September 2, 2019:

 

            Russ and I got up at 5:30 am and got dressed. We went downstairs for breakfast. The hotel normally doesn’t start serving breakfast this early, but they made an exception for us. After breakfast, Russ and I finished packing before we checked out.

 

            The chartered highway coach returned for a third time to take us to the Amtrak station. It would make two trips between the hotel and the Amtrak station. I would be on the second trip. I photographed the bus when it arrived.

 

 

            We got on the bus and departed for the Amtrak station. It wasn’t a long ride. We soon got there.

 

            The people on the convention were urged to check their suitcases to El Paso. I checked my suitcase. I then went into the station to await the arrival of the Sunset Limited.

 

            I went outside and watched Sunrail cars preparing to enter service.

 

 

 

            In the 13 years since my Arizona trip, the eastbound Sunset Limited is now scheduled to leave after 8:00 am; much better than the 1:15 am it was scheduled to leave at the time of my Arizona Trip.

 

            I found out the train was now running about 20 minutes late. I’ll take that over 12 hours late! I attempted to photograph a westbound Union Pacific freight train.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            When the Sunset Limited finally pulled in, I filmed it.

 

 

            The ERA group was seated in Superliner 1 coach baggage #31029. Prior to boarding the train, I was told we would have a Superliner coach to ourselves and that people could reserve lower level seating. I thought they would have added an additional coach on the train. However it was not the case. We would be on the train for five hours anyway.  The Train soon departed.

 

            Shortly after departing, I photographed a caboose that looked privately owned off the line.

 

 

            Our tickets were soon taken. I joined Russ in the Sightseer Lounge car. We passed through a Union Pacific freight yard. I photographed what looked like a yard slug made from an older GE locomotive.

 

 

            A little while later we passed an aircraft graveyard filled with several planes including a United Airlines Boeing 727 and a Cathay Pacific Boeing 777.

 

 

 

 

            I went between the lounge and my seat. I worked on this report for a bit. The train stopped at Benson.

 

            The train was running through the desert. We crossed into New Mexico. The Amtrak crew came by asking about lunch reservations. I could only get one at 2:30 pm which would be just enough time to have lunch before El Paso if we were on time.

 

            From the train I photographed some dust devils.

 

 

 

            We passed an interchange with the Southwestern Railroad and I photographed a couple freight trains.

 

 

 

            The train stopped at Lordsburg and Deming. It was soon 2:30 pm. I went to the dining car for lunch. As we were finishing lunch, I could see a city in the distance. It was El Paso. The city covers a wide area.

 

            The Amtrak crew announced they were coming to the “Three Corners”. This was where Texas, New Mexico, and the country of Mexico all met. The crew also pointed out that they would pass the border wall; the one built by Bush; not the large wall Trump wants to build. I took some photos of the Mexican border.

 

 

Beyond that fence is the country of Mexico.

 

 

            I went back to my coach seat and quickly packed. The train pulled into El Paso on time. I got off and photographed the train and some buses at the Sun Metro bus garage adjacent to the station.

 

 

 

 

 

            There was a chartered highway coach waiting for us. I photographed it.

 

 

            I got on but saw the station staff bringing our luggage out to the bus. I ended up getting off the bus and photographed the train as well as some Union Pacific freight trains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            When the Sunset Limited departed, I managed to film the train pulling out. I took one more photo.

 

 

            With the Sunset being close to on time, I felt that the train has been redeemed following the 12 hour late train back in 2006; despite the fact it was not Amtrak’s fault. It really helps that in the 13 years since that trip, Union Pacific double tracked the line which increased capacity. However, I still had another trip on the Sunset to deal with.

 

            I then got back on the bus and we drove about 5 minutes to the Doubletree hotel which we were staying at. Today would be the only time the ERA would use a chartered highway coach.

 

            At the hotel, we got off and got our luggage we lined up to check in. We were given a package from Sun Metro that included a cardboard PCC and a coffee mug.

 

            The room Russ and I had wasn’t ready yet. We left our luggage at the front. The people with ERA had been given a day pass for Sun Metro but were urged not to use it today because the streetcar was free and right near the hotel.

 

            I walked to the nearby streetcar stop. PCC #1511 pulled up.    I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            Inside the car were several pictures detailing the history of streetcars in El Paso; the original system and the new streetcar line. I photographed the signs in the car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            #PCC #1511 is one of two PCCs painted in the “Fruit Salad” livery that El Paso’s PCCs were painted at in the 1950s. The seats in the car were arranged in a perimeter seating arrangement. The PCCs on the original line also had that arrangement. I will explain why that was later.

 

            The new line is shaped like an “8” and runs in the south part of the city a block from the Mexican border. At the south end of the line, I got off and photographed the car.

 

 

            I filmed the PCC departing and took one more photo.

 

 

            I then photographed a bus that runs from El Paso into Juarez Mexico. I’d like to think of this as the El Paso version of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel Bus run by Transit Windsor.

 

 

            I then looked around the area. I eventually decided to catch the next streetcar out. PCC #1514 arrived. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            #1514 is one of two PCCs painted in the sea form green livery that El Paso’s PCCs were painted in the 1960s. I also noticed the car had a different seating arrangement than #1511.

 

            The car went past the carbarn and a transit terminal. I rode to the Glory Road Transit Center. I stepped off and photographed #1514 and a Sun Metro NABI bus in the old livery.

 

 

 

 

            I got back on #1514 and rode a few stops before I got off and photographed the car.

 

 

            I filmed the car leaving and took one more photo.

 

 

            I then waited around for the next car. The next car was PCC #1515 which is painted in the same livery as #1511 which I rode earlier. I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            I noticed that #1515 had the same seating arrangement as #1514 despite being in the same livery as #1511. I would learn that only #1511 has perimeter seating.

 

            I rode back to the hotel and got off. I photographed the car.

 

 

            I then filmed #1515 pulling away and took one more photo.

 

 

            I had now ridden half of the active PCCs in service in El Paso. I went back to the hotel. By now our room was ready. I went upstairs and logged in. I went online for awhile and worked on this report.  I also read how the last run of TTC’s ALRV streetcars. Two cars were running on Queen Street.

 

            After awhile, I decided to go out to dinner. I walked to a streetcar stop and boarded a PCC heading in the direction of the Glory Road Transit Center. I got off the car and filmed it leaving.

 

            I went to a nearby Taco Bell for dinner. After dinner, I caught a PCC back to my hotel. I worked on this report some more before I went out and bought some milk. I soon called it a night.

 

September 3, 2019:

 

            I was disturbed again by Russ snoring! His snoring had made me hard to sleep the last few nights.

 

            I went online to hotwire.com and before I knew it, I had booked a room at another hotel in El Paso from tomorrow until when I would leave. I saw that my new hotel was only four blocks away. I then went back to bed deciding that I would tell Russ that I was booking a new hotel in the morning.

 

            I got up and got dressed. I went downstairs for breakfast. After breakfast, people in the group were asked which tour of the streetcar barn we would like to attend. I close the last tour at 2:30 pm.

 

            I walked a couple blocks to the BRIO station and bought a day pass. BRIO is Sun Metro’s version of VIVA. BRIO uses BRT style New Flyer XN60s.  I photographed a regular Sun Metro C35LF.

 

 

            I then saw PCC #1504 run past. I didn’t see #1504 in service the previous day. I photographed the car.

 

 

 

            The PCCs in El Paso don’t start running until 11:00 am. Other people with the ERA had gone down to watch the cars pull out of the barn.

 

            The BRIO bus arrived and I rode to the downtown transit terminal next to the car barn for the streetcar line. I photographed the bus when I got off.

 

 

            I then photographed other buses at the terminal. All of Sun Metro’s buses are powered by natural gas.

 

 

 

            I then walked by the streetcar barn. I photographed NABI bus #1008 and PCC #1512 undergoing maintenance in the barn.

 

 

 

 

            PCC #1512 is one of two PCCs in the livery that the PCCs in El Paso had at then end of service in 1974. PCC #1073 in San Francisco is also painted in that livery.

 

            Bus #1008 is also painted in the same livery and is a standby bus to be called in if the streetcar line is closed due to an accident. However it could presumably be used on any Sun Metro bus route if need be.

 

            I photographed a mural on the car barn of a PCC taken during El Paso’s previous PCC era; (there were no streetcars serving El Paso between 1974 and 2018). I also photographed PCC #1515 leaving the barn.

 

 

 

            I then boarded Sun Metro C35LF #0412. I photographed the bus before I got on.

 

 

            I rode the bus to the Glory Road Transit terminal I got off and filmed the bus pulling away.

 

 

            I then walked a few blocks and eventually found a Wendy’s where I had lunch. I saw the Wendy’s was near a BRIO stop. I caught a BRIO bus to the Glory Road Transit Center. I got off and photographed the bus.

 

 

            I walked to the next streetcar stop. PCC #1514 pulled up. I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            I rode the PCC to the stop after the stop where I would get off to go to the hotel I was initially staying. While I was on the car, I phoned home and let my parents know that I was going to stay at a different hotel because I couldn’t take the snoring!

 

            I got off and photographed the car.

 

 

            I filmed the car pulling away. A little while later, I photographed a Union Pacific freight train passing through a trench through downtown El Paso.

 

 

            I then walked to where people from the ERA were. It was almost time for my tour of the car barn. PCC #1515 was used to shuttle people to the barn. I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            We rode the car to across from the car barn and got off. I photographed #1515.

 

 

            We then went into the barn. We were given safety vests. I photographed PCC #1512.

 

 

            After everyone came in and got safety vests, we took a picture. We then went outside where the employees showed us how they operate the switches and many people including myself got an opportunity to use the switch.

 

 

            I then photographed the rear of PCC #1506. #1506 is painted in the same livery as car #1512.

 

 

            PCC #1506 was out of service because of a minor accident. A person who was texting while driving cut the car off and got hit. If I recall correctly, they didn’t have insurance.

 

            We photographed a PCC truck as well as a front view of #1506 undergoing repairs to the anticlimber.

 

 

 

            We were also pointed out the steps that used to fold out so employees could climb onto the roof back in the cars’ original service. These rungs have been welded as the cars now have pantographs to collect electricity instead of trolley poles which doesn’t look as good.

 

            We then went inside. I photographed a sheet of paper listing the liveries of the six active PCCs. It also mentioned #1511 having perimeter seating.

 

 

            #1511 has the perimeter seating as this was the seating arrangement when the PCCs used to cross into Mexico. This arrangement made customs inspection easier. #1511 got that seating arrangement again after the cars were rebuilt because it was presumably the last car to cross into Mexico in 1974.

 

            Back in the 1950s, El Paso purchased 17 used PCCs from San Diego and later purchased three additional cars. Six PCCs are in service in El Paso now and they have three additional cars in storage but will need extensive refurbishing for them to run again.

 

            Another El Paso PCC is at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, but is painted as a Baltimore car.

 

            I know some other San Diego PCCs survive at museums in California, but I don’t know if they came from El Paso or directly from San Diego as they are painted in their original livery.

 

            We then went upstairs and were informed what goes on upstairs. I photographed #1512 and some spare resilient wheels.

 

 

 

 

            We then went into an office where more about the streetcar system was discussed and questions were asked and answered.

 

            We then left the car barn. I photographed the mural and bus #1008 from across the street.

 

 

            The employee led us to the bridge where PCCs used to cross into Mexico. The employee showed us a mural depicting the twin cities of El Paso and Juarez Mexico as twin sisters.

 

 

            The employee showed us some old tracks coming to the surface. The tracks we saw were used by cars returning from Mexico. I photographed them and the bridge.

 

 

 

 

            There was a 2 hour wait for cars coming from Mexico. However pedestrians could walk across. However if one was to start crossing, they would have to walk all the way into Mexico before turning around.

 

            Some people with the ERA said they would have liked to do it. I realized I could go into Mexico being Canadian; I had my passport with me and was EXTREMELY tempted to go to Mexico just to say I’ve been in Mexico. However I did not cross into Mexico at all.

 

            I then walked a few blocks to a BNSF yard and photographed locomotives belonging to BNSF and Ferromex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then walked over to the streetcar stop. PCC #1504 pulled up. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            I have now been on 2/3 of the active PCCs in El Paso. I wondered if in the next couple days I would ride #1506 or #1512 but due to #1506’s accident, it didn’t seem likely I’d ride that car.

 

            I rode back to the stop close to my hotel and photographed #1504.

 

 

            I then filmed #1504 pulling away. I then headed back to the hotel and photographed some murals near a library.

 

 

 

            I then went to the hotel and went online for a bit. I then decided to go for a swim as it was hot. I wasn’t sure if my new hotel would have a pool, so I decided to take advantage of this hotel while I still could.

 

            After my swim I got changed and packed up my things. It was time to go to my new hotel. I left the key and took the elevator down and walked out of the hotel. It felt almost surreal. I walked out of my hotel through a side exit.

 

            Someone from the ERA asked if I was leaving already. I gave them an honest answer before I walked four blocks to my new hotel. I checked in and went to my new room and went online. I phoned home to let my mom know I was at my new hotel.

 

            After awhile, I decided to go out for supper. I walked to a streetcar stop a couple blocks away. There was a banquet as part of the ERA convention but I had declined to participate at the banquet.

 

            I headed out and rode a PCC a few stops. I got off and walked to a BRIO station. However no BRIO buses came. I eventually rode PCC #1504 again and photographed the car.

 

 

 

 

            I walked around and eventually had dinner at a McDonald’s. I then walked to a streetcar stop and waited for the next car. PCC #1511 came. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

 

            I rode a few stops past where I would otherwise get off and went to a convenience store. I then went back to my hotel.

 

            My new hotel had a pool, so I decided to get changed and go for a swim there. However, it was closed by the time I got there. I went back up to my room and went online for awhile. I eventually called it a night.

 

The ERA convention may be done, but I still had two days in El Paso. Click to see what I did:            El Paso continued