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A Return to La Junta, Colorado 5/20/2005 to 5/23/2005



by Chris Guenzler



With the year I was having at McFadden Intermediate School, I needed a good trip to relax before finishing the school year and chose the Southwest Chief to La Junta as it was relaxing, would give me the best scenery and I love the route, so it is always fun. I reserved a room both ways so would be in the best position to attain my goal of a relaxing trip then made my hotel reservation at the Mid Town Hotel and worked the days, just waiting to go!

Pacific Surfliner 583 5/20/2005



I parked my car in the parking structure and hung the parking permit from my rear view mirror and dropped off the other half with the Amtrak agent then walked out to the platform. Metrolink 686 arrived before my train which had a consist of Surfliner cab car 6904, coaches 6409 and 6413, coach/café 6305, Pacific Business Class 6802 with F59PHI 450 in the push mode. The stop at Anaheim was quiet as the Angels were on a road trip then we arrived at Fullerton, where, looking up at the Trainweb office on the second floor of the station, I still could not believe that they were moving out to offices about three blocks east of the depot at 400 East Commonwealth.

I was writing the details of this trip in one of my old notebooks and enjoyed reading the old rough drafts of some of my trips from three years ago, which took up most of the remainder of the journey to Los Angeles Union Station, where we arrived at 5:47 PM.

Southwest Chief 4 5/20/2005



The Southwest Chief was sitting across the platform from my arriving train. The consist to La Junta had P42DCs 178, 100 and 144, baggage 1251, transition 39031, sleeping cars 32022 and 32117 "Wisconsin", diner 38024, lounge 33015, coaches 34086, 31036 and 31042 with lone ExpressTrak 74018 bringing up the rear. Chuck was my Sleeping Car Attendant, whom I had on my Sunset portion of the Texas Eagle last month. He directed me to Room 13 on the lower level of the "Wisconsin" and I listened to some of Queen's "Rarities" as we waited for our departure time.

We departed at 6:45 PM on a very warm clear evening and our car had a public address system that we could not hear the dining car opening announcements of 7:15 PM. This was because our car's system was set on local, and not train, which Chuck fixed. We arrived at Fullerton and the 7:15 reservations were called in to dinner. Joining me this evening was Carl, going to Winslow then onto New York, along with Ronald and Cathy, going home to Cleveland. Conductor Castro stopped by the table to say hello and it was good to see him again. I enjoyed a New York strip from Menu 5 along with a chocolate sundae and the experience lasted with great conversation to just before San Bernardino, where I stepped off for a fresh air break. After reboarding, I sat in my room listening to more of Queen as the Southwest Chief climbed up and over Cajon Pass via Sullivan's Curve on an almost full moon night with plenty of freight action. After our stop in Victorville, I made up my bed and called it a night, very happy to be back on the rails again.





5/21/2005 I awoke just as the train was leaving Flagstaff on a bright, sunny, beautiful clear morning. Since I have travelled and have taken so many pictures of the route, I will attempt to give you one or many more new views. It always amazes me how quickly you leave the forest and return to the desert. While waiting in the lounge car for breakfast as we crossed Canyon Diablo, a few brief views of the Meteor Crater came into view. At 6:30 AM, I was seated at a table in the dining car with Lee going to Dodge City, Ramona going to Albuquerque and Adriana going to Newton, Kansas then to Oklahoma. I ordered French Toast and sausage, which was filling, then returned to my room to read the Arizona Daily Sun and listen to two of the CDs from a four disc ABBA box set. As Arizona turned into New Mexico, I was listening to the song "The Visitors" before we reached Gallup.





As always, the red mesas east of Gallup on a very pleasant morning of train riding.





We took the north track for the climb to Thoreau as the south track was busy with BNSF freights. ABBA took me to Grants and I went to the lounge car to enjoy the north view as the Southwest Chief sped east then was back in my room at Laguna to listen to Mick Jagger's "Wandering Spirit". That title could be applied to me.





Much later in the morning, after we left the BNSF mainline at Dalies, the Southwest Chief descended into the Rio Grande River Valley.





At Isleta, the line to Belen came in and this would be a future ride once the new New Mexico RailRunner commenced service in November.





The Rio Grande River before we arrived at Albuquerque with the Mick Jagger CD ending there as we arrived thirty-two minutes early. I walked over to Cold Stone Creamery for a vanilla with crushed Kit Kat bars ice cream and went by Century Theater to see how many showings were being offered of the new Star Wars movie "Revenge of the Sith"; I planned to see it the day I returned home to Santa Ana. I returned to the train and stood in the shade on a very hot day and noticed that the "Wisconsin" had been in Coast Starlight service by the remains of an Amtrak West decal with the famous pointless arrow Amtrak symbol. I wished that Amtrak would return to the arrow, instead of the "Three Sheets in the Wind" symbol. I know that symbol is really two rails disappearing over a hill, but the "Three Sheets" is what I and the railroad crews all call it. I saw an former Pacific Surfliner engineer Ruben and chatted briefly with him.

We departed on time as I listened to the Rolling Stones' "Secret Gig" then napped from Nueva to Chapelle, sleeping through Lamy, Apache Canyon, Glorieta Pass, the Pecos River and Starvation Peak, after which I had a nice shower to bring me back to life.





We arrived at Las Vegas and the "Wisconsin" stopped right in front of the La Castenada, the former Santa Fe Harvey House.





We passed the foundations of the Fort Union Corral part of the Fort Union National Monument, located at the western junction of the two branches of the Santa Fe Trail where the Mountain Branch joined the Cimarron Cutoff.





Wagon Mound on our way to Raton, after I switched to Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "In the Hot Seat", which took me to 5:00 PM and my dinner time on the Southwest Chief which was served by Douglas, a one-legged waiter who did a fantastic job. I had another New York strip, with Bruce, going to New York, who chose rack of lamb. While we were eating, the train stopped at the fresh air stop of Raton.





The Southwest Chief climbed Raton Pass towards the Raton Tunnel and Colorado.





The 3.4 percent grade descent of the north flank of Raton Pass towards Trinidad, a crossing I always enjoy, this time while listening to the Scorpions' "Crazy World".





After we departed Trinidad on time, we made our final sprint to La Junta, arriving twenty-five minutes early and it was another excellent Amtrak trip on the Southwest Chief.

La Junta 5/21/2005



I walked over to the Mid Town Motel and had a second floor room, which I had to cool down since the room had not been used in days and La Junta had been very hot, then called it a night.

5/22/2005 I enjoyed white toast, crispy bacon and an orange juice at the Copper King Café before exploring La Junta and saw a loaded BNSF coal train on my walk then packed, checked out and walked back to the Amtrak station.

Southwest Chief 3 5/22/2005



The Southwest Chief arrived ten minutes early at 8:05 AM with P42DCs 93 and 63, P32-8 510, baggage 1253, transition 39022, sleepers 32043 and 32025, diner 38060, lounge 33012, coaches 34005, 34064 and 34054 with ExpressTrak 74048, 74041 and 74039. I boarded Sleeper 32043 and had Room 11 on the lower level. We departed time to take me home and passed an eastbound grain train at Mindeman.





The Spanish Peaks, also known as the Mother's Breast by the American Indians, were seen on a very humid morning on our way to Trinidad. I was listening to Patrick Moraz's "The Story Of I" for the first musical choice of the morning and as we came into Trinidad, we passed an eastbound BNSF piggyback train.





The Southwest Chief climbed Raton Pass, twisting and turning as it climbed to the state line of New Mexico before entering the Raton Tunnel. Geddy Lee's (of Rush) "My Favorite Headache" took me to Raton then we had an extended fresh air stop as we were early but departed on time as I prepared for a needed nap. After a restful and relaxing sleep, I woke up in the exact place as yesterday on the eastbound journey then went to the lounge for a chocolate chip cookie from Shirley Robinson, the fantastic Lead Service Attendant in the lounge. Sitting upstairs, I met Duncan from England on his way to Flagstaff for a driving tour to Denver. I pointed out Starvation Peak and told the story of its name. We also enjoyed the "S" curve and the crossing of the rain-swollen Pecos River, then returned to my room for the climb to Glorieta Pass.

I returned to the lounge car with Duncan for the descent to Canyoncito, where we met Train 4, the eastbound Southwest Chief, and Apache Canyon but was back in the room at Lamy for Yes' "Live at the House of Blues" as we departed on time and dining car steward Ken Levinson gave me a 5:00 PM dinner reservation.

We ran extremely fast to Albuquerque and arrived into town at 3:30 PM, twenty-five minutes early and would be here until 4:45 PM. The El Amigo Catering Inc. trailer which has been serving Amtrak passengers for 18 years is known for their famous homemade burritos and expanded to include souvenirs. I bought a $5 Indian blanket for one of my teachers at McArthur Intermediate. Cheryl's Bus was not here this time. Since it was 98 degrees, the shade of the bridge was most welcome as a place to enjoy a cool southern breeze.

We departed a few minutes late at 4:49 PM as our outbound crew was late arriving to our train and I went to the dining car for my 5:00 PM dinner reservation off Menu 2. I was joined by Marti, with her grandson Conner, going to Chico via the San Joaquin Route. Dorothy was my server and I again chose a New York Strip along with my usual dessert. Diane, going to Flagstaff then onto Phoenix, joined us at 5:30 PM and good conversations were had across the aisle with Canadian train riding and the North American Rail Pass discussed. I was back in my room by West Baca and returned to the second CD of Yes. Our train arrived at Gallup on time and I used the station time to have a shower. Since the sun was coming into my room brightly, I rode backwards and put on Richie Blackmore's Rainbow "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" as we rolled west into Arizona.





The moon was rising in the east at Pinta.





The Southwest Chief rolled into the Arizona sunset and I visited with Shirley as she was eating her dinner in the dining car and we caught up on various items, then at Winslow, I made up my bad and called it a night.

5/23/2005 Up at 4:50 AM for the 5:00 AM breakfast serving with a last call at San Bernardino, I was seated as the train was still climbing the north flank of Cajon Pass as night was still in total control. We crested Summit and started downgrade as dawn had just began to take hold. I enjoyed my French Toast and bacon, along with conversation with Richard and Elaine prior to our pre-dawn arrival at San Bernardino. Jethro Tull's "Under Wraps" was my first musical choice of the morning as we stopped at Riverside and the sun rose though a hazy sky as we started our run to Fullerton. We ran into the low clouds as we proceeded through Santa Ana Canyon. More Tull was enjoyed as I listened to "Broadsword and the Beast" then we departed Fullerton at 6:51 AM {6:34 AM} and made our final sprint to LAUPT, arriving there at 7:21 AM, fifty-four minutes early. A special thank you to all my onboard Amtrak staff and train crews for an excellent trip and making it a big success. I love early-arriving trains!

Metrolink 600 5/23/2005

I missed a connection to Pacific Surfliner 564 by a minute as it started to leave as we arrived but knew of another option, Metrolink 600, to get me home instead of waiting for Pacific Surfliner 566. I walked over to the ticketing machine at the south end of the platform and bought a one-way ticket to Santa Ana and saw Conductor Richard Albitre before walking to the first coach. This Metrolink train had MP36 871, coaches 130, 103, 167 and 147 with cab car 635. REO Speedwagon's "A Decade of Rock n Roll" was my final musical selection for this trip and we departed on time and made quick work of the miles. This Metrolink train stopped in Norwalk, Fullerton, Anaheim, Orange and my stop in Santa Ana, where we arrived on time, ending another excellent and completely relaxing on-time rail adventure.



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