Sandusky, OH To Chicago, IL On Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited

Monday, October 15th, 2012

I checked out of the hotel and a taxi brought me over to the Amtrak station in Sandusky at 3:30am. My train, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited was only running less than 30 minutes behind schedule. Once I arrived at the station, a few other passengers were also there. Someone eventually called the Sandusky Police to come down and unlock the waiting room for us so we wouldn't have to stay out in the cold! I chatted with several passengers and advised everyone of when their trains would arrive as I have the Amtrak iPhone app on my phone.
The first train to arrive was Train #48/448 - the eastbound Lake Shore Limited heading for New York & Boston. The next train was Train #29 - the westbound Capitol Limited which was a bit behind schedule and a good portion of the people waiting in the waiting room were boarding that train. At 5:22am, Train #49 arrived and a decent amount of people myself included were on the platform ready to board. The Conductor was someone I knew from seeing at Buffalo-Depew Station numerous times. The consist for today's train is shown below:



146	P42DC		Power (From Boston)
52	P42DC		Power (From Boston)
1203	Heritage Baggage		Baggage Car (From Boston)
62048	Viewliner I Sleeping Car	Wayside View	Sleeping Car (From Boston) - 4920
25096	Amfleet II Coach		Coach (From Boston)
25079	Amfleet II Coach		Coach (From Boston)
28021	Amfleet II Diner-Lite Car		Cafe/Lounge Car (From Boston)
25111	Amfleet II Coach		Coach (From New York)
25027	Amfleet II Coach		Coach (From New York - My Car)
25068	Amfleet II Coach		Coach (From New York)
25052	Amfleet II Coach		Coach (From New York)
8532	Heritage Diner	Silver Halter	Dining Car (From New York)
62002	Viewliner I Sleeping Car	Autumn View	Sleeping Car (From New York) - 4911
62036	Viewliner I Sleeping Car	Skyline View	Sleeping Car (From New York) - 4912
1762	Heritage Baggage		Baggage Car (From New York)
SPECIAL NOTE: Most Viewliner I Sleepers and all Heritage Diners no longer display their names. The names listed here were original names given to these cars previously.

We departed Sandusky at 5:27am running 32 minutes late. I was seated in Amfleet II Coach #25027 in seat #44 but would later move to seat #43. I started walking through the train to take down car numbers and chatted with the crew in the cafe car until just before our next stop at Toledo, OH. The train would need to be watered once we arrive in Toledo which would extend the amount of time we needed to be at that station. We arrived at Toledo at 6:16am. Toledo is also a crew change point for the train though we would keep the same assistant conductor from Buffalo but get a new conductor. This may have been due to a staffing issue as well. I took the time to get a few pictures of the train and just get some air while the train was being watered and serviced. Passengers were also permitted to smoke on the platform during this time. I had some conversations with the conductor who was getting off the train there before I reboarded and we departed Toledo at 6:46am running 31 minutes late.
I started chatting with the passenger sitting next to me who would be getting off at our next stop of Bryan, OH. It was around daybreak by now and we could see lots of farmland in northwest Ohio as the train moved along. We arrived at Bryan, OH at 7:37am, and that aforementioned passenger got off the train and I took his window seat #43. We departed Bryan at 7:41am, running 36 minutes late. It was now time for breakfast in the dining car. I walked back to the car and was seated with a passenger who brought his MacBook Air laptop computer and an air card to get on the internet. He looked at this web site before breakfast was served! Well, one look at the menu and my eyes nearly popped out of my head! For the first time in 9 years (for me anyways), the Lake Shore Limited has PANCAKES on the menu! Check out the newspaper headline about this amazing addition!!!

OK FINE! The above newspaper article is fake and has been added here for "dramatic and comical effect!!!" Truthfully, I was glad to see that this breakfast staple had returned to this train! The server I had (who was excellent along with the rest of the dining car staff) must have thought I was crazy (she may be right!) that a passenger would get that excited over dining car food but then again, it's Geno Dailey we're talking about here right??? I would have the pancakes with sausage patties and a Diet Pepsi. The pancakes were served with a big strawberry on the side and all the food was delicious. One thing I noticed while eating was that one of the other servers was able to walk through the dining car with a large tray filled with cups of coffee and juice and never lose his balance (which nobody did, but this guy was clearly putting on a show!). The crew in this dining car was one of the best I've seen in 16 years of travelling on Amtrak! Breakfast cost $14.00, and again, all the food was great. I was "hoping" to have the 8400 Viewliner Diner today which is why I booked this train rather than Train #29 - The Capitol Limited since it had an earlier schedule and is equipped with Superliners but no complaints here. I love those Heritage Diners, and with new equipment on the horizon to replace these relics, it's always a good thing to have another good meal in these very historic cars! We made our next stop at Waterloo, IN at 8:03 while I was eating breakfast and we departed there at 8:10am, running 37 minutes late. So far, we haven't really lost any time but haven't really made up any time. The lateness so far was not having any impact on my travel plans today.
  After breakfast, I went back to my coach seat as we made our next stop at Elkhart, IN at 8:59am. We had to make a double spot there due to extended station work. Elkhart is home to the National New York Central Museum which is conveniently located just across the tracks from the historic Elkhart station which is a former Lake Shore & Michigan Southern (New York Central) station! We departed Elkhart at 9:07am now running 42 minutes late, having lost a little bit of time. By now, the effects of getting virtually no sleep last night were really starting to catch up with me! I decided by now that I was just gonna relax because I had a lot planned for my layover in Chicago so I just sat at my coach seat with no passenger next to me and would just vedge out for a bit. We arrived at our next stop of South Bend, IN at 9:26am but no smoking break was permitted there due to running late. We left South Bend at 9:29am now 40 minutes late.
  I was now "Wide Awake" like the song by Katy Perry says! We started passing by places like facilities owned by U.S. Steel and lots of industry as we moved through Gary, IN and East Chicago, IN. I got out my iPhone 4S and started using the maps feature to figure out where we were. Eventually, another passenger sat next to me as he had a seat that had no window view on the end of the car! I would also chat with the passenger behind me about Amtrak in general. We eventually made it over the Chicago River and into the coach yard which is where my camera usually gets a good workout! At 10:12am, now running only 27 minutes late, we arrived at our endpoint for this train of Chicago Union Station. At only 27 minutes late, that's not bad at all!
  I grabbed my bags and walked up the platform to get some photos of the train before heading inside. 2 of the passengers I met in Sandusky saw me there and one of them took a photo of the train as well. I then walked inside and headed straight to the Metropolitan Lounge to have my bags stored as I was going railfanning this morning! After storing my luggage and having an ice cold Diet Pepsi in the lounge, I started talking with another railfan who would be leaving in a sleeper for Cleveland on the Capitol Limited later that day. I then left the lounge and proceeded to walk to Roosevelt Road! Check out the link below for some great railfanning in Chicago!!!