Desert Wind

[Casinocim]

Can someone refresh my memory.

I once rode the Pioneer to meet my sister and her husband, I think they boarded the train in Rock Springs, WY. I remember having to get off the train, cannot remember where, to ride a bus to Salt Lake, to catch the Desert Wind there to Las Vegas. My sister doesn't remember the bus.

That was such a fun trip.

You all know I am for the Desert Wind. And sorry, bypassing Salt Lake. A straight run from Denver to Las Vegas

 

[TN Tin Man]

Can someone refresh my memory.I once rode the Pioneer to meet my sister and her husband, I think they boarded the train in Rock Springs, WY. I remember having to get off the train, cannot remember where, to ride a bus to Salt Lake, to catch the Desert Wind there to Las Vegas. My sister doesn't remember the bus.

That was such a fun trip.

You all know I am for the Desert Wind. And sorry, bypassing Salt Lake. A straight run from Denver to Las Vegas

I think the bus ride you remember was the transfer from the Ogden station on the Pioneer to Salt Lake City for the CZ/DW, If memory serves me the CZ split and combined at SLC with the DW.

 

[DET63]

Can someone refresh my memory.I once rode the Pioneer to meet my sister and her husband, I think they boarded the train in Rock Springs, WY. I remember having to get off the train, cannot remember where, to ride a bus to Salt Lake, to catch the Desert Wind there to Las Vegas. My sister doesn't remember the bus.

That was such a fun trip.

You all know I am for the Desert Wind. And sorry, bypassing Salt Lake. A straight run from Denver to Las Vegas

Is a direct (I hesitate to use the word straight when talking about traveling through the Rockies) trip from Denver to Las Vegas without going through Salt Lake City even possible? If possible, would it be practical?

 

[sunchaser]

Can someone refresh my memory.I once rode the Pioneer to meet my sister and her husband, I think they boarded the train in Rock Springs, WY. I remember having to get off the train, cannot remember where, to ride a bus to Salt Lake, to catch the Desert Wind there to Las Vegas. My sister doesn't remember the bus.

That was such a fun trip.

You all know I am for the Desert Wind. And sorry, bypassing Salt Lake. A straight run from Denver to Las Vegas

Is a direct (I hesitate to use the word straight when talking about traveling through the Rockies) trip from Denver to Las Vegas without going through Salt Lake City even possible? If possible, would it be practical?

If they chose to lay out a more direct route avoiding Salt Lake City, they would have to do the train set split in Denver.

Or in Helper, or Green River, Utah. Both are very small stations, unmanned with no checked baggage.

Both the Desert Wind & the Pioneer would start out in Chicago as part of the California Zephyr, & split off in Salt Lake City.

To me it would make sense to have the split in SLC again. I'm not going to hold my breath for either train to come back, but it really would be nice. I know we would take one, possibly both of them regularly.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Can someone refresh my memory.I once rode the Pioneer to meet my sister and her husband, I think they boarded the train in Rock Springs, WY. I remember having to get off the train, cannot remember where, to ride a bus to Salt Lake, to catch the Desert Wind there to Las Vegas. My sister doesn't remember the bus.

That was such a fun trip.

You all know I am for the Desert Wind. And sorry, bypassing Salt Lake. A straight run from Denver to Las Vegas

Is a direct (I hesitate to use the word straight when talking about traveling through the Rockies) trip from Denver to Las Vegas without going through Salt Lake City even possible? If possible, would it be practical?

It is possible. It is also possible to go from New York to Chicago without passing through western Pennsylvania. Neither makes any logistical sense.

GML's Law: Anything is possible except for skiing through a revolving door.

 

[tnuno6]

Many years ago, my Mom took Amtrak from San Bernardino, Ca (SNB) to Salt Lake City, Ut (SLC). She said she thought it went through Las Vegas. Would that have been the 'Desert Wind'? I know the route is gone, anybody know why or if Amtrak will ever bring it back?

ther has been talk at work (amtrak) but there smething about the desert tortoise being protected

 

[sunchaser]

Many years ago, my Mom took Amtrak from San Bernardino, Ca (SNB) to Salt Lake City, Ut (SLC). She said she thought it went through Las Vegas. Would that have been the 'Desert Wind'? I know the route is gone, anybody know why or if Amtrak will ever bring it back?

ther has been talk at work (amtrak) but there smething about the desert tortoise being protected

When I was a kid they were not protected. We used to bring them home & keep them as pets in the back yard.

We always took very good care of them. They loved to eat dandelions & tomatoes.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

The Desert Tortoise was the NIMBY/BANANA hat trick to kill the Las Vegas talgo.

See, apparently they are going to be hurt by another train on a super-congested UP freight line. Actually, I think the EIS provided a FONSI.

 

[AlanB]

GML's Law: Anything is possible except for skiing through a revolving door.

Actually while I agree in general with that, if one folds back one of the door panels and then throws down some snow, it is possible to ski through a revolving door. :lol:

I've never tried that idea, and rather doubt that I would do so, but it would work.

 

[Bob Dylan]

GML's Law: Anything is possible except for skiing through a revolving door.

Actually while I agree in general with that, if one folds back one of the door panels and then throws down some snow, it is possible to ski through a revolving door. :lol:

I've never tried that idea, and rather doubt that I would do so, but it would work.

As that late,great philosopher Roger Miller sang: "..You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, But you can be happy if you've a mind too.." :lol:

 

[wrjensen]

GML's Law: Anything is possible except for skiing through a revolving door.

Actually while I agree in general with that, if one folds back one of the door panels and then throws down some snow, it is possible to ski through a revolving door. :lol:

I've never tried that idea, and rather doubt that I would do so, but it would work.

Depends on the size of the revolving Door. I know of one at a hospital it Baltimore you could ski thought it close to 12 ft in Diameter.

 

[karl]

1. Service to Las Vegas would be great... I do think a combined Pioneer/Desert Wind from PDX/SEA to LA via SLC and LA would be the best bet for Amtrack. I just don't think there will be enough new E-W traffic justifing a split at Denver. Connections at SLC should suffice for the E-W traffic.

2. Looking at maps it appears UP has a line from Lyndal UT to Provo, it might be possible to route a Pioneer/Desert Wind on that line and have a connection to the CZ at Provo in addition to SLC.

3. The Afton canyon debacle might be mitigated by usiing a paired track arrangement for one direction on the BNSF Barstow to Ludlow, rebuild the Tidewater Southern (abd 1943) to Crucero and bypass the canyon and snails.

4. I think bringing a San Joquean up to Barstow (or the P/DW to Bakersfield) would provide a substancial amount of additonal passengers both to a revived DW and the SWC.

5. Moving the PDX section of the EB to the Oregon side, and combining with the P/DW to Hinkle might make sense, saving about 200 engine miles.

6. Re revolving doors, do Amtrak's presidents ski?

 

[DesertRat]

There's already discussion of a high speed train; I hope they include Barstow as well even though the HS rail is slated to start in Victorville. If extending the San Joaquin run to Barstow would be productive I'd be all for that. I want to see more options besides the SWC. Since we're already a major hub of roadways it would be great to bring back the passenger traffic on the rail as well.

 

[MikeM]

Can someone refresh my memory.I once rode the Pioneer to meet my sister and her husband, I think they boarded the train in Rock Springs, WY. I remember having to get off the train, cannot remember where, to ride a bus to Salt Lake, to catch the Desert Wind there to Las Vegas. My sister doesn't remember the bus.

That was such a fun trip.

You all know I am for the Desert Wind. And sorry, bypassing Salt Lake. A straight run from Denver to Las Vegas

Let's hear it for Rock Springs WY - and Wyoming in general. They could use Amtrak service, particularly with the horrible winter weather they get blasted with, and the lack of air service.

But back to the question at hand. The Pioneer train split from the CZ in Denver, and came up onto the Union Pacific at Cheyenne. Actually, didn't go to Cheyenne, it stopped at a shed - later a wide spot where the shed used to stand - at Borie, where the Denver line hooked onto the UP mainline. UP built a metal building with restrooms to avoid a backup move into Cheyenne when the CZ used to go through Wyoming. By the time the Pioneer came along, UP had torn down the relatively new "station" so all that was left was a concrete pad and the former parking area. Passengers gathered at the UP station downtown and took a bus out to the train.

After Cheyenne, the train continued across Wyoming and into Ogden UT. Here, a bus connected down to Salt Lake, where your sister and husband would have connected with the Desert Wind.

If my memory serves me right, the Desert Wind trainset laid over at the Salt Lake depot and returned to LA the next evening. Meantimes, the Pioneer trainset was combined into the CZ in Denver. Then again, they say memory is the second thing to go, so it could be at risk. :blink:

Hope that helps. But again, I think Wyoming would benefit from train service, and it really is a pretty ride, if you like high mountain deserts and the like.

 

[DET63]

I'd like to see at least a stub train to Las Vegas, perhaps two or three services a day from L.A., maybe running only on Fridays and weekends, like the ACES to Atlantic City. Ideally, this would supplement a daily service from L.A. to Salt Lake City.

 

[alanh]

Is a direct (I hesitate to use the word straight when talking about traveling through the Rockies) trip from Denver to Las Vegas without going through Salt Lake City even possible? If possible, would it be practical?

I finally dug out my rail atlas. This is not and never has been a line across southern Utah. You have to either go through Provo or Flagstaff, there's nothing in between.

In theory a new line could be run alongside I-70, which itself was a brand-new route not following a previous highway. However, the chances of a new-alignment line over very rough terrain.. uh, no.

 

[dart330]

I attended the RailPAC - NARP joint meeting in Las Vegas in Dec. The concensus seemed to be that Amtrak service was not coming back to Vegas in my lifetime (and I am in my late 20s).

After listening to a presentation from the DesertXpress people, most of us at the meeting agreed that project would be the only way to get rail service again.

Here is a map I made for RailPAC showing the CAHSR & DesertXpress trains with the current Amtrak Routes.

 

[hippyman]

I and some others would love to see this route brought back. Currently, Brenda's son is stationed in Las Vegas and will be deploying to the Middle East soon. Yes we can fly, but to get from LNK to Vegas we have to drive to KCY and then have a 3 hour van ride in the middle of the night to Vegas. I would love to hop on here in LNK and get to Vegas or LA.
Al

I would love to hop on a train here in Amarillo and go ANYWHERE!!! :lol: Be thankful you have something.

Still hoping for a SWC reroute.

Agreed. I'm about 3 hours east of Amarillo, so I have to drive for awhile, just to catch a train. Hopefully, if they do plan on any new routes, they'll come thru here. I would love to see the old desert wind route come back tho . Does anyone know where I can find out about the possible future routes?

 

[dlagrua]

There is a new train being proposed that will originate in Victorville CA and run to Las Vegas called the Xpress. It is a planned high speed train that will be privately run and operated.

As for the Desert Wind, that route when operated by Union Pacific originally ran from Los Angeles to Ogden UT (might have been through Salt Lake City too) where it connected with the Chicago Train, probably the Zephyr. I do not believe that there was ever a cross country (Chicago) train that stopped in Los Vegas.

 

[Ryan]

There is a new train being proposed that will originate in Victorville CA and run to Las Vegas called the Xpress. It is a planned high speed train that will be privately run and operated.As for the Desert Wind, that route when operated by Union Pacific originally ran from Los Angeles to Ogden UT (might have been through Salt Lake City too) where it connected with the Chicago Train, probably the Zephyr. I do not believe that there was ever a cross country (Chicago) train that stopped in Los Vegas.

Through cars from the Desert Wind were attached to the Desert Wind at SLC, so you can consider the Desert Wind a cross country train from LA to Chicago (Amtrak certainly did).

http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=1...a&item=0055

 

[hippyman]

There is a new train being proposed that will originate in Victorville CA and run to Las Vegas called the Xpress. It is a planned high speed train that will be privately run and operated.As for the Desert Wind, that route when operated by Union Pacific originally ran from Los Angeles to Ogden UT (might have been through Salt Lake City too) where it connected with the Chicago Train, probably the Zephyr. I do not believe that there was ever a cross country (Chicago) train that stopped in Los Vegas.

Through cars from the Desert Wind were attached to the Desert Wind at SLC, so you can consider the Desert Wind a cross country train from LA to Chicago (Amtrak certainly did).

http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=1...a&item=0055

OK, where can I find out about the proposed new routes, for amtrak?

 

[AlanB]

OK, where can I find out about the proposed new routes, for amtrak?

Go here and roll down to the PRIAA section. There are a few studies that were mandated by Congress for Amtrak to do regarding possible restoration of old routes. Note: These are just studies and far from done deals. And short of either funding being provided, or a direct order from Congress to restore a route, don't expect to see any of these trains running anytime soon.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I'd like to see at least a stub train to Las Vegas, perhaps two or three services a day from L.A., maybe running only on Fridays and weekends, like the ACES to Atlantic City. Ideally, this would supplement a daily service from L.A. to Salt Lake City.

You might like to know that at one time pre Amtrak the Union Pacific ran a train called the City of Las Vegas.

It was promoted as a gamblers special from LA to Las Vegas. It left LA 8 a..m. arrived Las Vegas 3 pm. On the return it left Vegas at 4.30p.m arrived LA 11.15 pm

It operated daily.

It had coaches and a buffet lounge counter car. It advertised this as "all meals, Continuous service and refreshments."

From this 1957 timetable other trains on that route were the City of Los Angeles, the Challenger and a local to Chicago and the City of St. Louis to, well, St. Louis.

 

[Roland Behunin]

I would LOVE to see them do a combined Pioneer/Desert Wind...
SEA --> PDX --> SLC --> Vegas --> LAX

MAYBE, have a thru coach and sleeper to Denver or beyond...

More of a "comma" route

Actually, this could be a good route. I would like ot see this train extended to Vancouver, BC, and San Diego CA.

I wonder if we could get a movement going to lobby the different politicians to get this going?

roland

 

[hippyman]

I would LOVE to see them do a combined Pioneer/Desert Wind...
SEA --> PDX --> SLC --> Vegas --> LAX

MAYBE, have a thru coach and sleeper to Denver or beyond...

More of a "comma" route

Actually, this could be a good route. I would like ot see this train extended to Vancouver, BC, and San Diego CA.

I wonder if we could get a movement going to lobby the different politicians to get this going?

roland

Why not, the highway, and airline lobbyists do it, dont they? And look at the shape both of them are in now.