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The Long Journey Home From Flint, Michigan

After a great three days at Train Festival 2009, Keith Schimdt met me in the lobby of the hotel at 6:45 AM and we drove to the Flint Amtrak station where he dropped me off and I waited outside for an on-time Blue Water to arrive.

One waits behind this locked gate until the train arrives, then the agent opens the gate to the platform.

The Blue Water came in to Flint and I was boarded in the last coach of the train, whose consist was P42DC 29, Horizon cafe/business class 58002, Horizon coaches 54582, 54524 and 54576 with P42DC 33 on the rear. I watched my DVD of "Jethro Tull Live at Montreaux 2003" as we rolled southwest across Michigan.

The former Grand Trunk Western Battle Creek station, built in 1905 and no longer in use. The train arrived at the modern Battle Creek station early for a crew change and everyone had time to get some fresh air.

Pointing the right way towards Chicago.

The Blue Water at rest at Battle Creek. I listened to Metallica's "Death Magnetic" as we continued our on-time running.

The Michigan Central station at Niles, built in 1891. Later I put on Yes' "Open Your Eyes.

Michigan City harbor.

Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad street-running in Michigan City. At Porter, there was no delay as the train reached the Norfolk Southern mainline for the rest of the trip into Chicago, passing the Indiana Dunes National Waterfront Park.

A Canadian National locomotive at the former Elgin, Joliet and Eastern yard.

Indiana Harbor Belt NW2 8811 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1949.

Incoal Company SW1500 1004 nee Youngstown Steel SW1000 905 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1967, a remote control switcher, at the Arcelor Mittal steel plant.

The skyline of Chicago before the Blue Water arrived into Chicago Union Station basically on time.

I walked off the Blue Water and went to the Metropolitan Lounge but this time, did not check my luggage into storage. I found a plug to charge my computer but the complimentary wireless Internet was not working. I reported it but the response was "I'm not tall enough to reach it!" I replied that I could but the attendant said she would have to call a manager. I asked when might that be and she said "Whenever I get around to it!" I took the computer upstairs to the bar in the Food Court and posted my stories on Trainorders.com from all the Michigan Trips.

I returned and still had no luck so a gentleman watched my bags while I went to Gold Coast and bought a pair of Char Dogs which I brought back to the lounge then caught up on the Internet. Dead tired, I was given a ride out to the Southwest Chief for the trip home.

Our Southwest Chief with a consist of P42DC 25, 6 and 24, baggage 1337, transition 39010, sleepers 32073 "California" and 32066, diner 38007, lounge 3300 and coaches 34042, 34088, 31023 and 31032. I boarded the 32066 and had Room 3 in the 330 Car with Julio as my Sleeping Car Attendant.

View of Michigan trains ready for their afternoon departure. Our train departed Chicago Union Station on time and we were off for California and home.

Something told me when I went to the bathroom and saw the electrical tape holding up the toilet seat covers that this trip would end up being unique. I received a 5:00 PM dinner reservation and after Mendota, it was announced that dinner would be delayed as the dining car had no water. This was ridiculous. How could a train leave a terminal with no water? I called Amtrak's toll-free number and spoke to a customer representative who used to be a dining car steward. I asked who was responsible for seeing the dining car has water. He responded four people, two in the yard, the head chef and Dining Car Steward. I was not a happy train rider. While I was on the phone, the announcement was made that we would take water at Galesburg and that dinners tonight would not be served a dessert. Let's just say I was not any happier after I finished the call than I was before.

The former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad line, now Iowa Interstate, on which I rode during the Grand Excursion 2004 behind Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 261.

A farm out in the Illinois countryside.

The former Santa Fe mainline before we reached the Galesburg Amtrak station, where the water hose was already running.

We were allowed off for a fresh air break while they watered the dining car.

The water had to be run for at least five minutes then the area around the plug must be cleaned by running water over it for a few minutes.

Now the plug was put in and the dining car gets watered.

Once completed, the hose was removed and we left Galesburg twenty minutes late.

At Cameron Junction, where we left the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy mainline for the former Santa Fe mainline, we passed this BNSF freight waiting for us to clear. Passengers were finally called into the dining car and I had the Braised Flat Iron Bordelaise for my dinner. As previously announced, dessert was not served as they wanted to clear out each seating as quick as possible, which was unacceptable and added to my grief with this trip. Back in my room, I watched "Hannah Montana in 3D" DVD then paused it at La Plata to call out "Hello" to Bob Cox when we stopped there. Tired, I made up my room and called it a night.

I awoke early short of Garden City, Kansas and enjoyed French Toast and sausage patties for breakfast then napped in bed until Lamar and at La Junta, accessed the Internet and saw that my Trainorders.com posts had again been consolidated. This morning, the coffee maker in the dining car was not working so no hot beverages were available. I worked on my Orange County Railway Historical Society program for September before taking fresh air at Raton. At 12:00 PM, I had the Angus beef burger with the peanut caramel et cetera dessert. I listened to the Gandy Dancers CD and after that, Jethro Tull's "This Was". At 1:55 PM, we stopped just passed Signal 813.1 before the siding at Rowe, New Mexico.

The view of the train while we were stopped, after which wed were told the lead engine had an air break problem that had locked its brakes. At 3:10 PM, while I was in the shower, we moved slowly, pushing P42DC 25 with the other two engines and train into the siding at Rowe. I watched Cheap Trick's "Live" DVD then the eastbound Southwest Chief finally passed us at 4:09 PM on its way to Chicago arriving, there 1 hour and 35 minutes late at 4:55 PM. Our conductor told me that this was a first and the Amtrak motive power desk had no idea what to do. A call to General Electric gave them the solution of how to get the brakes unlocked the engine but it would have to be chained down to keep from rolling away.

We waited 45 more minutes for the first BNSF truck to arrive but he did not have the chains needed to secure the unit in place. At 5:00 PM I went to the dining car for a salmon dinner then five minutes later, the second BNSF truck arrived with the chains.

The view during dinner. At 5:31 PM, we reversed one car length to cut off the locomotive and the head-end power {HEP} was cut off. Twenty-two minutes later, HEP was restored and at 6:00 PM, we reversed out of Rowe siding then five minutes after that, we left Rowe for Lamy and points west.

We left Amtrak P42DC 25 at Rowe as we proceeded west while I watched the Rolling Stones "Shine a Light".

Apache Canyon before we stopped at Lamy at 6:51 PM {2:24 PM}. The train ran to the siding at Domingo for a New Mexico Rail Runner train then continued our journey south.

Scenes on the way to Albuquerque. At 7:43 PM, we stopped for a crew change at the Sandoval County/US 550 Rail Runner station as our crew was about to die on the Hours-of-Service law. We departed that station at 7:49 PM and made our way to Albuquerque, arriving there at 8:08 PM {3:55 PM} for our servicing stop. I detrained in the 78 degree air with a good strong breeze blowing, after which we departed at 8:47 PM {4:45 PM} and I made up my room and called it a night.

7/29/2009 I awoke at the US Highway 95 Crossing west of Needles, California and went to the lounge car to wait for breakfast that was supposed to be at 6:30 AM. At 6:35 AM, I was berated by a member of the crew while waiting for the dining car to open in the sleeping car hallway. "Either go back to your room or lounge car to wait but not here!" When I asked when the dining car might be open, she said to wait for an announcement. I went and visited with the excellent conductor Dave Arthur when it was announced "The dining car ventilation system is out and thus we can not serve any breakfast." Dave told me that food would be brought on at some point and I replied that it would most likely have cheese on it and I cannot eat it." The train made its way to Barstow where we had a fresh air break then departed at 7:51 AM {3:39 AM}.

The ostrich farm before Victorville where the food would be brought aboard.

Old meets the new, BNSF ES44DC 7246 and a Santa Fe caboose.

Old Town Route 66 sign in Victorville.

A BNSF freight comes out of the Upper Mojave Narrows.

The Southwest Chief passed through the Upper Mojave Narrows. Breakfast was distributed which were ham and cheese sandwiches, so I could not eat them since I am allergic to cheese. I went to the lounge car and the attendant gave me a complimentary Mrs. Goodcookie chocolate chunk cookie. I enjoyed that as we climbed Cajon Pass to Summit before descending the steeper west side.

Our train took the Number 2 mainline down the west slope of Cajon Pass.

The Mormon Rocks.

Looking down on the steeper south track.

Sullivan's Curve. We ran the rest of the grade down Cajon Pass to San Bernardino where the checked baggage was set off for San Joaquin points and the Coast Starlight points north of San Jose. We left there at 9:58 AM {5:32 AM} and proceeded to Riverside.

The former Union Pacific station in Colton built in 1927. The train ran to Riverside leaving there at 10:16 AM {5:53 AM} then on to Fullerton, where I detrained at 10:57 AM {6:34 AM}, ending the worst trip I had ever had aboard the Southwest Chief.

The Southwest Chief started its final sprint to LAUPT, arriving there at 11:45 AM, 3 hours and 30 minutes late {8:15 AM}.

BNSF 5497 East came through on Track 2.

Pacific Surfliner 769 arrived on its way to Goleta.

Pacific Surfliner 572 then arrived and I boarded Pacific Business Class for the quick trip to Santa Ana, where a tried Chris detrained for the final time on this trip. My mother picked me up and soon I was at home, ending a fantastic time in Michigan and hoped I would never have another trip like this one on the Southwest Chief.

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