Empire Builder or California Zephyr to West Coast

[user 6862]

Quote : " You don't see much nothingess like that these days, it's good to just sit around for awhile. "

What a great line, almost Dylan-esque, thought for a modern world maybe.

 

[Notelvis]

Clearly the solution is to take all three trains: the CZ westbound, the CS north, the EB east. That's what I'd do. Matter of fact, that's what I think I'll do as soon as I have enough Guest Rewards points.

When I see a post like this, I wish that AU had a 'like' button!

 

[Ispolkom]

It's actually just wide open plains of nothingess all the way Fargo-Browning. It's not very dramatic but it's relaxing and dosen't keep you on the edge of your seat. You don't see much nothingess like that these days, it's good to just sit around for awhile.

You're mistaken. The terrain is quite varied. It also doesn't have any trees to interfere with the view. Just for North Dakota, and just off the top of my head, you have:

1) the section around Church's Ferry, where until recently it looked like the train was running directly across the surface of Devil's Lake. Actually, of course, the tracks were occasionally under water, requiring detours.

2) Gassman Coulee. If the land is so flat, why do you need a 117 foot tall trestle? It's taller than the (granted, much more attractive) Paulinskill Viaduct on the Lackawanna Cutoff.

3) Nuclear missile silos. Minot is ringed with 150 active Minuteman III silos. They are still there, and still tipped with a 330 kt hydrogen bomb warhead that would really ruin your day, and you can see at least one from the train. Hint: if it's empty, you don't have to worry about making your connection in Portland.

4) The Bakken oil field. See what an oil boom does to an emptied-out section of prairie. There are so many gas flares that you can see the oil patch from space.

5) Fort Union and the Missouri.

Now the Crescent between Atlanta and Slidell, that's boring. It's just kudzu and depressing parts of towns.

 

[LWBaxter]

Clearly the solution is to take all three trains: the CZ westbound, the CS north, the EB east. That's what I'd do. Matter of fact, that's what I think I'll do as soon as I have enough Guest Rewards points.

When I see a post like this, I wish that AU had a 'like' button!

I'll second the clockwise loop recommendation. You climb the Front Range out of Denver in the morning, Go over Donner in the late morning and Descend Cascade (Pengra) Pass in the morning. A springtime trip will miss the Cascades though. They are best seen on a long day after the equinox , or on a late wesbound in the winter (but not so late that you get bustituted)!

LWB

 

[crescent2]

Has the Crescent gone to plastic now? The last time we rode, they still had china and fresh flowers on the tables. sigh

 

[RailFanLNK]

My wife and I took the CZ from LNK to SAC then caught the CS up to SEA and then took the EB from SEA to CHI and then the CZ from CHI to LNK for our honeymoon in 2010. The CZ hands down is the best on scenery. I was a bit disapointed in the EB hearing about how the service and crews and dining was so good. To me, it was about the same as the CZ. It wasn't bad or anything, I just didn't detect anything different. On the CS I loved the Pacific Parlor Car. Fortunately it cleared out and we had it much to ourselves. It was a great time! We spent 4 days in Seattle for our honeymoon and lots of days relaxing on trains for our honeymoon. One question...can you move your trip back to when DST starts? That will give you one extra hour of daylight at the end of the day in case your train is delayed.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

It's actually just wide open plains of nothingess all the way Fargo-Browning. It's not very dramatic but it's relaxing and dosen't keep you on the edge of your seat. You don't see much nothingess like that these days, it's good to just sit around for awhile.

You're mistaken. The terrain is quite varied. It also doesn't have any trees to interfere with the view. Just for North Dakota, and just off the top of my head, you have:

1) the section around Church's Ferry, where until recently it looked like the train was running directly across the surface of Devil's Lake. Actually, of course, the tracks were occasionally under water, requiring detours.

2) Gassman Coulee. If the land is so flat, why do you need a 117 foot tall trestle? It's taller than the (granted, much more attractive) Paulinskill Viaduct on the Lackawanna Cutoff.

3) Nuclear missile silos. Minot is ringed with 150 active Minuteman III silos. They are still there, and still tipped with a 330 kt hydrogen bomb warhead that would really ruin your day, and you can see at least one from the train. Hint: if it's empty, you don't have to worry about making your connection in Portland.

4) The Bakken oil field. See what an oil boom does to an emptied-out section of prairie. There are so many gas flares that you can see the oil patch from space.

5) Fort Union and the Missouri.

Now the Crescent between Atlanta and Slidell, that's boring. It's just kudzu and depressing parts of towns.

Yeah, I know, I've taken the EB. But it is less dramatic that the CZ.

 

[Phil S]

It's actually just wide open plains of nothingess all the way Fargo-Browning. It's not very dramatic but it's relaxing and dosen't keep you on the edge of your seat. You don't see much nothingess like that these days, it's good to just sit around for awhile.

You're mistaken. The terrain is quite varied. It also doesn't have any trees to interfere with the view. Just for North Dakota, and just off the top of my head, you have:

1) the section around Church's Ferry, where until recently it looked like the train was running directly across the surface of Devil's Lake. Actually, of course, the tracks were occasionally under water, requiring detours.

2) Gassman Coulee. If the land is so flat, why do you need a 117 foot tall trestle? It's taller than the (granted, much more attractive) Paulinskill Viaduct on the Lackawanna Cutoff.

3) Nuclear missile silos. Minot is ringed with 150 active Minuteman III silos. They are still there, and still tipped with a 330 kt hydrogen bomb warhead that would really ruin your day, and you can see at least one from the train. Hint: if it's empty, you don't have to worry about making your connection in Portland.

4) The Bakken oil field. See what an oil boom does to an emptied-out section of prairie. There are so many gas flares that you can see the oil patch from space.

5) Fort Union and the Missouri.

Now the Crescent between Atlanta and Slidell, that's boring. It's just kudzu and depressing parts of towns.

Yeah, I know, I've taken the EB. But it is less dramatic that the CZ.

Best time for EB IMO is late spring. The pot-hole lakes across MD and ND are wild with birds and, at least westbound, you hit Glacier in sunlight.

In dead of winter, I agree it's CZ - no contest. Here's the rotary plow at work near Soda Spirngs:

Of course it can also be almost snowless in January.

 

[winterskigirl]

That's a tough choice. I've ridden both the Empire Builder and the California Zephyr. If I had to choose I'd probably take the CZ. If you can though, take both

 

[R30A]

In the middle of a loop trip suggested here. (Boarding the Starlight tonight, after taking the Lake Shore and Zephyr out)

One thing that merits mention beyond what has been stated here is that the Cal Zephyr crews (at least the one I just had) are absolutely amazing. While meals are rather slow in the incredibly understaffed diner, I have never, in my hundreds of thousands of miles on Amtrak, encountered a friendlier or funnier crew than I did on the Zephyr. Whatever the crew improvements they talk about for the Zephyr are in the PIPs, sure seem to be working.