January 25, 2006:

 

When I got up, the train was running along the Mississippi River, south of St. Louis. I went to the lounge car for breakfast. We were about four hours late. I took a couple photos as we arrived.

 

 

Shortly after we left, I saw the St. Louis arch. I took a couple photos of it.

 

 

After I took some photos of the arch, they made a call for lunch. This would be the last meal that the dining car would be open. I had a fruit salad. After lunch, I went back to the lounge car. We were pacing a freight train. I figured that we might be able to make up some time since this is the fastest part of the Texas Eagle’s route.

 

The train stopped at several stations along the way. Outside of Joliet, we had to take the siding so the southbound Texas Eagle could pass us. I filmed the train passing by. When it did, I noticed it had a baggage car behind the engine. I believe this was the first time since Hurricane Katrina hit that the Eagle had a full baggage car unlike out train which just had a Coach-baggage car. We soon reversed off the siding and were on our way again.

 

Train 22 stopped at Joliet, and soon, we were under way again. The snack bar on the lower level of the sightseer lounge closed so the crew could do their paperwork to prepare for the train to head to New Orleans later in the evening as the City of New Orleans which shares equipment sets with the Texas Eagle.

 

As we approached Chicago, the train crew announced that people traveling on the Capitol Limited as well as a train bound for Detroit would be on the Lake Shore Limited and other people would have to see the ticket agents. This was because of the train’s late arrival.

 

Outside of Chicago, we stopped to let a St. Louis bound Amtrak train pass by as well as a Metra commuter train. We were underway again and we fronted into Union station. I had about an hour before the Lake Shore Limited was scheduled to leave. After disembarking from the train, I took a photo of it before I headed into the station.

 

 

Once I got inside, I glanced around in the off chance Karl was there, but he wasn’t. I then looked for a payphone to call home. The first phone I tried wanted me to insert a dollar to make a collect call! “Screw this!” I thought.

 

The second payphone I tried allowed me to make a collect call for free. I was able to call home and let my mom know I would be in Buffalo the next day as originally planned. After I hung up, I saw the Lake Shore Limited backing into the station.

 

Soon, it was time to board the Lake Shore. Back on the first day of my trip, I wondered if I would ride in Amfleet 2 coach #25100, the coach I rode on the Three Rivers back in February. However, I was seated in coach #25041, a refurbished coach with a blue and white interior, digital display boards, and AC outlets by each seat. From the coach, I filmed the Hoosier State departing. That train had a very interesting consist: A locomotive, a Horizon fleet coach, Combine car #10400, and a Superliner sleeping car! The last two cars were most likely deadheading to Amtrak’s Beech Grove shop in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the train was going.

 

The Lake Shore departed on time. As it left, I filmed the Texas Eagle on the track next to us. I also filmed a switcher stopped behind the Texas Eagle. After my ticket was taken, I went to the dining car for dinner. When I got there, I discovered that the car was not a Temoinsa refurbished diner. I had the chicken dinner which was pretty good. After dinner, I took a couple interior photos of the dining car.

 

 

 

 

After I left the dining car, I headed back to the lounge car which was Amfleet 2 lounge car #28000. The car had a smoking lounge and was named “Miami Club”. Since smoking is banned on all Amtrak trains except for the Auto Train, the smoking lounge was used by the train crew. I took some interior photos of the lounge. One member of the crew asked what I was doing, but didn’t continue to bug me about taking photos.

 

At one point, I saw a person smoking a cigarette in between two coaches. I told him that it wasn’t a good idea. I went back to the lounge car. As we stopped at Elkhart, I once again tried to film the New York Central Railroad Museum, but found it impossible because it was too dark. I went back to the lounge car where I bought some Skittles and a drink. I had a brief conversation with some people playing cards.

 

Eventually, I headed back to my coach to try to get some sleep. Before turning in, I changed the memory sticks on my digital camera so I would have enough room to film the whole Lake Shore pulling out of Buffalo. I didn’t want a repeat of what happened last year! After changing the memory sticks, I brought out my Amtrak blanket and tried to get some sleep.

 

January 26, 2006:

 

I woke up as we arrived into Erie, Pennsylvania. The stop was a quick one and we were soon underway. I had a brief nap. Soon, we were nearing Buffalo-Depew station. I looked out the window and saw it was dark out. I wondered if the train would depart Buffalo in darkness. However, the sun came up as we arrived into Buffalo-Depew 25 minutes late. At Buffalo, my dad was waiting for me and he took my suitcase as I walked to the other end of the platform to photograph the train.

 

 

After I took a photo of the train, I stood around for a few minutes waiting for the train to depart. When it did, I successfully filmed the whole train pulling out. After it left, I snapped one more photo of the rear of the train and another of a parked freight train.

 

 

I headed back to the parking lot where my dad and I drove back stopping for gas before we crossed back into Canada. I learned that in an election that occurred while I was away that Prime Minister Paul Martin lost to Steven Harper.

 

We stopped in a restaurant near Fort Erie, Ontario. When we left, it was snowing. I slept most of the way home. We arrived home around 11:30 am.

 

 

Conclusions:

 

This trip was the biggest trip I had planned to date. While I mostly had fun, I wish I could have met up with my friends in Chicago. Phoenix and Tucson were nice cities. Despite the strange people I met. I also missed filming a few things because I was either unprepared or things beyond my control.

 

I was a bit annoyed with Greyhound’s scheduling, but with the Sunset Limited arriving 12 hours late into Tucson, I’m going to give Greyhound another chance. However, I am not off train travel despite the lateness. The sleeper upgrade was small conciliation however.

 

As for my quest to visit the 19 PCC streetcars that the TTC mothballed in 1995, I have now visited all but two of them. The two remaining cars are both in Dallas, but it may be some time before I visit them. When I do, I will most likely take the Texas Eagle to Dallas. However, when I return, I’ll make sure to ride the Eagle on a day were the Sunset Limited doesn’t connect with it in San Antonio to improve the odds of me getting to Chicago on time.

 

I was also pleased to find a 76 gas station with a rotating ball in Tucson. That was an unexpected bonus. Until next time…