:hi: Annual AGR and freeloading trip from Texas to California.
PART I:
Texas Eagle#22 AUS-SPI 7/24-7/25 Usual consist/excellent crew (I know all the crews on this route),even had a really nice Superliner II which is rare on this route! SCA:Jeff, a fairly new but excellent OBS. Food tip
O NOT order the ribs!! Took 2 hours between FTW-DAL due to track work, got to sit looking @ JerryWorld aka Cowboy Stadium in Arlington.Very HOT but the AC works good on the train! Rest of the trip was routine, made up time overnight through Ark/MO, arrived in STL for breakfast,arrived in Springfield only 20 minutes down.AC was out in the SPI station, very hot, went to McDonalds to wait for the Thruway van (lunch isnt served till after the train leaves here for CHI!)
ThruwayVan#5522 SPI-GBB Only a 10 pax van showed up for 10 transfer pax with lots of luggage/jammed in like sausages, :angry: the driver, a friendly retired gentleman told us that the 15 pax van was "in the shop" so it was a looong drive through the cornfields for 2 hours,@ least the AC worked!The company that has this contract can do better, the SPI-Indy thruway is a nice new trailways bus!Going to let Customer Relations know my opinion for sure since it was even worse on the return! Large crowd @ the station since the CZ#6 was running 4 hours down from EMY-CHI. Visited the rail museum next door, fairly nice one, ate lunch in one of the mom and pop joints next to the station and looked around downtown, some interesting old buildings here for sure! (An Orpheum Theatre where the Marx Brothers,Burns and Allen, Fanny Brice etc. played is an example!.)
CZ #5 GBB-SAC Watched the late running #6 pull in about 4:30PM (flooding in Iowa), lots of pax boarding/deboarding. Our train was held outside the station till #6 was rolling out for CHI, arrived about 30 minutes down. Three engines, baggage car, three sleepers (First time in the transdorm,roomette #19),diner,sightseer lounge, 4 coaches. The train was full, out car attendant, Ashley, was working a coach also so we were boarded by one of the conductors and told to go to the diner to make diner reservations (later we found out Ashley had made reservations for the transdorm pax), went to the diner and was told by the SS LSA that "your car attendant has your reservation, don't come in here until you are called for!"
(one of those types unfortunately!)We rolled out, eventually Ashley came to the car, gave us the welcome/show around the car pitch etc. She was very pleasant, very pregnant (told us it was her last trip before the baby)and as we found out very competent! Great luck to be in this car as will be mentioned later on in the trip!
We rolled out through the fields into really flooded and wet Iowa, huge amounts of water standing, rivers overflowing banks etc., lots of slow orders due to this situation. At 9:30PM we were called for diner (they served until 11:00PM),had excellent steaks,real ones, all the usual trimmings etc. Slept throughout the night (didnt even wake up for Omaha!)as we rolled through Nebraska (did we miss anything Al?), I woke up in McCook which is weird since my dad was stationed there for awhile during WWII and Id lived there for 6 months as a baby!Woke up in Ft. Morgan, took a shower in the nice bathroom across the hall (as others have said much bigger and nicer than the regular sleepers that havent been rehabbed! )The old conductor office had been set up as a juice/coffee/water station so we didnt have to go the the next sleeper for our liquids!Went to breakfast, had the omelet sans meat,grits, juice and coffee as we rolled into Denver close to on time when we backed into Union Station. Walked around a little, went into the station which was very crowded, the new tempporary station is still not being used but there is only one track left @ Union Station currently!Didnt recognize much as it's been 20 years since I was in Denver, lots of High rises,Condos etc.They cut out one sleeper and coach here, guess this is the summer CHI-Denver summer consist! Nice to see the Baseball Stadium as we rolled out on time and parked next to it was the UP train that is being used to ferry pax to Cheyene for rodeo etc. 5 domes on the consist, :excl: neat to see the long yellow UP colors on this beauty, wish Amtrak would buy back or lease the domes for the scenic routes!Of course the climb up into the Mountains and in to Winter Park and on through the Mountains was spectactular, my first time on this route in daylight, WOW!Can imagine what it looks like in the Winter, will have to ride and find out!The toliet situation: as has been a regular topic here, the toliets in the rest of the train quit working in the mountains :help: EXCEPT for the transdorm which Ashley told us had a new toliet and AC system, they worked perfectly! Supposedly all the cars will eventually get these systems, the pax in the other two sleepers were able to use out toliets but dont know about the coaches, never saw any of them come through to out car!The trip through Moffet Tunnel was interesting, what a feat of engineering back in the day!
The other mention was the Sightseer Lounge, it was jammed all the way from GBB to dark, and filled up in Denver till dark again! We were able to secure good seats and except for the meals were able to get seats or tables as desired, they did mention over the PA that no-one would be allowed to sleep or campout in the car and that everyone should be mindful of their fellow pax and not live in the seats! (there were people standing during the Colorado portions!)
On through the mountains, along side the Colorado River ,(yes the Mooners were in action! :lol: )beautiful! :wub: Had an early diner rolling through Utah,excellent food and service, the LSA seems to have mellowed out, she was even pleasantt this time!(it was getting dark by Helper, went to sleep before SLC. Upon arrival in SLC I stepped off for air, we spent about an hour here, big loads getting on/off. Could see downtown in the distance, too bad the old Stations arewnt being used anymore, Ive seen the pics and read others postings on them!Slept like a baby until Winnemuca, showered, had breakfast @ 6:30(Continental)as we rolled into Reno through the trench right on time!Spent some air time on the platform where two volunteers from the Cal RR Museum boarded to conduct an info session on the way to SAC, most informative and very nice guys! (there is a thread on this currently ongoing)
Beautiful climb up into the Sierras and through Donner Pass, Donner Lake and the various tunnels and old towns of this fascination area! I was just as impressed as the Colorado route through the mountains and marvel how they built this road back in the old days with primitive tools and pick and shovel and dynamite!Rolled down into SAC right on time,(very HOT here!) my brother and his girlfriend were waiting, we hurried over and visited the Cal RR Museum (my first time), Very Impressive! When it closed (they kicked us out basically)we went on to Sonoma where my bro lives, unpacked, showered and went to a weekly town fiesta/party/farmers market held weekly on the town square, very nice and a fun time for the rich folks of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys and the poor folks from Texas! :lol: It cooled off when the sun set so off to their house and sleep in a bed that didnt move! To be continued after a nice, cool night of rest and sleep in Telemec! (where they live!)
PART I:
Texas Eagle#22 AUS-SPI 7/24-7/25 Usual consist/excellent crew (I know all the crews on this route),even had a really nice Superliner II which is rare on this route! SCA:Jeff, a fairly new but excellent OBS. Food tip
O NOT order the ribs!! Took 2 hours between FTW-DAL due to track work, got to sit looking @ JerryWorld aka Cowboy Stadium in Arlington.Very HOT but the AC works good on the train! Rest of the trip was routine, made up time overnight through Ark/MO, arrived in STL for breakfast,arrived in Springfield only 20 minutes down.AC was out in the SPI station, very hot, went to McDonalds to wait for the Thruway van (lunch isnt served till after the train leaves here for CHI!)ThruwayVan#5522 SPI-GBB Only a 10 pax van showed up for 10 transfer pax with lots of luggage/jammed in like sausages, :angry: the driver, a friendly retired gentleman told us that the 15 pax van was "in the shop" so it was a looong drive through the cornfields for 2 hours,@ least the AC worked!The company that has this contract can do better, the SPI-Indy thruway is a nice new trailways bus!Going to let Customer Relations know my opinion for sure since it was even worse on the return!
Large crowd @ the station since the CZ#6 was running 4 hours down from EMY-CHI. Visited the rail museum next door, fairly nice one, ate lunch in one of the mom and pop joints next to the station and looked around downtown, some interesting old buildings here for sure! (An Orpheum Theatre where the Marx Brothers,Burns and Allen, Fanny Brice etc. played is an example!.)CZ #5 GBB-SAC Watched the late running #6 pull in about 4:30PM (flooding in Iowa), lots of pax boarding/deboarding. Our train was held outside the station till #6 was rolling out for CHI, arrived about 30 minutes down. Three engines, baggage car, three sleepers (First time in the transdorm,roomette #19),diner,sightseer lounge, 4 coaches. The train was full, out car attendant, Ashley, was working a coach also so we were boarded by one of the conductors and told to go to the diner to make diner reservations (later we found out Ashley had made reservations for the transdorm pax), went to the diner and was told by the SS LSA that "your car attendant has your reservation, don't come in here until you are called for!"
(one of those types unfortunately!)We rolled out, eventually Ashley came to the car, gave us the welcome/show around the car pitch etc. She was very pleasant, very pregnant (told us it was her last trip before the baby)and as we found out very competent! Great luck to be in this car as will be mentioned later on in the trip!
We rolled out through the fields into really flooded and wet Iowa, huge amounts of water standing, rivers overflowing banks etc., lots of slow orders due to this situation. At 9:30PM we were called for diner (they served until 11:00PM),had excellent steaks,real ones, all the usual trimmings etc. Slept throughout the night (didnt even wake up for Omaha!)as we rolled through Nebraska (did we miss anything Al?), I woke up in McCook which is weird since my dad was stationed there for awhile during WWII and Id lived there for 6 months as a baby!Woke up in Ft. Morgan, took a shower in the nice bathroom across the hall (as others have said much bigger and nicer than the regular sleepers that havent been rehabbed!
)The old conductor office had been set up as a juice/coffee/water station so we didnt have to go the the next sleeper for our liquids!Went to breakfast, had the omelet sans meat,grits, juice and coffee as we rolled into Denver close to on time when we backed into Union Station. Walked around a little, went into the station which was very crowded, the new tempporary station is still not being used but there is only one track left @ Union Station currently!Didnt recognize much as it's been 20 years since I was in Denver, lots of High rises,Condos etc.They cut out one sleeper and coach here, guess this is the summer CHI-Denver summer consist! Nice to see the Baseball Stadium as we rolled out on time and parked next to it was the UP train that is being used to ferry pax to Cheyene for rodeo etc. 5 domes on the consist, :excl: neat to see the long yellow UP colors on this beauty, wish Amtrak would buy back or lease the domes for the scenic routes!Of course the climb up into the Mountains and in to Winter Park and on through the Mountains was spectactular, my first time on this route in daylight, WOW!Can imagine what it looks like in the Winter, will have to ride and find out!The toliet situation: as has been a regular topic here, the toliets in the rest of the train quit working in the mountains :help: EXCEPT for the transdorm which Ashley told us had a new toliet and AC system, they worked perfectly! Supposedly all the cars will eventually get these systems, the pax in the other two sleepers were able to use out toliets but dont know about the coaches, never saw any of them come through to out car!The trip through Moffet Tunnel was interesting, what a feat of engineering back in the day! The other mention was the Sightseer Lounge, it was jammed all the way from GBB to dark, and filled up in Denver till dark again! We were able to secure good seats and except for the meals were able to get seats or tables as desired, they did mention over the PA that no-one would be allowed to sleep or campout in the car and that everyone should be mindful of their fellow pax and not live in the seats! (there were people standing during the Colorado portions!)
On through the mountains, along side the Colorado River ,(yes the Mooners were in action! :lol: )beautiful! :wub: Had an early diner rolling through Utah,excellent food and service, the LSA seems to have mellowed out, she was even pleasantt this time!(it was getting dark by Helper, went to sleep before SLC. Upon arrival in SLC I stepped off for air, we spent about an hour here, big loads getting on/off. Could see downtown in the distance, too bad the old Stations arewnt being used anymore, Ive seen the pics and read others postings on them!Slept like a baby until Winnemuca, showered, had breakfast @ 6:30(Continental)as we rolled into Reno through the trench right on time!Spent some air time on the platform where two volunteers from the Cal RR Museum boarded to conduct an info session on the way to SAC, most informative and very nice guys! (there is a thread on this currently ongoing)
Beautiful climb up into the Sierras and through Donner Pass, Donner Lake and the various tunnels and old towns of this fascination area! I was just as impressed as the Colorado route through the mountains and marvel how they built this road back in the old days with primitive tools and pick and shovel and dynamite!Rolled down into SAC right on time,(very HOT here!) my brother and his girlfriend were waiting, we hurried over and visited the Cal RR Museum (my first time), Very Impressive! When it closed (they kicked us out basically)we went on to Sonoma where my bro lives, unpacked, showered and went to a weekly town fiesta/party/farmers market held weekly on the town square, very nice and a fun time for the rich folks of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys and the poor folks from Texas! :lol: It cooled off when the sun set so off to their house and sleep in a bed that didnt move! To be continued after a nice, cool night of rest and sleep in Telemec! (where they live!)
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