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The Journey Home from the 2006 NRHS Convention via Altoona 7/23/2006 to 7/26/2006

Chris Parker arose and left just before 5:00 AM for the Pittsburgh Airport bus and his 8:30 AM flight to Los Angeles and home. I slept in, getting out of bed at 8:00 AM, had my last breakfast at the Knights Inn and paid the bill. At 9:00 AM, I left the room and walked across the street to the Holiday Inn for the bus to the Amtrak station in Pittsburgh. At 9:05 AM, the bus arrived and we loaded all the luggage under the bus: one bin for Amtrak and the other for the airport. At 9:30 AM, the bus departed and drove US 250 east to US 22 east near Cadiz.

East of Steubenville, we crossed the Ohio River into West Virginia.

A railroad bridge parallels the highway bridge. About six miles of West Virginia took us in to Pennsylvania and we took Pennsylvania Highway 60 north to the airport; this route was exactly the same one I suggested Chris take. We did it in one hour and forty-two minutes. After dropping off three of our passengers at the airport, we made our way to Amtrak's Penn Station via Pennsylvania 60 south towards downtown.

We passed under a trestle labelled "Norfolk and Western Railway Company". Next we dropped down the hill and went through the Fort Pitt Tunnel.

After exiting the tunnel, downtown Pittsburgh appeared as we crossed the Monongahela River and we arrived at a gate at the rear of the Amtrak station at 11:44 AM. Our bus host and driver went to find someone to open the gate and about ten minutes later, the Amtrak agent did so and I helped unload the luggage. The agent said we could wait at the end of the platform for the Pennsylvanian to load after 1:00 PM so I decided to explore.

Amtrak sleeper-lounge-observation "Eaton" PPCX 800174, ex. Illinois Central Gulf instruction car 15, exx. Illinois Central instruction car 15, exxx. Illinois Central parlour-observation 3310 "Mark Beaubien", nee Illinois Central coach 2189 built by Pullman Company in 1916. After World War II, the Illinois Central sought to modernize its trains and modified the car at Burnside Shops into a parlor-drawing room car for use on The Daylight, a fast train from Chicago to St. Louis. At that time the car was named "Mark Beaubien" and numbered 3310. Mark Beaubien was one of the founders of the City of Chicago and ran the well-known Sauganash Tavern. He owned the land under what is now the Chicago Loop.

After serving on The Daylight and other fine Illinois Central trains including the Panama Limited, the car was withdrawn from service in 1970 and converted to a classroom car for training Illinois Central employees. It was sold into private ownership in 1986 and remodelled into its current configuration of one master room (with shower), two double bedrooms, kitchen and lounge-observation. In a 1952 upgrade program, the car received new, premium trucks which give the car the best possible ride quality at speeds up to 110 mph.

Ohio Central business car "Sugar Creek" PPCX 800003, ex. Hocking Valley Scenic/McDonald's Special 11 "Dutchess Lynn", exx. private car Car Eleven, nee Missouri Pacific 11 built by American Car and Foundry in 1925.

The private cars on the right and my Pennsylvanian for Altoona on the left. I talked with several of our convention passengers before we boarded the train after our crew arrived.

As I boarded, I informed both crew members that I was making the "Altoona Turn" so they would be aware. This long-distance Amfleet train had P42DC 129, coaches 82091, 25106, 25102, 25050 and café/business class car 48120. I chose a seat in the 25050 which still had its television monitors in the luggage racks. The purpose of this round trip was to relax and ride around Horseshoe Curve both ways again after visiting it on the ground several days ago. I read an Arrive Magazine, Amtrak's Northeast Corridor publication, before our on-time departure at 1:20 PM.

On the way out of Pittsburgh, we passed the large US Steel plant and I enjoyed some chicken wings for lunch as we rolled east to Greensburg then the crew informed me that the westbound was already twenty minutes late leaving Harrisburg. We stopped at Latrobe to detrain five passengers and boarded seven more at this flag stop. I really enjoyed our fast eastbound trip up the curvy former Pennsylvania Railroad mainline.

After we left Johnstown, I spotted the Incline there. After that, my train climbed the western flank of the Alleghenies and we passed through Cresson and at MO Tower, I passed the 942,000.0 rail mileage mark. We took Track 1 through Gallitzin so I missed going by the Tunnel Inn then we passed through the South Allegheny tunnel before starting down the eastern flank and a few minutes later, rounded Horseshoe Curve.

After that, the train made its way down to Altoona and we had to do a double stop as they brought the train in on the wrong track. I detrained and put my bags on the platform to wait for my westbound train.

After the eastbound Pennsylvanian left for New York City, I settled in to wait.

A westbound freight came by as my previous train was waiting so I could only photograph the helpers.

Norfolk Southern box car 658265 with "Railroaders Memorial Museum Horseshoe Curve Bridging the Gap for 150 Years" was on display.

Also on display was Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 4913 built by the railroad in 1942. This was one of 139 such locomotives built for the PRR's 11,000 volt electrified New York, Washington and Harrisburg routes, the busiest lines in the United States. 4913 saw many miles pulling the Pennsy's famous "Congressional" passenger train. The GG-1 type, first built in 1934, could handle 20 passenger cars at speeds up to 100 mph and is one of the most successful electric locomotive designs in the world. Some GG-1's worked in first-line assignments for nearly 50 years. No. 4913, weighing in at 237 tons, was retired in 1980 and is one of only five GG-1s to be originally painted in PRR Tuscan Red with five gold stripes.

My bags waiting for their ride to Pittsburgh to arrive. I walked over the Expressway into the station just as another westbound blasted by the platform. After adding Altoona to the station interiors that I have visited, I returned to the platform as our train becamet later and later.

A westbound Norfolk Southern stack train came through with helpers on the rear.

That train was followed by another westbound Norfolk Southern.

Then there was an eastbound Norfolk Southern train that rolled through.

Pennsylvania Railroad observation car "Mountain View" built by Pullman-Standard for the 1949 Broadway Limited, the railroad's premier train and one of two blunt-end observation cars used on both sections of the Broadway Limited. It was retired in 1967 when it was taken out of revenue service then in the 1980's, was restored by a private owner and was acquired by the Museum in 2006 with the help of Bennett and Eric Levin of the Juniata Terminal Company in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania Railroad D78F dining car 4468 1950, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 4462, built by the railroad in 1910.

An eastbound Norfolk Southern Triple Crown Roadrailer train went through next.

The single truck between each trailer. The station agent then made an announcement of the train's estimated time of arrival of 6:30 PM and I went back across to the station to find out why. It turned out that one track near Lewistown was out of service for track work and the open track had a freight train break down on it. This was good news for me for two reasons. One, it cut down my waiting time in Pittsburgh and two, it allowed me to take multiple photographs in Altoona instead of what should have been a less-than-twenty-minute wait.

While I continued to wait, an eastbound helper set returned to Altoona.

That was followed by another Norfolk Southern stack train rolling east.

The eastbound met a local that would turn off the mainline just west of the station.

The local pulled by the station with Norfolk Southern GP38-3 5813.

A green signal meant our train might be on the approach. Around a curve a headlight appeared and my westbound train arrived and my stay here was over.

The westbound train arrived at 6:30 PM {4:06 PM}. There would be no picture of the Horseshoe Curve westbound as we were on Track 3 and had a triple meet with two eastbounds on the curve on Tracks 1 and 2. Being on Track 3 was good news as I was able to travel both routes through Gallitzin and would pass the Tunnel Inn. Between the curve and tunnel, two more eastbounds had gone by and when we reached the Tunnel Inn, no one was out to look at our train, which consisted of P42DC 42, coaches 21211, 25040, 25060 and 26020 with café/business 48154. I acquired the consist while walking through the train to get a hot dog for dinner.

I then just sat back and relaxed while listening to Dio's "Greatest Hits" which started my musical journey home. We arrived at Pittsburgh at 8:56 PM {7:05 PM} and I was in no hurry to detrain as I had plenty of time before my next train.

The Pennsylvanian after I detrained. I then called Chris Parker to see if he arrived home safely but left a message and met Rolf from Santa Cruz, who was taking the California Zephyr from Chicago tomorrow. He had an adventure when he came to the NRHS convention since his California Zephyr was four hours late arriving in Chicago so he had to take a Greyhound bus to Pittsburgh, a trip from Hell, but made it to the NRHS bus for the convention. We chatted in the station before we went up to the platform to wait for our train to Chicago to arrive.

The Capitol Limited arrived and I made my way through the crowd to Sleeping Car 32025 where I was met by Nathan Bryan, my sleeping car attendant and I had Room 5. I returned outside to get the rest of the consist, which was P42DC 179 and 190, baggage 1221, transition 39016, sleepers 32025 and 32029, diner 38016, lounge 33011, coaches 34097, 34000 and 34072. Nathan had already made up my room and in the correct sleeping direction. At that point, after we departed ten minutes late, a tired Chris called it a night.

7/24/2006 I was awakened at 6:15 AM EDT on July 24th with an announcement of breakfast in the dining car and was seated with Ray and Bob, both Catholic Priests. I had French Toast and sausage patties as the train ran west this early morning.

I had awoken to a view of scenic Indiana in the early morning light. Poison's "The Best of Poison" started my musical day.

We passed a graveyard east of Maple City, Indiana before freight train congestion stopped us before Elkhart.

We arrived at Elkhart and then proceeded west to South Bend.

The South Bend platform was originally shared with the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend line before the railroad was relocated to South Bend Airport station. Back on the move and now on Central Time, it was Metallica's "Master of Puppets" that would take me most of the way to Chicago.

Passing the Indiana Dunes State Park.

Switchers performing their duties this morning at the steel mills.

One could see Lake Michigan along the industrial landscape. We stopped due to Union Pacific 5011 East.

After yet another stop, we crossed beneath the Stevenson Expressway (Interstate 55) and the CTA Orange Line.

A few minutes later the train crossed the Chicago River before being wyed.

Amtrak locomotives await their next assignments.

The Chicago skyline.

Reversing into Union Station and arriving at 9:53 AM {8:30 AM}, ended this segment of my train home.

I was first off and first into the Metropolitan Lounge where I checked my bags in for my layover then walked down the north platforms of Union Station to Madison Street and made my way quickly to the Ogilive Transportation Center. There I bought a round trip ticket on Metra's West Line to Elburn, as from Geneva to Elburn would be new mileage but stopped at Auntie Anne's for a pretzel before walking out to the train.

The train before I boarded. We departed on time as I relaxed as far as Geneva. After departing there, we proceeded to La Fox, passing plenty of new homes and a large Baptist Church, before crossing a huge corn field then stopped at La Fox before continuing across the rolling countryside, passing a stopped eastbound Union Pacific coal train. Before Elburn, we passed the new overnight layover facility for Metra trains on this line and moments later, arrived at the new station at Elburn where I detrained for a few pictures.

The westbound train after it had arrived.

Waiting to depart eastbound for Chicago.

The Elburn station area was still under construction. I reboarded the train for the ride back to Chicago.

Right on time, we departed for Chicago.

Passing the corn fields between Elburn and La Fox. These former Chicago and North Western bi-level commuter cars have tinted windows.

We crossed the Fox River after our Geneva stop and I did a few Major League Sudoku puzzles which made the return trip go by faster. We arrived in Chicago and I walked back to Union Station then went upstairs to Gold Coast for the usual Char Dogs before reclaiming and waiting in the Metropolitan Lounge for my penultimate train home. The Red Cap offered me a ride out to my sleeping car and when I saw the train, it looked very familiar from earlier this morning.

The consist of this train was P42DC 22, 179 and 190, baggage 1221, transition 39016, sleepers 32025 and 32029, diner 38016, lounge 33011, coaches 34097, 34000 and 34072 and Expresstrak 74067, 74070, 74100 and 74102. This was the same train as the Capitol Limited, except P42DC 22 and the Expresstrak cars were new. The other new item was that I was riding in downstairs Room 13 of Sleeper 32025 with Richard Ruiz as my sleeping car attendant. I put on Motley Crue's "20th Century Masters" before we departed on time then before Aurora, I switched to Guns N' Roses' "Appetite for Destruction". Near MP 46, we stopped then reversed through the crossover at MP 45.76. After the switch was thrown, we were now on the south track due to a local on the north track.

A field in Illinois. I heard a familiar voice over the public address system and when I went to the lounge car, I found Shirley Robinson, who was the excellent lead service attendant there. I received a 5:45 PM dinner reservation but this crew was calling people in by name and since someone else had used Chris, I had to be Mr. Guenzler. At 5:55 PM, I went in and was seated with Annette and her daughter Sarah, who had eaten with me going east, and another passenger named Jo. We were all happy to be on our way home. I had pork shanks and chocolate bundt cake then returned to my room.

The train ran along the bottom land as we neared our crossing of the Mississippi River.

We were stopped by a red signal as the drawbridge was up for a river barge. Remember, river traffic always has the right-of-way over trains. Once the bridge closed, we received a green signal and started across.

The Mississippi River looking north.

After we had entered Iowa, we stopped for a fresh air stop at Fort Madison and a crew change. On the move again, I had a nice hot shower before relaxing the rest of the evening.

The Southwest Chief crossed the southeast corner of Iowa then entered Missouri and a tired Chris made up his room and called it a night.

7/25/2006 I awoke at 7:20 AM and discovered my watch had stopped and was dead as a doornail. I went to the dining car and was seated across from a passenger who was definitely in need of a shower or a good hosing. My French Toast was eaten much more quickly than normal in order to get out of there.

West of Garden City, Kansas this early morning.

More of western Kansas before we entered Colorado.

The wind turbine blade in Lamar now blocks the good view of the steam engine that had been on display there for years. "The Eyes of Alice Cooper" started this day off musically and later we arrived into a very hot La Junta at 8:20 AM, where I detrained for some fresh air during our crew change.

My Sleeping Car Attendant Richard Ruiz.

The gang from our sleeping car.

Departing La Junta.

On the way out of La Junta, we passed Santa Fe 2-6-2 1024 built by Burnham, Williams and Company in 1901, and was donated to the city in 1956. My next bit of music was "The Final Temptation of Alice Cooper" as I read the Pueblo Chieftain.

The small hill on the way to Trinidad. Feeling tired I decided to take a nap and slept past Raton.

The view looking west south of Wagon Mound.

Clouds building in the west.

Passing Lone Tree Hill. Cheap Trick's "Live at Budakon" was the next musical selection and afterwards, I walked the train and said hello to a few coach passengers I knew. I read my new "The Buckeye Route - the Ohio Central Story" as I listened to the Scorpions' "Blackout", which took us to Canyoncito where we met the eastbound Southwest Chief.

We dropped through Apache Canyon to Lamy. Prince's "The Hits" took me all the way to hot Albuquerque and on the way there, I obtained a 6:00 PM dinner reservation.

With over an hour to spare at the station, and after taking a picture of our train, I walked to a busy Cold Stone Creamery for a well-deserved ice cream. On the way back, I passed a long line of passengers waiting for the New Mexico Rail Runner to take them home. I knew a train would have to come from their yard so I went past our head end and waited.

The New Mexico Rail Runner came in from its storage area towards the north end of the station where it would load and take people home north of Albuquerque. It was 99 degrees as we prepared to depart on time as I listened to Rob Quist and Jack Gladstone's "Odyssey West". We reached Dalies, with one westbound waiting, an eastbound stopped beyond the junction and another eastbound stopped west of the junction. We took the south track and passed seven more eastbound trains stopped waiting to go to Belen. Since the power had been off in Albuquerque, dinner times were delayed.

East of Grants, New Mexico. As it was now an hour after my dinner time, I asked Richard to bring dinner to my room.

A couple of pre-dinner pictures of the red mesas of New Mexico. We stopped at Thoreau at MP 128 for an eastbound stack train and I ate my dinner in my room during a rain shower enjoying chicken fried steak, which was excellent and a chocolate bundt cake. We next lost Head End Power and I learned it was due to a cable between the baggage car and the transition car, which happened just as I had climbed into the shower, which did not work after the power was restored. I went back to my room and put on Blackmore's Night "The Village Lantern" and by the third song, we were back on the move again and made our stop at Gallup.

A few minutes later, we entered Arizona and soon after I called it a night.

7/26/2006 I awoke before Victorville, dressed and went to the dining car, seated with Graham Blackburn and Edward and Eileen of the Great Rail Journey Group. I enjoyed French Toast and sausage patties.

Sunrise was on the east side of Cajon Pass before I listened to Blackmore's Night "Shadow of the Moon" for the trip down Cajon Pass from Summit to San Bernardino.

Metrolink trains waited at San Bernardino during our last fresh air stop of this trip. The Moody Blues' "Greatest Hits" took me through Riverside and on toward Fullerton.

Passing through Santa Ana Canyon. Since I was going to miss a good connection with a Pacific Surfliner in Los Angeles, I decided to detrain at Fullerton in order to be home sooner and the Southwest Chief arrived there at 8:05 AM {6:24 AM}.

I crossed over the bridge to Track 2 on the south side and found the phone did not work so re-crossed to Track 1, used the phone then bought a Metrolink ticket before crossing that bridge for the third time this morning, and waited for Metrolink 800 which arrived five minutes early. We stopped at Anaheim and Orange prior to reaching Santa Ana, from where I had started this whole incredible rail experience.

One last picture before my mother picked me up and we went to Main Photo to drop off the film before going home, ending a great trip. I love it when a plan comes together.

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