Passenger Trains > 50/51 diner, lounge

What is currently being run on 50/51? Is there a diner AND a lounge car?

mp208 Wrote:
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> What is currently being run on 50/51? Is there a
> diner AND a lounge car?

There hasn't been a full diner or lounge on this route since 2002 or so. The Cardinal has the infamous Diner Lite Amfleet II car - same as Lake Shore Limited. It did have it when Superliners operated on the route from mid-1990s to 2002. Then it was transformed back to single level where at first it had a full Heritage Diner and Amfleet II cafe/lounge (and even a separate crew car). But over time it's morphed to current status. The Cardinal does run with a business class Amfleet cafe car with 2-1 seating. The cafe is not in service, but I suppose sleeper passengers or those booked in sleeper class could use the tables on the other side of the business class seating! Regardless this train would be great with one of the new Viewliner Diners since it would offer more windows to view the scenery! It would even be great with a Superliner consist again that terminated in Washington DC. 

The best train (quality of service, amenities, price etc.) between the East Coast and Midwest is the Capitol Limited. No more Broadway/Three Rivers, Lake Shore experience is not the best, And the Cardinal has its shortcomings as a single level consist. 

The diner lasted a few years after 2002. 2002 was when it was converted to single level. Had a full diner when I rode in 2003, but none when I rode in late 2005.

Lost the diner in Winter 2004 when half the single level fleet froze up in Chicago. At that time they had 20+ Heritage diners, afterwards they lost more than a few, and some never came back. A good contingent of Viewliners went OOS for a few weeks too.
Nick

Posted from iPhone

I refuse to ride any LD Amtrak train which does not have a proper diner.

NGotwalt Wrote:
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> Lost the diner in Winter 2004 when half the single
> level fleet froze up in Chicago. At that time they
> had 20+ Heritage diners, afterwards they lost more
> than a few, and some never came back. A good
> contingent of Viewliners went OOS for a few weeks
> too.
> Nick
>
> Posted from iPhone

Remember that now. The Cardinal surrendered its Superliner cars to the Auto Train due to wrecks in 2000-2002. The Silver Palm had been discontinued (became the Palmetto terminating as a day train once again in the South). The Cardinal got two consists from the Silver Palm. Then winter hit and the single level fleet was obliterated.

Results of this were Amtrak adopted the "no more than 39" Viewliners in service. Held in reserve from that point forward was 25% of the fleet. It wasn't until a few years ago that the Cardinal would get an extra Viewliner in the summer (for a total of two per consist). The Silver Meteor would eventually get a third sleeper line when the Three Rivers was discontinued and re-scheduled to depart NYP at 3:15 pm instead of 7:01 pm. The third sleeper line still kept no more than 39 Viewliners in service.

The two extra Viewliners operating on the Cardinal put the number to 41 Viewliners in service. But again, that was only for a limited period of time per year.

The Federal (Northeast Regional #66/67) lost its Viewliners altogether. The Cardinal and Three Rivers were coach only for months while Viewliners were repaired and shuffled around.

Other single level LD consists had their Viewliner sleepers reduced (Boston sleeper was annulled).

Except for the Cardinal, all other LD trains got their diners back. Technically the Silver Palm no longer needed Heritage Diners since it was no longer operating - so its diners were retired. The Lake Shore would lose its Diner as part of a "Diner Lite" program in 2007. But then after enough outcry, four diners were returned to service by 2010 for the Lake Shore.

The Cardinal still operates with a subpar consist as far as I am concerned - no full diner, Viewliner sleeper is typically sold out, no descent lounge car.

jp1822 Wrote:
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> mp208 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> Cardinal does run with a business class Amfleet
> cafe car with 2-1 seating. The cafe is not in
> service, but I suppose sleeper passengers or those
> booked in sleeper class could use the tables on
> the other side of the business class seating!

Yes indeed. After breakfast w/b from Indy, my wife returned to the roomette. I stayed in the lounge area of the business class car and had a nice visit with the crew as we limped our way to Chicago. The sleeping car attendant also invited us to sit in the business class seats if we wished
BB

When I rode the Cardinal from DC to Chicago in March, I found the dining car service to be more than adequate.

While the menu was not as extensive as you would get in a proper diner, the food quality was very good. It was better than what I had on the Capitol Limited on my way out to DC.

The lounge end of the business class car is the "Cardinal Parlor Car  ie.  the Coast Starlight"

mundo Wrote:
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> The lounge end of the business class car is the
> "Cardinal Parlor Car  ie.  the Coast Starlight"

Only if they cut the current windows larger and add some curved windows near the roofline!