I arose at 7:15 AM, picked up some doughnuts and orange juice then retrieved the keys to the van and drove to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.
Views from the platform.
Norfolk Southern 9831 East.
BNSF 4538 East with a Canadian Pacific Railway locomotiave in the consist.
BNSF 4960 West.
BNSF 748 East.
Iowa Northern F40PH 678, nee Amtrak 241 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1977.
BNSF 748 East. With that train, I drove to the Amtrak station for the morning pickup of passengers who were staying at the Depot Inn & Suites.
Amtrak's Southwest Chief arrived, I picked up a family and gave them a quick tour of La Plata before dropping them off at the hotel then returned to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.
BNSF 7529 West.
BNSF 7324 East.
Norfolk Southern 9951 West.
Union Pacific 4112 West.
Union Pacific 7408 West.
BNSF 4810 East.
Union Pacific 7708 West.
Union Pacific 7708 West DPU on the rear. I finished and uploaded the Iowa trip part of this story then returned to the warmth of the Depot Inn & Suites, did my laundry and met a really nice family who I drove out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point and timed it perfectly by watching the ATCS on the television in the Pullman Suite. We had just a five minute wait for a train.
BNSF 5218 West.
The DPU on the rear. I took them back to the hotel and out to the Exhibition of Amtrak History and the model railroad display housed in the Amtrak material handling cars behind the hotel before going to the Red Rooster for dinner and relaxed the rest of the evening.
New Years Eve 2009 and my 52nd Birthday 12/31/2009I was up early on my 52nd birthday and checked out of the Pullman Suite for one night and stored my bags behind the counter until Room C opened later this morning then retrieved keys to the van before my friend Ken Barrett and I drove out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point. There we learned that the eastbound Southwest Chief was running two hours late and via the Amtrak website, found that it had lost over two hours between Hutchison and Topeka, Kansas. Next Bob and Elizabeth called from Kansas City to tell me what was going on. Next here came the trains.
BNSF 7632 East.
BNSF 7637 East.
The next BNSF train had a Kansas City Southern engine leading it east. I returned to the hotel, picked up the key to Room C and found my luggage had already been moved into there. I took the nice couple from Oklahoma out into the Amish countryside as well as a visit to South Gifford to see the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy station there. We returned to La Plata via Cardy and stopped at the CR Market for some supplies before I dropped them off at the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point and returned to the Inn then took Ken and his friends to the Lookout Point.
I then drove to the Amtrak station to pick up this morning's Amtrak passengers, all my friends. I went in and met Bob Cox and Ray Burns before going out to catch the train arriving.
The Southwest Chief arrived and I walked over to get pictures of everyone.
Steve Grande and his wife Barbara Cepinko.
Bob Manning and his wife.
My good and dear friends Bob and Elizabeth. I took Bob, Elizabeth, Steve and Barbara to the Depot Inn & Suites then picked up the people at the Lookout Point. Bob, Elizabeth and I walked over to the Red Rooster for lunch and they gave me "Amtrak for Dummies, The Chris Guenzler Guide to Passenger Train Travel" as a tongue-in-cheek birthday gift. After lunch I took them on the same tour of the Amish countryside but this time, we made several stops.
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy South Gifford station. Our next stop was Cardy.
Union Pacific 7893 West. From here we went to the Hilton Road grade crossing for the next train.
Union Pacific 5505 West came around the curve, after which we checked out a few other locations before I drove them to the Trainparty office.
The new BNSF retaining wall below the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point. We then returned to the hotel and I started to write this story. Time flew by and it was soon 3:45 PM and I had to meet the group in the lobby so drove four of us to Bevier to the Pear Tree Restaurant but first we made an important stop.
Bevier and Southern 2-6-0 112 built by Baldwin in 1920. The Bevier & Southern Railroad started life in 1914, when the Missouri & Louisiana Railroad divided, with the Missouri portion of railroad becoming the B&S. It hauled coal on a 9.18 mile line from Binkley, Missouri, to a connection with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad at Bevier. The line was abandoned in 1982. 112 was donated to the City of Bevier, Missouri, in 1963 having travelled 364,562 miles in service.
Group Dinner at the Pear Tree Restaurant 12/31/2009
The exterior before we were seated and our group took up two long tables. The restaurant was busy tonight as not only was it New Year's Eve but the last day of business until February as it is closed for the month of January.
Our group at the Pear Tree Restaurant. I ordered the 16 ounce prime rib which was excellent.
The Pear Tree gave me a sparkler for my birthday. After a wonderful dinner, it was time to returne to the Depot Inn & Suites and I drove the van back to La Plata via Callo and enjoyed the drive.
New Year's Eve Party at the Depot Inn & Suites 12/31/2009
The group in the Meeting Room.
The group in the lobby. I worked on the story until it was time to go out to the lookout point and Bob, Elizabeth and I walked out there.
New Year's Eve at the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point 12/31/2009
Bob and Elizabeth were enjoying their first visit to La Plata.
Elizabeth and I.
Bob and I. Once we returned inside, the heater kept us warm on this very cold last night of December. After I replied to several birthday e-mails, we started our evening with DVD's of Ian Anderson performing "In the Grip of Stronger Stuff" which we know I had not been for 5,461 days. Next was Jeff Beck pulling for songs from his recent DVD. Blackmore Kinights for two songs including the Pirate Song and then it was Uriah Heep's "July Morning, The Magician's Birthday and Livin Easy". Every time a train was heard approaching, we put whatever was on on pause and went outside out onto the deck and gave it a running inspection.
Bob warming his cold feet by the heater's waming flame. After more e-mails and a few pictures which were posted on Trainorders.com, I put on my CD of Queen "The Cosmos Rocks" which took us to near midnight. Some of the hotel group, including Steve and Barbara and Bob and Amy Cox came out to celebrate the New Year at the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point then at 11:56 PM, we all walked out onto the deck and I gave the countdown, which everyone joined in at about 15 down to O, New Years Day 2010.
I posed this picture before we all went back into the warmth.
The last group picture of the New Year's Eve party. I packed my belongings and walked back on this very cold night to the warmth of the Depot Inn & Suites where I called it a night.
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