[?]

The Long Trip Home Via Chicago and Portland Part 1

Amtrak Train 58, City of New Orleans, arrived in Memphis at 10:30 PM {10:00 PM} with P42DCs 151 and 62, transition 32013, sleeper 32056, diner 37004 and coaches 31031, 34098 and 31308 with private car Sheriff Railcar Cripple Creek PPCX 800138. I boarded 32056, taking Room 2 with Sleeping Car Attendant Danny working the car to Chicago on this New Year's Eve and the remaining minutes of my 50th birthday. We departed Memphis at 10:56 PM {10:40 PM} for points north in the night and I made up my bed and slept the night away.

1/1/2008 Happy New Year 2008! I awoke at 7:30 AM, dressed and proceeded directly to dining car 37004 that had just made its last call. I ordered French Toast and pork sausage patties as the train sped north across the snowy Illinois landscape south of Kanakee. I had another much-needed shower since I would be able to have one until Thursday when I was on the Coast Starlight.

Just before the Homewood station stop, I spotted the Homewood railfan viewing platform. I must say tha ton a day like this, I would prefer the nice, warm and enclosed "Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point" at the Depot Inn & Suites in La Plata, Missouri. I read the New-Gazette, a morning paper from Champaign which had a definite trend towards the University of Illinois Illini in the article on their game with the University of Southern California Trojans back home in the Rose Bowl.

One has great views of Chicago from the St. Charles Air Line.

The bridge on the Air Line as we reversed into Chicago Union Station, arriving there at 9:16 AM {9:00 AM}, ending my first leg of my trip home.

Business car "Cripple Creek", ex. Illinois Central 8, exx. Illinois Central 18, exxx. United States Railroad Administration 4, nee Illinois Central 3 built by Pullman in 1917 on the rear end of the City of New Orleans.

I was off to the Metropolitan Lounge and stored my bags then went for a walk around the station finding most stores closed. Back in the warmth of the lounge, I recharged the camera batteries as I relaxed on the first day of 2008 which was Day 4,731 of my Sobriety. My first musical choice of the year was Ted Nugent's "Full Bluntal Nugity", followed by the Poxy Boggard's "Larger than Life" then Frank Zappa's "Apostrophe". I bought a cinnamon roll and mailed a postcard as I waited for the westbound Empire Builder to board. The conductor took my ticket before boarding commenced and two trains, the California Zephyr and the Texas Eagle, were called first.

At 1:52 PM, they release us from the lounge to board the train and I stored my bags in the coach 2814 {the 34111} and went back outside to record the consist.

Today's Empire Builder had P42DCs 302, 90 and 169, baggage 1248, transition 39011, sleepers 32068 and 32073 "California", diner 38024, coaches 34027, 31019 and 34038, lounge 33048, coaches 34111 and 31013, sleeper 32042 and coach 34101 {dropped at Minneapolis}. From the lounge car back to the rear is the Portland Section of this train.

A Metra train at Chicago Union Station.

The Empire Builder departed Chicago on time and headed out into the afternoon light.

Leaving Downtown Chicago, I listened to Peter Cetera's "Live in Salt Lake City" for this trip home and at Glenview, it was lightly snowing as we made our way to Milwaukee. I was given a 7:00 PM dinner reservation then listened to Aerosmith's "Permanent Vacation".

We departed Milwaukee on time and made our way west across Wisconsin, passing Miller Park, where the Milwaukee Brewers play baseball. The Partridge Family's "Greatest Hits" took me into the night followed by Jethro Tull's "Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull".

The main street in Wisconsin Dells.

In Tomah, Tomah Lumber was lit up. My Two River Junction CD took me to my dinner time which was after La Crosse and our crossing of the Mississippi River into Minnesota. At 7:30 PM, we were called in to the dining car and I ordered the flat iron steak and had chocolate ice cream for dessert. The Empire Builder arrived at Midway Station at 10:23 PM, eight minutes early and I stepped off in my shorts into the near zero degree night and joked about being on a football field before returning to the warmth of the train.

I tried to sleep but a black woman decided she would play her DVD without headphones. When it was pointed out to her that headphones are required, she started swearing and said "I will do whatever I feel like". Her cussing continued but her son finally quietened her down, although she kept watching. At Staples, I told the conductor, who did not do anything about her, so I went to the lounge car and slept on the floor. It was very cold but I did get some sleep.

1/2/2008 I woke up at Devil's Lake and once the lounge opened, I bought a cinnamon roll and an orange juice.

At a five degree Minot, I detrained for a picture of the Empire Builder.

I had the opportunity to see the ground crew thawing out the train. Queensryche's "Empire" started out what I thought would be a long day of white heading west when we departed at 9:10 AM {9:00 AM}.

Between Minot and Stanley, with Keith Emerson's "Hammer it Out" as my next musical choice, the snow began to disappear so it was obviously above freezing. The Empire Builder made a stop west of Stanley at Ross due to sticky brakes on the dining car, but the crew must have fixed the problem as we started rolling west again.

We ran across western North Dakota on the way to Williston.

Great Northern 2-4-2 3059 built by Baldwin in 1911. Originally built as a coal-burner, it was converted to oil in 1949 then retired in December 1957 and donated to the City of Williston in August 1958. It is on display on Front Street East near the Amtrak depot.

The fresh air break here. We departed at 11:30 AM {11:07 AM} and Keith Emerson's "Hammer it Out Part 2" took me into the big Sky State of Montana.

A big bend in the Missouri River on the way to Wolf Point.

Our train was crossing eastern Montana.

We paralleled another bend in the Missouri River.

The Empire Builder stopped at Wolf Point, Montana, where we stayed longer than normal due to mechanical issues with the dining car. West of there, at Oswego we stopped.

The tree that will be known as "Bad News Tree" where it was announced that due to flat wheels, the dining car would have to be set out, which meant no steak dinner tonight. I went to the lounge car to get lunch but they did not have any hot dogs, bratwurst, et ctera. They only stocked two orange juices on this train and I had had one for breakfast, so I had chicken wings, Rolled Gold pretzel, mug root beer and a good chocolate chip cookie.

The views from both sides of our train. The cutting off of a dining car was a first in my over one million miles of train riding. Prince's "The Hits" would get me through most of this delay.

View of the greater Oswego area.

From the dining car forward was cut off from our train to spot the diner on the siding.

The grain elevator.

The crew took the car to the east end of Oswego to cut it off the train before coming back by us and re-connecting our train. We then reversed to the east switch and returned into the siding to spot the dining car on the grain elevator spur so that the BNSF could continue to use the Oswego siding. Our train pushed the dining car into the spur before it reversed onto the siding then once the switch was thrown, we left Oswego, passing the dining car.

My last view of our former dining car. We departed here at 3:43 PM and continued west as I listened to Frank Zappa's "Live at the Roxy".

A mural in Glasgow during our stop there, where we departed at 4:21 PM {12:26 PM}.

A wonderful Montana Big Sky sunset!

A post sunset picture after we departed Malta on the way to Havre and I listened to the Young Dubliners' "With All Due Respect".

The sign that tells the story of Havre.

Station scene.

Great Northern 4-8-4 2584 on display in Havre and decorated for the Christmas season. I went into the station and bought an ice cream bar before the Empire Builder departed at 7:03 PM {3:04 PM} with a new train crew. Ham sandwiches with cheese were distributed to passengers, but since I am allergie to cheese, I could not eat them so just enjoyed a Coca-Cola and would wait to eat well again on the Coast Starlight. John Cougar's "Freedom's Road" took me to Shelby.

The Shelby, Montana fresh air stop. ABBA's "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This!" was the next CD for this evening and I stretched out across the two seats then slept to Whitefish, where my seat mate returned so I went to the lounge car and stretched out on the floor along the window and went to sleep.

1/3/2008 Nearing Spokane, the conductor made sure that everyone in the lounge was going to Portland on that section of the Empire Builder. Those who were not returned to the Seattle section of the train. After the train had been split into its two sections, the Seattle section departed Spokane. The Portland section departed at 5:25 AM {2:48 AM} with P42DC 302, lounge 33048, coaches 34111 and 31013 and sleeper 32042. I slept for another hour before getting up and going downstairs for a cinnamon roll and a cup of Earl Grey tea. My first musical choice of the morning was Blackmore Nights' "Fire at Midnight" on this new day.

Eastern Washington as we climbed down Richmond Hill. The train would descend all the way down to the Columbia River, which we would follow to Portland.

BNSF power at the hump yard at Pasco.

The Empire Builder at Pasco. My conductor was Gene, who used to be based in San Diego and it was really good to see him again. We departed at 8:13 AM {5:33 AM}.

Our train crossed the Columbia River.

A few minutes later, we started our running along the Columbia River.

The canyon grew narrower as we proceeded south in direction before the Columbia River turned west. Yes' "Talk " was the next CD I listened to as we sped west towards the Columbia River Gorge.

A peaceful bay along the Columbia River.

A barge making its way upriver.

Union Pacific freight trains on the Oregon side.

A beautiful scene as another stream joins the Columbia River.

Looking west downriver.

The Deschutes River joined the Columbia River before our next station, and last fresh air stop of the trip, at Wishram.

Looking east upriver.

The train crew before we departed Wishram at 10:08 AM {7:30 AM}.

The BNSF bridge here for their trains down the Inside Gateway to California.

A look down the river.

West of North Dalles.

Another view heading west into the storm. At East Bingen, we went into the siding due to track work before stopping at Bingen-White Salmon 10:45 AM {8:04 AM}.

Across the gorge into Oregon.

Cooks, Washington.

Lake Stevenson.

Spokane, Portland and Seattle F9A 802, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956 as Northern Pacific 7013D and Spokane, Portland and Seattle caboose 701 built by Great Northern at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Centre in Stevenson.

Bridge of the Gods.

The last dam in the Columbia River Gorge.

One can photograph of Beacon Rock out of the front door of the car.

Columbia Gorge wall in Oregon.

The train stopped by this colourful pool to copy dispatcher's orders.

Multnomah Falls in Oregon across the Columbia River.

We passed a large rock in the River at the west end of the Gorge before the final tunnel. Yes' "Talk" was put back on as it was announced that our estimated time of arrival in Potland was 12:30 PM. Connecting passengers for the Amtrak Cascades trains were told to detrain at Vancouver, after which we rolled west through Camas in the pouring rain to our Vancouver station stop at 12:16 PM {9:08 AM}.

The bridge across the Columbia River took us into Oregon and a few minutes later, we arrived at Portland Union Station 12:38 PM {10:10 AM}, ending a most interesting and very unique trip aboard the Empire Builder.

The Empire Builder was at rest at Portland Union Station.

I stored my luggage in the Metropolitan Lounge than borrowed an umbrella before walking four blocks in the rain to Katrina's Market to get some supplies for the trip home. Back at the lounge, I recharged both my camera batteries and mobile phone as I relaxed for the train that would get me even closer to home!