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A Rail Sale Trip to the Land of Enchantment - Albuquerque 2/27-29/2004

Two nights after returning from my Rail Sale journey to the Emerald City of Seattle, I went back on line to Amtrak's website and found the Southwest Chief on sale and decided to make a round-tip to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I booked my return first, as I always do, then bought my trip there, choosing the last weekend of February as my coaching of track and field at McArthur Fundamental Intermediate would be hopefully finished, weather permitting. Sure enough, we had a week of major rainfall and the night before the meet, the largest storm of the season moved in with large amounts of rain. However, it passed through extremely quickly and the next afternoon, we had our Santa Ana All-District Track Meet for Intermediate Schools.

The next afternoon found me at the Santa Ana Amtrak station, waiting to board my train for Los Angeles and the connection to the Southwest Chief.

I was up on the balcony waiting for the train to arrive and following a quick picture and a fast trip down the stairs, I boarded this Pacific Surfliner for Los Angeles, settling in for my late afternoon ride before visiting the café car to pick up some cookies for my journey. We were delayed in our arrival at Union Station by a pair of departing Metrolink trains.

The Pacific Surfliner train that I had just ridden and an MTA Gold Line train. I went into Union Station to join the queue for the train to Albuquerque.

All passengers were led down the tunnel by an Amtrak employee carrying a flag, with sleeping car passengers first, followed closely by the coach passengers. At the entrance to the Track 12 Tunnel, sleeping car passengers went left and coach passengers went right to the two coaches. I was seated in the 411 Car in seat 9 and minutes later, Robyn from Evansville, Indiana, became my seatmate. She was on her way to Chicago and had not been on a train since she rode the Super Chief as a little girl. We pulled from the platform on time prior to reversing onto our mail and express cars.

The Southwest Chief departed but made a brief stop at the 8th Street Yard before leaving town for good then crossed the flyover over the Alameda Corridor and the Los Angeles River where an excellent view of the lit-up downtown Los Angeles skyline could be seen. All the rivers we crossed tonight were running strong with water from our recent rains, which included the Los Angeles, Rio Hondo, San Gabriel and Santa Ana rivers after Fullerton. We made our way to Fullerton and since the Southwest Chief was a non-smoking train for this trip, had the first fresh air stop. Robyn and I were sitting in the lounge car waiting for the movie "The School of Rock" which we both enjoyed very much, which lasted north of San Bernardino, where I stayed up for the trip over Cajon Pass. I rode there until Lugo, where I called it a night, first at my seat and later across three seats in the lounge car for the rest of the night.

2/28/2004 I awoke to the snowy landscape of Williams Junction, glad I was staying on the nice warm train so early in the morning. We slowed after our station stop to pass a BNSF freight that had broken into two. The snows deepened as we made our way to Maine at the top ofthe Arizona Divide and to next fresh air stop of Flagstaff, where it was lightly snowing.

Once we departed,the Southwest Chief proceeded east on this bright sunny last Saturday morning of February, although the sunshine only lasted to West Darling.

The Southwest Chief travelled across Canyon Diablo and on to Winslow.

I detrained for a picture and came upon a surprise as the second coach was former Santa Fe hi-level coach 39940 which had been rebuilt for Amtrak's Heartland Flyer from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City, and I rode on that car travelling to Oklahoma City in 1999.

Santa Fe Winslow station built in 1930. I returned to the warmth of the train and Robyn in the lounge car and we talked all the way to Gallup, where I detrained for a picture of that station.

While Robyn took in the Indian Guide's program, I returned to my seat to listen to Cheap Trick's Live from the Paradise Ballroom in Boston. The motive power on the freight trains had visitors from Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, CSX and Canadian National, making for interesting viewing each time we passed a train. I sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the views from my window as we made our way to New Mexico's largest city.

As we sped toward Albuquerque, Robyn and I called Let's Talk Trains until we lost cell service after the BNSF dispatcher routed us via the former westbound track. At Dalies, we passed two eastbounds with a third westbound waiting for us to clear and the mountains looked beautiful to the east.

We headed northeast to Isleta and crossed the Rio Grande before we arrived in Albuquerque. I said goodbye to Robyn, thanking her for her company and wishing her a safe trip home to Indiana. I detrained and called Let's Talk Trains back before obtaining the train's consist as they were adding a coach that had been set out a few days ago. The Southwest Chief that brought me to Albuquerque had a consist of P42DCs 188, 100 and 62, baggage 1024, transition sleeper 39032, sleepers 32003 "Edward L. Ullman" {a famous geographer} and 32050, diner 38024, lounge 33000, coaches 34064, 39940 hi-level ex. Santa Fe and 34022 added at ABQ, Express 71261, 71283, 71175 and 71243, ExpressTrak 34101 and Road Railers 462192, 460169, 462133, 462017, 462029, 462114, 462088, 462027, 462165 and 410125.

Once I had the consist of the eastbound Southwest Chief, I took my luggage with me to the Century 14 Theater, where both showings of "Passion of Christ" were sold out, so chose the next movie, "Confession of a Teenage Drama Queen", which was a surprisingly fantastic movie. I returned to the platform for the westbound Southwest Chief on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny 43 degree afternoon. A visit to Cheryl's Bus gave me a chance to get a new cassette player as my headphones were on their last moments.

The train arrived on time and I recorded the consist: P42DC's 200, 83 and 66, baggage 1865, transition sleeper 39042, sleepers 32033 and 32023, diner 38036, lounge 33024, coaches 31335 (smoking) and 34091, Express 71191, 71295, 71234 and 71033, ExpressTrak 74051, 74090, 74022, 74010 and 74052 and Road Railers 462224, 460110, 462023, 462204, 460078, 462059, 462093 and 460265. I took a seat in the rear coach and soon my seatmate Kay, who was travelling home to Flagstaff from Chicago and Topeka, joined me.

We departed on time and starting chasing the setting sun, but stopped a few minutes later by the BNSF yard. I went to the dining car and was seated with a woman formerly from Southern California, but now living in Nova Scotia and enjoying a more peaceful lifestyle. Later we were joined by two Australian women who had flown to Los Angeles to ride the Sunset Limited to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. They were on their way to El Paso, but spent seven hours waiting for a bus because of a major Union Pacific freight train derailment. From El Paso, they were bussed to Albuquerque this morning, hence were on this train, but only to Flagstaff. From there it would be on to Los Angeles, Canada, Europe and Russia before completing their around-the-world trip back home to Australia.

I enjoyed a T-Bone steak and a chocolate sundae as the Southwest Chief turned into a night train and returned to my seat but skipped tonight's movie, "School of Rock", for my version of all-night rock and roll. We arrived in Gallup after a fresh layer of snow had fallen. Kay returned from dinner and we talked the rest of the way through Winslow and onto Flagstaff, where she detrained one happy person. I stretched across both seats and fell asleep like a light bulb being turned off for the night.

2/29/2004 Leap year day 2004 found the train running over a hour late as we made our way to Summit and then down Cajon Pass on a beautiful clear pre-dawn morning. Sunrise came as we travelled slowly along Cajon Boulevard into San Bernardino, from which we departed at 6:51 AM {5:44 AM}. Next we were stopped at Colton Crossing by a pair of Union Pacific trains crossing in front of us before before reaching Riverside and departing there at 7:17 AM {6:03 AM} then made our way through Corona before entering Santa Ana Canyon and rounding the Horseshoe Bend with a westbound BNSF train waiting for us to pass. We continued to Fullerton, where I detrained at 7:59 AM {6:44 AM} since I would miss my Pacific Surfliner 566 connection in Los Angeles.

The Southwest Chief departed Fullerton as seen from the pedestrian bridge.

While I waited for my 9:02 AM departure to Santa Ana, I had some time for railfanning.

The first train was a BNSF eastbound that stopped waiting for Amtrak.

The next train was westbound Pacific Surfliner 763 heading to Goleta.

The train arrived early and soon we were off for Anaheim then we crossed the Santa Ana River with the Pond of Anaheim to the left.

We arrived at Santa Ana on time, ending another Amtrak adventure.

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