Fresh air stops on Southwest Chief

[HenryK]

I'm planning a trip with my wife and new service dog from Chicago to Winslow, Arizona, on the Southwest Chief during the second week of March. Need to know good places to take the dog out for "fresh air".

I know that the carded service stops are Kansas City, La Junta and Albuquerque, but are there other stops where the train might dwell for five or so minutes? I seem to remember Galesburg and Raton, but maybe that particular train just got there early and was burning off minutes before departures.

Thanks to all.

 

[greatcats]

Crew changes at Fort Madison and Dodge City.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Raton seems to be a longish stop. I think I got off there, when I was on #3 in Oct 2014, for a stretch.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You may, if the Chief is on time, be able to hop off in LA Plata and as was said, @ Raton there is usually time for some fresh air. And Galesburg usually has time for a platform fresh air break.

Dodge City is in the wee hours so y'all may be asleep then.

Sounds like your new friend is a keeper, did you sign him up for AGR?

 

[zephyr17]

La Junta is always one.

 

[Ronbo]

I assume you are in a sleeper? Can the SCA alert you when the stop is long enough to take care of business? Maybe ask when you board and explain the situation with your doggy friend.

 

[SarahZ]

I used to travel with a smoker. We were well aware of the "fresh air" stops.

From memory: Fort Madison, Kansas City, Dodge City (they don't announce this one since it's during quiet hours), La Junta, Raton, and Albuquerque.

We never traveled past Albuquerque, so I'm not sure if there's one between Albuquerque and Winslow.

Also, since you have a service dog, there may be additional stops where they'll let you out to relieve the dog. I sat with a lady during lunch on the way back to Chicago on the California Zephyr, and she was the only non-departing passenger they allowed off the train at Galesburg. She said the conductor knew she had a service dog and had been making them aware of stops that weren't necessarily fresh air stops, provided the stop lasted longer than a minute or two.

 

[zephyr17]

If they are early into Gallup, Gallup is sometimes, Albuquerque is really the last one before Winslow.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I used to travel with a smoker. We were well aware of the "fresh air" stops.

From memory: Fort Madison, Kansas City, Dodge City (they don't announce this one since it's during quiet hours), La Junta, Raton, and Albuquerque.

We never traveled past Albuquerque, so I'm not sure if there's one between Albuquerque and Winslow.

Also, since you have a service dog, there may be additional stops where they'll let you out to relieve the dog. I sat with a lady during lunch on the way back to Chicago on the California Zephyr, and she was the only non-departing passenger they allowed off the train at Galesburg. She said the conductor knew she had a service dog and had been making them aware of stops that weren't necessarily fresh air stops, provided the stop lasted longer than a minute or two.

You have a pretty good memory, Ms Z.

The designated smoking stops are actually Galesburg, Kansas City, Newton, La Junta, Raton, Albuquerque and Gallup if the schedule permits, so I'd imagine you can break away from that group and take the air. Any other stops are determined by arrival time vs departure time.

 

[SarahZ]

That's so bizarre. We never had the opportunity to get off at Galesburg or Newton in all six years of riding the SWC.

I don't doubt you one bit, Thirdrail. I'm just confused as to why those weren't fresh air stops during our trips, even when we were early/on-time. (I could understand skipping them if the train is behind.)

 

[Thirdrail7]

That's so bizarre. We never had the opportunity to get off at Galesburg or Newton in all six years of riding the SWC.

I don't doubt you one bit, Thirdrail. I'm just confused as to why those weren't fresh air stops during our trips, even when we were early/on-time. (I could understand skipping them if the train is behind.)

Well, it looks like this took effect last spring. Perhaps they had different stops prior to the change. The old rule of thumb used to be if the train had an arrival and departure time in the public schedule, it was a designated smoke stop as long as there wasn't a law prohibiting smoking.

That fell by the wayside some time ago.

 

[SarahZ]

Oh! My last trip was in Dec 2014, so that explains it.

 

[rtabern]

I used to do Trails & Rails on the Southwest Chief and have probably ridden it 100 times or more between Chicago and La Plata.

Fort Madison is almost always a smoke-stop... Galesburg is almost NEVER a smoke stop. I think on 1 run they allowed it because we were running very early in.

Galesburg seems to be a regular smoke stop on #5 and #6. This is apparently the case because they take the trash off the Zephyr at GBB, but not the Chief.

 

[HenryK]

Thanks to everyone. Looks like Fort Madison will be Trooper's first fresh-air stop outbound from Chicago, followed by Kansas City, Raton and Albuquerque. He has an eight-hour tank so there is some leeway (peeway?) in his schedule.

 

[zephyr17]

La Junta is always a long stop, service stop and crew change. Often longer than Raton.

 

[chakk]

If they are early into Gallup, Gallup is sometimes, Albuquerque is really the last one before Winslow.

But if you get off in Winslow, you have to stand on a corner.

 

[JayPea]

If they are early into Gallup, Gallup is sometimes, Albuquerque is really the last one before Winslow.

But if you get off in Winslow, you have to stand on a corner.

And have a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slow down to take a look at you.

 

[HenryK]

Chakk and JayPea, I was just waiting for you guys to burst into song.

 

[Carolyn Jane]

They have a park there for that...

 

[HenryK]

The trick to Amtrak Unlimiteding is to get good answers to your original question (as I did here) before the smartasses start pilin' on! But I do enjoy smartassery. When we get to Winslow I'm gonna get a photo of Trooper lifting his leg on the Standin' on the Corner sculpture. Just you wait.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The trick to Amtrak Unlimiteding is to get good answers to your original question (as I did here) before the smartasses start pilin' on! But I do enjoy smartassery. When we get to Winslow I'm gonna get a photo of Trooper lifting his leg on the Standin' on the Corner sculpture. Just you wait.

:giggle:

 

[CoachSlumber]

I used to travel with a smoker. We were well aware of the "fresh air" stops.

From memory: Fort Madison, Kansas City, Dodge City (they don't announce this one since it's during quiet hours), La Junta, Raton, and Albuquerque.

We never traveled past Albuquerque, so I'm not sure if there's one between Albuquerque and Winslow.

Also, since you have a service dog, there may be additional stops where they'll let you out to relieve the dog. I sat with a lady during lunch on the way back to Chicago on the California Zephyr, and she was the only non-departing passenger they allowed off the train at Galesburg. She said the conductor knew she had a service dog and had been making them aware of stops that weren't necessarily fresh air stops, provided the stop lasted longer than a minute or two.

When I took the Zephyr several years ago, Galesburg was a smoke stop. Several of us outside--including the attendant, nearly got left behind when the doors started closing before the engineer did his single beep.

 

[dogbert617]

Just so I know west of Albuquerque(it seems pretty clear all the such stops east of ABQ, which are called as a smoke stop or sometimes called as one if time allows for it), which ones are the smoke stops? Am I correct in thinking Gallup, Flagstaff, and San Bernardino are the *usual stops called as such? Are there any others that are less often called as a brief stop during the overnight hours between ABQ and LAX, such as Kingman or one of the others in eastern California before San Bernardino?

I didn't know Dodge City was considered a brief overnight smoking stop for the SWC, so interesting to learn about that one in this thread. And allegedly Newton, as well(probably for those transferring to the Newton-OKC bus, or from that to the SWC going to Newton allowing a few minutes there).

*- I know these stops except for the very longest ones(i.e. Albuquerque, KC) can be shortened or eliminated, if the train is running late.

 

[Dan O]

Just so I know west of Albuquerque(it seems pretty clear all the such stops east of ABQ, which are called as a smoke stop or sometimes called as one if time allows for it), which ones are the smoke stops? Am I correct in thinking Gallup, Flagstaff, and San Bernardino are the *usual stops called as such? Are there any others that are less often called as a brief stop during the overnight hours between ABQ and LAX, such as Kingman or one of the others in eastern California before San Bernardino?

I didn't know Dodge City was considered a brief overnight smoking stop for the SWC, so interesting to learn about that one in this thread. And allegedly Newton, as well(probably for those transferring to the Newton-OKC bus, or from that to the SWC going to Newton allowing a few minutes there).

*- I know these stops except for the very longest ones(i.e. Albuquerque, KC) can be shortened or eliminated, if the train is running late.

Flagstaff looks to be only a 6 minute stop. San Bernardino and Kingman even shorter.

 

[JayPea]

I don't recall Gallup as being a fresh air stop. But don't quote me on that. And I do recall at least one case where the SWC was running a bit late and the fresh air stop at San Bernardino was scrapped altogether. Just time for passengers to get on or off and that was that.