# Southwest Chief LAX-CHI Live-ish Blog



## D.P. Roberts (Jun 9, 2018)

I usually forget to write trip reports, and now that we have decent wifi on the train, I figured I'd use this opportunity to write one as it happens. Also, this trip may be a bit more of an adventure than most of our trips - and by "adventure" I mean we may miss our connection in Chicago, but more on that later.

We took the Southwest Chief westward from Chicago to LAX last weekend, spent the week in southern California, and are now on the way back. I'll probably throw in a few comparisons to the last trip, which was largely uneventful.

Our main concerns for this trip would be the two derailments on the SWC's route during the past week. On Tuesday, two BNSF trains collided in Arizona, causing a large derailment with one fatality. Yesterday (Friday, June 8th), another BNSF train derailed near Medill, Missouri. Fortunately, no one was killed in that second derailment, but numerous UPS truck shipments spilled over two tracks, causing a big mess.

As of right now (Saturday evening), both spills are mostly cleaned up. The Arizona mess was allegedly cleaned up a few days ago, but the new derailment is still a work in progress. One track was cleared this morning, but the other track is still closed - BNSF says they'll reopen the other track within the next hour. So, although it looks like we won't be detoured or experience a "bustitution", there might be a large backlog of freight.

This might mess up our schedule, as we only have a three hour window in Chicago to make our connecting train back home to Michigan. On the other hand, we're in no hurry to get back - as long as the delays don't leave us on a bus at 4:00 am we don't mind spending more time on the train. So, we'll see!


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## seat38a (Jun 9, 2018)

D.P. Roberts said:


> I usually forget to write trip reports, and now that we have decent wifi on the train, I figured I'd use this opportunity to write one as it happens. Also, this trip may be a bit more of an adventure than most of our trips - and by "adventure" I mean we may miss our connection in Chicago, but more on that later.
> 
> We took the Southwest Chief westward from Chicago to LAX last weekend, spent the week in southern California, and are now on the way back. I'll probably throw in a few comparisons to the last trip, which was largely uneventful.
> 
> ...


How is the onboard MiFi based internet? In 2016 when I tried to use it, it was unusable.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 9, 2018)

seat38a said:


> D.P. Roberts said:
> 
> 
> > I usually forget to write trip reports, and now that we have decent wifi on the train, I figured I'd use this opportunity to write one as it happens. Also, this trip may be a bit more of an adventure than most of our trips - and by "adventure" I mean we may miss our connection in Chicago, but more on that later.
> ...


It's much better than when we tried to use it 2 years ago - it never worked for us then. It's fine for email and general web surfing, but it buffers/freezes quite a lot when trying to stream video.

I checked out a wifi hotspot from my local library before we left, and it's faster than the onboard wifi so I've mostly been using that instead. Service along the Chief's route has been very good. I can't stream high def everywhere, and it dropped out completely a few times, but in general I've had access 90% of the time I've tried to use it.

I don't know if they were doing this before, but they handed out business cards that had the wifi name and password on it, as well as the dining car times. I think that's a good idea.


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## seat38a (Jun 9, 2018)

I think its up to the SCA how to give out the info. On the CS it was taped near the coffee pot in my sleeper. When I was on the SWC, it was already in each room written on a seat check. I think Amtrak Seat Checks get the most value for the money. They seem to get used for everything from dinner reservations, boarding passes etc.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

Okay, back to the beginning...

We arrived at LAUS at around 4:30 pm & returned our rental car (conveniently located right next to the Metropolitan Lounge). We took the elevator up one floor to the Metropolitan Lounge, where we were informed that the SWC would be boarding around 5:30. I had some unhealthy snacks (they had chips, cookies, muffins, and soda) & tried out the wifi (our hotspot is a touch faster) At about 5:20 pm, an Amtrak employee gave a schpiel about boarding, Redcaps, etc. The most interesting thing to me was that he took time to point out Amtrak's magazine, "The National." Apparently, Amtrak's trying to get everyone to read their magazine - it has feature articles about destinations around the country, & the idea is that you read the magazine & get ideas for your next Amtrak trip. Sound marketing advice, but I dislike how they no longer put printed timetables in the rooms on the trains.

After the boarding speech, most of the passengers availed themselves of Redcap service to the platform at about 5:30 pm. They had already told us where to find the train (platform 11), so we were planning on walking out there at about 5:45. However, we definitely got a "closing time" vibe from the Metropolitan Lounge staff (i.e. they kept shouting "Four passengers left... three passengers left..." out the door to the Redcaps. So, we strolled down to the platform - only to find that the train wasn't even there yet.

The train arrived at the platform at about 5:50, but somehow we all managed to make it onboard & depart on time at 6:10 pm. I was disappointed to find that we had another Superliner II for this trip - I much prefer the refurbished Superliner I cars. The other sleeper was a Superliner I, which makes it more frustrating. We're in roomettes so it's not that much of a difference (as compared to a bedroom), but it still would have been nice.

My wife and I had booked roomettes across the aisle from each other, which is definitely our favorite way of experiencing Amtrak. We usually share a roomette, but neither of us like that cramped upper bunk. Sharing a roomette also means that someone has to sit facing backwards. We've tried having a bedroom, but neither of us wants to used the cramped shower/toilet (shoilet?), and there's really only one good seat by the window. By booking two roomettes across from each other, we each get a lower bed, a front facing seat, and our own personal space when we need it. We also keep the curtains open most of the time, enabling us to see out each other's windows, or even share a roomette if the view is great out of one side. Having 2 roomettes can be prohibitively expensive, but we had a surplus of AGR points after not traveling via Amtrak for 2 years now, and our balance just covered it.

I somehow thought SWC passengers had dinner immediately after departing LAUS, but that is not the case. We were offered times of 7:00, 7:30, and 8:20. We chose 7:30. As for the food itself - one of my biggest disappointments on this trip is Amtrak's lack of a new menu. For as long as I've been taking Amtrak, they've updated their menus every spring and fall. I've always liked the "summer" menu - aside from having Railroad French Toast (my favorite breakfast item) instead of pancakes, I've always thought the summer menu specials were better. No luck, as we're still on the menu from September 2017.

I ordered the steak & mashed potatoes, which is always one of my favorite dinners. I asked for medium rare, but received a very rare steak. On last week's trip my wife ordered a medium, which ended up being well done at one end and completely rare at the other (we joked that it avergaged out to a medium, so maybe they got it right). Tonight they were also temporarily out of steak knives, making the meal a little more difficult. For dessert I got the chocolate raspberry tart. My wife likes raspberries, and says the tart tastes very strongly of them. I don't like raspberries, and only taste them a little in this dessert - it mostly tastes like chocolate to me. I think I have weird taste buds. Still, it's a good dessert. My wife ordered the thyme chicken, which she said was very dry - she had to ask for a steak knife just to cut it. She ordered the cheesecake for dessert, and they presented it to her on a plate - upside down. Seriously, the chefs downstairs & our dining car attendant didn't notice/care that the dessert was upside down?

Leaving the dining car was unusually difficult. We were leaving just as the 8:20 shift was arriving, so a whole lot of people were cloggging up the entrance to the dining car. Also, they had put the first sleeper with the roomettes toward the dining car. They really should not do that - the bedroom end has enough of a vestibule that people can pass each other on the way in or out of the dining car. I know sleepers are oriented randomly, but you'd think they could pay attention to that ONE connection. Anyway, we were also camped out at the San Bernardino station, which was clearly a popular place for entraining. The SCAs must have told new passengers to head straight down the dining car, so the 8:20 people & San Bernardinoans all arrived & clogged up half of the first sleeper. I barely made it through, and my wife ducked down the first stairwell to let some people through. I think she's still down there.

We just left Victorville, and it looks like we're running a little late. I don't mind if that continues, as I've never seen Flagstaff or Winslow in the daylight. Just in case I'm going to set my alarm to make sure I'm awake early enough to see them tomorrow morning.

Please enjoy this lovely photo of beautiful downtown Los Angeles.


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## railiner (Jun 10, 2018)

Thanks for taking us along...enjoying your detailed commentary.


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## Lonestar648 (Jun 10, 2018)

Thanks for the details on dining going east out of LA. It has been a while since I made this trip to Chicago, so your info was great to have. Agree with you about having the 8:20 seating blocking the corridor. Thanks again for the report.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 10, 2018)

Perhaps the fact that a New Menu wasn't available is,a hint that the " Fresh Choices" scheme will be migrating to the other LD Trains soon?

How exciting! NOT!


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## cpotisch (Jun 10, 2018)

D.P. Roberts said:


> The train arrived at the platform at about 5:50, but somehow we all managed to make it onboard & depart on time at 6:10 pm. I was disappointed to find that we had another Superliner II for this trip - I much prefer the refurbished Superliner I cars. The other sleeper was a Superliner I, which makes it more frustrating. We're in roomettes so it's not that much of a difference (as compared to a bedroom), but it still would have been nice.


I completely agree about the Superlnier Is vs IIs. I've only taken Superliners twice in my life; the first time in a roomette on the CZ, and the other time in a Family Bedroom on the Sunset/Eagle. On the CZ, we were the only SL-I sleeper, and while it doesn't show up that much in the roomette itself, the whole car just felt vastly older and less premium, courtesy of the fiberglass and brown carpet on the walls, as well as smaller bathrooms and blockier sinks. Whereas on the SL/TE, the faux-wood panelling and better repair made our room (and car) feel high-end and cozy. It's surprising how big a difference those little details make on a three night trip.


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## Manny T (Jun 10, 2018)

Thanks for the great trip report. Since I mostly travel from Chi east (LSL, CL), I am beginning to get vicarious enjoyment from reading all reports of Amtrak dining car experiences, no matter how good, bad or indifferent.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

seat38a said:


> I think its up to the SCA how to give out the info. On the CS it was taped near the coffee pot in my sleeper. When I was on the SWC, it was already in each room written on a seat check. I think Amtrak Seat Checks get the most value for the money. They seem to get used for everything from dinner reservations, boarding passes etc.


Here's the card they handed out (front and back) as well as the signs posted in the hallway. Based on the network name & password, I assume they use the same cards on the Coast Starlight & Southwest Chief. I'm tempted to ask the service attendant if I can add AU to the handwritten sign


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> D.P. Roberts said:
> 
> 
> > The train arrived at the platform at about 5:50, but somehow we all managed to make it onboard & depart on time at 6:10 pm. I was disappointed to find that we had another Superliner II for this trip - I much prefer the refurbished Superliner I cars. The other sleeper was a Superliner I, which makes it more frustrating. We're in roomettes so it's not that much of a difference (as compared to a bedroom), but it still would have been nice.
> ...


The more I look around, the more problems I see on the Superliner IIs. For example, when you lock the bathroom door a little sign is supposed to read "Occupied" (or some such). On this train, they're all worn off, so there's no way to know whether there's someone in there or not. Furthermore, one of the latches & broken and often sticks - it looks like it's locked, but it isn't. That's going to lead to an unpleasant encounter at some point.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

Back to the blog...

I really wanted to see Flagstaff & Winslow this morning, so I set my alarm to wake up early. I knew we were running a little late the night before, so the first thing I did was to check our location on my phone. The printed schedule said we were scheduled to arrive in Flagstaff at 5:30 am, but Amtrak.com said we were running an hour late and would be arriving at... 5:30 am? I had forgotten that even though we were now on Mountain Time, Arizona doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time, we were still on Pacific time, sort of. It's way too early in the morning to do math, so I was still staring at my phone when I realized we had pulled into a station - Flagstaff!

I've heard lots of good stories about Flagstaff. It's a beautiful place - we'll have to come back for a much longer visit some time.

I've always wanted to take a photo of myself somewhere in the vicinity of a corner in Winslow, Arizona. However, this was not to be - apparently we stopped on a middle track (the second of at least four) in Winslow, and I never even saw a platform, let alone a corner. Bummer.

Photos of Flagstaff:


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

After departing Winslow we headed to breakfast. As with dinner last night, the dining car crew is not running smoothly. IMHO, the dining car staff isn't doing its job, and the LSA is trying to do both jobs. For example, the LSA brought over one table's breakfast (like he did last night) saying "I saw your order was ready so I thought I'd bring it over to you." And where was our server? Seated at an empty table, on his cell phone. I saw the LSA do that again later while the server was standing in the galley area chatting with some other employees.

Since he's busy serving people, the LSA often misses seeing other people come in, which leads to lines at the door. Passengers usually stand at the door for a few minutes, but when nobody approaches them they just head to an open table, which means the server has to reseat them when he finally notices them.

Worst of all, in my opinion, is that the LSA then forgets where the tables are in terms of their meals. I understand that Amtrak must have community seating, but I really think the whole table should be seated at the same time. Otherwise, different diners get their food at different times, leading to awkward moments where some people are eating while others are still waiting for their food. This happened today at our breakfast - three of us were seated at the same time, but the fourth seat was empty. We got our drinks, placed our orders, and were just about to receive our food when they seated a fourth diner with us. You'd think the dining car attendant would at least take his order quickly & see if it could be rushed so we could all eat together. Nope. He let that guy sit for a while (after he had already put his menu down) and didn't come back to take his order until our food was ready. So, we all ate our food while he sat there staring at us. Fortunately, when his food arrived he ate it quickly, or we all would have been staring at him while he finished. Meanwhile, only half the tables at our end of the dining car were in use - I heard several other passengers complain about that. What's the point of smushing people together and then leaving tables empty? It's not like they have to rewash tablecloths - at worst, they go through one more sheet of "table paper".

Anyway, breakfast itself wasn't bad. I still miss the French Toast. I think tomorrow I'll try the quesedilla special.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

After breakfast we went through Gallup & a lot of pretty scenery. I finally got some photos of the cave-like holes in the rock that some Native American people used to live in - I saw them on the way out, but didn't have my camera handy at the time. That's one of the things I love/hate about the train; you see so many interesting and unusual sights that you otherwise would have missed, but you never get to stop and take a good look. We'll definitely have to come back and take a closer look some time.


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## cpotisch (Jun 10, 2018)

D.P. Roberts said:


> After breakfast we went through Gallup & a lot of pretty scenery. I finally got some photos of the cave-like holes in the rock that some Native American people used to live in - I saw them on the way out, but didn't have my camera handy at the time. That's one of the things I love/hate about the train; you see so many interesting and unusual sights that you otherwise would have missed, but you never get to stop and take a good look. We'll definitely have to come back and take a closer look some time.


Wow. That's quite beautiful. I love that kind of southern towns and rock formations. Keep posting!


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

We left Gallup about an hour late. I'm not sure what to make of the schedule at this point: of the Southwest Chiefs en route, yesterday's #3 is basically on time, we're an hour late, but the #3 and #4 trains that departed on Friday are 4.5 hours and 2 hours late respectively. It could be that the mess is getting cleared up, or it could be that we're still earlier in the journey. We'll see.


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## caravanman (Jun 10, 2018)

Nice trip report/blog.

"I dislike how they no longer put printed timetables in the rooms on the trains."

Due to delays, I heard they were going to leave calendars in the rooms rather than timetables?

Ed.


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## SarahZ (Jun 10, 2018)

They had the little "business cards" on my SWC trip last October.

Sadly, we were late heading westbound, so I missed Albuquerque, Gallup, and all of Arizona, but I did get to see the Cajon Pass in the daylight.

Even though it was dark, however, I DID catch that truck stop with the teepee on the NM/AZ border. I'm glad you took a picture of it.



I tried, but it was too dark.


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## railiner (Jun 10, 2018)

D.P. Roberts said:


> After breakfast we went through Gallup & a lot of pretty scenery. I finally got some photos of the cave-like holes in the rock that some Native American people used to live in - I saw them on the way out, but didn't have my camera handy at the time. That's one of the things I love/hate about the train; you see so many interesting and unusual sights that you otherwise would have missed, but you never get to stop and take a good look. We'll definitely have to come back and take a closer look some time.


So...next time, you'll... "get your flicks, on Route 66"?


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## Dakota 400 (Jun 10, 2018)

When I rode the SWC, LAX-CHI, we were escorted to the platform from the Lounge and then had about the same length of wait as you did while the train backed in. The Red Cap told us where the Sleepers would be, but his information was incorrect. There were a couple of Private Cars on the end of the train and that made the Sleepers further done the platform.

Good to know that printed timetables are no longer available in the Rooms. I'll have to remember to pick one up at the Station.

I'm enjoying your report and your excellent photos.


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## Lonestar648 (Jun 10, 2018)

You may want to print out time tables to carry or have in pdf for viewing. I do the same with the Route Guides.


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## cpotisch (Jun 10, 2018)

Lonestar648 said:


> You may want to print out time tables to carry or have in pdf for viewing. I do the same with the Route Guides.


I will say that when you're crossing three timezones and your train is running five hours behind, written timetables aren't particularly effective...


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

Due to not getting enough sleep last night & getting up early to see the Arizona scenery, I napped through Albuquerque. I normally like to detrain there since it's such a long stop, but we just went through there on #3 last week & got a good look around.


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## AmtrakBlue (Jun 10, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Lonestar648 said:
> 
> 
> > You may want to print out time tables to carry or have in pdf for viewing. I do the same with the Route Guides.
> ...


its useful for me . The next stop is still the next stop regardless if the train is in time or hours late. I don’t have the route stops memorized.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

After Albuquerque we went to lunch. I had my first Amburger of the trip, and it was actually not too bad. The patties usually taste very premade and frozen, but they were better this time. My wife got the entree salad, which she especially enjoyed since they got her order right - this diner crew has not been great with special requests. I ordered the cheesecake for dessert, which was once again presented upside down. Perhaps someone in the galley likes it better that way?

Here's the part where I lament not having my camera with me, and attempt to describe the great photos I could have taken. I never bring my camera to the dining car, but I wish I had this time. We spente a fair amount of our lunch time at Lamy, which is a beautiful little stop. It's about 1100 feet higher in elevation than Albuquerque, and is more of a pine forest than the scrub & shrubs of the lower elevations. Several old train cars are parked there, including one that appears to have been turned into a residence (it has a little wooden patio attached to one end). There's a little picnic area right by the track in a grove of trees, strung with decorative lights. While we were parked there someone was setting up decorations for a party. It looked like a very pleasant place to spend the afternoon.

From Lamy, the Chief ascends another thousand feet or so to the small town of Glorieta. While it's not an Amtrak stop, there's a little station there that has been turned into a post office. The town sits at 7400 feet, but the mountains in the background clearly ascend much higher. It's a lovely little area, but you'll just have to take my word for it.

We were just moved to a siding to allow the westbound #3 to pass. I was all set up to take a great photo of the train passing us, but I just missed it. I'd post my photo of the side of a Genesis locomotive for you, but you can probably picture what a plain grey and blue slab looks like. Not having a great photo day, but hopefully it will get better!

Speaking of getting better, we left Lamy only 20 minutes late, and when we passed #3 it was less than an hour late. Things are looking up schedule-wise.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

To make up for my lack of photos today, I'll add some from roughly this portion of the trip last week. The Ute Park Fire started the day we left, and was really starting to spread the moring we went through New Mexico. Since it was fairly new & we were stuck on the train we hadn't heard about it, and were wondering what was going on with the dark brown skies. At first I thought it was a sandstorm, but the cause eventually revealed itself. As of now the Ute Park Fire is 77% contained and has burned about 35,000 acres, so I wonder what it will be like when we go through that area later today.


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## seat38a (Jun 10, 2018)

Love the photo report! Keep up the good work. One of these days if they have 100% reliable internet onboard, I might take the LD trains more often. I can work from my roomette but reliable internet is critical for that. I guess the only way that will happen is if they installed a satellite system like the new fast ones used on cruise ships.


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## Dakota 400 (Jun 10, 2018)

Lonestar648 said:


> You may want to print out time tables to carry or have in pdf for viewing. I do the same with the Route Guides.


I do print out the Route Guides and never thought I would need to print out the time table. Thanks for your good suggestion!


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## Dakota 400 (Jun 10, 2018)

D.P. Roberts,

You are not the only one whose camera was resting elsewhere when I should have had it!


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

We just left Las Vegas, NM, and I got yelled at over the intercom!

On our way west we had several minutes to stop at Las Vegas. I got out then & took several photos. At this stop they didn't mention whether it was a "smoke break" stop or not, so I headed downstairs & asked our attendant before stepping off the train if it was okay to take a few photos. She pointed far down at a group of people who were boarding our car, & she said that as long as I got back on the train when they did it would be okay. So, I ran out, took a few photos, and followed those passengers right back into our car (I was literally standing right behind them waiting to board). As I was walking up the stairs, they made an announcment addressed to "the gentleman who got off the train", telling me not to do that. They then made an announcement chastising our car attendant too!

That was not the first time they used the Almighty Microphone to do that. They've told "certain individuals" that it was time to stop sleeping in the lounge car, and then yelled at others for taking up too much space in the lounge with their "stuff" for too long a time, asking them to be more considerate to others.

I've worked in customer service for a long time, and I really hate that sort of passive-aggressive behavior. If a whole bunch of people need to hear a rule, then feel free to use the intercom. If you're addressing an individual or a small group, talk to them IN PERSON. If you do that, you have a chance to find out WHY somebody did what they did, have an actual conversation about it, and address it PRIVATELY, instead of berating people in front of a crowd!

So anyway, I'm very annoyed. These two photos are the ones that put me in the doghouse - a building under renovation that looks like an old Harvey House. Enjoy!


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## seat38a (Jun 10, 2018)

D.P. Roberts said:


> We just left Las Vegas, NM, and I got yelled at over the intercom!
> 
> On our way west we had several minutes to stop at Las Vegas. I got out then & took several photos. At this stop they didn't mention whether it was a "smoke break" stop or not, so I headed downstairs & asked our attendant before stepping off the train if it was okay to take a few photos. She pointed far down at a group of people who were boarding our car, & she said that as long as I got back on the train when they did it would be okay. So, I ran out, took a few photos, and followed those passengers right back into our car (I was literally standing right behind them waiting to board). As I was walking up the stairs, they made an announcment addressed to "the gentleman who got off the train", telling me not to do that. They then made an announcement chastising our car attendant too!
> 
> ...


Sounds like typical Amtrak the way they handled the situation.






Last December when we were on the CS, the dining car LSA on the intercom like every 10-15 minutes telling people to stay at the door until they are seated. When you got into the dining car, mind you just stepped inside, his hand would go up like a traffic cop with "stay there until your seated." It was too much. Sounds like the conductor on your train likes his intercom a little too much like our dining car LSA did.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

seat38a said:


> Love the photo report! Keep up the good work. One of these days if they have 100% reliable internet onboard, I might take the LD trains more often. I can work from my roomette but reliable internet is critical for that. I guess the only way that will happen is if they installed a satellite system like the new fast ones used on cruise ships.


It hasn't been 100%, but probably 90%+. I've mostly used my own hotspot because it's a touch faster, but it has been getting just as good a signal every time I checked it. I've had something going on the internet almost constantly since I woke up about 12 hours ago, and I've only been maybe 10-15 minutes without a signal.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 10, 2018)

Crazy Intercom Person is at it again. Let's just say I would NOT want to be the people in seats 37 A and B in the coach car behind the lounge right now! Between their personal belongings stashed in the wrong spot and their "fake" seat check, I'd be afraid to go back to my seat if I were one of them! Seriously, she went ON AND ON for about 10 minutes! On the positive side, I think she has forgotten all about me...

We're now about an hour behind after an unexpected stop sign. We stopped briefly in Raton, and I made it a point to not be the last person from our car to get back on the train. I took a few photos today, plus I added a few from last week.


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## Railroad Bill (Jun 10, 2018)

Enjoying your trip report. We always love riding the SWC. Sorry you have a rather relentless conductor. Perhaps the new ones will be better..smile


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## railiner (Jun 10, 2018)

Sounds like your conductor is a "gun and badge wannabe"....I suppose she'll be gone by LaJunta....

If you feel inclined, you might want to repeat your experience to the customer relation's office. If she's had enough complaint's from other's, they might instill some 'correction' to her...


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## SarahZ (Jun 10, 2018)

Wow. You venture a lot farther than I do.



I've never been brave enough to walk beyond the station in Raton, even when we have ten minutes.

I have tons of pictures of those old train cars in Lamy. The first time I saw them, they reminded me of a children's book series called "The Boxcar Children". They were some of my favorite books when I was a kid.


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## Lonestar648 (Jun 11, 2018)

Thank you for your photos. I have enjoyed seeing what you captured, especially that someone is actually fixing up the old Harvey House.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 11, 2018)

Lonestar648 said:


> Thank you for your photos. I have enjoyed seeing what you captured, especially that someone is actually fixing up the old Harvey House.



I googled it afterwards & found out that the guys who are restoring it hope to reopen in another year or so:

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/life/features/new-life-for-la-casta-eda-in-las-vegas-n/article_d221c794-fc03-5aab-8b12-ec0bc8fe6377.html


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## cpotisch (Jun 11, 2018)

SarahZ said:


> The first time I saw them, they reminded me of a children's book series called "The Boxcar Children". They were some of my favorite books when I was a kid.


Oh my god. I loved those books when I was little. I had totally forgotten they existed until just now. Ah, memories...


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 11, 2018)

So where was I? Oh yeah, dinner last night. I would have posted it last night but the internet connection in Kansas is NONEXISTENT. Every other state has been great, but Kansas gets a big fat F.

I had the gnocchi for dinner, followed by the raspberry tart. Both were still pretty good, but for some reason the gnocchi didn't taste as good as last time. My wife's steak was an epic failure - she asked for medium, but got blue to rare. She sent it back - this was the first time either of us has ever sent a meal back on Amtrak. They promptly microwaved it into oblivion - not only was it well done, it had that microwaved consistency to it. Another passenger we ate with previously said that he always orders his steaks well done, as they're always undercooked. Is this an Amtrak thing now?

I got a few photos of Trinidad before the sun set and the internet disappeared.


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## cpotisch (Jun 11, 2018)

D.P. Roberts said:


> So where was I? Oh yeah, dinner last night. I would have posted it last night but the internet connection in Kansas is NONEXISTENT. Every other state has been great, but Kansas gets a big fat F.
> 
> I had the gnocchi for dinner, followed by the raspberry tart. Both were still pretty good, but for some reason the gnocchi didn't taste as good as last time. My wife's steak was an epic failure - she asked for medium, but got blue to rare. She sent it back - this was the first time either of us has ever sent a meal back on Amtrak. They promptly microwaved it into oblivion - not only was it well done, it had that microwaved consistency to it. Another passenger we ate with previously said that he always orders his steaks well done, as they're always undercooked. Is this an Amtrak thing now?
> 
> I got a few photos of Trinidad before the sun set and the internet disappeared.


Beautiful pictures and sad to hear that you're steak was so disastrous. I've had the gnocchi I think four times so far, and I've always loved it. The most recent time was on the SL/TE in February. The one time that I've sent a meal back on Amtrak was on the LSL in February, when my french toast was so undercooked that the inside had the consistency of wet play-doh. I'm usually pretty lenient with that kind of stuff, but I just couldn't bear that texture. I gave it back to our server and asked for him to cook it a bit more, and when we got it back, it was perfect inside and tough as leather on the outside. Not my best meal.


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## Lonestar648 (Jun 11, 2018)

D.P. Roberts said:


> Lonestar648 said:
> 
> 
> > Thank you for your photos. I have enjoyed seeing what you captured, especially that someone is actually fixing up the old Harvey House.
> ...


Thank you for the link. I think this restoration of the three buildings and the square will be a major boost for Las Vegas as it was in La Posta.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 11, 2018)

I woke up this morning shortly before we arrived in Kansas City. I usually sleep very well on the train, but not so much on the Southwest Chief. I think it's for two reasons: very rough tracks, and the constant horn. I don't mind the sound of the train's horn, but on the SWC the sleepers are in the front so it's rather loud, and we're crossing roads almost constantly. I think many of the other routes are smoother and quieter.

We walked about for a bit in Kansas City - our train is now running a little early, so we had plenty of time. We were both a little paranoid to actually go into the station, but we took a few photos before heading off to breakfast. We had the pancakes & continental breakfast, which were fine.

Okay, the wifi has been terrible today. I find it amusing that it really broke down by state, coming and going almost exactly on state lines. I'd grade them as follows:

California: A+

Arizona: A-

New Mexico: A-

Colorado: C-

Kansas: F

Missouri: F

Iowa: n/a (it's only one stop & I wasn't using it then)

Illinois: A+ (so far)

You can't see much of Kansas City from the station, but I tried. The last shot is of the Missouri River, seen later.


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## D.P. Roberts (Jun 11, 2018)

We had lunch somewhere near Galesburg. I got the Amburger again, and for the first time in my Amtrak life they actually warmed up the bun! I love that. Melting the cheese & warming up the bun makes a huge difference to a cheeseburger. I can't say much for their steak cooking skills, but these chefs are better with burgers than most.

Not much else to report - it's kind of a dreary day, with corn as far as the eye can see. We also noticed that humidity has returned - it's strange how much of a difference that makes. I prefer not having humidity, but so does everybody else...

I have a bunch of other pictures from Arizona and Nevada that I hadn't posted yet, so I thought I'd add them in here. I'm not precisely sure where they are, but these scenes are a lot more interesting than corn.


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## cpotisch (Jun 11, 2018)

D.P. Roberts said:


> We had lunch somewhere near Galesburg. I got the Amburger again, and for the first time in my Amtrak life they actually warmed up the bun! I love that. Melting the cheese & warming up the bun makes a huge difference to a cheeseburger. I can't say much for their steak cooking skills, but these chefs are better with burgers than most.
> 
> Not much else to report - it's kind of a dreary day, with corn as far as the eye can see. We also noticed that humidity has returned - it's strange how much of a difference that makes. I prefer not having humidity, but so does everybody else...
> 
> I have a bunch of other pictures from Arizona and Nevada that I hadn't posted yet, so I thought I'd add them in here. I'm not precisely sure where they are, but these scenes are a lot more interesting than corn.


Some of that scenery reminds me a lot of the Sunset Limited - and that's a good thing! The desserts with the mountains and rock formations in the distance are so nice. Keep 'em coming!


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## Lonestar648 (Jun 11, 2018)

You have so many great photos. I usually create a coffee table photo book of the best of my photos for each of my trips. I have books for the CZ, SL, EB, CS, etc.which have opened many discussions about traveling by train. My Hematologist and I discussed traveling with family, so after I loaned him a few of the books, he and his wife took their two kids on a train trip instead of flying both ways. I enjoy the conversations on my trips. After every trip, my Saturday morning christian men's breakfast group always has me give a detailed account of my train trip, some have traveled by train as a result.


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## SarahZ (Jun 11, 2018)

D.P. Roberts said:


> Okay, the wifi has been terrible today. I find it amusing that it really broke down by state, coming and going almost exactly on state lines. I'd grade them as follows:
> 
> California: A+
> 
> ...


It pretty much corresponds with cell service in the area. Were I to grade cell service in those states, my grades would be similar.

With so many people trying to use the wi-fi, I don't even bother.


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## Tennessee Traveler (Jul 1, 2018)

Dakota 400 said:


> Lonestar648 said:
> 
> 
> > You may want to print out time tables to carry or have in pdf for viewing. I do the same with the Route Guides.
> ...


You definitely want to print the schedules. I went through Chicago in June and they no longer have the printed schedules available at all.


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## Dakota 400 (Jul 4, 2018)

Tennessee Traveler said:


> Dakota 400 said:
> 
> 
> > Lonestar648 said:
> ...



I just returned from a visit with family in the D. C. area. I rode Metro Rail to Union Station to do some reconnoitering prior to my Winter trip from there on the Silver Meteor. Seeing no Amtrak timetables available, I asked the pleasant woman at the Information Desk about their availability. She confirmed that one needs to download both the timetable and route guide for one's train as neither are available, either on board or at the station any more.


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## dogbert617 (Jul 12, 2018)

Tennessee Traveler said:


> Dakota 400 said:
> 
> 
> > Lonestar648 said:
> ...


Sadly, I can second/third the fact that printed Amtrak schedules increasingly aren't available at more and more stops, as a cost cutting measure.




For sure, PRINT OUT whatever train schedules for Amtrak you're interested in or DOWNLOAD them to a smartphone(if you have that), before your trip begins.

I saw Pittsburgh's station still had some Amtrak train schedules(as I did a Pittsburgh trip via the Capitol Limited in May), but who knows for how much longer? I'm assuming those schedules are probably just remaining paper schedule stock, that probably won't be replaced once the stock of those schedules runs out.



Chicago Union Station had a few left too to my surprise, but like Pittsburgh, I doubt it'll be for much longer. Last time I did a Metra(local Chicago area commuter rail) trip into Glenview, IL, outta curiosity I went inside that station house. That station no longer has the printed schedules for Amtrak Hiawatha or Empire Builder, sadly to say. And to add insult to injury, the ticket agent there was eliminated in 2016.





Do have to add, that the Amtrak stations in both Chicago and Pittsburgh had a decent amount of various tourism travel guides in stock! So I never got bored, while I waited 21/2 hours for my westbound/return train from Pittsburgh to Chicago to arrive that night.



And for as long as I can remember, Chicago Union Station has always had a good stock of various travel tourism brochures in stock.


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## cpotisch (Jul 12, 2018)

Why don't you just print out the timetable from Amtrak.com? I'm not saying that it wouldn't be ideal for Amtrak to provide them, but given they don't, why not just do it yourself?


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