WELCOME ABOARD. You are 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 witnessing breathtaking scenery, including an exhilarating climb through the Allegheny Mountains.
From the capital of mid-America
to the capital of the nation,
see it all on the Capitol Limited.
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 questions, 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 the 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 your 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 region travelers.
The Conductor is in charge of all crew members aboard, and is responsible for the collection of tickets and the safe operation of the train. The Chief supervises the on-board service people, and is responsible for the service you receive while you are on the Capitol Limited.
Roomy Coach Seats with a Coach Attendant ensures that you are comfortable and well taken care of during your travels. Please keep in mind that seats are assigned for the duration of the trip. If you wish to change seats consult your Attendant first. Please do not re-seat yourself.
Private Sleeping Accommodations with your own Sleeping Car Attendant will provide you with true First Class Service. Your Attendant will prepare your room for daytime or nighttime travel, provide wake-up service and bring your morning paper and beverages to your room. Meals and other amenities are included with your First Class accommodations. Individual speakers bring you recorded music (Channels 2 and 3) and train announcements (Channels 1 and 2). The channel selector is located near the reading light in your room.
Private Sleeping Accommodations are available based on your needs. Deluxe Rooms can accommodate two adults and have a private restroom and shower. Family Rooms can accommodate up to two adults and three children, and also have a private restroom and shower. Economy Rooms can accommodate one or two people. Ample public restrooms and showers are conveniently located in the lower level of the Sleeping Car. Sleeping Accommodations may be purchased on board from the Conductor (subject to availability). (Steve's Note: The above statement that Family Rooms also have a private restroom and shower is not correct. The family room does not have its own private restroom or shower)
Dining Car Service offers a delicious dining experience that is truly pleasing to the palate with its unique Cajun flair. We have even added gumbo, redbeans and rice, and prime rib to our menu. A crew member will contact you if dinner reservations are necessary. Major credit cards are accepted. Sorry, smoking is not allowed in the Dining Car.
Meal Service for in-room dining is available to First Class passengers if desired. Please make arrangements with your Attendant in advance. Station arrival times during meal service may delay in-room dining. The delay is due to the necessity to assist passengers boarding and de-boarding the train.
Sightseer Lounge Car on the Capitol Limited allows you to view the spectacular scenery along the route through the panoramic windows on the upper level of the car. The lower level offers light dining where sandwiches, snacks and beverages, in addition to various sundry items, can be purchased. The Lounge Car also features first-run movies, a Hospitality Hour with specialty drinks, and complimentary snacks during the evening.
WHETHER YOU'RE HEADED to the big-city attractions of Chicago,IL, the revitalized downtown areas of Cleveland,OH and Pittsburg,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 24-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 time reference 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 ports 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 mailorder 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 "gold 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 port 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 Cleveland natives, Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster.
PITTSBURG 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 plant 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 Monogahela Rivers, which join here to form the Ohio River.
CONNELLSVILLE Depending upon the time of year, dawn may be breaking 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 in a straight line, while the border between West Virginia and Maryland follow the lay of the land.
Lovers Leap (2:11 Min/5 Min) Legend has it that an Indian princess fell in love with a 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 the Alleghenies" thanks to its rolling hills, winding waterways, and mountain views.
Kesslers Bridge/Graham Tunnel (36 Min./39 Min.) Entering and exiting 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 at Graham Tunnel!
Hancock -- WV, MD and PA (54 Min./21 Min.) This small community straddles the Potomac, with the south bank in West Virginia, and the north 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 of 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 a 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 joins 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 this 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 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 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 200 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.
