- Amtrak
- Capitol
Limited
-
- Route
Guide
- Chicago*Cleveland
- Pittsburgh*Washington, D.C.
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-
- Welcome
Aboard.
Your traveling on board the Capitol Limited, an Amtrak Superliner train,
the premier route between Chicago and Washington, D.C. While
on board, you will be experiencing the utmost comfort and service
in train travel and witnessing breathtaking scenery, including
an exhilarating climb through the Allegheny Mountains.
- All
of us at Amtrak are proud to have you aboard today, and want
to ensure your trip is everything you want it to be in train
travel.If you have any question, please do not hesitate to ask
one of our friendly on-board service staff.
- The
Fun Starts Here.
There is a lot to see and do aboard the Capitol Limited, from relaxing, socializing with
family and friends, or enjoying a wonderful meal. Please listen
for announcements of specific times and locations of these activities,
and most of all - have fun!
- Movies and other videos,
in the Sightseer Lounge Car. During summer months, features for
children will also be shown.
- Hospitality
Hour will
start your travels off right. We invite you to join fellow passengers
in the Lounge Car for specialty drinks with a regional flavor
and complimentary snacks. Play some cards, make new friends,
enjoy time with your family. Let the Lounge Car be you place
for games, conversation and good times!
- Metropolitan
Lounge
offers a true first-class touch to your trip. First Class passengers
traveling in Club Service or Sleeping Car Accommodations can
enjoy the hospitality of the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounges, in
Chicago or Washington Union Stations. Here, First Class passengers
will enjoy a staffed welcoming area, inviting lounge, complimentary
beverage center, plus special services to meet the needs of regional
travelers.
- Whether
You're Headed
to
the big-city, attractions of Chicago, IL, the revitalized downtown
areas of Cleveland, OH and Pittsburgh, PA, or to the magnificent
monuments of our nation;s capital, your vacation begins the moment
you step on board the Capitol Limited. Because the Capitol Limited
is a vacation in itself - a first-class train in every sense
of the word.
- The
Dining Car features crisp white linens and gourmet menus prepared
by outstanding chefs who've trained at the world-renowned Culinary
Institute of America.. The Sightseer Lounge cars offer full-length
domed windows for unrestricted views of the magnificent scenery
along the way. And the spacious new Superliner equipment gives
you roomy, comfortable coach seats - or a choice of First Class
sleeping accommodations, which include 42-hour beverage service,
showers and other comforts and amenities.
- There's
simply no more enjoyable way to travel between Chicago and Washington,
D.C!
- This
guide is written from west to east, in most cases noting how
many minutes past the previous Amtrak station you can expect
to see a particular sight and whether you should look right or
left. The first references tells you how far that point is from
the next Amtrak station to the west, and the second time, how
far it is to the next Amtrak stop to the east.
- Chicago
As
the train heads south in the late afternoon hours, look to your
left for a dramatic view of the towering city skyline. The Sears
Tower, Daley Center and John Hancock Building are among the many
magnificent structures you can see. Next, look to your left for
the new Comiskey Park, completed in 1991. It is home to the Chicago
White Sox. In moments, you'll cross the South Branch of the Chicago
River, where ships travel between the Great Lakes port and points
along the Illinois and Michigan Canal. This river is famous as
"the river that flows backwards" because of its westward
course away from Lake Michigan.
- Hammond-Whiting This town was
once the residence of Alvah Curtis Roebuck, a farm boy from Lafayette.
It was here that Roebuck lost his girlfriend to a janitor, a
heartbreak that precipitated his move to Chicago. There, he formed
a mail-order company with Richard Sears and the rest, as they
say, is history!
- South
Bend
To
most people, South Bend is synonymous with Notre Dame. You can
see the famed "glad dome" rising above the treetops
in the distance on your left. Note: The time change occurs
here during the fall.
- Waterloo This is our last
stop in the Hoosier State. From here, passengers can make Thruway
Bus connections to Fort Wayne in northeastern Indiana. Note:
The time change occurs here during the spring.
- Toledo A major part city
and home to the Ohio Baseball Hall of Fame, which features memorabilia
of Cy Young and Frank Robinson, as well as the "Babe's"
1930 paycheck.
- Cleveland
The
largest city in Ohio, Cleveland is one of the leading manufacturing,
trading and cultural centers of the Midwest. A famous American
hero was born here - Superman! This defender of justice was the
brainchild of two Cleveland natives, Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster.
- Pittsburgh Modern Pittsburgh
is known as a City of Champions thanks to its Super Bowl Champion
Steelers, National League Eastern Division Champion Pirates and
Stanley Cup Champion Penguins. It is also a city of "firsts."
Synthetic insulin was first developed here, as was the first
polio vaccine. The nation's first commercial nuclear planet opened
in Pittsburgh, and the first all-aluminum sky-scraper was built
here. University of Pittsburgh's football team was the first
to put numbers on their jerseys; the Steelers were the first
team to win four Super Bowl trophies; and so on! The original
city lay between the Allegheny and Manongahela Rivers, which
join here to form the Ohio River.
- Connellsville Depending upon
the time of year, dawn may be breathtaking as you pass through
this town.
- Maryland/Pennsylvania
State Line
(2:09
Min./7 Min.) As you pass the big red barn on the right, you are
crossing the Maryland/Pennsylvania state line. Just prior to
this, you passed the famous Mason/Dixon Line. At times, it is
difficult to determine which state we are traveling through.
In fact, the engine and tail of our train may be in Maryland,
while the middle is in West Virginia! That's because the border
between Pennsylvania and Maryland runs straight line, while the
border between West Virginia and Maryland follows the lay land.
- Lovers
Leap
(2:11
Min./5 Min.) Legend has it that an Indian princess fell in love
with federal soldier, and the couple wanted to marry. The chief
forbade their union. In despair, the couple climbed to the top
of the 1,000-foot cliff to your right and threw themselves over.
The chief was so upset at the loss of his daughter that he, too
jumped.
- Cumberland
Once
widely known as "The Queen City of Alleghenies" thanks
to its rolling hills, winding waterways and mountain views.
- Kesslers
Bridge / Graham Tunnel (36 Min./39 Min.) Entering and exciting
Graham Tunnel (1,592 feet in length), you are in West Virginia,
but while traveling through the tunnel, you are in Maryland!
It's a situation that's led West Virginians to joke that folks
see the best part of Maryland of Graham Tunnel!
- Hancock-WV,
MD and PA
(54
Min./21 Min.) This small community straddles the Potomac, with
the south bank in Maryland. Because this site is the narrowest
point in Maryland's neck, the northern edge of Hancock spills
over into Pennsylvania.
- Martinsburg The station to
your right is the oldest working train station in the U.S., having
been in continuous service for over 140 years. Built in 1847,
it is the only structure in Martinsburg that survived the destruction
for the "War Between the States," and it has been designated
a National Historic Landmark.
- Harpers
Ferry
Here,
Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland meet, as do the Potomac
and Shenandoah rivers. The community can trace its roots back
to a trading post that was located here in 1733. In 1798, George
Washington located a federal arsenal here. Harpers Ferry was
made famous on October 16, 1859 when John Brown and his followers
tried to seize the arsenal. Troops led by Colonel Robert E. Lee
were rushed to the scene by special trains. This marked the first
time in history that railroad was used for military purposes.
The abolitionists were soon cornered and forced to surrender.
Brown was later hanged.
- Point
of Rocks (17
Min./24 Min.) This quaint old Victorian depot designed by Francis
E. Baldwin marks the spot where the line from Washington joints
the original B&O main line from Baltimore.
- Rockville After leaving
the station, watch for a small white church on a hill. This is
St. Mary's, final resting place of F. Scott Fitzgerald. This
location was chosen because the author had expressed a desire
to be buried in the country!
- Washington,
D.C.
On
our approach into Washington, you'll see the blue and gold dome
and bell tower of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on
your right. This cathedral is the largest Catholic church in
the United States and is the sixth largest in the world. The
Shrine also marks the site of The Catholic University of America.
Visitors to our nation's capital will find many monuments, museums
and cultural attractions, including the Smithsonian Institution,
the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Washington Monument,
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the U.S. Capitol Building, the
White House, the National Zoo, the Kennedy Center and the Botanical
Gardens to name but a few. The city's attractions alone could
fill a book, let alone its colorful political history.
- Scenic
Photo Tips
- Scenic
Spots:
Your train passes many beautiful and interesting sights. The
"camera" symbol on your Route Guide Map marks the best
spots, so have your camera ready!
- Outside
Shots:
Medium-speed films (ASA 64 or higher) are recommended for shooting
scenery through the train windows. If your shutter speed is adjustable
and light conditions permit, set it at a higher speed (1/125
or 1/250 sec.) for the clearest results. Hold your lens close
to the window to eliminate glare and reflections.
- Inside
Shots:
Flash is recommended. To avoid glare and reflections, do not
point the flash directly at the windows.
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- From
the capital of mid-America
- to
the capital of the nation,
- see
it all on the Capitol Limited.
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