Amtrak through the "Middle of Nowhere"

Willbridge · Aug 17, 2024

In 2018, the Washington Post ran an article about their application of an Oxford university formula for defining places as remote (from 75,000+ population central cities likely to offer services). The table showing the Post results omitted one factor that readers here may be aware of: Amtrak service. Travelogues and comments show that some passengers love those remote segments and others want to skip over them.

Here are places where one can step off of a train and into a town where people will ask why. Past Amtrak towns are included.

Towns of 1,000 to 4,999 population.
1. Glasgow, MT = the Empire Builder
3. Wolf Point, MT = the Empire Builder

Towns of 5,000 to 24,999 population
2. Glendive, MT = the North Coast Hiawatha
5. Rock Springs, WY = the Pioneer and the San Francisco Zephyr

Cities of 25,000 or more
1. Garden City, KS = the Southwest Chief
4. Dodge City, KS = the Southwest Chief
7. Del Rio, TX = the Sunset
10. Butte, MT = the North Coast Hiawatha

1971 - US2 in eastern Montana from an Empire Builder dome coach.

1991 - Rock Springs welcomes Amtrak. "This time we're here to stay." (Said tie-wearing Amtrak vice-president.)

1997 - Garden City, KS in an October storm.

[As you may have guessed, I'm one of the Amtrak passengers who finds these places interesting to pass through or to visit.]

danasgoodstuff · Aug 18, 2024

I've spent a fair bit of time in Cutbank, Shelby, and Havre MT, all on the Empire builder route. The first two towns are around 3.000 people and the last close to 10,000. But that was by driving there on the way to and from SK. I've been through them on the Builder but not stopped.

Saddleshoes · Aug 18, 2024

La Junta CO = Southwest Chief Pop. -- 7300
Should have made the list?????

BlackDiamond · Aug 18, 2024

Lamy NM has a population of 210 so may be the least populated town with an Amtrak stop, although being only 18 miles from Santa Fe it probably can't be considered remote.

Although maybe back in the days when the San Francisco Zephyr was running via Wyoming, Borie WY might have been smaller.

MARC Rider · Aug 18, 2024

danasgoodstuff said:
I've spent a fair bit of time in Cutbank, Shelby, and Havre MT, all on the Empire builder route. The first two towns are around 3.000 people and the last close to 10,000. But that was by driving there on the way to and from SK. I've been through them on the Builder but not stopped.

I rode the Empire Builder to Havre where I picked up a rental car to drive to Great Falls, Bozeman, and Yellowstone National Park. Probably the most remote Amtrak destination I've ever been at.

Bob Dylan · Aug 18, 2024

Willbridge said:
In 2018, the Washington Post ran an article about their application of an Oxford university formula for defining places as remote (from 75,000+ population central cities likely to offer services). The table showing the Post results omitted one factor that readers here may be aware of: Amtrak service. Travelogues and comments show that some passengers love those remote segments and others want to skip over them.

Here are places where one can step off of a train and into a town where people will ask why. Past Amtrak towns are included.

Towns of 1,000 to 4,999 population.
1. Glasgow, MT = the Empire Builder
3. Wolf Point, MT = the Empire Builder

Towns of 5,000 to 24,999 population
2. Glendive, MT = the North Coast Hiawatha
5. Rock Springs, WY = the Pioneer and the San Francisco Zephyr

Cities of 25,000 or more
1. Garden City, KS = the Southwest Chief
4. Dodge City, KS = the Southwest Chief
7. Del Rio, TX = the Sunset
10. Butte, MT = the North Coast Hiawatha

1971 - US2 in eastern Montana from an Empire Builder dome coach.
View attachment 37556

1991 - Rock Springs welcomes Amtrak. "This time we're here to stay." (Said tie-wearing Amtrak vice-president.)
View attachment 37558

1997 - Garden City, KS in an October storm.
View attachment 37557

[As you may have guessed, I'm one of the Amtrak passengers who finds these places interesting to pass through or to visit.]

I'd add Alpine and Sanderson ,Texas to this list!( Sunset Ltd Route)

Peter_Travels · Aug 18, 2024

Add to the list:

-Chemult, OR - Pop 80 - Nearest Big City, Bend, 65 miles away

-Winnemucca, NV - Pop 8,431 - Nearest Big City, Elko, 125 miles away

-Lamar, CO - Pop 7,687, Nearest Big City Debatable

-Winslow, AZ - Pop 9,005 - Nearest Big City, Flagstaff, 60 miles away

An extra bonus station is Schriever, LA, a remote stop near some sizable cities.

Northwestern · Aug 18, 2024

BlackDiamond said:
Lamy NM has a population of 210 so may be the least populated town with an Amtrak stop, although being only 18 miles from Santa Fe it probably can't be considered remote.

Although maybe back in the days when the San Francisco Zephyr was running via Wyoming, Borie WY might have been smaller.
[/QU
***********************************************
Another candidate would be Chemult, Oregon. I found different population figures depending on what reference you accept. It looks like the population is somewhere between 80 and 170 people

Qapla · Aug 18, 2024

Okeechobee, Fl Pop 5,254 - The Silver Star stops there but doesn't dwell there long

Palmland · Aug 18, 2024

Deming, NM

"Named for Mary Deming Crocker, wife of a railroad magnate of the Southern Pacific"

Willbridge · Aug 19, 2024

Saddleshoes said:
La Junta CO = Southwest Chief Pop. -- 7300
Should have made the list?????

They only listed the top 10 in each population group and La Junta (and Lamar and Trinidad) are close enough to Pueblo to put them down somewhere below 10th.

danasgoodstuff · Aug 19, 2024

danasgoodstuff said:
I've spent a fair bit of time in Cutbank, Shelby, and Havre MT, all on the Empire builder route. The first two towns are around 3.000 people and the last close to 10,000. But that was by driving there on the way to and from SK. I've been through them on the Builder but not stopped.

And the're all a long way from Missoula and Billings, the biggest cities in the State and the only ones > 75,000 in population. Great Falls is closer but it's only over 75,000 if you count the whole statistical area and not just the city itself. A long way too from Helena, the capitol.

Cal · Aug 19, 2024

BlackDiamond said:
Lamy NM has a population of 210 so may be the least populated town with an Amtrak stop, although being only 18 miles from Santa Fe it probably can't be considered remote.

Thurmond, West Virginia has a population of 3. Every single western route stop at least one town with less than 1,000 people. Towns under 30,000 are common too.

SWC: Lamy: 210
CS: Chemult: 278
CZ: Green River: 876
SL/TE: Sanderson: 740
CL: Essex: 72

railiner · Aug 19, 2024

Qapla said:
Okeechobee, Fl Pop 5,254 - The Silver Star stops there but doesn't dwell there long

I used to live there for a while.

It has a very nice modern platform and shelter, but nothing else, The center of town is about eight blocks south…

Qapla · Aug 19, 2024

Lamar, Colorado, mentioned above, was the birthplace of Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates) who played Festus Haggen on Gunsmoke.

Lamar station is served by the Southwest Chief. It was originally built in 1907 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

jis · Aug 19, 2024

Cal said:
Thurmond, West Virginia has a population of 3. Every single western route stop at least one town with less than 1,000 people. Towns under 30,000 are common too.

SWC: Lamy: 210
CS: Chemult: 278
CZ: Green River: 876
SL/TE: Sanderson: 740
CL: Essex: 72

Surely you meant to say:

EB: Essex: 72?

railiner · Aug 19, 2024

Qapla said:
Lamar, Colorado, mentioned above, was the birthplace of Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates) who played Festus Haggen on Gunsmoke.

Lamar station is served by the Southwest Chief. It was originally built in 1907 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

When I lived in Colorado, I used to take #4 from there on several occasions to reach Kansas City. Lamar at the time, was a junction of two different Continental Trailways bus routes, so enjoyed 14 departures each day…4 each way on US-50, and 3 each way on US-287…

Cal · Aug 19, 2024

jis said:
Surely you meant to say:

EB: Essex: 72?

Oh no, the Capitol Limited has since absorbed the Empire Builder's route and goes through Essex. Very recent change!

Jokes aside, don't know why I put CL. Brain-fart.

Palmland · Aug 19, 2024

Good idea, now it'll be possible to have a one seat ride Miami to Seattle. Think of the savings in equipment and reduced maintenance in Chicago. And it's only 4 days - 3 days faster than the Trans Siberian express.

Willbridge · Aug 19, 2024

danasgoodstuff said:
And the're all a long way from Missoula and Billings, the biggest cities in the State and the only ones > 75,000 in population. Great Falls is closer but it's only over 75,000 if you count the whole statistical area and not just the city itself. A long way too from Helena, the capitol.

They used statistical area populations.

Amtrak through the "Middle of Nowhere"

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