April 11
After two days in Chicago doing tourist things (Institute of Art for the Edvard Munch Exhibition, a tour of Pullman, Chicago Symphony, dinner in the Pump Room and squeezing value out of our CTA passes) we checked out of our hotel and headed off for CUS to check our bags at the Metropolitan Lounge. With four hours to kill we decided to ride out on a couple of the 'El' lines and check out the suburbs.
Back at the station we presented out tickets to the conductor and were soon being escorted (or should I say herded) out to the train to find that they'd done it again! - coach were blocking the platform and the attendant wasn't letting anyone pass. I assume that he thought the sleepers had already boarded but I really thing CUS needs to get its act together - two departures and both times coach was admitted to the platform first.
I knew on boarding that there were going to be equipment problems on this trip as we were on a Superliner II. The toilets were guaranteed to fail at altitude. Why Amtrak asigns these crocks to the service with two mountain ranges is one of life's great mysteries. They could cut complaints and increase customer satisfaction by rostering the Zephyr with Superliner I rebuilds.
The train left on time and I once again admired the way the towns along the way turned their faces to the tracks as one leaves Chicago for Galesburg. Most city departures involve vistas of rail yards, derelict factories and the back of the poorer neighbourhoods. Not this run, it must be one of the more atractive rail exits af any city (Sydney's northern line and Adelaide's eastern line are other notable exceptions).
Not much to report about the run across Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska having done it a few times before. Except for the Mississippi crossing it all pretty much looks the same. We took an early dinner which, by Amtrak standards, was passable but not great.
Slept well through the night and was awake well before Denver. We were placed in a siding for about thirty minutes and then started reversing, and reversing and reversing - felt like we were headed back to Chicago. Finally back on the main line we pulled forward so I supposed that we had been placed into a dead-end siding. Wrong! We had been in a loop so what all the reversing was about is anyone's guess.
At this point I found that it wasn't only the toilets that were going to give grief. Getting up for my showere I ran the water until it ran hot, adjusted the heat and hopped under the flow when the water cut out. No timer button to reset so I tried turning the water on and off - nothing. Drying myself and dressing and fuming I went downstairs and used the communal shower, something I hate since I caught a particularly resiliant foot fungus when I was in the Royal Australian Navy that took 30 years to eradicate. Loathing of public showers comes easy.
Anyhow, we arrived in Denver early so I took the opportunity to check out the station (which is a fairly long walk from the sleepers) and catch a quick glimpse of the area near the station. Not much doing in Denver at 07:00 on Easter Sunday. And, although large, Denver Union Station is more impressive from the outside than the inside.
Breakfast was the usual high fat, high sugar, high carb affair. Just the thing to sit around all day.
Positioned ourselves in the SSL for the climb up the Front Range and were surprised at the lack of people taking advantage of the view. Soon found out why, cloud all the way to the Moffat Tunnel. We could only see about 3 metres from the train. After clearing the Moffat Tunnel (where nobody seemed to heed the message to stay put) we took a leg stretch at Winter Park on the assumption that it'd be our last opportunity until Colorado Springs. Wrong!
At Granby the SCA advised we were likely to be held for four hours due to a rock fall. This might get serious, I thought but the passengers were advised to go for a wander and take in the sights of Granby(!). Buring this enforced layover the driver wandered down to meet the conductor and a few of we passengers got into conversation with them. About 30 minutes into our stop the message came that the line was clear. The driver wandered back to his cab and gave a couple of blasts on the horn which didn't seem to draw much activity from the town. He then gave two blasts and turned on the bell...and people came running from all directions!
It was slow running nearly all the way to Colorado Springs, probably due to the risk of further rock falls (our toilets were brought back on-line at this point). Unfortunately we didn't get 'mooned' on this trip but as there was snow on the ground and the upper reaches of the river were still frozen it would be a foolhardy soul who'd expose their tender bits to the elements. Hopelessly late into Colorado Springs things got progressively worse with arrival into Grand Junction just before sunset. We were nearly 4 hours down on the timetable.
An early dinner and an early night. I woke during the night thinking we had stopped but peering out of the window I found we were hurtling through the night. It would have to be some of the best engineered track in the USA - not a rattle or a squeak at what was obviously very high speed (for Amtrak). Decided to try my shower again and it did exactly the same thing. To say I was unhappy would be a masterpiece of understatement.
We got into Reno quite early (we had really been moving during the night) but, being of a nervous disposition I didn't go up to the station to have a look at the city. Three times through Reno and I've only seen 'The Trench'. We picked a lot of passengers in Reno, which would appear to be the norm on this route. And now for my favourite part of the trip.
The climb over the Sierra Nevada is my second choice for the most scenic Amtrak ride, after the Empire Buider's run through Glacier Park. Set up in the SSL, with blazing sunshine, we sat back for the run to Truckee, the Donner Pass and the wonderful views of Lake Donner. It didn't disappoint. Must, at some future time, hire a car and explore the area more thoroughly (as much as I hate driving on the 'wrong' side of the road). Of course, the toilets had faile well before we reached Truckee.
The usual 'scratch' lunch on the last day of a transcontinental run (burgers or salad) and we were into Sacramento early. Saw the tent city, most of it cleared by then, as we approached the station. Real 'Grapes of Wrath' stuff and not an image America should be proud of.
We were making good time out of Sacramento and, with Davis and Martinez being set down stops only, we had high hopes of an early arrival into Emeryville. Oh well, that came to a halt when the train did just out of Davis. And then we crawled to Martinez and them sprinted to Emeryville where we arrived about 5 minutes late. Trandferred to the rather run down Thruway bus for the run over the Bay Bridge, the Ferry Building and Pier 57 before being set down at the San Francisco Centre (which is where SFS is, not Union Square).
And that is our last Amtrak trip for a very long time.
4 days in San Francisco meeting friends, being tourists and getting in some fine dining and it was onto the BART and SFO and into the loving arms of Qantas for the flights home.
And that's it! No more late trains, failure to provide advertised services, faulty equipment, surly staff, missed 'guaranteed' connections, being herded like sheep, poor service, 'reserved' seats and crappy food. After 6 transcontinental journeys with Amtrak I've finally learnt my lesson.
My next american transcontinental journey will be at 35,000 feet on Qantas or by train ABOVE the 49th parallel.
After two days in Chicago doing tourist things (Institute of Art for the Edvard Munch Exhibition, a tour of Pullman, Chicago Symphony, dinner in the Pump Room and squeezing value out of our CTA passes) we checked out of our hotel and headed off for CUS to check our bags at the Metropolitan Lounge. With four hours to kill we decided to ride out on a couple of the 'El' lines and check out the suburbs.
Back at the station we presented out tickets to the conductor and were soon being escorted (or should I say herded) out to the train to find that they'd done it again! - coach were blocking the platform and the attendant wasn't letting anyone pass. I assume that he thought the sleepers had already boarded but I really thing CUS needs to get its act together - two departures and both times coach was admitted to the platform first.
I knew on boarding that there were going to be equipment problems on this trip as we were on a Superliner II. The toilets were guaranteed to fail at altitude. Why Amtrak asigns these crocks to the service with two mountain ranges is one of life's great mysteries. They could cut complaints and increase customer satisfaction by rostering the Zephyr with Superliner I rebuilds.
The train left on time and I once again admired the way the towns along the way turned their faces to the tracks as one leaves Chicago for Galesburg. Most city departures involve vistas of rail yards, derelict factories and the back of the poorer neighbourhoods. Not this run, it must be one of the more atractive rail exits af any city (Sydney's northern line and Adelaide's eastern line are other notable exceptions).
Not much to report about the run across Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska having done it a few times before. Except for the Mississippi crossing it all pretty much looks the same. We took an early dinner which, by Amtrak standards, was passable but not great.
Slept well through the night and was awake well before Denver. We were placed in a siding for about thirty minutes and then started reversing, and reversing and reversing - felt like we were headed back to Chicago. Finally back on the main line we pulled forward so I supposed that we had been placed into a dead-end siding. Wrong! We had been in a loop so what all the reversing was about is anyone's guess.
At this point I found that it wasn't only the toilets that were going to give grief. Getting up for my showere I ran the water until it ran hot, adjusted the heat and hopped under the flow when the water cut out. No timer button to reset so I tried turning the water on and off - nothing. Drying myself and dressing and fuming I went downstairs and used the communal shower, something I hate since I caught a particularly resiliant foot fungus when I was in the Royal Australian Navy that took 30 years to eradicate. Loathing of public showers comes easy.
Anyhow, we arrived in Denver early so I took the opportunity to check out the station (which is a fairly long walk from the sleepers) and catch a quick glimpse of the area near the station. Not much doing in Denver at 07:00 on Easter Sunday. And, although large, Denver Union Station is more impressive from the outside than the inside.
Breakfast was the usual high fat, high sugar, high carb affair. Just the thing to sit around all day.
Positioned ourselves in the SSL for the climb up the Front Range and were surprised at the lack of people taking advantage of the view. Soon found out why, cloud all the way to the Moffat Tunnel. We could only see about 3 metres from the train. After clearing the Moffat Tunnel (where nobody seemed to heed the message to stay put) we took a leg stretch at Winter Park on the assumption that it'd be our last opportunity until Colorado Springs. Wrong!
At Granby the SCA advised we were likely to be held for four hours due to a rock fall. This might get serious, I thought but the passengers were advised to go for a wander and take in the sights of Granby(!). Buring this enforced layover the driver wandered down to meet the conductor and a few of we passengers got into conversation with them. About 30 minutes into our stop the message came that the line was clear. The driver wandered back to his cab and gave a couple of blasts on the horn which didn't seem to draw much activity from the town. He then gave two blasts and turned on the bell...and people came running from all directions!
It was slow running nearly all the way to Colorado Springs, probably due to the risk of further rock falls (our toilets were brought back on-line at this point). Unfortunately we didn't get 'mooned' on this trip but as there was snow on the ground and the upper reaches of the river were still frozen it would be a foolhardy soul who'd expose their tender bits to the elements. Hopelessly late into Colorado Springs things got progressively worse with arrival into Grand Junction just before sunset. We were nearly 4 hours down on the timetable.
An early dinner and an early night. I woke during the night thinking we had stopped but peering out of the window I found we were hurtling through the night. It would have to be some of the best engineered track in the USA - not a rattle or a squeak at what was obviously very high speed (for Amtrak). Decided to try my shower again and it did exactly the same thing. To say I was unhappy would be a masterpiece of understatement.
We got into Reno quite early (we had really been moving during the night) but, being of a nervous disposition I didn't go up to the station to have a look at the city. Three times through Reno and I've only seen 'The Trench'. We picked a lot of passengers in Reno, which would appear to be the norm on this route. And now for my favourite part of the trip.
The climb over the Sierra Nevada is my second choice for the most scenic Amtrak ride, after the Empire Buider's run through Glacier Park. Set up in the SSL, with blazing sunshine, we sat back for the run to Truckee, the Donner Pass and the wonderful views of Lake Donner. It didn't disappoint. Must, at some future time, hire a car and explore the area more thoroughly (as much as I hate driving on the 'wrong' side of the road). Of course, the toilets had faile well before we reached Truckee.
The usual 'scratch' lunch on the last day of a transcontinental run (burgers or salad) and we were into Sacramento early. Saw the tent city, most of it cleared by then, as we approached the station. Real 'Grapes of Wrath' stuff and not an image America should be proud of.
We were making good time out of Sacramento and, with Davis and Martinez being set down stops only, we had high hopes of an early arrival into Emeryville. Oh well, that came to a halt when the train did just out of Davis. And then we crawled to Martinez and them sprinted to Emeryville where we arrived about 5 minutes late. Trandferred to the rather run down Thruway bus for the run over the Bay Bridge, the Ferry Building and Pier 57 before being set down at the San Francisco Centre (which is where SFS is, not Union Square).
And that is our last Amtrak trip for a very long time.
4 days in San Francisco meeting friends, being tourists and getting in some fine dining and it was onto the BART and SFO and into the loving arms of Qantas for the flights home.
And that's it! No more late trains, failure to provide advertised services, faulty equipment, surly staff, missed 'guaranteed' connections, being herded like sheep, poor service, 'reserved' seats and crappy food. After 6 transcontinental journeys with Amtrak I've finally learnt my lesson.
My next american transcontinental journey will be at 35,000 feet on Qantas or by train ABOVE the 49th parallel.
