Eric & Pat’s September 2024 Trip Report: San Diego - Toledo - San Diego

Eric in East County said:

For some reason, after leaving Elkhart, CL No. 29’s crew continued to use Channel 46 to communicate. (Usually, the radios are changed to Channel 34 in Elkhart.)

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NS probably shifted its road channel limits, all railroads seem to do that periodically. It would be a significant rules violations not to be on the correct road channel. Did they stay on 46 all the way until they shifted to Amtrak's 13 right before CUS?

Eric in East County said:

At 1:33 p.m. we heard the dispatcher advise SWC No. 4 about the wind warning and about the loose cattle near the tracks. (We were not able to pick up No. 4’s responses.)

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That pretty much answers my previous question on how well the tuned antenna improves dispatcher reception .

Really good trip report, thanks.

zephyr17 said:

NS probably shifted its road channel limits, all railroads seem to do that periodically. It would be a significant rules violations not to be on the correct road channel. Did they stay on 46 all the way until they shifted to Amtrak's 13 right before CUS?

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They did stay on Channel 46 through to Chicago Union Station.

With the future of the OTOL site (including its Amtrak Frequencies page) uncertain, it might become harder to keep informed as to what the current road channels are. (OTOL relied on updates from rail passengers with scanners to keep its frequencies lists current.)

Thank you as always for this wonderful travelogue! It's been a long week but I had a sneaking suspicion there would be this report to look forward to, as a reward, the next time I logged in. And now, like everyone else reading, I am daydreaming once again about a long distance western train adventure.
I felt like I was right there with you, starting with the middle of the night cab in Toledo. It's often interesting in the middle of the night, isn't it? Whether it's a bus, ride share, or hotel van driver, there's always a sense of relief when it works out the way it's supposed to. Once you were in the station, I could visualize everything, including people getting some sleep on the long benches. To be fair not much else to do at that hour and if you want to take a train into or through TOL it will be either late at night or in the wee hours of the morning, no changes to scheduling being planned AFAIK. There are so many delightful details you notice I don't pick up on in real time, such that, I see even the familiar TOL-CHI route in a new light. I also chuckled a bit at your Gary, Indiana song mention. For me, Indiana also brings up a song memory.. it's an older pop song that goes "Indiana wants me... Lord I can't go back there" which doesn't get much airplay these days but it was an AM radio staple at one time.
Once on board the Chief, you have covered the basics that every rider needs in the sleeper cars, and tops on that list is having tape and cardboard to address rattles and the heating/cooling situation. It can make a world of difference and you provided excellent instruction. It's amazing how it can be either freezing or comfortable in the rooms and it's often up to the passenger to know what to do to address. I once plugged a rattling garbage bin door with Kleenex but that was lucky, tape would have been more ideal. This will now be part of the plan.
As always, rather fascinated by the scanner conversation tidbits you share. And the scenery highlights! Happy to hear you are home safe again. Pleased that you had such positive experiences with onboard service, sounds like it added to your relaxation and enjoyment.
Spring 2025 and new adventures will be here before you know it

Some years ago Pinky was the attendant for a trip I did to Flagstaff, on my way to a visit with my sister in Phoenix. I thought she was wonderful. She did everything possible to make the trip pleasant. She checked my return and let me know she was working that trip but not my car. She said the attendant I would have was not a regular and if I needed anything just walk up to her car. So glad to hear she is still working and doing the same great job.

Pinky was our SCA in 1999 on the very first trip we ever took on the SWC. Back then, we were still new at the game and, for the return trip on No. 3, had arranged to fly from Cleveland to Chicago, where we planned to catch No. 3. Our flight ended up being cancelled due to problems with the plane. Fortunately, the airline rebooked us onto a flight into Kansas City, so we could catch No. 3 there. (Somehow, we were able to get through to the No. 3’s conductor and let him know what we’d be doing.) The train was late arriving in KC. When it did, there was Pinky, who’d been our SCA on our east bound passage, on the platform and waiting for us. We were overjoyed to see her and grateful that we’d finally made our train.

Old MM said:

I also chuckled a bit at your Gary, Indiana song mention. For me, Indiana also brings up a song memory.. it's an older pop song that goes "Indiana wants me... Lord I can't go back there" which doesn't get much airplay these days but it was an AM radio staple at one time.

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I have exactly the same reaction when Indiana is mentioned, that old song gets playing in my head. If I remember correctly, it had the sirens and the police on a bullhorn in the background at the beginning and end of the song.

Loved your return trip reporting as expected! A little travel hack, wrap your duct tape around your deodorant or water bottles to make more room.

BlackDiamond said:

I have exactly the same reaction when Indiana is mentioned, that old song gets playing in my head. If I remember correctly, it had the sirens and the police on a bullhorn in the background at the beginning and end of the song.

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Yes, the subject matter is not exactly cheery but it’s a catchy tune.
The police siren and bullhorn “give yourself up” oddly seem to work in the context of the song.

There is one postscript that needs to be added to our September trip report to make it complete. On our return trip on SWC No. 3, when we packed up just before arriving in Los Angeles, I somehow managed to leave my new Slim Duck scanner antenna behind in our bedroom. It was in a clear plastic storage tube that had my name and address on it and, as soon as we got home, I contacted Amtrak’s “Lost and Found” Department to report it missing. Since I was able to provide them with the exact date when it was lost and the sleeping car and bedroom it was lost in, I expected that it would been found right away when the bedroom was cleaned.

Over the next two weeks, I received several follow up reports saying that they were still looking for it. Then, on October 7th, over two weeks after we’d returned, I received a phone call from Cynthia, a SWC Sleeping Car Attendant who said that she had my antenna. (On her own initiative, she’d used Google to look up our phone number.) She said it had been found on the shelf over the jump seat. Rather than turning it over to “Lost and Found,” she said that she’d mail it to me once she’d returned to California. (We keep good records on all the SCA’s we’ve had over the years. Cynthia was our SCA on passages we’d made on SWC No. 3 in July 2016 and again in July 2018.)

The antenna was received safely today (October 17th.) I’m hoping that Cynthia will be our SCA on one of our future trips so I can thank her in person.

I’m still wondering why my antenna wasn’t found earlier, and if it made any additional trips to Chicago and back in our old bedroom before Cynthia found it.

All’s well that ends well and, thanks to Cynthia’s initiative, I now have my antenna back.