For almost 2 years I used to take the Cardinal/Hoosier State between Lafayette and Chicago every Thursday for work. I'd get in to Chicago around 10, get in an hour or two in my Loop office, have a lunch meeting with a client or co-workers, spend the afternoon in various meetings then catch the 5:45 train home.
I've been wondering about the Hoosier State. I live in Indy and it would be nice to go to Chicago for the day, but the traffic is nuts. I also have family south of the city that could pick me up in Dyer for holidays. Is the Hoosier State usually dependable/on time?
The Hoosier State is pretty reliable. The Cardinal a little less so because it originates in New York so there are more opportunities for delays. Its a nice, relaxing way to travel, and given the cost of parking in downtown Chicago, not that much more expensive (or cheaper if you stay overnight) and definitely much less hassle. The only hesitation I'd have about using the train for a leisure day trip is if you do get delayed, suddenly a good portion of your day is gone. But for like a weekend when a few hours doesn't mean as much its great. Full disclosure- for most of the time period I was taking the train regularly, the Hoosier State was contracted out to another company. Amtrak has since taken over operating the route. I don't know if or how much the service quality or reliability has changed.
Hi Paul. I love your train videos. I am looking forward to riding my beloved Amtrak Cardinal in October, for the first time since Sept '95. I wish you would do one more video, with the primary focus on the dining options, and your review of the food experience.
Dougabbott, there is no way that I would make a train video about the "food experience". It would be meaningless, due to the highly subjective nature of the subject and also because of the inconsistency of how AMTRAK handles it over time and route.
I love your videos. They're very instructional. I'll be taking this train on the way to New York City with an overnight stop in Washington DC. We'll be traveling in a roomette to DC and business class to Moynihan train station. I've taken all of the following trains based on your "Odyssey" videos: EB, CZ, CS, LS, Crescent, and TE. Thank you
Last September, my husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and I took our first train trip from Ohio to Colorado and back. Before going last year, we watched a couple of your videos to get a better idea of train travel. I was bored recently and started watching train videos. I came across your Cardinal Train Oddessy and discovered that we are in it. You followed us out to the trains in Chicago at the beginning of part 2.
I took this train also last year around Sept/2017. There was only on sleeper attached. The food was very sub standard, and the condition of the tracks was pretty terrible as we got closer to Washington. In fact, the ride was so rocky that the dining room attendant advised that we cover our drinks and hold onto them, else the contents would splash out and the cups would jump off the table. But, If you're going to Cincinnati Ohio, there is only one route.......The Cardinal.
For all those complaining about the quantity and frequency of engine horn blasts. A) It is a safety requirement that the engineer sound 2 longs, a short, and a long for every road crossing. B) The US has an amazing number of surface crossings, especially in farming areas. C) It isn't likely to change soon since US law requires the railroads to maintain all crossings so the highway departments have minimal fiscal motivation to pay for an overpass or underpass that they will have to pay to maintain.
I ride the Cardinal on a regular basis. The reason they use viewliners instead of superliners is because of height restrictions north of Washington DC. A couple time when equipment shortages required the use of superliners, the Cardinal had to terminate at Washington passengers going further were transferred to the Palmetto.
How I clean my toothbrush after brushing in an environment other than home like when camping. I take a mouthful of bottled water to rinse and before spitting it out I place the brush in between my lips and rinse it with the water I spit out. After three of four rinses the brush is cleaned.
The Captol Limited routinely runs late. I'm not sure you save any time taking it over the Cardinal. When I took the Capitol Ltd. back in 2000 I missed my connection back to NJ so they put me on the Metroliner..
JAMES MARK the Cardinals is going to be the same way because they have to Interchange to CSX and NS in order to get to the destinations. However I've heard that they've been paying the more recently so that they're able to get through faster all that affects it now is weather and whatnot the one time I wrote it we were delayed 12 hours due to flooded tracks and trees on the line
The design for superliners predate creation of Amtrak. Amtrak adopted it for its western trains and have a whole bunch built starting in 1979. That solved the western long distance trains, but Amtrak continued to use "heritage" sleeping cars for any train passing through New York/Philadelphia. The Viewliner was designed by Amtrak in the 1980s with some prototypes built before 1990, and production in mid 1990s when funding available. (and Viewliner 2 with dining cars and new baggage cars built after 2009 bank failures). Viewliner are unique is that they were built like cruise ships. Shell made with big "door" in middle and room modules prefabricated and slid into the car shell and moved into place. If you look carefully, you can see that area of the wall that was open to let the modules in and out.
Actually, the Superliner design per se does not predate Amtrak, but the Santa Fe Hi-Level cars (which Amtrak inherited quite a few of) were the inspiration for Superliners :)
@@ckildegaard Considering that Amtrak had Superliners built to be compatible with Hi_Level (a number of trains mixed them to use Hi-Level coaches with new Superliner sleepers for instance), I would think that it was more than "inspiration". (The Hi-Levels got upgrades including HEP power over the years and remained in service till 2018). Height/width and inter-car vestibules were all compatible.
@@jfmezei As I recall, the Superliners are slightly taller. The only hi-levels remaining until 2018 were the lounges used as Pacific Parlour Cars on the Coast Starlight, and they had vestibules that let you step up/down between the cats
I have enjoyed your videos for some time. I had planned to take the Capitol Limited to DC from Chicago in 2015 and then take the Cardinal back. I only had a week for vacation though and at the time, the Capitol was running anywhere from 12-24 hours late. About a month prior to departure, I cancelled and flew instead. Fast forward to 2018. I recently reserved a bedroom on the California Zephyr. I am still flying to the west coast, but have allowed myself four days (to account for any delays) to get back to Chicago. Really looking forward to it.
I rode the Cardinal route back in 1994 (not counting the yearly New River Train excursions I rode between Huntington WV and Hinton WV in 2014, 2015 that run on this same track) this by far is my most favorite Amtrak route. I wish they ran it daily though to make it more flexible to plan trips on the Cardinal. There are (or were) places of jointed rail in NW Indiana and between Clifton Forge and Charlottesville in 1994, but sounds like your car had a flat wheel on it since a lot of the route is on a heavy rail coal route.
Just a note, I don't think that's a "kitchenette" with free refreshments. It appears to be a Cafe counter that sells premade meals, snacks, and drinks to any passenger in any class of service. On western trains, the same sort of facility is located on the lower level of the Sightseer Lounge.
I wouldn't mind having your job. I'm a big fan of train travel. I travel between Seattle & Lansing Mi. I've taken the train from Seattle to LA to Miami several times. But the only thing I wish they would change is the window treatment. Like on the old trains they had pull down. You could pull it down low enough to block the sun in your eyes but still see out the window. I've wanted to have a sleeper so many times but with as many trips I take between Seattle & MI I'd have to be a millionaire. I've taken probably all the trains that Amtrak offers, even some that are no longer, such as the Pioneer. I do agree with you about the toilets in the sleepers, I'd take more room then the toilet.. Enjoy your trips.
Do you have a video for the city of new Orleans? That train went through my backyard, near Anna, Il at night almost always about 1:30am after it left Carbondale, Il.
MrUABama, no I don't have a CONO video, and probably will not, since too much of it will be at night, and also since I have already visited New Orleans more than I care to.
Actually it enters West Virginia in Huntington and heads east thru my hometown of Hurricane. It then goes to Charleston and heads south east where it eventually enters Virginia.
After watching your Amtrac videos, Amtrac would better serve their passengers by cleaning the windows. As like running the train thru an automatic wash and then proceed...just a thought. And keep train traveling, you are a joy to travel with.
I just helped a friend move to Dyer Indiana and the Cardinal passes by daily going East and West. I thought of this video when I could hear the train coming. Funny thing, the trains were only 3 cars long. One sleeper (indicated by upper windows) and I assume a coach and galley car. Do they build the train up as it heads East and then build it down again as it heads West? I did see one Cardinal go by headed East that was 7 or 8 cars long with another engine in the middle of the train. Either way, thanks for your videos.
Indeed, I just verified that I was seeing the "Hoosier State" for the daily shorter trains, and the longer one I saw was the Cardinal. Which means I was not seeing sleepers on the daily. Darn memory is going on me as I enter my old age. Geezh! I'm betting the the composite train I saw was maybe the Hoosier and Cardinal heading out to Indianapolis together and would be split there for the "Hoosier State" to return to Chicago while the Cardinal continued on it's way to New York.
There’s not a lot of time between the first call and final boarding call. Maybe ten minutes plus or minus. It’s enough time to take a leisurely yet direct stroll to the boarding platform. Amtrak at Chicago Union Station has always impressed me as a fairly efficient operation. So, stay alert for messages on the PA system. The train will leave on time most days.
Train time was 5:45. We started boarding about 15 or 20 min after the hour. The line at the waiting room was quite long. Left from Gate D for Amtrak, track 28. Had slight delay after Cincinnati.
The sleepers on the Cardinal are the most expensive rooms on Amtrak, partly because there is only one car. I can book 6 months in advance from philly to Chicago and it will STILL cost $650 for the roomette. that's just insane.
Two points of confusion. You are commenting on one of my original "Train Odyssey" videos, but the "LA to Portland" video is Part 2 of a different video series, "Train Odyssey 2", which has parts 1, 2 and 3. Odyssey 2 Part 1 was the "Southwest Chief" from Chicago to LA, Part 2 is the "Coast Starlight" from LA to Portland, and Part 3 will be the "Empire Builder" from Portland to Chicago. "Odyssey 2" is currently under development; Part 1 has been out on TH-cam for a couple of weeks, Part 2 was just uploaded last weekend (July 8 or 9, 2018), and Part 3 does not yet exist.....I am doing the editing now, and I hope to have it up in about one week.
I see you left the GPS and scanner in plain view. I hope this isn't a stupid question. Does the attendant watch the rooms while you're somewhere else on the train? I am taking my first train trip in September so I'm curious about security.
I address this question in some of my videos, but here is a recap: - I don't leave my GPS and scanner "in plain view". When I am not in my room (and really, most of the time when I AM in my room), I have the curtains between room and aisle pulled closed, so nobody in the aisle can see into my room. - Passengers cannot loiter or congregate in the aisles, because they are only wide enough for one person, and because there is passenger traffic up and down the aisles (it is the ONLY way to get around on the train), so anyone near my room is simply passing by, and there is no reason, or opportunity, for potential thieves to be randomly opening doors to rooms and looking in. This would be quickly noticed, and since such thieves would not know if they were about to peek into an occupied room or not, they would not risk doing it. - Common advice for passengers in the rooms is to NOT leave anything in a 'snatch/grab' situation that they would not immediately notice upon returning to their room. So, if somebody WAS bold enough to enter my room while I was not there, and grabbed the GPS or scanner, I would immediately notice their absence upon returning to my room. The thief would not have any place to run to or hide, and a search would soon find them. Everyone knows this, so stealing from rooms practically never happens. But it would be very stupid to leave smaller, less noticeable valuables laying out in the open. - Bringing true valuables (that are also small) onto the train in the first place would not be very smart or appropriate. Leave the jewelry at home, etc. - I nice camera or a smart phone or iPad MIGHT be an attractive thing to grab, so put those away in your suitcase of you plan to be gone from the room for a meal or time in the lounge car, OR take those things with you when you leave the room (that's what I do).
@@youtuuba I didn't mean to sound rude when I said in plain view. It actually made me think that the rooms were really secure. I don't wear a watch or jewelry, so I was mainly concerned about my electronics because that is literally worth several thousand dollars. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I am going to go back and watch your other videos for more information.
webtelles, It is impossible for me to determine what the experience would be for you and your family, there are so many variables and preferences. However, it is my opinion that the Superliner 'Family Rooms' look like miserable places, and if it was my own family of two parents and two kids, I would opt for two Roomettes, with one parent and one kid in each. Then try to spend a lot of each day in the Lounge car, so your family can be together in one place. Go back to the Roomettes when the kids get bored or need naps. Walk the train with the kids several times each day, get out at the station stops. But remember that if you let little kids run free on the train, you will soon be in trouble with the train staff. Pick a train route and direction of travel that will give you and the kids interesting things to look at during daylight hours. Bring things for them to read, or videos to watch at other times. Remember earbuds or headphones if any noise making things will be used, because if you make a nuisance of yourself they can put you off the train. And sleeping cars are supposed to remain pretty quiet.
I have one question. I havent rode it in years do they block off coach passengers from entering the lounge car. When i rode it did not have a lounge car and they blocked off the sleeper at the cafe car
I love your videos & the sound of your voice. My husband & I will be traveling by AMTRAK to Orlando, Florida where we are moving to. We will be leaving from Denver, then transferring in Chicago with a four hour layover, then transferring in Washington DC with a two hour layover, then take the train to Orlando. Dec 1-3. Will you be traveling on any of these trains or be in Chicago Union Station at the time we are. Would love to meet you. Also, if someone were to spot you, what is your name or do we just call out hey you? My name is Jamie. My husbands name is Louis. He rides in a power chair.
lcar4000, I have not taken the Capital Limited because it send to me that the parts of the trip that are usually in daylight are not very interesting or attractive areas, but it does seem to be a useful train if people just 'want to get there'. The Cardinal is going to be much slower than the Capital Limited, but it is much more scenic, going through boring stretches at night, and then having a slow and scenic run for most of the second day through forested river valleys and such. But then, the Cardinal only travels a few times a week, not daily.
Never understood why Amtrak doesn't originate one of these east coast bound trains at somewhere other than Chicago. There's a big geographic gap between riding the Chicago trains or boarding The Crescent in New Orleans or Atlanta. St. Louis or Memphis to Cincinnati, and then over the current Cardinal route would work well. Could also serve Nashville and Louisville, which have no Amtrak service at all.
Brent Staulcup, I think AMTRAK is limited by several things. First, they don't own most of the track they use, and have to roll on freight rail routes, many of which route through major hubs like Chicago. And they can't afford to be running trains all over the place since they have a very limited number of physical trains in their inventory. Luckily in many areas there are regional rail services that can get passengers to the stations served by AMTRAK. And except for some limited regional rail service, AMTRAK is primarily a long haul carrier, picking up where regional and municipal rail services leave off.
I think an east West train from DC to LA via Indy, St Louis, KC and then to LA would be great. A north/south train from Chicago to Florida with stops in Nashville and either Birmingham or Atlanta would also help, but I doubt either will ever happen
IDK, that in room toilet was pretty funky. It looks like something designed by a committee. Is that really the state of our national trains? With all the money we give Amtrak we should have a glistening, modern world beating train. Maybe people would actually start traveling by train again on a routine basis instead of driving everywhere. The toilet should be at the end of the hall just like an airline.
Many people, especially some senior citizens with unstable balance, apparently prefer train rooms with toilets in the rooms, because with all the rocking and lurching of AMTRAK trains on some freight rails, they have a hard time walking down the hall to the 'public' restrooms in their sleeping car. But those folks don't have that option on any western trains that use Superliner cars, and in any case all sleeping cars still have some regular bedrooms that have their own toilets; at least those are not gross since of you spray or miss, at least it is not on the upholstery and carpet. I have heard that AMTRAK officials agree that toilets in roomettes (currently only on ViewLiner sleeper cars) are gross and unsanitary, and should go away with the next refurbishment cycle of those cars. I don't know if this is actually happening.
amtrak fan Please keep in mind that this is a two part video covering the Viewliner configuration used on the Cardinal train. Some details are on the first video and some are on the second video (referred to as parts 2 & 3 out of the for videos of my Train Odyssey). I tried to put the accommodation info on the first video and the route info on the second video, but to get everything you need to watch both parts.
Trucker Eugene pretty sure the Engines are owned and not leased by Amtrak. What do you mean? What does driving a truck have to do with driving a train?
My problems with Amtrak are the dearth of cities served, the failure in many cases to keep to the schedule, and the outrageous cost of a sleeper. I’d like to see all the trains ran on time, a direct train from Chicago to Florida as well as to Nashville, Atlanta, etc, and provide two options on sleeper tickets: with or without meals.
As to the whistle of the trains, I love the sound. Always love hearing the whistle of a nearby freight train to my home many mornings. It is an audible memory to me of trains which have always been dear to my heart.
For me, he spent too much time on the sleeping compartment itself and all his gadgets. It just became so tiresome.. perhaps not to others traveling with all their technical supplies but I am more interested in the route and places the train runs through.I would have preferred more commentary on food, and the trip itinerary.
For almost 2 years I used to take the Cardinal/Hoosier State between Lafayette and Chicago every Thursday for work. I'd get in to Chicago around 10, get in an hour or two in my Loop office, have a lunch meeting with a client or co-workers, spend the afternoon in various meetings then catch the 5:45 train home.
I've been wondering about the Hoosier State. I live in Indy and it would be nice to go to Chicago for the day, but the traffic is nuts. I also have family south of the city that could pick me up in Dyer for holidays. Is the Hoosier State usually dependable/on time?
The Hoosier State is pretty reliable. The Cardinal a little less so because it originates in New York so there are more opportunities for delays. Its a nice, relaxing way to travel, and given the cost of parking in downtown Chicago, not that much more expensive (or cheaper if you stay overnight) and definitely much less hassle. The only hesitation I'd have about using the train for a leisure day trip is if you do get delayed, suddenly a good portion of your day is gone. But for like a weekend when a few hours doesn't mean as much its great. Full disclosure- for most of the time period I was taking the train regularly, the Hoosier State was contracted out to another company. Amtrak has since taken over operating the route. I don't know if or how much the service quality or reliability has changed.
Hi Paul. I love your train videos. I am looking forward to riding my beloved Amtrak Cardinal in October, for the first time since Sept '95.
I wish you would do one more video, with the primary focus on the dining options, and your review of the food experience.
Dougabbott, there is no way that I would make a train video about the "food experience". It would be meaningless, due to the highly subjective nature of the subject and also because of the inconsistency of how AMTRAK handles it over time and route.
I love your videos. They're very instructional. I'll be taking this train on the way to New York City with an overnight stop in Washington DC. We'll be traveling in a roomette to DC and business class to Moynihan train station.
I've taken all of the following trains based on your "Odyssey" videos: EB, CZ, CS, LS, Crescent, and TE.
Thank you
Your videos are very enjoyable and informative. You have a great voice, reminds me of the late Jean Shepard. Best wishes and safe travels.
Last September, my husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and I took our first train trip from Ohio to Colorado and back. Before going last year, we watched a couple of your videos to get a better idea of train travel. I was bored recently and started watching train videos. I came across your Cardinal Train Oddessy and discovered that we are in it. You followed us out to the trains in Chicago at the beginning of part 2.
Great video. I'm doing the Cardinal
(E-->W) in September. This was fun to watch and a good reminder of what to bring. Thank you!
I rode this train from Huntington WV to New York City and back. I am also good friends with the conductor that works on the Cardinal
Wow the Cardinal with two sleeping cars is rare. Every time i rode it or saw it it only has one
My father was actually the engineer of your train between Chicago and Indianapolis. I heard him speak at Crawfordsville over your scanner
It sound like a fun job
Amtrak 19597 wow that's impressive
@@kellytraylor6915 Engineers who designed the locomotives at GE are impressive, not those who drive them.
Is he from Chicago or Indianapolis?
@@RobertKrebill Indy Crew Base
I took this train also last year around Sept/2017. There was only on sleeper attached. The food was very sub standard, and the condition of the tracks was pretty terrible as we got closer to Washington. In fact, the ride was so rocky that the dining room attendant advised that we cover our drinks and hold onto them, else the contents would splash out and the cups would jump off the table. But, If you're going to Cincinnati Ohio, there is only one route.......The Cardinal.
Oh yes, the Cardinal, I heard of this train on my America by rail dvd set which was the third installment of America by rail called Winter wonderland
I have loved your vids for quite some time. They are very in depth and you learn a lot about the train (this one, especially). Thanks for posting.
For all those complaining about the quantity and frequency of engine horn blasts. A) It is a safety requirement that the engineer sound 2 longs, a short, and a long for every road crossing. B) The US has an amazing number of surface crossings, especially in farming areas. C) It isn't likely to change soon since US law requires the railroads to maintain all crossings so the highway departments have minimal fiscal motivation to pay for an overpass or underpass that they will have to pay to maintain.
I ride the Cardinal on a regular basis. The reason they use viewliners instead of superliners is because of height restrictions north of Washington DC. A couple time when equipment shortages required the use of superliners, the Cardinal had to terminate at Washington passengers going further were transferred to the Palmetto.
How I clean my toothbrush after brushing in an environment other than home like when camping. I take a mouthful of bottled water to rinse and before spitting it out I place the brush in between my lips and rinse it with the water I spit out. After three of four rinses the brush is cleaned.
Thanks for sharing your journeys! :)
Learned a lot! Thanks for posting!
The Captol Limited routinely runs late. I'm not sure you save any time taking it over the Cardinal. When I took the Capitol Ltd. back in 2000 I missed my connection back to NJ so they put me on the Metroliner..
JAMES MARK the Cardinals is going to be the same way because they have to Interchange to CSX and NS in order to get to the destinations. However I've heard that they've been paying the more recently so that they're able to get through faster all that affects it now is weather and whatnot the one time I wrote it we were delayed 12 hours due to flooded tracks and trees on the line
This is fantastic! Thank you for taking the time to make, edit, and upload this.
The design for superliners predate creation of Amtrak. Amtrak adopted it for its western trains and have a whole bunch built starting in 1979. That solved the western long distance trains, but Amtrak continued to use "heritage" sleeping cars for any train passing through New York/Philadelphia. The Viewliner was designed by Amtrak in the 1980s with some prototypes built before 1990, and production in mid 1990s when funding available. (and Viewliner 2 with dining cars and new baggage cars built after 2009 bank failures). Viewliner are unique is that they were built like cruise ships. Shell made with big "door" in middle and room modules prefabricated and slid into the car shell and moved into place. If you look carefully, you can see that area of the wall that was open to let the modules in and out.
Actually, the Superliner design per se does not predate Amtrak, but the Santa Fe Hi-Level cars (which Amtrak inherited quite a few of) were the inspiration for Superliners :)
@@ckildegaard Considering that Amtrak had Superliners built to be compatible with Hi_Level (a number of trains mixed them to use Hi-Level coaches with new Superliner sleepers for instance), I would think that it was more than "inspiration". (The Hi-Levels got upgrades including HEP power over the years and remained in service till 2018). Height/width and inter-car vestibules were all compatible.
@@jfmezei As I recall, the Superliners are slightly taller. The only hi-levels remaining until 2018 were the lounges used as Pacific Parlour Cars on the Coast Starlight, and they had vestibules that let you step up/down between the cats
I have enjoyed your videos for some time. I had planned to take the Capitol Limited to DC from Chicago in 2015 and then take the Cardinal back. I only had a week for vacation though and at the time, the Capitol was running anywhere from 12-24 hours late. About a month prior to departure, I cancelled and flew instead. Fast forward to 2018. I recently reserved a bedroom on the California Zephyr. I am still flying to the west coast, but have allowed myself four days (to account for any delays) to get back to Chicago. Really looking forward to it.
I rode the Cardinal route back in 1994 (not counting the yearly New River Train excursions I rode between Huntington WV and Hinton WV in 2014, 2015 that run on this same track) this by far is my most favorite Amtrak route. I wish they ran it daily though to make it more flexible to plan trips on the Cardinal. There are (or were) places of jointed rail in NW Indiana and between Clifton Forge and Charlottesville in 1994, but sounds like your car had a flat wheel on it since a lot of the route is on a heavy rail coal route.
Just a note, I don't think that's a "kitchenette" with free refreshments. It appears to be a Cafe counter that sells premade meals, snacks, and drinks to any passenger in any class of service. On western trains, the same sort of facility is located on the lower level of the Sightseer Lounge.
I wouldn't mind having your job. I'm a big fan of train travel. I travel between Seattle & Lansing Mi. I've taken the train from Seattle to LA to Miami several times. But the only thing I wish they would change is the window treatment. Like on the old trains they had pull down. You could pull it down low enough to block the sun in your eyes but still see out the window. I've wanted to have a sleeper so many times but with as many trips I take between Seattle & MI I'd have to be a millionaire. I've taken probably all the trains that Amtrak offers, even some that are no longer, such as the Pioneer. I do agree with you about the toilets in the sleepers, I'd take more room then the toilet.. Enjoy your trips.
Nancy Ogard, what job do you refer to that you think I have? At least, that is perinant to this video?
Do you have a video for the city of new Orleans? That train went through my backyard, near Anna, Il at night almost always about 1:30am after it left Carbondale, Il.
MrUABama, no I don't have a CONO video, and probably will not, since too much of it will be at night, and also since I have already visited New Orleans more than I care to.
Keep up the good work on videos I love Trains
thanks much. very educational
Arthur Baker amen
I liked it when lounge was right at track.
Actually it enters West Virginia in Huntington and heads east thru my hometown of Hurricane. It then goes to Charleston and heads south east where it eventually enters Virginia.
After watching your Amtrac videos, Amtrac would better serve their passengers by cleaning the windows. As like running the train thru an automatic wash and then proceed...just a thought. And keep train traveling, you are a joy to travel with.
The Southwest Chief used to wash Windows at Albuquerque.
I just helped a friend move to Dyer Indiana and the Cardinal passes by daily going East and West. I thought of this video when I could hear the train coming. Funny thing, the trains were only 3 cars long. One sleeper (indicated by upper windows) and I assume a coach and galley car. Do they build the train up as it heads East and then build it down again as it heads West? I did see one Cardinal go by headed East that was 7 or 8 cars long with another engine in the middle of the train. Either way, thanks for your videos.
Andrew Tubbiolo, the Cardinal is not a daily train, last I checked. The shorter trains you are seeing might be something other than the Cardinal.
Indeed, I just verified that I was seeing the "Hoosier State" for the daily shorter trains, and the longer one I saw was the Cardinal. Which means I was not seeing sleepers on the daily. Darn memory is going on me as I enter my old age. Geezh! I'm betting the the composite train I saw was maybe the Hoosier and Cardinal heading out to Indianapolis together and would be split there for the "Hoosier State" to return to Chicago while the Cardinal continued on it's way to New York.
For the shower on both showers, do recommend Shower shoes and do they clean the shower on a daily basis?
I'll be taking this same train to Virginia in June. Departing at the same time. How soon do they let passengers start boarding? First time on a train.
There’s not a lot of time between the first call and final boarding call. Maybe ten minutes plus or minus. It’s enough time to take a leisurely yet direct stroll to the boarding platform. Amtrak at Chicago Union Station has always impressed me as a fairly efficient operation. So, stay alert for messages on the PA system. The train will leave on time most days.
Train time was 5:45. We started boarding about 15 or 20 min after the hour. The line at the waiting room was quite long. Left from Gate D for Amtrak, track 28. Had slight delay after Cincinnati.
yes and I figured it out
It would have been nice if we could have seen more scenery during the daylight hours of part 2 and the walkthrough during the nighttime hours.
The sleepers on the Cardinal are the most expensive rooms on Amtrak, partly because there is only one car. I can book 6 months in advance from philly to Chicago and it will STILL cost $650 for the roomette. that's just insane.
They find every way to make up for their money-loosing business.
ok im lost I was looking for pt 2 from LA to Portland cant find it
Two points of confusion. You are commenting on one of my original "Train Odyssey" videos, but the "LA to Portland" video is Part 2 of a different video series, "Train Odyssey 2", which has parts 1, 2 and 3. Odyssey 2 Part 1 was the "Southwest Chief" from Chicago to LA, Part 2 is the "Coast Starlight" from LA to Portland, and Part 3 will be the "Empire Builder" from Portland to Chicago. "Odyssey 2" is currently under development; Part 1 has been out on TH-cam for a couple of weeks, Part 2 was just uploaded last weekend (July 8 or 9, 2018), and Part 3 does not yet exist.....I am doing the editing now, and I hope to have it up in about one week.
I see you left the GPS and scanner in plain view. I hope this isn't a stupid question. Does the attendant watch the rooms while you're somewhere else on the train? I am taking my first train trip in September so I'm curious about security.
I address this question in some of my videos, but here is a recap:
- I don't leave my GPS and scanner "in plain view". When I am not in my room (and really, most of the time when I AM in my room), I have the curtains between room and aisle pulled closed, so nobody in the aisle can see into my room.
- Passengers cannot loiter or congregate in the aisles, because they are only wide enough for one person, and because there is passenger traffic up and down the aisles (it is the ONLY way to get around on the train), so anyone near my room is simply passing by, and there is no reason, or opportunity, for potential thieves to be randomly opening doors to rooms and looking in. This would be quickly noticed, and since such thieves would not know if they were about to peek into an occupied room or not, they would not risk doing it.
- Common advice for passengers in the rooms is to NOT leave anything in a 'snatch/grab' situation that they would not immediately notice upon returning to their room. So, if somebody WAS bold enough to enter my room while I was not there, and grabbed the GPS or scanner, I would immediately notice their absence upon returning to my room. The thief would not have any place to run to or hide, and a search would soon find them. Everyone knows this, so stealing from rooms practically never happens. But it would be very stupid to leave smaller, less noticeable valuables laying out in the open.
- Bringing true valuables (that are also small) onto the train in the first place would not be very smart or appropriate. Leave the jewelry at home, etc.
- I nice camera or a smart phone or iPad MIGHT be an attractive thing to grab, so put those away in your suitcase of you plan to be gone from the room for a meal or time in the lounge car, OR take those things with you when you leave the room (that's what I do).
@@youtuuba I didn't mean to sound rude when I said in plain view. It actually made me think that the rooms were really secure. I don't wear a watch or jewelry, so I was mainly concerned about my electronics because that is literally worth several thousand dollars. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I am going to go back and watch your other videos for more information.
Im crazy to do a trip like that. What is the best experience and price for a family of 4? Awesome video!
webtelles, It is impossible for me to determine what the experience would be for you and your family, there are so many variables and preferences. However, it is my opinion that the Superliner 'Family Rooms' look like miserable places, and if it was my own family of two parents and two kids, I would opt for two Roomettes, with one parent and one kid in each. Then try to spend a lot of each day in the Lounge car, so your family can be together in one place. Go back to the Roomettes when the kids get bored or need naps. Walk the train with the kids several times each day, get out at the station stops. But remember that if you let little kids run free on the train, you will soon be in trouble with the train staff. Pick a train route and direction of travel that will give you and the kids interesting things to look at during daylight hours. Bring things for them to read, or videos to watch at other times. Remember earbuds or headphones if any noise making things will be used, because if you make a nuisance of yourself they can put you off the train. And sleeping cars are supposed to remain pretty quiet.
I have one question. I havent rode it in years do they block off coach passengers from entering the lounge car. When i rode it did not have a lounge car and they blocked off the sleeper at the cafe car
Do u ride the train a lot?
I love your videos & the sound of your voice. My husband & I will be traveling by AMTRAK to Orlando, Florida where we are moving to. We will be leaving from Denver, then transferring in Chicago with a four hour layover, then transferring in Washington DC with a two hour layover, then take the train to Orlando. Dec 1-3. Will you be traveling on any of these trains or be in Chicago Union Station at the time we are. Would love to meet you. Also, if someone were to spot you, what is your name or do we just call out hey you? My name is Jamie. My husbands name is Louis. He rides in a power chair.
25:00 somebody needs to change that axle due to flatspot
don't need to change the axle for a flat spot-it's a wheel that has the flat spot
Do you prefer the Cardinal or Capital Limited between Chicago and DC?
lcar4000, I have not taken the Capital Limited because it send to me that the parts of the trip that are usually in daylight are not very interesting or attractive areas, but it does seem to be a useful train if people just 'want to get there'.
The Cardinal is going to be much slower than the Capital Limited, but it is much more scenic, going through boring stretches at night, and then having a slow and scenic run for most of the second day through forested river valleys and such. But then, the Cardinal only travels a few times a week, not daily.
Youtuuba: You may find a toilet in the roomette an issue now, but wait until you are older and you have to get up through the night to urinate!
One can take a few steps to the toilet on the corridor, so old or not, nobody needs a toilet in so close proximity. Unhygienic and stinky.
do you have a link to were u get your freq ty. great video
Ryan Mcminn, look at my You Tube channel and find my video on using scanners on trains.
youtuuba ok ty sir
Never understood why Amtrak doesn't originate one of these east coast bound trains at somewhere other than Chicago. There's a big geographic gap between riding the Chicago trains or boarding The Crescent in New Orleans or Atlanta. St. Louis or Memphis to Cincinnati, and then over the current Cardinal route would work well. Could also serve Nashville and Louisville, which have no Amtrak service at all.
Brent Staulcup, I think AMTRAK is limited by several things. First, they don't own most of the track they use, and have to roll on freight rail routes, many of which route through major hubs like Chicago. And they can't afford to be running trains all over the place since they have a very limited number of physical trains in their inventory. Luckily in many areas there are regional rail services that can get passengers to the stations served by AMTRAK. And except for some limited regional rail service, AMTRAK is primarily a long haul carrier, picking up where regional and municipal rail services leave off.
I think an east West train from DC to LA via Indy, St Louis, KC and then to LA would be great. A north/south train from Chicago to Florida with stops in Nashville and either Birmingham or Atlanta would also help, but I doubt either will ever happen
There actually was a Chicago to Florida train in the 70's. I believe is the only major route Amtrak is lacking.
I agree, those toilets inside the roomettes are gross.
Not if drink allot of beer
@@xanadujohn79 You can still take a few steps to the corridor.
The next generation Viewliner's are minus the in room toilets. What no diner food shots????
xanadujohn79, I am happy to hear this. Do you know if any of the next generation cars are in service yet?
IDK, that in room toilet was pretty funky. It looks like something designed by a committee. Is that really the state of our national trains? With all the money we give Amtrak we should have a glistening, modern world beating train. Maybe people would actually start traveling by train again on a routine basis instead of driving everywhere. The toilet should be at the end of the hall just like an airline.
John Allen, "all the money we give to AMTRAK"? You must be joking. Congress keeps cutting their budget, they are not exactly rolling in money.
Many people, especially some senior citizens with unstable balance, apparently prefer train rooms with toilets in the rooms, because with all the rocking and lurching of AMTRAK trains on some freight rails, they have a hard time walking down the hall to the 'public' restrooms in their sleeping car. But those folks don't have that option on any western trains that use Superliner cars, and in any case all sleeping cars still have some regular bedrooms that have their own toilets; at least those are not gross since of you spray or miss, at least it is not on the upholstery and carpet. I have heard that AMTRAK officials agree that toilets in roomettes (currently only on ViewLiner sleeper cars) are gross and unsanitary, and should go away with the next refurbishment cycle of those cars. I don't know if this is actually happening.
I don't see your name in the credits.
Did the train have a dinning car or a dinnette
amtrak fan Did you watch the video?
youtuuba yes I did and I figured it out
amtrak fan Please keep in mind that this is a two part video covering the Viewliner configuration used on the Cardinal train. Some details are on the first video and some are on the second video (referred to as parts 2 & 3 out of the for videos of my Train Odyssey). I tried to put the accommodation info on the first video and the route info on the second video, but to get everything you need to watch both parts.
i trucked for 25 yrs and i have not heard such horn blowing they blow the horn every minute 5 times at lease . C'MON
Trucker Eugene pretty sure the Engines are owned and not leased by Amtrak. What do you mean? What does driving a truck have to do with driving a train?
Would've taken the train more often were it not so insanely expensive and if they didn't honk that goddam horn every five seconds.
vptes1 yea and what sucks is from new york to chicago the last sleeper runs one car away from the locomotive. You get used to it after a while
You should pay the prices in Canada. You guys get train service for half the price, with newer cars etc.
My problems with Amtrak are the dearth of cities served, the failure in many cases to keep to the schedule, and the outrageous cost of a sleeper. I’d like to see all the trains ran on time, a direct train from Chicago to Florida as well as to Nashville, Atlanta, etc, and provide two options on sleeper tickets: with or without meals.
lcar4000 this is a pretty useless comment and really should be disregarded. I’d like to see if it can be deleted if possible.
As to the whistle of the trains, I love the sound. Always love hearing the whistle of a nearby freight train to my home many mornings. It is an audible memory to me of trains which have always been dear to my heart.
For me, he spent too much time on the sleeping compartment itself and all his gadgets. It just became so tiresome.. perhaps not to others traveling with all their technical supplies but I am more interested in the route and places the train runs through.I would have preferred more commentary on food, and the trip itinerary.
I think i will take the cardinal from chicago to DC and return on the Capitol
Pretty boring.