USA Rail Tour 2012

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saxman

saxman

Engineer
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
Joined
May 18, 2004
Messages
2,524
Location
Dallas, Texas
I'm sitting here at Chicago Union Station in the Metropolitan Lounge about to embark on a journey. A journey to far and wide places...or just another one of my crazy Amtrak trips to places like San Francisco and New York. While this trip will not be nearly as extensive as my USA Rail Tour 2009 or 2010, it will still cover opposite coasts and include some Superliners, Viewliners, a ride on Acela, and even a first time ride on the Auto Train. I will try and update a report everyday like I have done in the past. Seeing how my first leg is 3 days long on the Texas Eagle from Chicago to Los Angeles, I might be a little late.

The trains will be the Texas Eagle, Coast Starlight, San Joaquin, Southwest Chief, New Mexico RailRunner, Lake Shore Limited, Acela Express, the Auto Train.

Also, if you follow Twitter, you can follow me at "SaxmanB777." I'll make as many station updates as I can from there.

So set this thread to "subscribe" and tune in to Saxman's USA Rail 2012!!
 
You bet I'll be following - have to keep an eye on the first part that I can't attend somehow! See ya on the 22nd :D
 
I am looking forward to your reports. I am disappointed that I will not be able to say hi to you when you are in Central Florida (I will be traveling to/from Maine). I will wave if our paths cross.
 
Finally I can get a connection from the Pacific Parlour Car to begin posting. So here is Day 1:

Day 1. Mile Post 0.

I had a two day trip for work that I timed perfectly to end in Chicago the day before my departure. So not only did I have to pack for work, I had to pack for an entire two weeks. All it took was a small handbag to fit a few extra pairs of socks and underwear. You know, the essentials.

After finishing up flying in from Saginaw, Michigan to O’Hare, I caught the Blue Line to downtown where I met my friend, Robert, to spend the night before heading out on the Texas Eagle the next day.

The next morning, I packed up and headed to the station to print my tickets and relax in the Metropolitan Lounge. I wanted to get a few things done on the computer before not having wifi for 3 or 4 days, including my bid for next month. After getting lunch, it was time to board the Texas Eagle, 3 nights, all the way to Los Angeles. This is Amtrak’s longest run, and the only trip where you can go 3 nights straight without having to get off. Sounds like fun to me!

The Texas Eagle, train #421 departed right on time at 1:45 PM. I had a lower level roomette on the last car on the train. Since I’m quite familiar with the Texas Eagle route between Chicago and Texas, I find I don’t spend as much time looking out the window. The towns of Illinois roll by and we make a few stops along the way to St. Louis. I’ve noticed the tracks are getting smoother on this section as this will soon be higher speed rail, where trains can travel at up to 110 mph! I mostly just relaxed in my room for this part. Soon dinner was called, and I had the steak. Not the best, because it was a little under cooked to my liking, but I ate it anyway. Perhaps I should have sent it back. We approached St. Louis while in the diner, and its always a cool picture. At dusk, you can see the Gateway Arch with the sun setting in the background. Plus add the immense looking thunderheads, they made for a few great shots! For breaks, I always like to step off the train for some pictures and fresh, but I was stuck in the diner waiting for my dessert. So no break off the train for me.

After dinner, I returned to my room to relax and then turn in for the night.
 
Day 2. Mile Post 774.

The ride was a bit bumpy throughout the night, but I eventually fell asleep. I awoke while stopped in Texarkana, but I didn’t get up. I wanted to sleep a little more, so I did. There’s not much to see between Texarkana and Marshall, so I slept until then. I headed to breakfast, but there was already a waiting list for the diner. After about a 20 minute wait, I was able to get into the diner for breakfast. I had the special which was cheese crapes and breakfast potatoes. The crapes were good, but they were a little too cheesy. Again I was stuck in the diner for breakfast during the break in Longview. So no fresh air for me once again.

We made good time all the way into Dallas. Its unusual for me to take a train straight through my home town, but I did it anyway. It’s the only way to go to get 3 nights straight, so I pretty much have to travel through the DFW area to do so. I arrived into Dallas 30 minutes early where I was able to step off for a while. Dallas is where I act as a station host volunteer, so it’s quite familiar territory, and I also know the station agents there. After about 50 minutes on the ground, I reboarded for the trek over to Fort Worth. I also had lunch during this time, where I had the chicken fried chicken. It was pretty good, and it was followed with apple pie for dessert!

Fort Worth is another station stop I’m quite familiar with. We once again arrived early and we had about an hour of dwell time there. I walked about the station ground and saw my friend Ron, another station host. Ron is an interesting fellow and always has something to tell me about when I see him. He’s retired as a mechanic from American Airlines, owns a plane himself, and has more flight hours in than I do! He also works on steam locomotives and is even qualified to operate them! So suffice to say, he always has a flying or railroad story to tell me.

We left Fort Worth right on time, and we made our way back south toward San Antonio. I mostly relaxed in my room and even took a nap for the afternoon. I find that like staying in the privacy of my room as the Sightseer Lounge can get a little noisy. Cleburne, McGregor, and Temple all came and went. Of course I missed stepping off in Austin because I was at dinner again. This time I had the lamb shank. This is usually not messed up on Amtrak and this time was no exception. The vegetables were a little hard though. Nice and under-microwaved!

We arrived into San Antonio about 30 minutes early. I stepped off and watched them switch cars until about 1 am when I was finally allowed to reboard my sleeper. The cars are switched around with the arrival of the Sunset Limited from Orlando….er, I mean New Orleans. And then continue onto Los Angeles early in the morning. The remainder of the Texas Eagle takes on spare cars and waits to depart back to Chicago the next morning. Most people are sleeping during the move though. As soon as I boarded, I turned in for the night.
 
Day 3. MP 1473.

I awoke in Del Rio, Texas about 7 am. Somehow we had lost about an hour of time during the night, but I never found out why. I dozed a few minutes longer then made my way to breakfast. This train was very crowded, as just about every coach seat was taken. For breakfast I had a cheese omelet with grits and raisin bread. It was pretty good. After breakfast I took a nap back in my room. It was a quick nap as there is not much to see west of Del Rio. But I also didn’t want to miss the crossing of Pecos River and Lake Amistad. This bridge is the highest railroad bridge in North America and is quite impressive. It comes and goes quick if you’re not looking though.

Throughout the morning, the terrain get hillier and you can tell you’re in Big Bend country. The train makes a stop in Alpine which is a neat little town in West Texas and claims itself to be the gateway to Big Bend National Park, even though its still quite a ways from the park. I was able to step off there for a few minutes and get some pictures. Alpine has a nice new platform, since I had been back. Many station have gotten new things added over the last couple of years, while there are still a few without so much as a “wide spot” in the track bed.

Soon it was already time for lunch, so I went and a had the Cuban sandwich. It was pretty good and had some nice conversation with some people who lived near Houston. Throughout the afternoon, I either sat in my room or went to the lounge car to do some typing. The lounge car proved to be quite popular, as there were screaming kids, and people playing cards who don’t quite know how to keep their voices low. Nonetheless, I’m still glad to see so many people enjoying the train. Knowing that I have a sleeping car is refreshing so that I can escape to silent bliss.

I stepped off in El Paso for a few minutes to enjoy the heat. I didn’t enjoy it for very long though. From the El Paso station you can easily see Cuidad Juarez across the Rio Grande. It stands there in stark contrast to what you see on the US side. It’s still an interesting thing to see though. After El Paso, the train crosses the Rio Grande into New Mexico traveling just a few feet from the US/Mexican border fence. As it climbs up the grade, there are great views of El Paso behind. I was now finally out of Texas for the rest of the trip. Fun fact though: El Paso is actually closer to the Pacific Coast than it is to Houston.

Deming and Lordsburg came and went. Those are both stations I mentioned that have just a wide spot in the tracks and perhaps a small shelter to wait under. They are otherwise known as an “Amshack.” New signage, however, is in place at most of these stations.

New Mexico was passed by quick and soon we entered Arizona. As the sun began to set, there were thunderheads all around. Thunderstorms in the desert just look really cool and after dinner, we were treated to some thunder and lightning and a little sprinkle of rain showers while stopped in Tucson. One of the coolest thing I saw was a full rainbow form right over the end of the train. I tried taking pictures, but a picture wouldn’t do it justice. You just would have to be there.

For dinner I had the roasted half chicken. It turned out to be nice and moist and the potato and vegetables turned out good too. I also enjoyed tiramisu for dessert. This was my last meal on the Texas Eagle, so I savored it. After Tucson, I had shower and then went to bed.
 
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GREAT REPORTS! I'll be on that run next Monday (23 JUL) ultimately heading up to SEA with a friend. I do hope they are still serving Lamb Shank on the Texas Eagle as that is one of my favorite AmMeals :)
 
Day 4. MP 2728

The train was stopped when I awoke. It was 4:40 AM and we were already at our final destination of Los Angeles Union Station. Luckily, I didn’t have to get up then. They allow sleeping car passengers to remain onboard until 6:30 so I dozed until about 6 and began getting my things together. Since my body was still on Central time, I really had no problem getting up at that time. I felt refreshed and then headed over to Philippe’s for breakfast.

Philippe’s is famous for it’s French dipped sandwiches and is just a few blocks from LA Union Station. They also serve a great breakfast that’s cheap. It’s one of those places that is very popular and they also only take cash. I had scrambled eggs and French toast with bacon. It was very good.

After eating I walked back over to the station. Since my next train, the Coast Starlight would not leave until 10:25, I had a couple hours to kill. I decided to take a quick trip up to Glendale. There was a Pacific Surfliner train leaving at 7:35, so I hopped aboard that and enjoyed a quick 10 minute ride to Glendale. I didn’t have to stay very long as a few Metrolink commuter trains were on their way back to downtown. Both legs went uneventfully, and I headed back into the station to walk around and get some batteries for my scanner. By about this time, they were finally opening up the Traxx Lounge for first class passengers who board the Coast Starlight.

I helped myself to a little juice and coffee before boarding commenced for train 14, the Coast Starlight enroute to Seattle. However, I was going to step off in Oakland and catch the Amtrak Bus over to San Francisco. I was excited to see the Pacific Parlour Car, “Columbia Valley” in the consist today. The PPC is probably one of the finest cars in the Amtrak fleet. They were originally built in the 1950’s by the Santa Fe Railroad as first class lounges. Amtrak had the smart idea of restoring 5 of them to their former glory and having them exclusively for the Coast Starlight. Seeing how I’ve been in this car numerous times though, I now enjoy seeing other people’s reaction to it, who are now seeing it for the first time. I also never seem to get tired of traveling along the Pacific Coast on this route. For many miles, the tracks hug the rural coast line, much of which can’t be reached by a vehicle. So it’s just us passengers and the ocean below.

I had lunch in the dining car with a mother and her two young kids. They seemed cute and well behaved. Although it took some encouraging to the son to finish his hotdog. I seem to remember being young and I would have no problem finishing a hotdog. I, though, had the gourmet macaroni and cheese. It was good and not too filling. For dessert, I had coconut lemon cake, also quite delicious!

I spent most of the afternoon in the Parlour Car looking out at the ocean. We also had a wine and cheese tasting which many other passengers enjoyed along with me. In fact, the entire Parlour Car was packed with fellow wine tasters. I stepped off the train in San Luis Obispo, one of the prettiest towns in California. (At least I think.) I was able to get some good outside shots of myself with the train as well.

Later I decided to have dinner in the Parlour car. Since there were only a few reservations left, I had to settle for a 5:30 reservation. I had some braised beef which was okay. I wish I had dinner in the diner, but do enjoy the ambiance of the Parlour.

A few hours later, and a little bit late, we finally stopped in Oakland about 10:50 pm. I had dozed some for the last part of the trip as I was getting tired. I boarded the bus and it whisked us away across the Oakland Bay Bridge to San Francisco. After making a few stops, it finally stopped near my hostel and I checked in for the night at about 1 am. I was pleasantly surprised to see no one else would be sharing my room with me.
 
amtrakwolverine said:
I see on twitter you ran into the "all cellphones must be turned off before entering the diner" LSA.
Click to expand...
I did have this guy. For lunch I did have my phone out and made a few twitter updates and maybe even made few texts. I tried not to look too much and enjoy my food and talk to my tablemates. But at this time he had never made any announcement regarding cell phones.

It was for dinner reservations when I asked that all phones be off or on silent when they entered the diner. He also asked they not be set out on the table. (He said they might get swiped) Well for lunch I had mine out on the table the entire, mostly because it gets annoying in my pants pocket, not because I'm glued to looking at it. Since I ate in the PPC for dinner, I didn't get a chance to experiment. I'll agree, its rude to be on your cell phone while being served. OTOH, is it too much to make a PA about it several times to everyone on board? Who knows? That topic is for a different thread. Other then that, the LSA seemed to be great and competent!
 
Did you come in on Friday morning off the eagle. If you did than I might have been one of your waiters !!

saxman said:
Day 3. MP 1473.

I awoke in Del Rio, Texas about 7 am. Somehow we had lost about an hour of time during the night, but I never found out why. I dozed a few minutes longer then made my way to breakfast. This train was very crowded, as just about every coach seat was taken. For breakfast I had a cheese omelet with grits and raisin bread. It was pretty good. After breakfast I took a nap back in my room. It was a quick nap as there is not much to see west of Del Rio. But I also didn't want to miss the crossing of Pecos River and Lake Amistad. This bridge is the highest railroad bridge in North America and is quite impressive. It comes and goes quick if you're not looking though.

Throughout the morning, the terrain get hillier and you can tell you're in Big Bend country. The train makes a stop in Alpine which is a neat little town in West Texas and claims itself to be the gateway to Big Bend National Park, even though its still quite a ways from the park. I was able to step off there for a few minutes and get some pictures. Alpine has a nice new platform, since I had been back. Many station have gotten new things added over the last couple of years, while there are still a few without so much as a "wide spot" in the track bed.

Soon it was already time for lunch, so I went and a had the Cuban sandwich. It was pretty good and had some nice conversation with some people who lived near Houston. Throughout the afternoon, I either sat in my room or went to the lounge car to do some typing. The lounge car proved to be quite popular, as there were screaming kids, and people playing cards who don't quite know how to keep their voices low. Nonetheless, I'm still glad to see so many people enjoying the train. Knowing that I have a sleeping car is refreshing so that I can escape to silent bliss.

I stepped off in El Paso for a few minutes to enjoy the heat. I didn't enjoy it for very long though. From the El Paso station you can easily see Cuidad Juarez across the Rio Grande. It stands there in stark contrast to what you see on the US side. It's still an interesting thing to see though. After El Paso, the train crosses the Rio Grande into New Mexico traveling just a few feet from the US/Mexican border fence. As it climbs up the grade, there are great views of El Paso behind. I was now finally out of Texas for the rest of the trip. Fun fact though: El Paso is actually closer to the Pacific Coast than it is to Houston.

Deming and Lordsburg came and went. Those are both stations I mentioned that have just a wide spot in the tracks and perhaps a small shelter to wait under. They are otherwise known as an "Amshack." New signage, however, is in place at most of these stations.

New Mexico was passed by quick and soon we entered Arizona. As the sun began to set, there were thunderheads all around. Thunderstorms in the desert just look really cool and after dinner, we were treated to some thunder and lightning and a little sprinkle of rain showers while stopped in Tucson. One of the coolest thing I saw was a full rainbow form right over the end of the train. I tried taking pictures, but a picture wouldn't do it justice. You just would have to be there.

For dinner I had the roasted half chicken. It turned out to be nice and moist and the potato and vegetables turned out good too. I also enjoyed tiramisu for dessert. This was my last meal on the Texas Eagle, so I savored it. After Tucson, I had shower and then went to bed.
Click to expand...
 
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I'm also on twitter as @miscc21

I working the southwest chief on Wednesday July 25 in the diner as SA 1
 

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