After Dennis Larsen dropped me off, I entered Midway station in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
This Empire Builder symbol told me I was in the correct place.
I walked over to the Empire Builder First Class Lounge and left my luggage in front of the door then acquired the door code from the Amtrak agent. I plugged my computer in and watched "Saturday Night Live 2008 Election Bash" on television before 10:00 PM news.
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The interior of the Empire Builder Lounge. My computer recharged and I packed it for the journey out to the train.
The private cars from our NRHS Twin Cities Limited where still on Track 2.
At 10:32 PM, the Empire Builder arrived at the station. First the Conductor took every sleeping car passenger's ticket then one waited for the Sleeping Car Attendant, in my case Dan, to take you out to the train. I was in the last car, 2730, the through sleeper to Portland, also known as 32077 "District of Columbia" and had Room 5 for my journey. The train consisted of P42DCs 206 and 152, baggage 1260, transition 39028, sleepers 32106 and 32016, diner 38034, coaches 34033 and 34057, lounge 33028, coaches 34027 and 31025, sleeper 32077 "District of Columbia" with the private car "Gritty Palace" on the rear only as far as Fargo.
Everything in front of the lounge car goes to Seattle, while the lounge car itself and those behind it go to Portland. My room was already made up so all I had to do was turn the mattress around and I was ready to go to bed and called it a night just as we left the Twin Cities.
8/17/009
Somewhere east of Devil's Lake was where I awoke and went straight to the dining car for a breakfast of pancakes and sausage patties then walked back the six cars to my room.
The train rolled into Rugby, North Dakota.
Rugby is located at the geographical center of North America. Being this far north in the United States just tells you how large Canada really is. I took a nap to just outside of Minot, where I arose and was ready for the fresh air break there.
The former Soo Line Minot station built in 1912 which houses the Old Soo Depot Transportation Museum. We arrived and I detrained to a 48 degree morning with a light rain falling.
The Empire Builder at Minot, where we departed forty-five minutes late.
The Great Northern Amtrak station built in 1905.
Soo Tower, where I was on the tracks that crossed when I rode behind Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 2816 on that four-day excursion from Shoreham Yard in Minneapolis to Portal on the Canadian Border in July 2004.
The double tracks go down to one for the crossing of the Gassman Coulee trestle.
The Gassman Coulee trestle built in 1887. I watched my Yes "Live on Montreaux" DVD and relaxed under a blanket as our sleeping car grew colder.
Later, entering the Big Sky State of Montana.
A freight train waiting for us at Glasgow.
The former Great Northern Glasgow station built in 1893 which serves Amtrak's Empire Builder.
A BNSF stack train leaving Malta.
The former Great Northern Malta station built in 1893, which serves Amtrak's Empire Builder.
West of Malta we passed the eastbound Empire Builder, Train 8. I read "Minnesota and Ontario Iron Ore Railroad" that I bought in Two Harbors on August 14th.
BNSF's Havre Diesel Servicing Facility before we stopped at the fuel pads to refuel prior to our fresh air stop at Havre. I detrained, bought a pair of ice cream sandwiches and sat on a bench by the Havre sign. Imagine if it would have been two women instead of two men and the name of the city might have been called Havhim. We departed about twenty five minutes late.
Later we passed this freight train on a big curve.
Rarus Railroad GP7 103, nee Butte, Anaconda and Pacific 103 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1953 was serving a grain elevator. At 5:00 PM, I went to the dining car and enjoyed a steak and vanilla ice cream for dessert and was seated with a family from Madison, Wisconsin on their way to Whitefish. Their daughter, Sophia Mussacchlo, is twelve years old and won the best piano player award for the entire state of Wisconsin. She also has a nice smile. I returned to my room for Aerosmith's DVD "You Gotta Move" and was now on full Rocky Mountain alert.
On this trip west, I would enjoy the Rocky Mountains.
An interesting sky.
The closer one was, the more details could be seen.
That furthest peak is in Canada and the rest make up Glacier National Park.
The Empire Builder proceeded to our next stop of East Glacier.
The view from the other side of the train.
Magnificent mountains of Glacier National Park.
A much more interesting sky this late afternoon.
Two Medicine Bridge.
After we left East Glacier.
Passing the lakes near Bison.
The railroad summit of Marias Pass.
A BNSF ballast train waited for us to clear.
The mountains as we neared Marias, after which we made the flag stop at Essex before continuing west.
Later, the Izaak Walton Inn in Essex.
Mountain peaks in Glacier National Park as we descended the grade along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.
A park setting with mountains looming behind.
The Middle Fork of the Flathead River.
More peaks of Glacier National Park before we passed through the tunnels in the canyon to West Glacier, our next station stop. After that it was a quick trip to Whitefish, where I received my last fresh air of the day. With that, I made up my room and slept the night away.
