Since the Southwest Chief leaves about 7 pm, most often the first photo
in a Rail Travelogue from Los Angeles eastward is of the Northern
Arizona desert.
Half of the Observation/Sighseeing Lounge Car is tables for 4 allowing
more spots for groups up to four.
Half of the obsevation car is seating facing the large side windows.
The lower level of the Sightseeing/Lounge car is a Cafe for those who
do not want to dine in the diner.
The view out the back of the last coach car is always a "tracks to the
horizon" shot in Arizona where I-40 parallels the SWChief Route for
many miles.
We cross I-40 before the New Mexico Border.
Highways, roads, and creeks make interesting shots when the train is on
an adjoining bridge.
After riding the Southwest Chief many times, one knows to look for familiar photo ops along the route.
Double tracks out in the desert can be separated by long distances and freight
trains stretch across the desert landscape.
The location of the train station was controversial in Albuquerque as
pointed out in murals near the Station.
A different mural, with a live pedestrian crossing Route 66.
Arriving early on the Southwest Chief in Albuquerque provides time to walk downtown to the Route 66
Crossroads clock tower.
I like the reflection in the New Mexico Bank and Trust building and
photograph it each time I walk by.
Quite a conglomeration of architectural styles downtown.
The recent improvements are finished in front of the Greyhound/Amtrak
Station
Albuquerque is a good place to take a photo of your car attendant.
There are always local vendors with their items on tables at the
station since both East and West bound Southwest Chiefs reach here
about the same time each day.
Time also to wash the windows since we'll be in the daylight now from
lunch through dinner and into the evening.
With room accommodations on a long distance train comes all meals in
the Diner and on my ride from Fullerton to La Plata that means 5
meals. The Menus follow:
I like the watermark graphic of the Amtrak Train. Note the bottom
right corner: AMT SWC 0911 - looks like a new menu.
Breakfast is first-come-first-served. Lunch and Dinner
reservations are given by an attendant who comes to your room or seat.
Half of the Diner (above) with the service area in the center (below) with dumb waiter
and stairs to the kitchen below.
Between Albuquerque and Lamy, I like this southwest style home at
creekside with the golden cottonwood tree.
This bridge is said to date back to Civil War days.
This house looks like a desert lizard to me, but they have added the
flat roof on the top taking away from the original design.
Cottonwood trees and their fall golden leaves dot the creeksides in
northwest New Mexico.
There are many windmill pumps out on the high plains, but his one has
all the elements: windmill pumping water into a large tank, and
cattle nearby to consume the water.
Here, the railroad parallels this two-lane, then one-lane road.
The sign announces a cattle guard at the curve which keeps cattle on
open range beyond the guard from crossing onto the two-lane portion of
the road.
Cottonwoods, in their fall colors, lined the route.
Son Matthew, on his first long-distance train trip as an adult, enjoyed
the bedroom accommodations, in this case the single chair by the window.
In a bedroom, there is a single seat beside the window (beyond the sink
above), and a couch the full width of the bedroom. The couch
makes into a good sized bed at night and a second bed hinges down as a
bunk.
The hallway outside Bedrooms is along one side of the car, leaving 3/4 of the width of the car
for the bedroom.
Opposite the beds in the Bedroom, is the combination sink/shower/toilet.
The roomette half of each sleeper has a hallway down the middle with
closet-sized rooms without baths on each side.
Half of a roomette, as seen from the hallway. Facing seats make
into a bed for night and a bunk folds down from above for the second
person. This is the most economical sleeping accommodations on a
long-distance train. Shower is downstairs. One bathroom is
upstairs and 3 more downstairs.
Half of a handicapped room on the lower level looks like a roomette
with space for a wheel chair and a toilet and sink (below).
The handicapped is the 2nd most economical accommodations, but it
realistically is a roomette with a toilet and sink.
The Family Bedroom, not pictured, is on the lower level and is the full
width of the sleeping car. Sleeps 2 adults and 2 children.
No bathroom. Also on the lower level are a number of roomettes.
Coach Seating.
To give you an idea of the cost
of acommodations, I asked a Conductor on this trip, "What would be the
cost of upgrading from a Coach Seat to various room types?"
He referred to his rate book and said:
If you are on the train
with a coach seat which you've already paid $145 for, from Riverside to
La Plata, MO -- to upgrade to a Roomette you would pay $301 more, or a
Bedroom $650 more. That would be a room for two nights and all meals included for up to 3 people.
I asked if a coach passenger spent one night in coach and upgraded for
one night at Albuquerque. He said in addition to the $145 Coach
Fare, to upgrade to a Roomette would cost $206 or for a Bedroom add
$424.
For a second person in a room, there is no charge other than their coach fare.
|
Crossing Raton Pass the train goes through a tunnel and enters Colorado, following the Santa Fe Trail.
The sun gets lower as we near Trinadad, CO, but the Cottonwood trees still show their fall colors.
La Junta, CO, is the next crew change station with time to walk into the station with Hwy. 50 running on the opposite side.
The
following morning, we reach Kansas City, the next crew change
spot. A few more hours, time for breakfast and a shower, we reach
La Plata, MO, around 10 a.m.
The nearly 2,000 mile journey averages about 53 mph, even while you are
eating and sleeping. The trip is very relaxing with plenty of
time to work (as I do on my laptop computer), read, sightsee, eat and
sleep. Each crew change station gives announced time to step off
the train for fresh air and exercise for the passengers, and time for
the crew to pick up ice for the cars and kitchen, and newspapers for
the passengers.
Enjoy your trip!
Click here to go back to the First Page.
Or, Click the Chapter below that you want to skip to.
0. Table of Contents |
1. Depot Inn & Suites, La Plata, MO |
2. Amtrak Station, La Plata, MO |
3. Silver Rails Gallery and Memorial Library |
4. Chris Guenzler Millionth Mile Lookout at the Depot Inn & Suites |
5. Amish Country west of La Plata on Hwy. 156 |
6. Downtown La Plata, Missouri, Including Santa Fe Espresso, Grandma's Home Cookin', City Hall and other photo ops in town. |
7. Silver Rails Event Center |
8. Atlanta, Missouri |
9. West Winery, Macon, Missouri |
10. Columbia Star Dinner Train, Columbia, Missouri |
11. Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site and Danube Dr. Barn |
