flowergirl
Train Attendant
- Joined
- May 17, 2010
- Messages
- 16
It was a month ago today, May 27, that my husband and our two teenagers left our home in Tennessee to make the four-hour drive to Memphis to begin our cross-country trip and our third long-distance trip on Amtrak.
Previously, we had driven to Lafayette, La., to board the Sunset Limited for Los Angeles for our first trip, and about 18 months ago, we drove to Savannah, Ga., to board the Silver Meteor for an East Coast trip up to Portland, Maine. For this trip, we took the CONO to Chicago, EB to Seattle, CS to Los Angeles, SWC to Chicago and CONO back to Memphis.
All in all, it was a good trip, in spite of some inconveniences, rude staff and unexpected adventures.
We arrived in Memphis right at rush hour but had no problems with traffic, since we were traveling west, and most of the traffic was going east. We found a parking space at the Amtrak station next to the boarding platform. Lots of police cars were parked there also, as a police sub station occupies part of the building. We hopped on the trolley that stops in front of the station and headed to Rendezvous to try some of their famous barbeque. There were lots of photos on the walls of celebrities and presidents who have eaten there.
After finishing our wonderful meal, we walked over to Peabody Hotel, but the ducks had already fin
ished their evening march. We didnt realize how vibrant downtown Memphis was and were surprised at the crowds on the sidewalks on a Thursday evening. The horse and carriages were being kept busy, and several had yellow labs wearing kerchiefs riding shotgun. So cute Lots of old building were seeing new life as condos. Seating looked full at many of the sidewalk cafes. Lots of people were walking, jogging and talking pets for a stroll. We enjoyed a trolley ride that looped around the river and saw Mud Island, Pyramid and lots of beautiful homes.
After we returned to the station, there was a steady stream of passengers coming in and checking their luggage. Around 9:30 p.m., we went to our car and got our luggage out and set it on the platform. Some people had set their luggage out and got back in their cars to enjoy the AC. It was pretty warm and humid. When the train hadnt arrived at 10, I called Julie and learned it would be arriving 12 minutes late.
After the train pulled in, we found our sleeping car and were told we would have to wait for the roomettes to be cleaned. The train was having some sort of mechanical problem, and once it stopped, all the electricity was turn off. Two attendants were cleaning nearly all the rooms in our car except for 2, 4 and 5. When I paid for our rooms back in March, I was expecting them to be ready for us when the train reached Memphis. It had left New Orleans at 1:30 that afternoon. I didnt understand why the same roomettes had been rented twice in one day, and also where people had put all the kids that had gotten off the sleeper. Since my daughter and I were in Roomette 3, they let us on as soon as it was clean and continued to work on the others. They filled a large trash bag half full of garbage they picked up in Roomette 6, my husband and sons room. One of them said she had been working for Amtrak for six years and had never seen a roomette left like that one. I did notice they also replaced the blankets for my husband and son. They both worked fervently on the remaining roomettes. Some passengers had to wait until nearly 11 p.m. to board our sleeping car. The train left shortly after 11 p.m., and we had a smooth and uneventful ride into Chicago, arriving about 10 minutes early.
What can I say about the Chicago red caps? Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. As soon as we stepped off the train, they were there and took us to the Lounge and stored our luggage. The Lounge was so nice and comfortable, with the cleanest public bathrooms Ive seen since Disney World. Outside it was sunny and cool, a perfect day for a walk. We started walking toward the water taxi and met up with a friendly gentleman, who gave us some tips on where to go and what to see. He looked to be 60ish and was clean, well groomed and was wearing a Northgate jacket. So I was surprised when we started to walk on that he asked if we had a few dollars to spare. I gave him some money. The directions he had given us were spot-on, so I guess he earned it.
It was so nice boarding the Empire Builder directly from the Lounge, but as soon as the train started rolling, I knew there was a problem with my roomette. I asked a woman conductor/attendant wearing a uniform what was making that loud and extremely annoying noise. She stopped and listened and said, That is the springs. The noise may stopped after we get through all the detectors. If it doesnt, let us know and we will try to move you somewhere else. Well the noise didnt stop, but my daughter didnt want us to move, since her dad and brother were across the aisle. So I didnt bring it up after that. A few hours later, when we closed our door, we notice the roomette became quite warm. We fiddled with the settings, but nothing helped. When I told our car attendant about this, he said all the sleeping cars were only getting cooling from the aisles. A woman in the roomette behind me jokingly asked him if she could sleep in the aisle. I wasnt expecting to get much sleep because of the noise and heat, but somehow I did.
For our first dinner, we all ordered the steak. It was wonderful. My husband is still talking about that steak. My husband and son got the cheesecake for dessert, my daughter had ice cream, and I had the mini chocolate bundt cake.
The scenery was interesting to me through Wisconsin and what we saw in daylight of Minnesota, especially the lakes with boat ramps almost even with the roads. Where we live, you have to drive down steep and winding roads to launch a boat. On our second day on the EB, my 16-year-old daughter and I went to the observation car for a few hours and watched North Dakota glide by. As we moved westward, the ride became smoother and the noise in my room was less noticeable. It also got cooler outside and was actually snowing as we approached Glacier National Park. That helped with our room temps. As the train stopped at Glacier National Park, I mentally filled in the landscape around the Lodge with lots of snow and thought, this would be a great place for a winter destination wedding.
I dont remember what we had for dinner the second night on the EB, but I do remember the dining steward rudely telling us that our table was needed before we had even put down our forks. And we thought our car attendant was a little lacking in professional courtesy. At least he was always around, even if he did grudgingly help with the beds, and he did keep coffee made until 8 p.m.
As the train continued westward, the scenery just got more spectacular. It was so neat the way we could see the cabins and what looked like do-it-yourself cabins/houses tucked away among trees and were hidden from roads. I usually prefer coastal scenery, but I was really impressed with the mountains of Montana and Washington. After we left Whitefish, I remembered that someone on this site had posted a comment in response to Gingees question a few weeks ago about Cajon Pass, that similar places included Sandpoint, Id., which I knew was coming up. For quite a while after leaving Whitefish, the train did a lot of stopping and slowing. There was also heavy freight traffic in the area. So I dont really know if we went really slow around Sandpoint.
My daughter and I skipped breakfast the next morning and just watched the beauty we were passing through. We were just in awe of Flathead River and how clear and pretty the water was. Puget Sound was beautiful as well, and I saw a sea lion bobbing in the water. We arrived in Seattle about an hour early. We stayed at the Homewood Suites on Pike Street, and the hotel sent its shuttle to pick us up. Lots of transients were hanging around the taxi stand area, where we waited for the shuttle. It was very cool in Seattle, and my son wasnt dressed for it and hadnt packed for it. He found some long pants at Niketown, and then the sun came out. And then it rained. This was pretty much a pattern for the day. Sun then rain. But I was glad it rained, so we could get the Seattle experience. We loved Seattle. We went to Pikes Market. I think we heard street musicians of every music genre at the Market. I bought some lavender there.. We then shopped our way back to Westlake and rode the monorail to the Space Center. Lots of activity going on there, as well. Had a great day. I think it was almost 10 before it got dark in Seattle.
Our roomettes on the Coast Starlight were on the lower level, because the price was going to be $150 more per room for upper level. The lower level worked out fine for us. Car attendant was friendly and accommodating. As soon as we were settled in our room, I told the attendant I was going to the Parlour Car. He brought some champagne to us there, and within that first hour, my husband and I were making friends with several other couples. There was a beautiful 90-year-old woman traveling with her younger boyfriend, who was 88. Before I heard how old she was, I thought maybe she was a well preserved 70 something. There was lots of joking and laughing, and we felt like we had always known these folks. Everyone loved Michelle, the Parlour Car attendant. We ate dinner there the first night and lunch the second day. The atmosphere was much more relaxing than in the dining car, where once again, we were asked to give up our table before we had finished. One of our new friends sitting at the next table heard this and said, Tell him to go to h***, you paid for this. Our new friends had been in the dining car longer than us. Go figure.
The other passengers really made this trip fun and enjoyable. Someone, and I think it might have been the dining steward, was continually on the PA going through a Barney Fife-type spill about the rules of the train, including no cell phones in common areas or in coach. First time, I had heard that except when we rode an Amtrak bus from Boston to Portland, Maine. He talked to the passengers like third-graders and was almost laughable, if not so annoying.
That night, some of us went outside during the Klammath Falls stop, and a California woman said we would be going down the canyons when the train started. I thought we were already down the mountains at that point, but they said no. Dont remember how soon it was after we left Klammath Falls, but soon after the train felt like it was just inching along and then stopping and then inching forward. It was so scary and went on for more than an hour. Sometimes you could hear the brakes. This was going around Mt. Shasta. I dont want to do that part of the trip again at night. Maybe it wouldnt be so scary if you actually knew what it looked like. I had never been on a train before that did that. Still makes me shudder to think about it. Next morning at breakfast, I heard some other passengers talking about it. I wasnt the only one scared. The woman in the roomette next to mine said she went to sleep as soon as the train started moving. I didnt want to be awake if we crashed, she said. I asked the attendant if it was really that scary and he said, No, its beautiful. The canyons follow the river.
Going into the Bay area early that morning, it was foggy and gray. That part of the trip was a little disappointing. I had hoped to see more of the coast in that area. I had skipped the free wine tasting on the EB, and on the first day of CS, but decided to go to the second one. It was so much fun. It was like a girls night out, except two of the husbands joined the tasting.. My husband and the others were sitting at the end of the parlour car in the swivel chairs watching us. Right after the wine tasting, dinner started early because of our arrival in LA. While we were eating dinner, we came into the coastal part of the trip. That was so neat to be sitting at a moving dinner table with a white tablecloth and looking at the ocean.
It seemed to take forever to get from Van Nuys to LA, but the train was on time and maybe five or ten minutes early. This was the part of the trip I had really dreaded, because of the tunnels at the station and finding our way out to the taxis. We didnt see any red caps upon arriving, but we found our way to the lobby and outside to the taxis. We stayed at Santa Monica Beach two nights and had a wonderful time there. We went to a Dodgers game with 14 innings. Ugh. Nine is plenty. We ate at Chez Jays in Santa Monica. Loved the funky atmosphere and food AND great coffee. We had lunch at Bubba Gumps Shrimp on the Pier. Great views.
When we returned to LA Amtrak Station to board the Southwest Chief, I asked the red cap sitting at the desk if we needed to check in. On a previous trip to LA, we had done that. He was friendly and said we would be called for boarding and would check in then. When 6:30 p.m. came and we hadnt heard a boarding call, we walked back to the area near the desk and saw a long line of coach passengers. I asked a passing red cap where sleeping car passengers were to go. She said, Ill take you. And she did. She drove us through those tunnels and took us straight to the train.
The first thing I noticed about the sleeping car on the SWC was how clean it looked and smelled. It was the cleanest train so far. We went to dinner, and the dining car steward was not only very nice and friendly but constantly joking around with my son who was wearing his new Dodgers cap. The dining steward was a Cubs fan. It was so relaxed in the SWC dining car. The staff didnt seem harried, and we didnt feel rushed. After our trek around Mt. Shasta, I was dreading Cajon a little bit. It wasnt long before we started the climb. I was wondering about going down the other side. It was slow going down, but not like Mt. Shasta and it didnt take as long.
The scenery in Arizona the next morning was disappointing. Mostly pine forests. Sorry, but we have plenty of those at home. Arizona scenery was much more interesting on the Sunset Limited. The rest of the morning was spent traveling through the great wasteland of New Mexico. Again, I thought the scenery of Southern New Mexico on the SSL was better. After we left Lamy and started through the Apache Canyon and onto Glorietta, the scenery changed dramatically for the better, so green. We were at dinner while going through Raton Pass, and my husband, a geologist, correctly guessed the grade. The train descended at a pretty good clip, so it wasnt scary. I hate that inching along. I wonder if they just do that at night.
I had a great dessert for dinner that night, but I cant pronounce it or spell it. Our SCA was nice enough and well organized, but he only made coffee once a day. I drink coffee all day long. This trip was going along fine until we left LaJunta. And then we got on some horrible track. Its hard to even describe how horrible it was. I had never heard this sound before on any other trains. It was kind of like a nail scratching a chalkboard, magnified 1,000 times. A harsh metal clashing with metal continuously and shaking everything, including the glass in our roomette door. I longed for bustitution and even thought of getting off at the next stop and maybe finding a hotel and a rental car. I groped my way toward the observation car and as I was going through the dining car, one of the crew said, Are you trying to get away from it? When will it get better? I asked him. It wont, he said. It just gets different. When we run out of this bad trackage, we get into the wavy trackage.
At times, it seemed like the train was coasting, and there would be momentary relief from the sound. But then the smell of diesel got heavy. I went out and asked the SGA what was the smell. He said, Diesel. They are using the brakes a lot. In Kansas? The sound seemed louder in my roomette than anywhere else. I was in #8 again, like on EB. Finally, I was able to doze off. When I woke up, we were in Kansas City. The horrible noise was gone.
An announcement was made on the PA that breakfast would not be served in the dining car due to mechanical failure. Another announcement followed that the train would be going slow because of heavy rains and possible ponding. When I passed through the dining car going to the observation car, heat just hit you in the face. At the LaPlata, Mo. stop, a caterer met the train and delivered food. We were given doughnuts, fruit and juice for breakfast and sub sandwiches and chips for lunch. We didnt have any problems with the rain and arrived in Chicago about 30 minutes late.
After boarding the CONO, we were told to go to the dining car for dinner. I think there was just one sleeper besides the one for the crew. Most of the people in our car were from the West Coast, with the exception of two teachers from Minnesota. Dinner reminded me of the Parlour Car on the CS. Everyone was relaxed and talking and laughing. The dining crew was fun and talkative. I ordered the fried chicken and Mississippi Mud Cheesecake. The chicken was very good. The cake was kind of dry for cheesecake. We werent rushed out of the diner.
While the attendant was making our beds, my daughter and I went to the bend in hall near the coffee/snack area. While standing there, we heard a familiar sounda tornado siren. Or at least thats what we thought it was. When we got back to the roomette, I got on the Internet on my phone, and sure enough, there was a tornado warning for Kankakee, and we were going through Kankakee. I thought maybe the train would pick up speed and out run it. But then the train stopped. I asked the car attendant if the train stopped for the storm. He said, No, a freight is having trouble below us. A few minutes later, the dining crew came through and one of them stopped and said to our attendant, I hope that freight get to moving soon. Theres a tornado coming this way. A few minutes later, we heard the freight and our train started moving. As we moved along, it looked so eerie outside. We could see cars pulled off highways. I checked online again, and there werent any warnings for the cities on our next stops. The rest of the trip was uneventful and the ride was smooth. We arrived in Memphis a few minutes early.
We have now traveled on all the western long distance trains, except the CZ, and it is on my husbands list. Im kind of leery. A route that scenic probably has some scary passes. Well see.
Previously, we had driven to Lafayette, La., to board the Sunset Limited for Los Angeles for our first trip, and about 18 months ago, we drove to Savannah, Ga., to board the Silver Meteor for an East Coast trip up to Portland, Maine. For this trip, we took the CONO to Chicago, EB to Seattle, CS to Los Angeles, SWC to Chicago and CONO back to Memphis.
All in all, it was a good trip, in spite of some inconveniences, rude staff and unexpected adventures.
Walking in Memphis
We arrived in Memphis right at rush hour but had no problems with traffic, since we were traveling west, and most of the traffic was going east. We found a parking space at the Amtrak station next to the boarding platform. Lots of police cars were parked there also, as a police sub station occupies part of the building. We hopped on the trolley that stops in front of the station and headed to Rendezvous to try some of their famous barbeque. There were lots of photos on the walls of celebrities and presidents who have eaten there.
After finishing our wonderful meal, we walked over to Peabody Hotel, but the ducks had already fin
ished their evening march. We didnt realize how vibrant downtown Memphis was and were surprised at the crowds on the sidewalks on a Thursday evening. The horse and carriages were being kept busy, and several had yellow labs wearing kerchiefs riding shotgun. So cute Lots of old building were seeing new life as condos. Seating looked full at many of the sidewalk cafes. Lots of people were walking, jogging and talking pets for a stroll. We enjoyed a trolley ride that looped around the river and saw Mud Island, Pyramid and lots of beautiful homes.
After we returned to the station, there was a steady stream of passengers coming in and checking their luggage. Around 9:30 p.m., we went to our car and got our luggage out and set it on the platform. Some people had set their luggage out and got back in their cars to enjoy the AC. It was pretty warm and humid. When the train hadnt arrived at 10, I called Julie and learned it would be arriving 12 minutes late.
After the train pulled in, we found our sleeping car and were told we would have to wait for the roomettes to be cleaned. The train was having some sort of mechanical problem, and once it stopped, all the electricity was turn off. Two attendants were cleaning nearly all the rooms in our car except for 2, 4 and 5. When I paid for our rooms back in March, I was expecting them to be ready for us when the train reached Memphis. It had left New Orleans at 1:30 that afternoon. I didnt understand why the same roomettes had been rented twice in one day, and also where people had put all the kids that had gotten off the sleeper. Since my daughter and I were in Roomette 3, they let us on as soon as it was clean and continued to work on the others. They filled a large trash bag half full of garbage they picked up in Roomette 6, my husband and sons room. One of them said she had been working for Amtrak for six years and had never seen a roomette left like that one. I did notice they also replaced the blankets for my husband and son. They both worked fervently on the remaining roomettes. Some passengers had to wait until nearly 11 p.m. to board our sleeping car. The train left shortly after 11 p.m., and we had a smooth and uneventful ride into Chicago, arriving about 10 minutes early.
A glimpse of Chicago
What can I say about the Chicago red caps? Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. As soon as we stepped off the train, they were there and took us to the Lounge and stored our luggage. The Lounge was so nice and comfortable, with the cleanest public bathrooms Ive seen since Disney World. Outside it was sunny and cool, a perfect day for a walk. We started walking toward the water taxi and met up with a friendly gentleman, who gave us some tips on where to go and what to see. He looked to be 60ish and was clean, well groomed and was wearing a Northgate jacket. So I was surprised when we started to walk on that he asked if we had a few dollars to spare. I gave him some money. The directions he had given us were spot-on, so I guess he earned it.
On to Seattle
It was so nice boarding the Empire Builder directly from the Lounge, but as soon as the train started rolling, I knew there was a problem with my roomette. I asked a woman conductor/attendant wearing a uniform what was making that loud and extremely annoying noise. She stopped and listened and said, That is the springs. The noise may stopped after we get through all the detectors. If it doesnt, let us know and we will try to move you somewhere else. Well the noise didnt stop, but my daughter didnt want us to move, since her dad and brother were across the aisle. So I didnt bring it up after that. A few hours later, when we closed our door, we notice the roomette became quite warm. We fiddled with the settings, but nothing helped. When I told our car attendant about this, he said all the sleeping cars were only getting cooling from the aisles. A woman in the roomette behind me jokingly asked him if she could sleep in the aisle. I wasnt expecting to get much sleep because of the noise and heat, but somehow I did.
For our first dinner, we all ordered the steak. It was wonderful. My husband is still talking about that steak. My husband and son got the cheesecake for dessert, my daughter had ice cream, and I had the mini chocolate bundt cake.
The scenery was interesting to me through Wisconsin and what we saw in daylight of Minnesota, especially the lakes with boat ramps almost even with the roads. Where we live, you have to drive down steep and winding roads to launch a boat. On our second day on the EB, my 16-year-old daughter and I went to the observation car for a few hours and watched North Dakota glide by. As we moved westward, the ride became smoother and the noise in my room was less noticeable. It also got cooler outside and was actually snowing as we approached Glacier National Park. That helped with our room temps. As the train stopped at Glacier National Park, I mentally filled in the landscape around the Lodge with lots of snow and thought, this would be a great place for a winter destination wedding.
I dont remember what we had for dinner the second night on the EB, but I do remember the dining steward rudely telling us that our table was needed before we had even put down our forks. And we thought our car attendant was a little lacking in professional courtesy. At least he was always around, even if he did grudgingly help with the beds, and he did keep coffee made until 8 p.m.
As the train continued westward, the scenery just got more spectacular. It was so neat the way we could see the cabins and what looked like do-it-yourself cabins/houses tucked away among trees and were hidden from roads. I usually prefer coastal scenery, but I was really impressed with the mountains of Montana and Washington. After we left Whitefish, I remembered that someone on this site had posted a comment in response to Gingees question a few weeks ago about Cajon Pass, that similar places included Sandpoint, Id., which I knew was coming up. For quite a while after leaving Whitefish, the train did a lot of stopping and slowing. There was also heavy freight traffic in the area. So I dont really know if we went really slow around Sandpoint.
My daughter and I skipped breakfast the next morning and just watched the beauty we were passing through. We were just in awe of Flathead River and how clear and pretty the water was. Puget Sound was beautiful as well, and I saw a sea lion bobbing in the water. We arrived in Seattle about an hour early. We stayed at the Homewood Suites on Pike Street, and the hotel sent its shuttle to pick us up. Lots of transients were hanging around the taxi stand area, where we waited for the shuttle. It was very cool in Seattle, and my son wasnt dressed for it and hadnt packed for it. He found some long pants at Niketown, and then the sun came out. And then it rained. This was pretty much a pattern for the day. Sun then rain. But I was glad it rained, so we could get the Seattle experience. We loved Seattle. We went to Pikes Market. I think we heard street musicians of every music genre at the Market. I bought some lavender there.. We then shopped our way back to Westlake and rode the monorail to the Space Center. Lots of activity going on there, as well. Had a great day. I think it was almost 10 before it got dark in Seattle.
California Dreamin
Our roomettes on the Coast Starlight were on the lower level, because the price was going to be $150 more per room for upper level. The lower level worked out fine for us. Car attendant was friendly and accommodating. As soon as we were settled in our room, I told the attendant I was going to the Parlour Car. He brought some champagne to us there, and within that first hour, my husband and I were making friends with several other couples. There was a beautiful 90-year-old woman traveling with her younger boyfriend, who was 88. Before I heard how old she was, I thought maybe she was a well preserved 70 something. There was lots of joking and laughing, and we felt like we had always known these folks. Everyone loved Michelle, the Parlour Car attendant. We ate dinner there the first night and lunch the second day. The atmosphere was much more relaxing than in the dining car, where once again, we were asked to give up our table before we had finished. One of our new friends sitting at the next table heard this and said, Tell him to go to h***, you paid for this. Our new friends had been in the dining car longer than us. Go figure.
The other passengers really made this trip fun and enjoyable. Someone, and I think it might have been the dining steward, was continually on the PA going through a Barney Fife-type spill about the rules of the train, including no cell phones in common areas or in coach. First time, I had heard that except when we rode an Amtrak bus from Boston to Portland, Maine. He talked to the passengers like third-graders and was almost laughable, if not so annoying.
That night, some of us went outside during the Klammath Falls stop, and a California woman said we would be going down the canyons when the train started. I thought we were already down the mountains at that point, but they said no. Dont remember how soon it was after we left Klammath Falls, but soon after the train felt like it was just inching along and then stopping and then inching forward. It was so scary and went on for more than an hour. Sometimes you could hear the brakes. This was going around Mt. Shasta. I dont want to do that part of the trip again at night. Maybe it wouldnt be so scary if you actually knew what it looked like. I had never been on a train before that did that. Still makes me shudder to think about it. Next morning at breakfast, I heard some other passengers talking about it. I wasnt the only one scared. The woman in the roomette next to mine said she went to sleep as soon as the train started moving. I didnt want to be awake if we crashed, she said. I asked the attendant if it was really that scary and he said, No, its beautiful. The canyons follow the river.
Going into the Bay area early that morning, it was foggy and gray. That part of the trip was a little disappointing. I had hoped to see more of the coast in that area. I had skipped the free wine tasting on the EB, and on the first day of CS, but decided to go to the second one. It was so much fun. It was like a girls night out, except two of the husbands joined the tasting.. My husband and the others were sitting at the end of the parlour car in the swivel chairs watching us. Right after the wine tasting, dinner started early because of our arrival in LA. While we were eating dinner, we came into the coastal part of the trip. That was so neat to be sitting at a moving dinner table with a white tablecloth and looking at the ocean.
It seemed to take forever to get from Van Nuys to LA, but the train was on time and maybe five or ten minutes early. This was the part of the trip I had really dreaded, because of the tunnels at the station and finding our way out to the taxis. We didnt see any red caps upon arriving, but we found our way to the lobby and outside to the taxis. We stayed at Santa Monica Beach two nights and had a wonderful time there. We went to a Dodgers game with 14 innings. Ugh. Nine is plenty. We ate at Chez Jays in Santa Monica. Loved the funky atmosphere and food AND great coffee. We had lunch at Bubba Gumps Shrimp on the Pier. Great views.
Back to Chicago
When we returned to LA Amtrak Station to board the Southwest Chief, I asked the red cap sitting at the desk if we needed to check in. On a previous trip to LA, we had done that. He was friendly and said we would be called for boarding and would check in then. When 6:30 p.m. came and we hadnt heard a boarding call, we walked back to the area near the desk and saw a long line of coach passengers. I asked a passing red cap where sleeping car passengers were to go. She said, Ill take you. And she did. She drove us through those tunnels and took us straight to the train.
The first thing I noticed about the sleeping car on the SWC was how clean it looked and smelled. It was the cleanest train so far. We went to dinner, and the dining car steward was not only very nice and friendly but constantly joking around with my son who was wearing his new Dodgers cap. The dining steward was a Cubs fan. It was so relaxed in the SWC dining car. The staff didnt seem harried, and we didnt feel rushed. After our trek around Mt. Shasta, I was dreading Cajon a little bit. It wasnt long before we started the climb. I was wondering about going down the other side. It was slow going down, but not like Mt. Shasta and it didnt take as long.
The scenery in Arizona the next morning was disappointing. Mostly pine forests. Sorry, but we have plenty of those at home. Arizona scenery was much more interesting on the Sunset Limited. The rest of the morning was spent traveling through the great wasteland of New Mexico. Again, I thought the scenery of Southern New Mexico on the SSL was better. After we left Lamy and started through the Apache Canyon and onto Glorietta, the scenery changed dramatically for the better, so green. We were at dinner while going through Raton Pass, and my husband, a geologist, correctly guessed the grade. The train descended at a pretty good clip, so it wasnt scary. I hate that inching along. I wonder if they just do that at night.
I had a great dessert for dinner that night, but I cant pronounce it or spell it. Our SCA was nice enough and well organized, but he only made coffee once a day. I drink coffee all day long. This trip was going along fine until we left LaJunta. And then we got on some horrible track. Its hard to even describe how horrible it was. I had never heard this sound before on any other trains. It was kind of like a nail scratching a chalkboard, magnified 1,000 times. A harsh metal clashing with metal continuously and shaking everything, including the glass in our roomette door. I longed for bustitution and even thought of getting off at the next stop and maybe finding a hotel and a rental car. I groped my way toward the observation car and as I was going through the dining car, one of the crew said, Are you trying to get away from it? When will it get better? I asked him. It wont, he said. It just gets different. When we run out of this bad trackage, we get into the wavy trackage.
At times, it seemed like the train was coasting, and there would be momentary relief from the sound. But then the smell of diesel got heavy. I went out and asked the SGA what was the smell. He said, Diesel. They are using the brakes a lot. In Kansas? The sound seemed louder in my roomette than anywhere else. I was in #8 again, like on EB. Finally, I was able to doze off. When I woke up, we were in Kansas City. The horrible noise was gone.
An announcement was made on the PA that breakfast would not be served in the dining car due to mechanical failure. Another announcement followed that the train would be going slow because of heavy rains and possible ponding. When I passed through the dining car going to the observation car, heat just hit you in the face. At the LaPlata, Mo. stop, a caterer met the train and delivered food. We were given doughnuts, fruit and juice for breakfast and sub sandwiches and chips for lunch. We didnt have any problems with the rain and arrived in Chicago about 30 minutes late.
Back to Memphis
After boarding the CONO, we were told to go to the dining car for dinner. I think there was just one sleeper besides the one for the crew. Most of the people in our car were from the West Coast, with the exception of two teachers from Minnesota. Dinner reminded me of the Parlour Car on the CS. Everyone was relaxed and talking and laughing. The dining crew was fun and talkative. I ordered the fried chicken and Mississippi Mud Cheesecake. The chicken was very good. The cake was kind of dry for cheesecake. We werent rushed out of the diner.
While the attendant was making our beds, my daughter and I went to the bend in hall near the coffee/snack area. While standing there, we heard a familiar sounda tornado siren. Or at least thats what we thought it was. When we got back to the roomette, I got on the Internet on my phone, and sure enough, there was a tornado warning for Kankakee, and we were going through Kankakee. I thought maybe the train would pick up speed and out run it. But then the train stopped. I asked the car attendant if the train stopped for the storm. He said, No, a freight is having trouble below us. A few minutes later, the dining crew came through and one of them stopped and said to our attendant, I hope that freight get to moving soon. Theres a tornado coming this way. A few minutes later, we heard the freight and our train started moving. As we moved along, it looked so eerie outside. We could see cars pulled off highways. I checked online again, and there werent any warnings for the cities on our next stops. The rest of the trip was uneventful and the ride was smooth. We arrived in Memphis a few minutes early.
Our next trip
We have now traveled on all the western long distance trains, except the CZ, and it is on my husbands list. Im kind of leery. A route that scenic probably has some scary passes. Well see.
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