During our layover, I bought an ice cream bar and photographed the California Zephyr beside a BNSF power set.
Looking down upon the train from the balcony.
Union Pacific SD40-2 3657 was then added to the point of our train.
Across the street, Denver and Rio Grande Western narrow gauge box car 3001, built by American Car and Foundry in 1904, is on display. It was really hot outside so I returned to the train, had a nap and arose after De Beque Canyon then listened to Yes' "Open Your Eyes".
On the way to Glenwood Springs west of Grand Valley siding. Just before Glenwood Springs, we paused to let the westbound California Zephyr pass on its way to California before we arrived at the station for a fresh air break.
The eastbound California Zephyr.
Glenwood Springs station built in 1904.
The hotel and complex across the Colorado River and Interstate 70. We departed at 4:12 PM {1:15 PM}.
We ran through Glenwood Canyon and I watched Queensryche's "Video Mind Crime" which took me from Glenwood Canyon to Dotsero and on to Red Rock Canyon, where I called in for dinner.
Our passage through Red Rock Canyon.
Scenes on the Dotsero Cutoff along the Colorado River.
The Union Pacific locomotive leading the our train.
.
Passing interesting rock strata.
I had the flat iron steak and vanilla ice cream as the waited by this rapid (Bond on the railroad) for a Union Pacific freight train. Coincidentally, I ate a whole meal stopped at this same location on the Desert Wind years ago.
Our train was still paralleling the Colorado River.
Passing through Little Gore Canyon.
Nearing Azure.
It looked as though Gore Canyon would mostly be in the shadows this time.
Our passage through Gore Canyon.
We continued to run along the Colorado River.
Colorful Colorado!
Our trip through Byers Canyon, after which we proceeded to Granby and Winter Park. In the last twilight of this day, we entered the Moffat Tunnel for twelve minutes of darkness. Exiting at East Portal, there was only a little light left and it quickly turned into blackness. The trip down the Front Range would be in darkness until the Big Ten curve, where the lights of the Denver area could be seen way out on the plains. We made our way through North Yard before our train was wyed and reversed into Denver Union Station, arriving there at 10:08 PM {7:43 PM}.
I detrained for some well-deserved fresh air and saw Union Pacific 3657 taken off and Amtrak P24DC 65 added to the point. In addition, Denver-to-Chicago sleeper 32051 was added to the rear. We departed at 11:04 PM {8:10 PM} and the train headed east across the plains so I made up my room and called it a night.
8/13/2008 A public address announcement about the dining car being open awoke me and minutes later a tired Chris was at a table seated with a couple from outside of Cleveland and a woman from Wisconsin. I had French Toast and sausage patties, along with some very interesting breakfast conversations. Back in my room, I watched the passing Nebraska countryside turn into the city of Lincoln.
The Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln before we arrived for an extended fresh air break.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4-6-0 710 built by predecessor Burlington and Missouri River Railroad in 1901 as number 40. It was renumbered 3687 in 1903 and then 710 when the B&MR was merged into the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in 1904. In 1951, it was renumbered 919.
Box cars painted in the pre-merger railroad colors that made up the Burlington Northern system.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy caboose 13614 built by International Car in the 1960s, painted as Lincoln Station Burlington Northern 10200.
A look down the line of cars. We departed Lincoln at 8:58 AM {4:47 AM} and made our way to Omaha.
Passing through typical Nebraska countryside.
Later we crossed the Platte River.
At Linoma, we passed the town's lighthouse before descending to Omaha's Amtrak station, our next fresh air stop.
The California Zephyr at Omaha.
The former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy station built in 1879.
The Union Pacific station, built in 1931, houses the Durham Museum. We departed at 10:17 AM {6:14 AM} and I listened to Jon Anderson of Yes "Latin America 1993".
About twenty minutes later, we crossed the Platte River for the second and last time today before turning east.
Our crossing of the Missouri River which brought us into Iowa. After a few miles, we stopped next to an eastbound BNSF coal train and after we had sat for fifty minutes, the conductor announced that the two coal trains ahead of us had serious problems with their engine's computer and that BNSF management was on the scene. The best guess was that once we could move, we would follow coal train 2 ahead of us to the next siding then get around train 1, the cause of all this, on double track. Train 3 next to us would follow us east. Another fifty minutes of delay or more was expected.
I listened to Rush's "Snakes and Arrows" and wonderedr why I kept on travelling on Amtrak? See America! Right now I had a view of coal car COLX 6098 and I must say I was curious as to what is on the other side. Is some young lady out in her yard sunning herself? I would never know. I almost always say "Every Trip is an Adventure!" but there are times when I wonder why I put myself through this. I guess I was tired and a little bored by this long delay. At 12:58 PM we started moving again after a two-hour hindrance.
More of the fantastic western Iowa scenery. I then watched Queen's "Queen on Fire, Live at the Bowl" which put me in a much better mood and we stopped at Creston then Osceola.
Corn fields is what Iowa is known for.
Albia, Iowa, which was to be our destination for Saturday's rare mileage trip that I would be part of. Later the train arrived at Ottumwa, our next fresh air break. At 5:00 PM, a free meal of beef stew was given to the coach passengers and the sleeping car ones were asked to wait. The train stopped at Mount Pleasant then ran east to Burlington.
More corn in the fields.
There was even a house and silo in this particular field. At West Burlington, we had to wait for Train 5, the westbound California Zephyr, and an eastbound BNSF freight to cross the river before we could enter station. For dinner, I had a steak that came with rice but no dessert was offered and during this time, we did not move but finally resumed its journey to Burlington, our last stop in Iowa.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4-6-2 3003 built by Baldwin in 1930. Donated by the railroad in 1961, it is on display just north of the Amtrak depot and was refurbished and rededicated in 1991. We departed but did not go far because another westbound BNSF coal train had a problem climbing the hill west of here and was blocking our exiting the Hawkeye State. Eventually, at 7:20 PM, we started moving again.
Crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois.
After entering the state, we passed through the area that had been washed out in late June, which shut down this route for about a week until BNSF could make repairs.
A glorious cumulonimbus cloud in the last light of day. We proceeded to Galesburg while I watched Alice Cooper's "Live at Montreaux" and took a break during the last brief fresh air stop of this trip.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy caboose 13593 built by International Car in 1964 on display at Princeton before we departed for Naperville. After that stop, the California Zephyr made its way to Chicago Union Station, arriving there at 11:18 PM {3:50 PM}, ending a very long but interesting trip aboard Amtrak's Train 6.
Chicago 8/13/2008I taxied to the ChinaTown Hotel SRO LTD about two miles from Union Station for the night.
8/14/2008 After a good night's sleep, I checked out and walked to the CTA Orange Line station and took it one stop to Roosevelt Road, where I mistakenly detrained, thereby making my walk back to Union Station much longer but I was rewarded with an extra picture.
Dearborn Station used by the Santa Fe Railway and other railroads before Amtrak was formed in 1971. I made my way to Chicago Union Station, stored my luggage in the Metropolitan Lounge and went to MacDonald's for breakfast.
There was a fountain across from the ticket counter. Later I bought a pair of char dogs which I brought back to the lounge and retrieved my luggage then found that the lounge now has fast wireless Internet. I worked on the story and relaxed the rest of the time until I boarded the Southwest Chief for La Plata.
Southwest Chief 8/14/2008I boarded coach and the journey took over five hours as we were first stuck at Cameron, trying to get onto the former Santa Fe, then a barge at the Mississippi River in Fort Madison. I called the Depot Inn & Suites from there I detrained back at La Plata about half an hour late. The hotel's van picked me up and I was in the sauna tub in the Pullman Suite ten minutes after entering the room. It was certainly great to be back in La Plata!
