Passenger Trains > Great Trip On The Lake Shore...

Arrived this morning exactly on time into Buffalo-Depew on #48 from Chicago. An excellent trip! 

Made good use of the new Chicago Metropolitan Lounge prior to boarding at 9:00pm. Rooms 7 & 8 in Car #4812 were in good shape and all features functioned as intended, but like most Viewliner sleepers everything was a little worn looking. Attendant George was very welcoming and attentive. Left right OT. Both NS and CSX track mostly rode well. Slept soundly from Elkart to just before Erie.

Breakfast was fine in the substitute Amfleet II dinette, but needless to say it's not like enjoying a meal in a true diner. Service was friendly and fast. French Toast was as expected for this type of car; 4 thinner slices of bread but flavor was good. Accompanying bacon was fine, as was the orange juice and HOT coffee. The plastic utensils were heavy-duty and made to look like real silver. No problem for use with any breakfast foods. Server remarked as we left that she would look forward to seeing us at lunch for a great hamburger; we unfortunately replied that we were getting off before then.

Large coach crowd got off and boarded at Depew. We collected our checked bags and were in our car in just over 10 minutes after arrival.

Absolutely beat fighting traffic to Midway and long security lines on a busy Sunday evening!




 

Glad you had a great trip, despite the lack of a real dining car.

Were the beds in your sleeper already made up when you boarded in Chicago (except for the blanket in a bag)? I was told that was the new standard procedure on my last trip on 48. Not much room to maneuver your luggage into the roomette with the bed down.

I see that they had consigned baggage so they probably had minimal luggage to take into the roomette.  Few people seem to use the over-aisle bag storage in each Viewliner room, which makes much more space on the floor level. 

mbutte -- glad the trip went well and on time.  Always good to read a positive story.  As for the French Toast, it sounds more like home-style french toast than railroad-style, but that can be equally good as any home chef knows. 


 

My son and I returned to Albany on the LSL the day before you did.

I agree totally.  Good trip (only 15 minutes down at Albany, thanks to fat in the schedule between there and Schenectady) and the crew was doing well squeezing the best results they could out of an Amdinette.

If any senior Amtrak management or Congressional staffers are reading this, please do not misunderstand:  THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT FOR DOWNGRADING DINING SERVICE.   It's the crews that are doing a good job, not you. You people still suck

As for sleepers, all of the 4820 car was made down when we boarded.  We got on an hour early, and I really wish they hadn't done that with the beds.  8:30 is too early to have a viewliner roomette made down, especially since you don't have the option of a long, casual dinner in the diner.  My boy ended up reading his Ipad in the upper bed, while I sat  on the toilet cover and used my suitcase for a footrest.

The BEST part about early boarding, though, was the ability for both of us to take showers without bouncing off the walls of the shower stall.  Dinner is better while moving, and I think sleeping is better while moving also.  But a shower?  Much better stationary.

CSX track conditions in the Mohawk Valley are still terrible, on both mains.