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My Winter Break Trip to the Depot Inn & Suites 12/29/2008 to 1/7/2009

I decided earlier in the year to go back to the Depot Inn & Suites in La Plata, Missouri for my 51st birthday and spend five nights and six days there to relax. It had been an interesting year switching jobs from McFadden Intermediate to Jefferson Elementary School just down Adams Street in Santa Ana.

My Winter Break was three weeks long and I stayed home for a week, riding locally, taking one of my favourite trips, which is Metrolink 602 to San Clemente North Beach then walk the Beach Trail to the San Clemente Pier station where I board Pacific Surfliner 785 for home.

Metrolink 602 leaving for Oceanside.

This time of year yields excellent post-sunset pictures after I enjoy a quick power walk down the Beach Trail to the San Clemente Pier station. Here I waited for Pacific Surfliner 785 to arrive in the dark and take me home. I kept on riding and on the Monday morning of the trip, December 29th, I rode a round trip to Solana Beach, taking a final ride with Conductor Woody Lambert, who was retiring on January 1st, 2009. I want to thank him for the excellent service he has provided to everyone over the years and throughout my years of train riding. I will truly miss Woody in the future and hope he has a most excellent retirement.

I went home and packed for my trip to La Plata. Steve Grande of Trainweb.com would fly to Kansas City Friday morning and Matt Melzer would be making his first trip, arriving on the westbound Southwest Chief on Friday night. I was looking forward to showing him around La Plata. My mother drove me to the Santa Ana station and I carried my luggage over to Track 1 via the elevators.

I boarded the lower level of the Pacific Business Class car and set up my laptop, doing a bit of work and watching half of Quiet Riot DVD. In no time, we were on the Redondo Flyover across the Los Angeles River and I put my laptp away, arriving at LAUPT early, where I walked over to Track 11 to wait for my train to La Plata.

The train reversed with P42DCs 175 and 165, baggage 1733, transition 39021, sleepers 32099 "New Mexico" and 32118 "Wyoming", diner 38064, lounge 33046 and coaches 34027, 34085, 31018 and 31044. I was in "Wyoming" in Room 12 downstairs and received a 7:30 PM dinner reservation then was joined on the platform, first by Ken Ruben and later by Chris Parker, for whom I had an order form for the Bart Jennings Arizona Eastern Trip in early April 2009.

Ken and Chris at LAUPT.

Myself in the doorway of the "Wyoming". The Southwest Chief departed on time and made its way to Fullerton for the first fresh air break of the trip. At 7:30 PM, we were called into the dining car and I was seated with a couple from Newport Beach who own a boat and Terry Fox, from Toronto, who rode the Canadian west and then was on that 25-hour-late Coast Starlight and was heading home via our train, the Lakeshore Limited to Buffalo and the Maple Leaf to Toronto. Terry knew who I was since he posts on the Rail Forum on Trainweb.com.

I had the flat iron steak and chocolate ice cream for dessert while good conversations about trains were had. After dinner, I took fresh air at San Bernardino then watched the rest of the Quiet Riot DVD as the train climbed Cajon Pass on the south track tonight. Feeling tired, I made up my bed and called it a night after Summit.

12/30/2008 I awoke at Flagstaff and soon was in the dining car having French Toast and sausage patties and had been seated with a man going to Albuquerque, a woman going to Raton then the Thruway Bus to Denver and a man going to Kansas City. After breakfast, I went back to my room and went back to bed then re-arose at Gallup, New Mexico and while my room was being made up, went to the lower level of the lounge car and just sat back and watched the views from the window. After an hour, I returned to my room and caught up on this story.

A butte as we neared Dalies.

The Rio Grande River as we made our final approach to Albuquerque, arriving there an hour early at 11:15 AM so I detrained for a picture and some fresh air.

After an extended stay in Albuquerque, we departed on time.

The summit of Glorieta Pass. I then relaxed before walking to the rear door for a picture of one of the remaining semaphore signals along this line. But the window was so dirty I could not take a picture through it. Does Amtrak not have any pride and have all windows clean as VIA Rail does in Canada? I returned to my room for the Guns N' Roses "Use Your Illusion, World Tour-1992 in Tokyo".

Scenes after Las Vegas.

Rolling east along the high plains towards Raton, our next fresh air stop. After Wagon Mound, on watched Richie Blackmore's Rainbow "Live in Munich 1977". It was cool but not cold at Raton and we left there on time and climbed Raton Pass. At 6:00 PM, we were called for dinner and I was seated with a family from Tulsa, enjoying another flat iron steak but with vanilla ice cream this time. We stopped in Trinidad and I returned to my room for a Cheap Trick DVD that I would have to pause at La Junta, our next fresh air stop. It was cold in La Junta, where we departed on time and since I was tired, made up my bed and called it a night.

I awoke at BNSF's Argentine Yard as the train was being refuelled, went to the dining car for a breakfast of French Toast and sausage patties and was seated with a 4th grade school teacher from Mississippi. I finished just as we arrived at Kansas City and detrained for a walk and a picture.

The Southwest Chief at rest in Kansas City. The train departed on time and I watched Blackmore's Nights "Castles and Dreams" which should take me most of the way to La Plata this glorious and clear but very cold morning.

The Southwest Chief crossed the Missouri River on a very beautiful final day of 2008. I watched and relaxed the rest of the way to La Plata where we had an on-time arrival and I finished another excellent eastbound trip on the Southwest Chief as I detrained.

I was picked up and taken to the Depot Inn & Suites and given Room S then down to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point where I accessed the Internet and cleared out my e-mail before reading USA Today as I waited for any freight train action. I then checked the building's walls to see where people had come from who signed the walls. 22 states, the District of Columbia and three countries - Canada, Australia and Holland. I then walked over to the TrainParty.com building and left a Million Mile DVD set for Ray Burns before returning to the lookout point.

On the way back, the lookout point from a different vantage point.

After two-and-a-half hours, a westbound BNSF baretable train finally came through and I returned to the hotel and relaxed then watched "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" with the Director Rob Cohen giving a feature commentary. At 4:00 PM, Amy Cox, the wife of the La Plata Station caretaker, picked me up and drove me to Bob's Show-n-Off Photography shop and I delivered a few more Million Mile DVD sets. Then Bob, Amy and I dove north to Kirksville to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner, after which we stopped at Walmart before they dropped me off at the Depot Inn & Suites. With noisy neighbours, I was moved into Room V for the night and visited with Tom and Kelly Marshall, the hotel's owners, for a while before watching the New York City New Year's celebrations, after which, I called it a night.

I arose, moved back to Room S and took some breakfast in the lobby to go then walked out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point and waited for the train on a 26 degree morning with a strong 25 MPH wind blowing from the south.

The Train Party building and La Plata behind.

An eastbound empty BNSF grain train passed by next.

A westbound BNSF grain train.

The grain train DPU's passed the Southwest Chief that arrived ten minutes early this morning.

The on-time Southwest Chief departing.

A BNSF Z train then came east.

That was followed by a westbound BNSF westbound train, after which I returned to the hotel and watched some of my "WKRP in Cincinnati" from Season One before watching the National Hockey League's Winter Classic as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks. Once that was over, I watched University of South California beat Penn State in the Rose Bowl and took time out and went to the Red Rooster to have a Porterhouse steak for dinner.

In the hallway of the hotel is this Axy Dent cloth bag of the Santa Fe.

I noticed this hanging in the Bank of La Plata. I relaxed the rest of the evening before calling it a night.

I was having breakfast in the lobby when Bob Cox walked in and I quickly finished, grabbed my backpack from Room S and we drove south to Macon, where Bob stopped at Hardee's for his breakfast-to-go. Passing through Callao, I spotted a BNSF train and we doubled back and went into town to find it.

An odd BNSF freight train at Callao. From there we drove straight to Sumner and found where the old Wabash line crossed the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy line.

The old southbound Wabash signal at Sumner.

Former Wabash tracks up to the point where they crossed the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy line.

The old Burlington Northern signpost.

The old Sumner crossing diamonds.

The northbound Wabash signal. We drove west across the bridges to the grade crossing and waited for two-and-a-half hours but had not a single train.

The westbound photo location before we took pictures of the Grand River bridges.

The eastern trestle across the Grand River.

The middle trestle across the Grand River.

The western truss bridge across the Grand River. The two of us then proceeded to Chillicothe, Missouri where we first found the shortline Missouri North Central Railroad, which operates about eight miles of track and is owned by the City of Chillicothe and operated by Motive Rail.

Missouri North Central Railroad GP8, ex. Paduach and Louisville 8316, exx. Chicago Central and Pacific 8194, nee llinois Central 9194, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956 was out at the Industrial Park served by this railroad. From here we drove into downtown Chillicothe.

Missouri North Central Railroad GP7 4485, ex. Chillicothe-Brunswick Rail Maintenance 4485, exx. Chicago and North Western 4485, nee Chicago and North Western 1658 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1953.

The Wabash freighthouse, built circa 1900, now the Wabash Bar.

The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, later Burlington Northern and now BNSF, also ran into Chillicothe.

The Wabash passenger station, built in 1909, is home to the Wabash Barbecue Restaurant.

Chillicothe, MO. Bob and I enjoyed a good lunch in the station and we learnt from a Illinois, Chicago and Eastern track crew that an eastbound train would be arriving in less than an hour so took off south then went west, finding the tracks at Dawn.

Dawn, Missouri with a red signal. Twenty minutes later it turned green and at 2:10 PM, we spotted the headlight and set up for pictures.

This Illinois, Chicago and Eastern freight, really now Canadian Pacific, passed through Dawn. Satisfied, we drove east to Hale.

The small former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy station at Hale is now used as a maintenance base by BNSF. We returned by the bridges and Sumner, but with no trains, continued La PLata via Ethel and Elmer, also with no trains.

Since I did not have a good picture of the Trainweb/TrainParty.com building, I asked to swing by there on the way back to the Depot Inn & Suites then thanked him for an interesting day and returned to Room S and watched two episodes of "WKRP in Cincinnati". I then met Ray Burns and Steve Grande and the three of us walked over to the Red Rooster for dinner.

After dinner, we all drove to the Train Party building and I walked behind to photograph their new sign that faces the tracks. We then drove to the Amtrak station to wait for Matt Melzer to arrive on the Southwest Chief.

Steve took this picture of me by the Amtrak Million Mile display in the La Plata station.

Matt Melzer stepped off the Southwest Chief in La Plata for his first time and Steve and I drove him to the Depot Inn & Suites.

Here Matt was meeting Brock and checking in. I obtained the key to the Amtrak Exhibit and we went with Matt to the Pullman Room and showed him the features before going to the Exhibition of Amtrak History.

Here is Matt by his favorite Coast Starlight display. After he had a good look around, we took him to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point for a night-time view.

Matt signed the wall of the Lookout Point. Everyone who visits here is welcome to sign the wall, but please include the state, district or country you live in. After I redid my signature, we drove north on US 63 to Kirksville to show Matt that city and made sure he saw the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy station there. After giving Matt the grand tour, we returned to La Plata and showed him the rest of the property that would be used for the Silver Rails Resort then returned to the hotel and called it a night.

1/3/2009 I was up early and went out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point but there were no trains in the one-and-half-hours hours I spent so returned to the room and was working on yesterday's part of the story when Matt knocked and I suggested that we walk out to the Lookout Point to see the Southwest Chief.

Another on-time Southwest Chief departing La Plata for Chicago. Steve, Tom and Kelly then picked us up and we all went to the Silver Rails Event Center.

Matt on the stage made from the wood from the bowling alley lanes in Marceline.

The third of the Chris Guenzler Amtrak Million Mile plaques in La Plata is on display here. We then went to Tom Marshall's workshop, where Bob Cox joined us and Tom then gave Matt the driving tour around La Plata. Tom dropped Steve, Matt and I off at the Depot Inn & Suites and we climbed into Steve's van and went to Santa Fe Lake.

Steve and Matt at Santa Fe Lake. Next we headed to South Gifford via the Amish countryside.

Matt at the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy South Gifford station, after which we drove to Marceline, parked then walked down Main Street USA.

We had lunch at Susie's Place.

On display at E.P. Ripley Park is Santa Fe 2-8-0 2546 built by American Locomotive Company in 1911 for Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad and sold to the Santa Fe in 1927.

Matt in front of the Santa Fe 2546.

Steve and Matt in front of the tender.

The Maceline Santa Fe station, built in 1913 and home to the Walt Disney Museum.

An eastbound freight passedd through Marceline.

The DPU's were working hard. Matt thought pictures should be taken of me so on the way back to the van, they found the perfect setting.

Me with a Coca-Cola in front of a wall billboard for Coca-Cola. With that we started the drive back to La Plata.

At Callao, when we crossed the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, we saw this signal and I asked Steve to stop as I knew there was a train on the approach.

A westbound BNSF train with solid CSX power. We then drove to the Amish store.

Here is Matt petting that wonderful cat that loved me and I really wanted to take him home but did not. We returned to the Depot Inn & Suites and relaxed for a while. After 6:00 PM, we all met in the lobby and the Marshall's, Cox's, Steve, Matt and I all climbed into Bob's van and drove to the Wooden Nickel in Kirksville for dinner.

After dinner, we walked across the street to the Dukum Inn to see the bar that Tom had built for this establishment. I showed that the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy station to everyone before we returned to La Plata and the hotel for the night.

I walked out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point and listened to Let's Talk Trains, the Internet Radio Show, on their new Blog Talk format. Steve and Matt left this morning to fly back to their homes.

At 9:38 AM, an eastbound BNSF stack train finally came through.

The Southwest Chief came and went and I returned to the hotel in a 25 MPH wind that took the wind chill down to around five degrees so I decided it was a good day to stay inside. Television, laundry and relaxing were the order of the day before I went to the Red Rooster for dinner.

1/5/2009 I arose, took some breakfast and went out for my last visit to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point hoping to see some trains. I called Amtrak and learnt that the Southwest Chief was running about an hour late this morning then checked the Internet and had my breakfast.

First an eastbound BNSF stack train went east.

Later a westbound BNSF grain train surprised me so it was a pair of going-away pictures.

Amtrak's Southwest Chief arrived and with that, I returned to the Depot Inn & Suites with a side trip to Casey's for supplies and finished watching the "WKRP in Cincinnati" episodes before watching a little of Disc 3 of Rush's "Snakes and Arrows Live". The afternoon dragged on as I watched more television then Bob and Amy Cox, along with a friend, went to La Plata for a Mexican dinner and picked me up some KFC on their way back. I watched the "Return of the Sith" on Spike TV then finished packing and was driven to the Amtrak station, ending another excellent stay at the Depot Inn & Suites.

The Southwest Chief arrived with P42DCs 195, 186 and 43, baggage 1714, sleepers 32098 "New Jersey", 32111 "Texas" and 32011, diner 38040, lounge 33032 and coaches 34029, 31046 and 34117. I boarded "Texas", taking Room 6, then walked the train and rode in my darkened room past Marceline, then made my room up for the night and went to bed.

1/6/2009 I arose in very western Kansas and went to the dining car for my breakfast, sitting with a lady from Boston and enjoyed the French Toast with sausage patties. Later we arrived at La Junta on an eighteen degree sunny morning and I detrained for some very fresh air and saw Eugene on his last day of being the Amtrak station agent here. He was off to Albuquerque and then El Paso. We departed on time and proceeded west as I watched Rush's "Snakes and Arrows". We stopped at Trinidad just as Disc 1 was ending and Disc 2 took me across Raton Pass to our next fresh air stop at Raton and beyond.

The former Southern Pacific grade and bridge pillar from the line to York Canyon and French, New Mexico. The Rush DVD lasted until west of Springer where I switched to my Queensryche "Mindcrime at the Moore" set, which took me almost all the way to Canyoncito, where I was given a hot towel. We took the siding there for the eastbound Southwest Chief and I then watched Daylight Productions' "San Diego Steam Special" as we waited. The train paused at Lamy before it arrived in a cold 34 degree afternoon in Albuquerque, forty-five minutes early.

After I made several phone calls, the Southwest Chief departed on time and chased the setting sun west. I played Solitaire until I was called into dinner at 5:45 PM and had a flat iron steak and vanilla ice cream for dessert, after which I watched Aerosmith's "You Gotta Move", which took me almost to Winslow where I made up my bed and called it a night.

1/7/2009 I was woken by crew members talking in the hallway as we descended down Cajon Pass and went to the lounge car for some mini doughnut holes before an early arrival in San Bernardino. The train ran with no delays to Riverside before making the final sprint to Fullerton, arriving there a few minutes late. With a green signal and no sign of Pacific Surfliner 562, I crossed the pedestrian bridge and waited for my train to take me back to Santa Ana, ending another excellent Amtrak adventure and a relaxing trip to the Depot Inn & Suites. I taxied home and had five full days to rest before returning to work at Jefferson Elementary School.

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