How long are the station stops on Empire Builder?

[Pal2Pluto]

Hey y'all...... me again! So, I'm looking at the segment from Portland to Chicago. The one page I found lists major stops at Spokane, East Glacier Park, Fargo, St. Paul/Minneapolis, Milwaukee. How long are those stops. Long enough to get off and stretch legs, or is it "you better stay on and not waste your time" stops? Just curious!

 

[Maglev]

Here is a list of smoke / stretch stops for the Empire Builder. The stops are about 20 minutes. East Glacier and Fargo are not among them.

Wishram, WA (Portland branch only)*

Pasco, WA (Portland branch only)*

Wenatchee, WA (Seattle branch only)

Spokane, WA

Whitefish, MT

Shelby, MT

Havre, MT

Williston, ND

Minot, ND*

St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN

Winona, MN

Milwaukee, WI (no smoking)

 

[Maglev]

I should add that, if the train is late, the stops may be shortened. Many of the above stops are crew change lor refueling locations, so there will always be a layover at those stops. Conversely, there can be long stops at any station where the train arrives early.

 

[bratkinson]

I've learned at the 'smoke stops' to stay on the platform stretching my legs rather than wandering away. Knowing that most of them are refueling stops, that takes about 10 minutes, so there is some flexibility. So I've wandered into the station a number of times without fear, but do so immediately after alighting. That way, I can safely be back on the platform when they tell everyone to reboard.

Before I learned that lesson, there were 3 or 4 times that I was far enough away when they called for reboarding I had to run 'all out' to make it. Twice I got on shortly after the train started moving and an alert car attendant kept the door open for me. I stopped wandering off about 20 years ago.

 

[Cal]

I've learned at the 'smoke stops' to stay on the platform stretching my legs rather than wandering away. Knowing that most of them are refueling stops, that takes about 10 minutes, so there is some flexibility. So I've wandered into the station a number of times without fear, but do so immediately after alighting. That way, I can safely be back on the platform when they tell everyone to reboard.

Before I learned that lesson, there were 3 or 4 times that I was far enough away when they called for reboarding I had to run 'all out' to make it. Twice I got on shortly after the train started moving and an alert car attendant kept the door open for me. I stopped wandering off about 20 years ago.

Oh dang