4/19/2006 This day began with a wake-up call and I re-packed before checking out and walked the four blocks to Penn Station and went straight to Club Acela.
Interior views of Club Acela. I relaxed with a cinnamon roll and orange juice then walked across the street to the Post Office to mail a pair of postcards.
On my way back to Penn Station, a typical New York scene with taxi cabs hurrying about during rush hour. Back inside, I picked up some New Jersey Transit timetables then went downstairs to the Long Island Railroad for a set of their timetables before returning to Club Acela, watching the Today Show and relaxing until 9:11 AM, when the call was made for passengers for Train 51.
Amtrak Cardinal 51Since I was not pre-boarded, I had to go down the escalator with all the other passengers. My sleeping car was at the end of the train and we came down by the front coach, so I made note of the consist on my way. We had Amtrak electric HHP-8 664, coaches 25034, 25101 and 25094, Horizon dinette 53509 and Viewliner sleeper 62030 "Patriot View". I met my sleeping car attendant, M. Evans, and stored my bags in the room.
I walked down the platform for a picture of the train then back in the room, I was the lone passenger in the car when we departed New York on-time and set up my room.
My Viewliner sleeper. I went back to the rear door to take pictures but had to content with dirty windows.
As we departed Penn Station, we passed a Long Island train switching over to the next track.
The train exited the Hudson River Tunnel into New Jersey.
We ran through the Seacaucus station in the New Jersey Meadowlands, which was built as a transfer station between the New York and Hoboken rail lines.
Our train flew by Hudson as we made our way to Newark. From there, I just relaxed as the train sped down the Northeast Corridor and later, through Princeton Junction, before we paused briefly at Trenton for some unknown reason, then made our way to Philadelphia.
We crossed the Schuylkill River from the low route just before Zoo Tower before arriving at 30th Street Station.
After departing 30th Street Station, we ran to our next stop at Wilmington.
Next we crossed the Susquehanna River at Havre de Grace and I went to the dinette for lunch but because of the cheese on all of the sandwiches, I could not eat anything from the lunch menu. When I suggested something from the café menu, the attendant agreed to give it to me and I received chicken wings, potato chips and a Mug Root Beer.
I dressed up my plate and it turned out to be an excellent meal. Travelling at 125 miles per hour during the meal really enhanced the dinette experience. I showed the picture to the attendant who said if she prepared this meal again, she would set it up in the same manner. I walked out a happy and satisfied passenger as we neared Baltimore.
Exiting from the first Baltimore Tunnel before arriving at Penn Station Baltimore.
Leaving Baltimore, we went through the third and fourth tunnels.
Just before Bowie, Maryland, we passed the noon Acela Express 2164 bound for Boston, before we making our way to Washington Union Station.
Here, HHP-8 664 was removed and replaced by P42DC 134.
While I was enjoying the fresh air, a Virginia Rail Express train for Fredericksburg, with former Chicago Metra bilevel cars, came and went.
AEM7 934 looked too good not to photograph. We departed on time and entered the Capitol Tunnel.
A few minutes later, we exited into a beautiful clear spring afternoon.
The last of the planned pictures for this trip was when we crossed the Potomac River into Virginia. Fortunately a CSX freight that had been on the bridge cleared in time and I was then able to sit back and relax since I had documented this route in my "A Return to the New River Gorge" story in March 2005. A travel tip: this route is best taken eastbound when the light is perfect in the New River Gorge. Westbound you do not get to the Gorge until after dark.
I listened on Yes' "The Endless Dream" as we arrived at Alexandria, Virginia then south of here, spring had come with the trees showing their new leaves as we made our way down the Norfolk Southern to Manassas and Culpepper. I met Ronald Dick, Vice-President of the Coastal Region of the National Railway Historical Society, and his wife, on their way to their spring conference in Indianapolis. We reached Orange, leaving the Norfolk Southern for the Buckingham Branch Railroad that took us to the CSX mainline, which CSX leased to the Buckingham Branch Railroad. We took that to Gordonsville and once back on the CSX mainline, we picked up speed to Charlottesville, where we enjoyed a fresh air break.
The Cardinal at Charlottesville. The station serves both the Crescent on the Norfolk Southern and the Cardinal on CSX.
Our train crossed the former Southern mainline (Norfolk Southern) with the Charlottesville station behind. My next musical selection was Led Zeppelin's "How the West was Won".
Control Point EE Ivy, where we held the mainline for the on-time eastbound Cardinal.
The Staunton station on this nice sunny Virginia afternoon. At 5:00 PM, the steward took my dinner order and I would eat at 5:30, being seated with Nancy and Eddie, going to Wenatchee, Washington.
We all selected the braised beef which was good and had a key lime pie for dessert, which I enjoyed as we left Clifton Forge. It was a beautiful evening as the Cardinal climbed the east slope of the Alleghenies as we passed through Covington.
The Cardinal entered the first of many tunnels.
Passing Ox Cabin, climbing higher on the grade.
More tunnels.
Later the train ran through Lewis Tunnel before Milepost 303.
After the Allegheny Tunnel, we were now in West Virginia.
The White Sulphur Springs station was my last picture since we were losing daylight. I would now relax for the rest of the day and we stopped at Alderson flag stop before passing through the Great Bend Tunnel, prior to reaching Hinton in the twilight.
After going by Sandstone Falls, I made up my bed and just looked out of my darkened room to enjoy as much of the New River Gorge as I could before we were enveloped in total darkness. After that, I called it a night.
4/20/2006 I slept soundly and had a fantastic dream, where I was the new Doctor Who that had to rescue five other Doctor Whos by going back through time in a plot involving the Master, Daleks and Cebermen. It was quite a vivid and clear dream and one that I would not forget for a while. I awoke at Indianapolis and went to the dinette as the Cardinal left this town on time.
I enjoyed French Toast, country ham, orange juice and tea. Rob was my wonderful server for all my meals on the Cardinal.
I enjoyed an Indiana sunrise this morning, showered and sat back to enjoy the vistas of "Scenic Indiana" pass by my window. We stopped at Crawfordsville and Lafayette as I listened to Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now." Styx "Live 2001" took me north to Rensselaer after Monon.
Our train rolled up the former Monon Railroad towards Dyer. Next, the Scorpions' "Live Bites" took me close to Chicago.
We switched onto the former Grand Trunk Western (Canadian National) track and passed a Canadian National freight on the way to our Union Pacific connection at Thornton Junction.
At Thornton Junction, a red signal greeted us because a southbound Union Pacific Railroad stack train was passing.
A look back onto the Canadian National. The Union Pacific kept delaying us for no apparent reason before we transferred to Metra trackage for the final run to Chicago Union Station.
Omnitrax Switching Services GP7 4297, ex. Chicago and North Western 4297, nee Chicago and North Western 1538, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951, switching stack cars before we neared Union Station. Before arriving, we had to stop twice. First, to let the Capitol Limited pass so it could be wyed before it arrived, then, Metra 811 on its way to 179th Street in Orland Park departed and finally, we made our way straight into Union Station, arriving at 10:54 AM {10:40 AM}.
The Cardinal at rest.
ChicagoI checked in at the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge and put my luggage into storage then bought a roundtrip ticket on Metra Train 2215 to Bensenville.
I visited Gold Coast for a pair of char dogs which tasted very good before going to the north platforms to find my train.
Metra 2215
I would have had two options today had we arrived early. One was to ride to the new stations of La Fox and Elburn on the Union Pacific West Line and the other was Metra 811 to Orland Park, but that was one of the trains that held us up outside Union Station. Since neither of those could be done, I chose Bensenville because with an hour layover between trains, I thought I could catch some freight action. Since I had covered this line several times, I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. After the train arrived, I remembered that I had taken a picture of a steam engine on display near the large water tower so decided to try to find it. About a quarter of a mile from the station, there it was.
The whole display train on display.
Chicago Gravel Company 0-6-0 18 1955, ex. East St. Louis Junction Railroad Company 18 1948, nee Studebaker Corporation 1 built by American Locomotive Company in 1922. The engine worked in South Bend, Indiana until 1948 then moved to National City, Illinois and when owned by Chicago Gravel Company, it switched at their quarry in South Elgin. Chicago Gravel cosmetically restored the steam engine after it was retired and donated it to the city of Bensenville in 1961. It was placed on display at Bensenville's Veteran's Park, where it has remained ever since.
Edward David and Eugene G. Hammond started the Chicago Gravel Company in 1889 and began operating a stone crushing plant at gravel pits in 1903. Spurs running from the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad carried the product to the main lines.
Milwaukee Road 14-section sleeper 5746 "Mount St. Helens" built by the railroad in 1947. It was retired in 1967 and converted to work car X-422.
Milwaukee Road caboose 992114 is really Milwaukee Road 02114 built by the railroad in 1951. Satisfied, I walked back to the station to use the phone, but found it broken. A few minutes later, the east crossing gates went down.
CEFX AC4400 1017, which had pulled west with a cut of cars to be dropped off in the yard, was now waiting for a signal to proceed east. While I was waiting for Metra 2236, two units of the Bensenville Police and a Canadian Pacific Railway Police Officer arrived to talk to two people at the west end of the platform.
Metra Train 2217 arrived two minutes before my return train to Chicago was scheduled to arrive.
Metra 2236
I was feeling really tired before my train arrived, so this would be a relaxation trip as well. Franklin Park would have been a better place to watch trains since transfers to other railroads pass through here and the restored Franklin Park Tower is a block away. I returned to Union Station, bought a pair of postcards and returned to the lounge, then called Steve Grande of Trainweb.com to catch up on a few things.
The Metropolitan Lounge.
Southwest Chief 3
The Red Cap gave me a ride out to the train again, so I obtained most of the consist on the way to my sleeping car. We had P42DC's 89, 157 and 80, baggage 1716, transition 39026, sleepers 32032 and 32059, diner 38004, lounge 33012, coaches 34045, 31028 and 34057, along with dead-heading 38040. I was greeted by sleeping car attendant Mary Coleman, who welcomed me to sleeping car 32032 and I made my way to room 5, which I set up for the trip home. We departed Chicago Union Station on time and I received a 5:15 PM dinner reservation and relaxed until then.
Bob (Robert Zunco) from Sullivan, Missouri was across the hall from my room and has a streaming website called railroadradio.com. We went to the dining car and were seated with Margie and Bob, going to Albuquerque.
I had pork shanks for dinner which was excellent.
That meal took us back all the way onto the former Santa Fe tracks. Sleeping car 32032 was having the same odour problem that I had on my trip to New Orleans in 2004 and I wondered if this was the same car? No! That car was 32073 "California".
The Southwest Chief left Illinois, crossing the Mississippi River just east of Fort Madison, our fresh air stop.
I enjoyed the rolling hills of Missouri into the night, made up my bed and called it a day.
4/21/2006 I woke up the next morning just as we arrived at Garden City, Kansas and went to the dining car for breakfast. After playing "which meal ticket is the right one for a sleeping car passenger", I was joined by Diane, going to Lamy, New Mexico and transferring to the shuttle to Santa Fe. I saw one of the Garden City Western engines in the low morning light.
The meal was good, however I was tiring of the same thing every morning. I napped through Lamar, Colorado, but was awakened by three groups of passengers complaining about not getting breakfast right away. We made our way to La Junta, where we arrived at 8:00 AM and detrained, walking to Love's for some snacks and postcards, but they no longer carried the latter. I also wanted a USA Today, so walked all the way to Safeway, but had no luck. Maybe Albuquerque would have some left. We departed on time but met BNSF 776 at Timpas on the way to Trinidad then climbed up and over Raton Pass, then to Raton itself, which was a fresh air stop.
Between Springer and Wagon Mound, the last semaphore signals on this route. As I travelled this early afternoon, I noticed plenty of antelope running about as I was making plans to complete the remaining New Jersey Transit lines on a future trip back there.
We made our way to Las Vegas, New Mexico after stopping at Milepost 759 to receive additional track warrants.
One of the more unique aspects of this trip was that our sleeping car attendant, Mary, had an area full of little candies which she kept stocked at all times, complete with a teddy bear which dispensed them. The train climbed Glorieta Pass, descended through Apache Canyon, met the eastbound Southwest Chief at Canyoncito, then arrived at Lamy. I received a 5:15 PM dinner reservation before the Southwest Chief made the final sprint into Albuquerque, arriving there at 3:37 PM {3:55 PM}. On the platform, I was met by Randy and his wife Marie. Randy has ridden with me on several Milwaukee Road 261 excursions and most recently, on the Feather River Express last month. They drove me up and over the bridge so I could get some pictures of the future New Mexico Rail Runner commuter equipment.
Parked in the yard was Rail Runner MP36 103 and trainset, and Railrunner MP36 102 and trainset. I walked back over the bridge before stopping at the Greyhound station for some postcards then returned to the train to ask what happened to Cheryl's Bus that had always been here before, but had been absent on my last few trips. I learned that she had retired from the business, which was a pity as she always took good care of me anytime I came through Albuquerque. Our engineer then asked me how many more miles until I reached the million mile mark, to which I responded about a year or 18 months, God willing. We departed on time and eighteen minutes later, crossed the Rio Grande River. At 5:15 PM, we went to the dining car with Bob and was seated with Steve and Susie, on their way to Flagstaff.
I enjoyed the pork shank with the chocolate bundt cake, which took us west to Grants. I showered, which completely relaxed me as I listened to the Rolling Stones before calling it a night in Arizona.
4/22/2006 I was already wide awake when we arrived in Victorville on time then went to an almost-empty lounge car for our pre-dawn trip over Cajon Pass. At 5:00 AM, as we passed Keenbrook, I went to the dining car for my final meal of this trip and Charles and Mary from Winslow joined Bob and I for this morning's meal.
I had my last French Toast and sausage patties.
Bob had a Quiche Lorraine. While we ate, the train stopped at San Bernardino and Riverside then we made our way through Corona, Santa Ana Canyon and to Fullerton on time before the final sprint into Los Angeles Union Station, as I gave Bob the railfan's tour of the route. We arrived at 7:06 AM, which was one hour and nine minutes ahead of its scheduled 8:15 arrival. What a trip it had been! I walked over to Track 9 to wait for my Pacific Surfliner train home to Santa Ana.
Pacific Surfliner 564
Pacific Surfliner 564 reversed into the station and I boarded. On the platform, I spotted Chris Parker, who was going to San Luis Obispo, and Ken Ruben, who was on hs way to Santa Barbara. Once on the move, I talked with engineer Doug Bussler, who was dead-heading to San Diego this morning to catch a job there. We retraced my morning route to Fullerton, then stopped at Anaheim and Santa Ana, where I detrained. A taxi cab took me home, ending another excellent Amtrak adventure, plus a surprisingly positive experience with Simplified Dining, as well as all the other new routes I had ridden. What a trip!
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