South Bend to DC for only $50 bucks!!!
 
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