I awoke and after showering, checked my e-mail and sure enough, Tom Anderson had sent me the pictures to finish the Million Amtrak Mile story. Jeff Hartmann went to the Red Rooster for his breakfast, while I picked up doughnuts from the Inn's Lobby, then I added the pictures before Winston Walker, my proofreader, reviewed the story prior to me uploading it. I packed my belongings and after finding my Daylight hat, it was time to check out. The hotel's manager, Maria, drove drove Jeff and I to the La Plata Amtrak station on a very wet morning to wait for the eastbound Southwest Chief to Galesburg.
Southwest Chief 4 4/10/2008
The Southwest Chief arrived almost on time with a Sounder engine returning to Seattle the long way via Chicago, as the Coast Starlight Route was still closed due to the mudslide on Willamette Pass. Jeff and I boarded the first coach, taking seats 5 and 6 for our short trip to Galesburg.
Saying goodbye to La Plata and the Depot Inn & Suites as the train passed the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point. The rain had flooded many fields as we made our way east on a dark spring morning. We crossed the Des Moines River and Jeff entered the state of Iowa for his first time. Nearing Fort Madison, he had his first view of the Mississippi River then during the station stop there, he jumped off for a moment to place his feet in Iowa.
Back on the move again, we passed Norfolk Southern locomotives on BNSF power sets before we proceeded into Fort Madison. I pointed out the town's railroad station before we stopped for a barge crossing at Santa Fe swing bridge.
We pased by the Kingsley Inn, an excellent hotel in Fort Madison, before continuing to the Santa Fe swing bridge and our crossing of the Mississippi River.
The Southwest Chief traversed the Mississippi River and soon crossed into Illinois, making good time and soon we took the Cameron Connection from the former Santa Fe line to the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy line, which we took into Galesburg, detraining to wind and rain.
Galesburg 4/10/2008
After walking through the rain with my luggage and getting into the dryness of the station, I caught the Southwest Chief departing through the rain to Chicago. One of us would wait with our bags while the other could go off and do something. Jeff went first to the Landmark Café then visited the Depot hobby shop. I watched the bags, made cell phone calls and caught a few BNSF coal trains passing through the station.
First a BNSF coal train went by.
Behind him a few minutes later was another eastbound BNSF coal train. Jeff returned so it was my turn to explore.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4-6-4 3006 built by Baldwin in 1930. It was donated to the City of Galesburg by the railroad in 1962. The people of Galesburg also donated $3,200 that year to move it and build track at its current location in Colton Park. When the Galesburg Railroad Museum opened, the City gave it a lease to maintain the locomotive.
The engine and display train.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railway post office car 1945 built by American Car and Foundry in 1924.
Pullman 12-1 sleeping car 2645 "Meath" built by Pullman in 1921 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. I then visited the Depot hobby shop.
The luggage we both watched during our stay in Galesburg.
An eastbound BNSF freight passed through.
That was followed by a westbound BNSF train. On her television show, Ellen DeGeneres interviewed Jackie Chan so that twenty minutes passed the time then I put together this story so far then waited for the California Zephyr to arrive.
California Zephyr 5 4/10/2008
Our train arrived with P42DCs 4 and 159, baggage 1203, transition 39043, sleepers 32012 and 32073 "California", diner 38064, lounge 33008 with coaches 34057, 31008 and 34098. Jeff and I had Room 20 in the transition sleeper. The train made its way to Cameron where Jeff started his new mileage just before we went under the former Santa Fe tracks that we had been on this morning heading east. Soon we were dropping down to the Mississippi River floodplain and out across it.
One of the lakes before we reached the swing drawbridge across the Mississippi River.
Crossing the Mississippi River from Illinois into Iowa.
The California Zephyr came off the Mississippi River bridge to its first station in Burlington, Iowa.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4-6-4 3003 built by Baldwin in 1930. Designated Class S-4, they were designed for fast passenger service and went into service pulling CB&Q "varnish" passenger services such as the Ak-Sar-Ben between Lincoln, Nebraksa and Chicago (Ak-Sar-Ben is "Nebraska" spelt backwards), the Chicago-to-Denver Aristocrat and the Black Hawk Chicago-to-Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota overnight train. It was donated to the City of Burlington by railroad in 1961, is on display just north of the Amtrak depot and was refurbished and rededicated in 1991.
We passed the eastbound California Zephyr just west of Burlington and in no time, were soon at our next station stop of Mount Pleasant.
That exciting Iowa scenery was too much for Jeff as it put him to sleep. At MP 246, the train was stopped by orders from the BNSF dispatching center in Fort Worth, Texas because of high winds of 75 miles and hour ahead from the huge thunderstorms that were causing severe weather but the stop was only brief before resuming the journey. After another stop, we burst out into a patch of blue skies with sunlight. Jeff and I were then called into the dining car for dinner where I had the pork tenderloin along with chocolate ice cream for dessert. The next stop would Ottuma, the hometown of Radar O'Reilly of "MASH" fame. After dinner, I rode the lounge car looking for Albia but it grew dark before we arrived.
A fantastic show of lightning was provided by nature as the train passed through thunderstorm after thunderstorm during our crossing of southern Iowa. Back in the room, I watched the first half of "Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End" then made up my bed and called it a night.
4/11/2008 I awoke just after the train departed Fort Morgan, Colorado with snow on the ground and went to the dining car for a breakfast of French Toast and sausage patties. We passed Colorado Railcar plant as we closed in on Denver then after the train was wyed, it reversed into Denver Union Station thirty-five minutes early and I detrained for some pictures.
The California Zephyr resting at Denver. I needed to get new headphones but the gift shop in the station had closed and moved out so returned to the platform.
The rear of the our train. I was asked for some views of the Transition sleeper by a reader so here is a quick tour.
On the lower level is the crew lounge, along with bathrooms and a handicapped bedroom. As with a all Superliners, there is a stairway in the middle of these cars to the upper level.
Upstairs there are eight crew rooms at the forward end of the car and beyond them is a stairway to the baggage car, in this case. A shower is in the middle of the car on the upper level. Eight standard bedrooms are for sale in the rear of the car.
Room 20, the home of Jeff and I on this trip to Sacramento.
The Conductor's office across from the restroom and shower in this car. I was working on the story as the California Zephyr departed Denver on time and made its way to the Rockies.
The fomer Chicago, Burlington and Quincy turntable as we made our way out of Denver this morning. We went through Union Pacific's North Yard and went through Leyden, past the Rocky Flat Area to Rocky siding on a steady climb.
The Big Ten Curve from Rocky siding.
At Rocky, a Union Pacific coal train was in the siding waiting for us to clear. The Zephyr then started around the Big Ten Curve.
Looking down at that Union Pacific train.
The rear DPU and our route ahead.
The front of the coal train.
The view towards downtown Denver from the Big Ten Curve.
The route ahead.
The Big Ten Curve from above at Clay siding, which we entered to let another eastbound Union Pacific coal train pass.
That coal train at Rocky must be waiting to let the other coal train pass. We left Clay and turned into Clay Creek Canyon.
Tunnel 1, the first of 28 we would pass through on the way to Moffat Tunnel.
That second coal train coming off the Big Ten Curve.
Looking down from Plain siding.
The California Zephyr getting ready to pass through some of my favorite geology through the tunnel carved out of rock.
South Boulder Canyon as we climbed the grade through the Tunnel District. At Rollins, another eastbound Union Pacific coal train was in that siding. We reached East Portal but had to wait for yet another eastbound Union Pacific coal train and then for the Moffat Tunnel to vent the gasses and exhaust from the last train. After about ten minutes, we entered the 6.3 mile Moffat Tunnel.
Self-portrait inside Moffat Tunnel.
The Winter Park Ski Area before the California Zephyr made its way to Fraser, where at Tabernash, we took the siding to get around a Union Pacific freight and our next station stop of Granby, where it was snowing.
The Colorado River, which we would follow for 238 miles downriver to Utah, through all the beautiful canyons along our route. The first major canyon we entered was Byers Canyon.
The journey through Byers Canyon. At Flat siding was another eastbound Union Pacific coal train.
The journey through a snowy Gore Canyon.
The view at Azure.
The trip though Little Gore Canyon.
A view near Radium before we reached Bond, where we dropped off several Union Pacific train crews.
Our voyage through Red Rock Canyon.
The California Zephyr had reached Dotsero, which was the connection to the original line through Tennessee Pass, which Union Pacific has railbanked.
