# The California Zephyr Trains #5 and #6



## RailFanLNK (Oct 18, 2007)

This was a special trip. I, my girlfriend Brenda and a friend of ours from LNK who wanted to "ride along" and then break off from us in CHI to spend 3 days with her son. I had been anxiously and impatiently waiting for this trip since Jay Had8ley had typed those momentus words: "We should all meet some time!" Train #6 was about 1 hour late arriving LNK. It's scheduled arrival is 4:56am and it arrived around 6am. Thats a good thing in my neck of the woods.....Why? Cuz we get to sleep one hour longer before boarding! :lol: Brenda (HuskerMom) and I picked up our friend Mary to the Blackfoot song, "Train, Train", it provided an early morning chuckle.

The #6 was quiet when we boarded and had the full contingent of Amish aboard. (I always kinda get a kick out of that) Brenda slept and I dozed a tad but I was looking forward to seeing the Omaha Amtrak station. Their station is bigger than ours but ours has more of the "small town feel" to it. We lost another hour in Omaha when they had to hook up 3 private cars from UP onto the CZ. UP has really gotten alot better in the OTP section of Amtrak with the CZ, but I was disapointed that it took BN crew 1 hour to hook the things up. We had a very rude LSA when Brenda took her first trip on Amtrak this summer to GSC. When we were getting ready to go eat we heard the LSA's voice on the PA. I paid no attention but Brenda said, "Al, that sounds like *****, the LSA **** we had to GSC." My heart sank, that one employee had kinda clouded the excitement my girlfriend and her family had on there first Amtrak trip. Lo and behold when we arrived in the Dining Car, Brenda was right. ***** started being chippy with our tablemates but I threw out my AGR CC and called her by name. By the end of the trip, ***** was sitting with us, talking with us, and laughing and conversing with us like we were long lost friends. I couldn't have asked for a better 180 on personality and style, especially since this was only Brenda's second trip on Amtrak. We had breakfast in the Dining Car soon following our stop in Omaha and it was with a retired couple from Kalamazoo MI. They travel by train due to health reasons and for "sanity" reasons. I could definately agree about the sanity reasons. I have yet after 7 trips and 9,200 miles by rail had that anxiety or panic feeling I get from cancelled flights, crowded planes or real surly airline employees. I had the railroad French Toast and it was good. I really like the experience in the Dining Car. If you are new to Amtrak, you need to eat in the Dining Car once. Remember, you will be eating with strangers if you are not a party of 4. The Dining Car staff was excellent. There was a great grandma, grandmother, daughter and grand daughter who had taken the rails for the first time from Des Moines and going for a "girls weekend " to CHI. They were having a blast and then broke out in song, then one of the service attendents started singing along. It made the dining car alot of fun!  This group of women would end up going back home on the #5 that Brenda, Mary and I were boarded on.

I met a guy named Chad who had taken the EB to SEA then the CS to EMY and then the CZ to CHI. He had been riding more than what he should have but enjoying it as well. (but he was ready to get off the train) He was on his way home and we struck up conversation after he saw my 44 year old body wearing a Black Flag t-shirt. (Punk band from LA in the 1980's.) We conversed about music, rail travel (which he liked, just not as much as he had planned). I think this is what I like about rail travel. If I want to mingle and visit...I do. If I want to be left alone for awhile...I can do that as well. We enjoyed the scenery of the Iowa countryside, the harvest being brought in by the hardworking farmer as we whiled away the time awaiting for another wonderful time in the Dining Car for lunch. (doesn't that sound romantic....I'm trying to get this published in the Amtrak Whistle Stop section!  ) Joe and his 5 year old daughter Lilly was on there way to Naperville to see his girlfriend. If Lilly was good on this trip, she was going to get to have her ears pierced. She was a pistol but a fun one at that. It was nice to see a divorced father taking time to be with his daughter. I had the Angus Burger and it was good. The crew on this train was excellent and I was happy for that. We were running two hours behind and could see some passengers starting to get nervous about missed connections. We pulled into CUS at about 6:35pm. Leaving enough time for the persons with connecting trains to make it. On this trip we had an excellent Coach Attendent, his name was Timothy. On one trip I didn't have a clue if I had a coach attendent or not. All in all, this trip was smooth, great crew(s) and alot of fun for Brenda, Mary and I. The excitement was really mounting to show Brenda CUS, I love the upstairs Great Hall. Its just so majestic. Not one thing to complain about on this trip.


----------

