As I waited, train time came and went before it was announced that the mechanical department had not released the train from the yard but once it was released, it would be sent to the station. I called home and learned it was only 51 degrees. The train did arrive and coach passengers were boarded at 5:02 PM and I took Seat 47 in the 34114 coach, also known as the 811 Car. This Empire Builder had P42DCs 131 and 192, baggage 1255, transition 39003, sleepers 32028 and 32001, diner 38034 and coaches 34114 and 34105.
We departed Seattle at 5:33 PM {4:45 PM} for this trip to Chicago then exited the downtown tunnel and made our way along the Seattle waterfront. A Sounder commuter train blew by us on its way to Everett and we would follow it all the way there. The dining car steward never came into the coaches to give out dinner reservations. After our Edmonds stop, I received one for 8:00 PM. At Everett, Donovan going to Whitefish, joined me at my seat. Seven minutes later, Donovan and I were seated with Denise, going to St. Louis. I ordered the flat iron steak and while we waited, the Empire Builder passed through the Cascade Tunnel, the longest railroad tunnel in the United States. Our meals were finished as we passed through Icicle Canyon then at Wenatchee, we took a cold fresh air break.
The fresh air stop at Wenatchee.
The former Great Northern freight house. I did a few more Sudoku puzzles before calling it a night.
12/29/2007 I awoke at Spokane and the westbound Empire Builder arrived before we departed at 2:10 AM {1:15 AM}. Donovan found a seat to himself which allowed me to stretch out across two seats. Public Address announcements woke me up just before we entered Flathead Tunnel, the second longest tunnel in the country. Our train now consisted of P42DCs 167, 131 and 192, baggage 1255, transition 39003, sleepers 32028 and 32001, diner 38034 and coaches 34114 and 34105, lounge 33030, coaches 34116 and 31042 with sleeper 32050 bringing up the rear markers, since the Portland section of the Empire Builder (Train 28) is combined with the Seattle section (Train 27) at Spokane.
I visited the lounge car for a cinnamon roll and a cup of green tea before listening to Queensryche's "Empire".
Great Northern NW-3 181m built by Electro-Motive Division in 1942m on display as we arrived at Whitefish for a fresh air break in the 12 degree morning air.
The Empire Builder at Whitefish.
Winter railroading is having to use a sledgehammer to get inside the baggage car.
The station scene. We departed Whitefish at 8:42 AM {7:46 AM}.
A peak to the north was seen as we passed through Columbia Falls.
A very quiet Going-to-the-Sun Highway looking east at West Glacier. Next we ran along Glacier National Park, paralleling the Middle Fork of the Flathead River through a very beautiful canyon.
The Empire Builder passed through that canyon. Yes's "Talk" was my next musical choice on our beautiful trip across Marias Pass.
The Middle Fork of the Flathead River.
A snow-covered meadow near Nyack.
East of Nyack.
Near Pinnacle, Montana.
The Essex ballast pit.
We passed Essex, Montana where BNSF helpers were waiting for their next duties.
The Izaak Walton Inn, where I have stayed four times.
The Empire Builder stopped at Essex.
Looking out from the Essex snowshed.
Crossing Sheep Creek Trestle, also known as Goat Lick Trestle for the many mountain goats that flock to nearby salt deposits.
Just east of West Java.
Traversing the Java High Bridge at Milepost 1165.4, the 778-foot deck plate girder bridge.
It was a very quiet US Highway 2 as we entered Glacier National Park.
The Empire Builder was running at restricted speed at East Java as the snow fell since it was having to plough out the track so we can get through. There had been no westbound trains at all this morning so we were the first train running east. Back up to track speed, I listened to Duran Duran's "Greatest Hits" as the snow continued to fall.
We came into Marias and the Summit Ridge of the Rocky Mountains came into view, after which we crested Marias Pass.
Descending Marias Pass towards East Glacier.
A snow-covered golf course at East Glacier.
Crossing Two Medicine Bridge east of East Glacier before we proceeding to Browning, our next station stop out on the high plains.
Big Sky Country Montana.
The Cut Bank River. For lunch I had a hot dog, Rolled Gold pretzels and a Mountain Dew then listened to "Odyssey West" by Rob Quist and Jack Gladstone. At Shelby, we passed the station then reversed into it for a fresh air break into some warmer temperatures than earlier this morning so I was wearing my shorts.
The Bear Paw Mountains are a prairie island mountain range located in north-central Montana near the town of Havre. This relatively small mountain range is isolated from the rest of the Rocky Mountains and is surrounded by Montana's vast prairies. They are an important landmark to the Blackfoot and Cree Indians who travelled through this area for many years before European settlers began traveling west across the United States.
At a lonely grain elevator as I listened to Mick Jagger's "Greatest Hits" which took me to Havre and beyond. We were stopped by a dragging equipment detector and the crew suspected ice hanging off the bottom of the train and took care of it.
We were now approaching Havre, our next fresh air stop.
Great Northern 4-8-4 2584 built by Baldwin in 1930. Such Northerns were assigned to the railroad's Montana division working between Williston, North Dakota and Havre, Montana, and the Spokane division for service between Spokane, and Wenatchee, Washington, hauling the Empire Builder and recently inaugurated Minneapolis-to-Seattle Oriental Limited. The S-2s were bumped from the Empire Builder and Oriental Limited in 1949 when the services were dieselised and relegated to secondary passenger and freight trains . During the 1950's, they were all repainted from their original Cascade Green to a more utilitarian black.
2584 was retired from service by the Great Northern in December 1957 and the following year, it was decided to preserve the locomotive for historical purposes. On 15th May 1964, it went on display at its current location.
Back on the warm train, the nice couple sitting behind me had an extension cord and a plug at their seat. Since they offered to share it with me and the family in front of me, I could watch some DVD's so put on Jackie Chan's "Eagle Shadow Fist". We departed at 2:35 PM {1:32 PM} and before long, I received another 8:00 PM dinner reservation, which I hoped would be the last late dinner of this trip.
Cattle grazing on a cold Montana afternoon.
Interesting clouds as we made our way east across Montana. At Savoy, we took the siding for the westbound Empire Builder.
Cows were enjoying the Big Sky Country.
Even eastern Montana has a beauty all its own.
Two frozen ponds before Malta.
After Malta, a partially frozen lake. Next it was back to Disc 2 of "Kissology III".
We passed the frozen Milk River on the way to Glasgow, where darkness took hold before we reached there.
Leaving Glasgow as we proceeded towards Wolf Point. We held the mainline for a westbound BNSF freight then after Wolf Point, we crossed into North Dakota. Twenty minutes before Williston, we were stopped by another westbound BNSF freight then one of our locomotives developed a problem. At 8:00 PM, I was called me into the dining car and seated with Lindsey, going to Chicago before moving to New York City, and Jean and her grandson Gavin, going to Minot. I had a flat iron steak and chocolate ice cream. At Williston, Heather had joined me at my seat on her way to Fargo. We stopped at Stanley before making the final sprint to Minot, where I detarined for a very cold fresh air break. We departed at 11:10 PM and I called it a night.
12/30/2007 A baby crying "No!" woke me up at 2:30 AM as we were on our way to Fargo then stopped at St. Cloud to switch train crews before we the final segment of the journey to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Shoreham Yard, from where the Canadian Pacific 2816 steam trips departed, which gave me me some unique train riding mileage over the years.
Minneapolis Junction is the home of Milwaukee Road 2-8-4 261, which has taken me to many new and exciting places. We arrived at Midway Station at 8:10 AM {7:05 AM} and an extra coach, 31005, was added for passengers going to Chicago from the Twin Cities. Once the power was restored, I resumed watching "Kissology III". We departed at 9:00 AM {7:50 AM}.
The Minnesota Commercial Railway Shops on this very cold windy morning. We proceeded down Short Line Hill to St Paul and coming down the hill brought back memories of Milwaukee Road 261 on July 4th, 2004 over these same tracks.
St. Paul Union Depot, currently a post office.
We started our trip along the Mississippi River this cold morning.
Icicles on the Dayton Bluffs as we headed east.
Lock and Dam 1 looked very different from the day I rode the 2816/261 double-headed steam excursion in September.
Crossing the Mississippi River at Hastings. We threaded our way through Canadian Pacific Railway freight trains at East Hastings then after passing two more freights, arrived at Red Wing and had to do a double spot, which would be a common occurrence on the way to Milwaukee.
The bridge at Red Wing, from where we departed at 10:19 AM.
The frozen Mississippi River at Lake City on our way to Winona and passing beneath the bluffs on the west side of Lake Pepin.
A little wind can prevent the river from freezing, much to the happiness of the little black birds. At Midland, we took the siding for a Canadian Pacific stack train.
The flash flood scene from the 261/2816 trip in September looked beautiful with the snow covering its banks. Our train departed Winona at 11:42 AM {10:11 AM} after the crews switched.
Still running along the Mississippi River.
We crossed the river on the way to our next station stop at La Crosse, Wisconsin and departed at 12:20 PM {10:47 AM}. On the way to Tomah, "Kissology III" finished so I watched Jackie Chan's "Fire Dragon". We passed through the tunnel west of Tunnel City before arriving in Tomah then departed there at 1:03 PM {11:28 AM}. Before Wisconsin Dells, we were stopped by a Canadian Pacific freight train running ahead of us.
Arriving at Wisconsin Dells, which we departed at 1:49 PM {12:09 PM}. Next to watch was Jackie Chan's "The Young Tiger". The Empire Builder's next stop was Portage at 2:07 PM {12:27 PM} and Columbus at 2:42 PM {12:57 PM} before sprinting the remaining miles to Milwaukee, arriving there at 3:42 PM.
Both Empire Builders at Milwaukee at the same time. Mick Jagger's "Greatest Hits" would take me most of the way to Chicago. We departed Milwaukee at 3:53 PM {2:07 PM} and made our way to Glenview, arriving there at 4:59 PM {3:12 PM}. It was now after dark and starting to snow as we made our final sprint to Chicago Union Station, arriving there at 5:22 PM {3:55 PM}, ending an excellent and wintry trip aboard Amtrak's Empire Builder.
Chicago 12/30/2007 I stashed my bags in the Metropolitan Lounge before going upstairs to get a Gold Coast Char Dog, buying a postcard and mailing it before returning to the lounge to wait for my next train of this trip, the City of New Orleans.
