Passenger Trains > Amtrak Capitol Limited shrinks

I just noticed on the Hyndman cam that train 30 has shrunk by 2 cars and 1 diesel unit.  I guess that's the winter configuration?  

Yep. 3 & 4 are down to 2 sleepers and 2 coaches.

Without though cars with same seat ride service from NY, NJ, and most of Pennsylvania, it will always be a financial and ridership challenged train. It is nothing but the weaker (Washington) "half" of the Broadway limited. Off-season ridership tells the tale. The Lake Shore Ltd and Pennsylvanian are doing just fine, the former maybe down 1 coach (20%).

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/17 09:38 by joemvcnj.

Winter.  But  better marketing I always felt  would  help.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Without though cars with same seat ride service
> from NY, NJ, and most of Pennsylvania, it will
> always be a financial and ridership challenged
> train. It is nothing but the weaker (Washington)
> "half" of the Broadway limited. Off-season
> ridership tells the tale. The Lake Shore Ltd and
> Pennsylvanian are doing just fine, the former
> maybe down 1 coach (20%).
>
> Posted from Android

The weaker train is the Cardinal Amtrak 50 & 51 the 3 a week slow train. Not my homebase train the Capitol Limited Amtrak 29 &30.

Yes it is. But back when the Cardinal last run daily, the Broadway Ltd, with its Washington section, had double the ridership and triple the revenue of the Cardinal. Daily service does not guarantee great results with the Cardinal nor the present day Capitol Ltd.

I wonder how many coach passengers it takes just to pay the crew?  In the days of yore, the Santa Fe ran the El Capitan CHI to LAX with 4 F units, an RPO, a baggage car, and about 12 coaches.  People payed an extra fare just to ride it and the trip took just under 40 hours.  I don't know what the balance sheet looked like but it took at least 6-7 crews to make the trip and each crew was probably 12+ people.  I'm sure they made money on it, but that was before the interstate highway system and non-stop jet flights.  Competition usually settles the issue.

Does the Capitol still have a Sightseer Lounge car?

It does in the Sand Patch videos.

Perhaps it's during this time that Amtrak should just try to run the Capitol Limited all the way down to Florida - Tampa I guess so it could be services at Sanford. I believe they just need one extra trainset - four trainsets as opposed to four. Why not "try it out" to have a direct Chicago (Midwest) to Florida train. Washington will always contribute ridership, as will the route of the Meteor if that's the way it is going. Run Acela Express trains from NY and Boston to connect with the Capitol Limited at Washington DC if need be. Some work would be negotiated for trackage rights and such, but if it is temporary for a few months........just to try it out........is it going to create that much of an inconvenience. Service at Chicago, briefly at Washington DC, and then Sanford.