The Cardinal goes through New River Gorge, but you should closely check the times and I THINK you need to do the eastbound direction to see it in daytime.

Maybe just do ONE train and explore by car the rest of the time? Purely trying to help here.
I mean, really you should get off in the NRG and hike around and explore but you need a car for that or at least someone to shuttle you around.
Why not rent a car you can see so much more.

>>2844482
Trains are a unique experience with the added bonus of not having to drive.

>>2844485
You gotta suck it up and drive to see the best stuff, amigo.

>>2844463
the one between philly and new york is nice. between new york and chicago is also OK

The northern states in February? That's gonna be rough, weather-wise. Short daylight hours means no scenery for most of the ride. If you stop at the stations with train times between 12 PM and 2 PM, you can easily check in/out of a hotel room without waiting more than three hours (the inevitable delays aside). Definitely smuggle your own booze on board and chat up strangers on the train (preferably in the observation car if people are sleeping in coach). Bring potent edibles if you'd rather be alone and make the long night hours disappear. Book your tickets well in advance, they're cheaper that way. And be prepared to be overwhelmed by the vastness of the continent, the beauty and pristineness of the country away from the highways, and utter indifference to the struggles of a traveler without a car. (People in small towns might offer you rides or even hospitality if you look decent, or desperately cold.)

Amtrak trains I've ridden:
>Southwest Chief from Kingman, AZ to Chicago
>Capitol Limited
>Silver Star from Washington, DC to Raleigh, NC
>Sunset Limited from San Antonio, TX to Yuma, AZ
>California Zephyr from Denver, CO to Emeryville, CA and back
>Coast Starlight from Emeryville to Los Angeles
I strongly recommend flying into Denver and departing on the California Zephyr westbound from there. In winter with the snow it is particularly beautiful, and the best scenery is all during daylight hours, and the engineer comes on the PA every couple minutes to tell everyone about the country they are passing through.
>>2844486
Only two ways to see the Colorado River's Gore Canyon: by raft and by train.

>>2844463
Amtrak is garbage. I'm guessing you've never visited any other country.

>>2844463
Capitol Limited and Silver Star merged last year to become the "Floridian".

>>2844583
It's not garbage, you're just the typical American who is perpetually butthurt and discontent for no valid reason. I've experienced multi-hour train delays in Thailand, Poland, Taiwan, Malaysia and yes, America. That's just how train travel is sometimes. Throwing a shitfit over a delay only shows that you are not cut out for the travel life.

>>2844463
Be sure to take the amtrack all the way to the palm springs station in california! You won't want to miss that one.

>impossible to to take a cross country Amtrak trip without going through Chicago at least once
fuck that

For Amtrak, you have to be prepared for major delays, or that you might not get to where you are going. Or you might be put on a Greyhound bus. Especially in February. Add for a few days in each connection to your itinerary to account for Amtrak incompetency.

>>2844632
it's absurdly expensive for what you get and slow/usually delayed
and the service is very infrequent so you can't really get off and then take another train onwards

>>2844632
right but those are all the third world, so you expect that there

>>2844695
>>2844701
why would anyone ever subject themselves to this except out of desperation?

>>2844703
cuz they are spergs who fear driving and just want to go somewhere that's less regimented and unpleasant than flying

>>2844705
>unexpected delays
>have to pass through nigger country
>sperg compatible
better off driving or flying