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A Winter Trip on the Sunset Limted 12/17-24/2004

My winter break, or Christmas vacation, was on my mind and I needed to go somewhere. There was a note in the new Winter Amtrak timetable that "Just before press time, the Sunset Limited schedules were under review. Schedules may change between November 2004 and April 2005." With a large change on the horizon, I decided that this would be the time to ride both ways across America in a sleeping car on the Sunset Limited. Richard Hamilton, my good friend who hosts Let's Talk Trains, did that journey in October and it was 14 hours late and the train was terminated in Sanford, Florida. Due to family health problems, he flew home.

Additionally, Steve Grande of Trainweb.com was on a westbound Sunset Limited that was due in the morning that the new San Luis Obispo Pacific Surfliner was to start and he arrived back in Los Angeles 12 hours and 41 minutes late. As the weeks neared, I kept an eye on how the trains were running and one set was turned at New Orleans with passengers bussed to Florida, and a westbound just this last week was turned at Tucson due to a Union Pacific head-on wreck at Iris, California. I could not wait to see how my trains would fare. As I always say, "Every Trip is an Adventure!" So join me now and ride along on a Sunset Limited adventure.

My planned departure from from Santa Ana on Pacific Surfliner 589 was put into chaos when my mother told me she had opera tickets that night so I decided to take Pacific Surfliner 582 to Oceanside then Pacific Surfliner 589 from there to Los Angeles and the Sunset Limited. That was the plan until the night before, when the BNSF put some cars on the ground near CP Cumbres at the top of Miramar Grade, making train service to or from San Diego impossible and trains would now run from Solana Beach north, with San Diego passengers bussed to Oceanside. I learned that Pacific Surfliner 582 would turn into 591 at Solana Beach, so just needed to exchange my tickets to going north from Solana Beach instead of Oceanside.

My mother drove me to Santa Ana and I exchanged my tickets and out on the platform here came my train three minutes early. It was led by Pacific Surfliner cab car 6903, coaches 6400 and 6451, coach/café 6300, Pacific Business Class 6800 with F59PHI 481 and I settled into a lower coach seat for my trip south while listening to Rush's "Feedback" and was relaxed without a care in the world. I then switched to a three-disc set of Prince's "Hits/B Sides" and was trying out my new CD player, with my usual cassette player along just in case. The train made its way to Oceanside where everyone detrained, except for those going to Solana Beach. After a limited service Coaster train arrived from Sorreto Valley, we proceed to our final stop and I walked upstairs and waved to a extremely busy Karen, the excellent Amtrak agent there, before returning trackside to wait to board my northbound train to Los Angeles.

Conductor Ted Ewing opened the door at 6:50 PM and I chose a left hand seat in Pacific Business Class for the night-time ocean view. We departed at 7:10 PM {6:53 PM} and met Pacific Surfliner 784 at CP Swami before continuing to Oceanside. The trip along the coast was beautiful this night as the lights of Dana Point shone brightly then inland at Rancho Capistrano was their Merry Christmas sign and manger scene up on the hill for all to see. Passing through Santa Ana without getting off always feels funny to me, after which we met Pacific Surfliner 590 at CP Lincoln and there was enough light to see the latest work on the future Santiago Creek second track bridge. We encountered a brief delay getting onto the BNSF before Fullerton then made our way to Los Angeles with no delays, arriving there twenty minutes late. As the Sunset Limited was yet not in the station, I had to go inside the waiting room until after 10:00 PM when the sleeping car passengers were allowed to walk out to the train.

I was greeted by my sleeping car attendant Rick Fisher and stashed my belongings in my room before walking the train to acquire the consist. Our Sunset Limited had P42DCs 835 and 21, baggage 1735, transition 39013, sleepers 32093 and 32073 "California", diner 38043, lounge 33047, coaches 34098, 34022 and 34078 with sleeper 32076 "Delaware" on the rear. The last two cars are the Texas Eagle section of the Sunset Limited. As I noted the number of "Delaware", I was met by Anna Maria Vella, wife of the retired fantastic Amtrak conductor Dale Anderson then returned to my room 6 in "California" and caught up on things while listening to Yes' "Magnification". It was announced that we would wait for the late-running Coast Starlight and should be leaving in fifteen minutes.

Our Sunset Limited was waiting on Track 12 but did they bring the train in on the track next to us? No! It came in on Track 10. That was obviously an inconvenience for those transferring passengers and their checked baggage. We departed at 11:05 PM {10:50 PM} and took the Metrolink line east from Los Angeles to El Monte. With all that complete, I called it a night.

I awoke to a beautiful clear December morning as we held the mainline at Mohawk, Arizona. Starting my day off correctly in the dining car, I enjoyed French Toast and sausage then as back in my room, the sun rose in the southeast sky as we proceeded towards Gila Bend. While my room was being made up, I spent some time in the lounge car and I saw a car flipped over on Interstate 8. Upon entry into my room, there was a noticeable odour, which smelled of sewage from the holding tank and it would blow into the room off and on and gave me a headache. I reported this to Rick but he could not do much about it.

At Gila Bend, I am always on the lookout for the old tracks of the Tucson, Cornelia and Gila Bend Railroad, which ran a mixed train up until the 1970's. This railroad connected Gila Bend with the copper mining area around Ajo, Arizona.

A few of the many saguaro cacti near Shawmut, which I enjoyed seeing while Jeff Beck's "Who Else" was my listening choice this morning. We went into the siding at Estrella for Union Pacific 3947 West and as he was passing, the conductor announced that we would be here for two more, then move to the next siding of Mobile for a further two. Just a tad bit of freight train congestion, I would have to say. Union Pacific 5097 West came blasting through Estrella as I switched to "Tales of the Crystal Flute", a Jethro Tull concert from the Rock Island tour. Union Pacific 4112 west was our last train before we moved on to Mobile for Union Pacific 4926 West and Union Pacific 4936 West. Once underway, we made it to Maricopa, the Amtrak crew change point and its short platform meant four station stops. We finally departed at 9:38 AM {7:12 AM} and I went back to my room and napped most of the way to Tucson.

The Sunset Limited was serviced in Tucson, from which we departed at 11:29 AM {9:40 AM} and came to yet another stop less than a mile away to let a westbound Union Pacific freight clear then crossed over to the south track at Vail, taking it for the climb to Mescal.

Here we crossed over the normal eastbound route and from the summit at Mescal, descended into Benson before crossing the Santa Cruz River.

We next tackled the grades of the Dragoon Mountains.

Our train neared Tully on the climb out of the Santa Cruz River valley to Dragoon.

Descending into the Wilcox Playa. Rush's "Rush in Rio" would take me well into New Mexico.

Curving into New Mexico near Steins, after which we stopped briefly at Lordsburg, slowing into a siding for a Union Pacific stack train to clear at Ulmorris. From there, we crawled along for a few miles near Separ as we were following Union Pacific 4911 East, which went into the siding for us. We stopped at Deming and I noted the nice wooden station was no longer there. I acquired a 6:30 dinner reservation as we should be well past El Paso by then and was on the last disc of "Rush in Rio". A special thank you to Mrs. Carnett for the new CD player and to Mrs. Angle for the CD case she gave to me a few years back which I was finally using on this trip. I began to wonder where our westbound Sunset Limited counterpart wa and went to the rear door of "Delaware" to watch the descent to the Rio Grande River and sunset.

After more miles of single track, Union Pacific was in the process of installing miles of double track on the climb out of the Rio Grande River Valley.

Looking down into the Rio Grande River Valley.

Fifty feet from Mexico gave me these views.

Sunset went but came back, due to our changes in elevation, before disappearing for good. As the train crossed the Rio Grande River into Texas, it was announced that all Texas Eagle passengers would be bussed to Fort Worth to connect with their train. We had a twilight run into El Paso as a BNSF freight was leaving for Belen then upon arrival, I ventured into the station for a phone to see where Train 1 was, learning it was nine hours late at Del Rio, but Julie, Amtrak's automated agent, said it should be only seven hours late into El Paso. We sat here while three buses reversed down the platform to the rear of the train.

If I were to ride the Texas Eagle, I would always reserve a room in San Antonio and take the next day's train north. We departed at 6:12 PM {3:41 PM} and passed through El Paso Yard and a few minutes later, I went to the dining car for dinner, enjoying an excellent New York strip steak and the usual chocolate sundae. During my meal, our train never moved as a Union Pacific freight in front of us had broken down. We started moving again at 7:54 PM, a one hour and fifteen minute delay as we slowly proceeded east before finally picking up speed. The Scorpions' "Live Bites" took me through that delay and out of El Paso once and for all and I set my watch ahead to Central Time, made up my bed and called it a night.

I awoke east of Del Rio as we made the trek towards San Antonio, with an estimated time of arrival of 9:30 AM {4:46 AM} and started the day off with a pancake and sausage breakfast followed by a most wonderful shower then fresh clothes. I walked back to the now-San Antonio sleeper which would become the standby equipment for the Texas Eagle.

Sunday morning, so good luck to all the drinkers on the train. Seeing all the locals going to church brought back the memory of the first transcontinental Sunset Limited when I was tossed off, something I could laugh about now with my 3,623 days of sobriety. I chose Van Halen's "Best of Both Worlds" which should get me to San Antonio.

The world went from brown to green once we crossed the 100th Meridian and we finally picked up speed at Sabinal then passed Union Pacific 2405 West at Saco, Texas. Next we reached Dunlay, where we crawled down the siding, meeting Union Pacific 3965 West followed by Union Pacific 9636 West where our train crew died on the "Hours of Service Law" so we expected to be here forty-five minutes. Why that long? That is the time it takes to drive from San Antonio to here. The crew van arrived at 10:45 AM and we left Dunlay for good at 10:52 AM.

The skyline of San Antonio came into view way off in the distance and we passed Norfolk Southern 8542 East at Lacoste then Union Pacific 9241 East at Macdona. We slowed to a crawl before stopping at Alamo Junction for former Conrail 8357 South, along with Norfolk Southern 3227 along for the ride, on the former Missouri Pacific route. At 12:02 PM, we started moving forward through Alamo Junction before stopping at CP Withers but stopped again with a westbound Union Pacific on the track ahead with no crew onboard. At 12:40 PM, we managed only a minute of forward momentum then five minutes later, tried again but only travelled 100 yards.

At 12:53 PM, we moved again, this time passing Sloan Yard with waiting trains then paralleled Texas Highway 371 North until it joined Texas Highway 353. From there we passed the homes and light industries before the Tower of America and the Alamodome came into view as we made the final curve to the San Antonio station, arriving there at 1:25 PM {4:56 AM}, where the fresh air and warm sun felt good.

The Sunset Limited during the servicing stop at San Antonio.

Texas and New Orleans 2-8-2 794, built by American Locomotive Company in 1916, and lettered as Southern Pacific, on display. It hauled freight and passenger trains in and around San Antonio, routinely making trips to Houston, McAllen and Laredo. After being retired in 1956, it was donated to the City of San Antonio the following year and was on display in Maverick Park until being relocated to the Sunset Station depot in 1999.

I enjoyed the view of the Tower of the Americas, a 750-foot observation tower-restaurant located in the Hemisfair district in the southeastern portion of the city designed by San Antonio architect O'Neil Ford and was built as the theme structure of the 1968 World's Fair, HemisFair '68. Originally known as 'HemisFair Tower', it was ultimately named 'the Tower of the Americas' as a result of a name-the-tower contest created by the executive committee. Sixty-eight people submitted the name by which the tower is now known. It was the tallest observation tower in the United States from 1968 until 1996, when the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas was completed, and is the tallest occupiable structure in San Antonio, and the 30th-tallest occupiable structure in Texas.

The egineer blew the horn for all to reboard our train and we pulled forward then reversed to remove the two rear cars, formerly destined for the Texas Eagle this morning, finally departing at 2:24 PM {6:00 AM}. The train blocked the traffic for twenty-four minutes at the crossing east of the station and some impatient drivers turned around trying to get around the train, but were caught a second time as we proceeded east towards Houston. I listened to Yes' "At the House of Blues in Las Vegas" for the start of the journey then we stopped at the east end of Kirby Yard for Union Pacific 5173 West, followed by a visit to the Kirby fuel pads to refuel both locomotives. We departed there at at 3:12 PM and I enjoyed this afternoon's passing through all the small towns and across the creeks and rivers.

I ventured to the rear door of coach 34022 for about thirty minutes.

The crossing at Flatonia where the former Cotton Belt joined the Sunset Route, after which I had a 5:00 PM dinner reservation and took my camera, consuming a New York strip steak and chocolate sundae.

I also had fun with my attempts to get a good sunset picture. Returning to my room, I listened to Queen's "Live at Earl's Court" as we continued the trek towards Houston, arriving in the Houston area well after dark and approaching the station, we passed Union Pacific 4799 East with a stack train. We arrived and I detrained to visit the station as well to enjoy the 55 degree night air, then departed 7:31 PM {10:55 AM} before coming to yet another unexpected stop. I saw Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros and one of the ballparks I still need to visit. We started moving again but stopped a few minutes later just before Englewood Yard, where I called it a night. That stop lasted well over three hours.

The Sunset lost even more time while I slept the night away and I awoke east of New Iberia and went to the dining car for a limited breakfast menu that did include French Toast. Remember, if this train was on time, it would be near Pensacola, Florida by now.

We crossed the Bayou Boeuf as we continued east on this new day and since I was in the land of bayous, voodoo and the like, I put on Ozzy Osbourne's "The Ozzman Cometh". We reached Schriever and departed there at 7:46 AM {5:56 PM}. It was Monday morning and everyone in the real world was going to work as they all raced about trying to be on time. Talk about the exact opposite of all of us on this train.

Our Sunset Limited made a morning crossing of the Huey Long Bridge over the Mississippi River and once back on solid ground, the bad news came that due to the Sunset Limited's tardiness, our train would be terminated at New Orleans and passengers to all points east of there would be motor-coached to their destinations. If I went along with that plan, I would be bussed to Orlando then bussed right back. However, this train rider was not going to do that as there were activities I could do for two days in New Orleans while my train stays there. We reversed into New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal at 9:19 AM {8:30 PM}, or 12 hours and 49 minutes late, ending a very interesting eastbound ride on the Sunset Limited.