Have never taken the Southwest Chief eastbound (always westbound). I will connect in Chicago to the Capitol Limited. Hopefully this connection will go somewhat seemless. My last resort is going coach on the Three Rivers at 10:30 p.m. if things turn bad.

Opted for the Capitol Limited over the Lake Shore Limited this time - despite the fact that my final destination is New York City. Wanted to switch it up.

Any how, I think Amtrak switched my accommodations, as I recall having bedroom C or D (not B as I just confirmed) on the Southwest Chief, and room 7 on the Capitol Limited (recall room 5). Needless to say I am getting the tickets out if the Quick Trak machine this evening.

I am connecting to the Chief via the Pacific Surfliner - is this connection reliable? I am scheduled on the 3 p.m. Surfliner out of San Diego - gets me into LA at 5:45 p.m. But can't I take a later Surfliner and connect with the Chief in Fullerton? Will still want to allow an hour for transfer between the two trains. Will this present a problem if I am ticketed from LA but board in Fullerton? I would assume not, but I don't want my sleeping accommodations abord the Chief getting switched around - and I do want to have dinner in the diner. Read in another post that they will do one more seating just after Fullerton.

I doubt very much that you will be able to make the connection from the eastbound Chief to the Capitol, SAME DAY.

Amtrak changed to departure time of the Capitol east-bound from Chicago and made it about two hours earlier. I was told this was to make it easier for Capitol passengers to connect with southbound Silver Service trains in DC. BUT, this has totally "messed-up" connections to the east-bound Capitol from all the western trains.

Now I am certain there ARE days when the Chief , Zephyr and Builder arrive into Chicago in time for east-bound Capitol passengers to make the connection. But GENERALLY this does not happen because not enough "connecting-time" is available.

Bottom-line is that I , personally , would NOT expect to make a same-day connection from the Chief to Capitol EAST-bound.

This August I am taking the Chief round-trip,between LA and Chicago and returning to Pittsburgh where my trip will start. WEST-bound I CAN easily make the connection from the Capitol to Chief in Chicago. But, on my return, I will opt for the 3-Rivers east-bound because I know there is little chance I would make the connection otherwise.

There are, in my opinion, MAJOR disadvantages between the 3-Rivers and Capitol. First, the 3-Rivers does not GO to DC----but rather to Philadelphia, at which point one would have to transfer for a train south to DC. Secondly, the 3-Rivers is a single-level train with no observation-car and no full-service dining-car.

If I am correct, the Capitol used to depart Chicago EAST-bound about 7:00 PM----about two hours LATER than it does today. This made connections to it from the arriving western trains more likely. But this newer 5:00 PM departure is simply too early (in most cases) for east-bound passengers to make the connection to the Capitol. Now, it DOES happen sometimes. But, I know I certainly would NOT expect to make a same-day connection east-bound. Maybe this is just ME.

So I always "opt" for the 3-Rivers back to Pittsburgh from Chicago even though I really do not WANT to.

Another problem I have with the east-bound Capitol into Pittsburgh, anyhow (with this present schedule) is that it arrives in at 4:00 AM !!!YUCK ! The 3-Rivers arrives at a more "civilized" 9:30 AM.

I had to stay an extra day in CHI waiting for my luggage to catch up with me. (As I was going much further north into Michigan) and CHI was "contractually" the farthest destinaiton Amtrak needed to get my bags to.

I could guess that maybe, a bag could be checked into FUL, and when there, re-checked though to CHI. I wish someone would have given me that opportunity.