For a long time I have been asking the rhetorical question why Amtrak and bicycles is a combination of brain surgery and rocket science.  So when two "hell hath frozen over" milestones occurred on almost the same day, roll-on, roll-off bike service on the Capitol Limited and the opening of the Pinkerton Tunnel on the Great Allegheny Passage between Confluence and Rockwood, I had to put my money where my mouth is.  I booked a trip with bicycle on the Illinois Zephyr and Capitol Limited from Illinois to Pittsburgh, biked to Cumberland, and returned by train from there.

Some observations:

 * I was the only bike boarding in CHI, and the only one detraining in PGH, where two others boarded having biked in from DC. In CUM one got off, 5 got on, and 2 were already on the racks. One other detrained with me in CHI.

* The bike car (AKA coach/baggage) had 7 racks; and Amtrak's website says 7 max. Earlier press coverage had said eight (it also said $25 vs. the actual $20)

* Earlier press coverage said it would be the last car.  In both directions it was the middle (second coach). 

* Needless to say, boarding the superliner coach/bag with the bike was much easier than lugging it up the horizon coach steps on the Illinois and Missouri services.

* You simply hang the front wheel on a hook and the rear wheel lands in a trough. There is a cable with a loop on the end that you can use to lock your bike.

* Amtrak literature says to remove paniers from the bike before loading; but that is optional. It simply makes easier on your back. In fact a conductors said that I could have left my luggage with the bike.

* Lighting was very dim.  There's no problem loading the bike; but I had trouble seeing the combination without a flashlight to unlock the bike when detraining.

* I was surprised to see the inside door of the bike compartment unlocked while under way. I was able to get something out of a small handlebar pack during the trip. So it's basically like a glorified superliner community luggage rack.

* Although the conductors were happy to unlock the outside door, by the time I got back to Chicago, I didn't bother them. I simply went in and out via the inside door.

* The conductor in CHI did not check my ticket; he simply opened the door for me and went on his way. But then that's how the Illinois trains work; I ask where do you want me, and the conductor points to a door.  I'm sure the bike ticket gets scanned after boarding along with our train ticket. On the other hand, the conductor in CUM asked my name on the platform and punched me in on his device. For all I know, all tickets were checked on the platform.

* All the conductors were more than cordial and very upbeat about the new service, and also wondered what took so long. And I got to speak with them because I was booked in the transition sleeper both ways.

I'm certain not a minute of delay was added because of the new service. If there ever were to be a problem it would be CUM because of its strategic location on the GAP/C&O Canal. And that could be eliminated with some elementary industrial engineering. There is a scheduled 7 minute stop; but almost all of that is consumed by the engineer change. The engine pulls up to the station door, the new engineer climbs aboard, and sometime later the train pulls forward and loading begins. If it really were a problem, the bicyclists could position themselves toward the end of the train (the platform is long enough) and board while the engineers were doing what they do.

In my eagerness, as soon as I saw a coach attendant get off, I bicycled down the platform, which was empty because everyone else was still huddled at the station door by the engine. But the newbies got the last laugh because the attendant told me to head back to the station because the train would pull up there. Since CUM is un-staffed, a bit of signage explaining the loading procedure (people as well as bikes) would be useful, similar to that explaining how to check baggage at unstaffed stations.

All in all, a no brainer.  In fact the only negative thing to report was the on time arrival in PGH, 5:03AM.  We had to sit in the station about 1 1/2 hours waiting for daylight before setting out for Cumberland on our bikes.