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The Rest of my Visit to La Plata and Trip Home

I arose up and found the corrections to the previous part of this story had been e-mailed to me overnighty. I then met Bob, Elizabeth and Bill Compton before we walked out to the van and the La Plata Bank sign read -4 degrees at 8:04 AM. It had lowered to -9 last night.

The Depot Inn & Suites sign read 8:03 AM.

That was before it flashed to -2 degrees before I scraped off the ice from the van's windshield to create a porthole to see through as the heater did its job from the inside. We drove out to the grade crossing on Iceberg Road on a morning where if you stood outside too long, you would become an iceberg yourself.

BNSF 749 East was the lone freight train of the morning. We made our way to Cardy but alas had no trains, although we did see BNSF track inspection trucks switch places on the grade crossing there. From here, we drove back to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.

Amtrak's Southwest Chief arrived at 9:44 AM.

After the passengers boarded, the train pulled down to clear the Owensby Street grade crossing then departed on time at 9:57 AM bound for Chicago. We returned to the Depot Inn & Suites where I said goodbye to Bill Compton and his family who were going to Jefferson City before flying home from St Louis tonight. I had Bob and Elizabeth put their luggage in my room then we drove over to the Silver Rails Gallery for the event.

We started to set up for a live broadcast of Let's Talk Trains from La Plata with me, Nathan, Bob and Elizabeth hosting the show today.

Nathan and I before the show. We started with the official caller, Ken Ruben, before I started to cover the event in the Silver Rail Memorial Library.

Bob Manning from Palm Springs, California, started off the event by reading a prepared statement about the late Richard Hamilton by Steve Grande.

That was followed by Kelly Marshall, discussing the contributions of her parents-in-law, Harold and Hilda Marshall, towards the success of the Depot Inn & Suites.

Those gathered learned about the Marshall's contributions. Bob Cox, station caretaker, then spoke about current happenings in La Plata.

Bob Manning then had more to say from his heart, followed by a brief statement from me about those we were honouring today.

Barbara Cepinko, Steve's wife, then paid tribute to all being honored this morning.

Steve Grande just listened.

Next Tom Marshall spoke about our former friends.

People listening to Tom Marshall. The Mayor, Ray Ivy, then welcomed all who would like to travel to La Plata, as well as articulating about Richard, Hilda and Harold. I finished the speeches by adding more information about Richard and mentioned that both he and Harold were in my Million Mile DVD set, then returned to hosting Let's Talk Trains. We had a fantastic show as well as a great time hosting.

Later that afternoon, I took Nathan, Bob and Elizabeth over to Santa Fe Lake then up to Kirksville for lunch at Subway then returned to hotel and worked on my story before we went to the Silver Rails Event Center.

Bob Cox opened the building for us and here is our trio at the Silver Rails Event Center, standing on the stage which was made from the bowling alley in which Walt Disney once bowled.

The steam engine painting on the wall behind the stage at the Event Center. We then visited Trainparty.com.

The group in front of the Trainparty.com building. Bob Cox gave us a nice tour before we drove back up to Kirksville for dinner at the Wooden Nickel.

The unique menu at the restaurant.

Our group ready for dinner, which for me was an excellent charred Prime Rib sandwich. We returned to the Victorian Suite where I worked on the story while listening to today's Let's Talk Trains. I then drove Bob and Elizabeth back to the Amtrak station and waited there with them, along with the couple from Oklahoma, until the Southwest Chief arrived. Once they were safely onboard, I returned to the Depot Inn & Suites where I finished the story, had a sauna tub bath and called it a night.

1/3/2010 I awoke, prepared myself for the day, retrieved the keys to the van on another frigid cold morning and drove to the Red Rooster for a waffle and sausage patties, after which, I went to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.

The scene looking down the former Wabash Railroad grade. I checked the ATCS monitor and learned that only the Southwest Chief was running this cold morning. I read some of the names on the walls before returning to my open can of Coca-Cola which was frozen solid which was not the only thing cold this morning. The BNSF Marceline Subdivision dispatcher came on the radio talking to an eastbound west of Marceline. At one point he asked, "Just how cold is it there? I could not hear the train's response but he then said "You just keep the cold up there and I'll keep wearing my shorts down here." The dispatcher was in Fort Worth, Texas. Speaking of shorts, I was wearing my shorts over my long johns and under my trousers. To say it was cold was really an understatement.

Amtrak Train 4, the Southwest Chief, arrived at La Plata three minutes early.

The Southwest Chief departed on time and I returned to the warmth of the Depot Inn & Suites. After noon, those remaining gathered again and I drove a vanload of our group to the Red Rooster for lunch before touring the Silver Rails Gallery again and I saw the apartment above it which I had seriously considered moving into. Back at the hotel, I watched NFL football then was asked to drive some of the group up to Kirksville to Kelly Furniture where Tom and Kelly Marshall gave us a tour of the showroom with items they build in their shop. I stopped at KFC for dinner which I took back to the Depot Inn & Suites.

I watched some of the Raiders game before having a sauna bath and washing my hair then worked on the story before driving members of the group back to the Amtrak station for the westbound Southwest Chief. Steve and Barbara, along with Bob Manning and his wife boarded the sleepers and Nathan boarded the coach. Once the train departed, I was the last of our group and returned to the hotel for the night.

1/4/2010 I awoke to another frigid morning and went to get my breakfast which I took back to the room, corrected yesterday's story and went through the morning e-mails then took the van out to Santa Fe Lake in the hope of catching a few trains.

No luck there on this minus one degree morning, so I went west of La Plata to the Indiana Avenue grade crossing, parked and heard a horn from the east.

BNSF 1035 West at Indiana Avenue.

Back in the warmth of the van, I heard a horn from the west then saw a headlight and here came the Southwest Chief running early again.

The Southwest Chief on its way to La Plata, as was I, but I drove through town and pulled off Brown Street at the bridge over the BNSF mainline.

The Southwest Chief and the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point. From here I drove out to Santa Fe Lake again and waited.

Soon the gates went down and the Southwest Chief sped east towards Chicago. I stopped by Casey's before returning to the warmth of the Depot Inn & Suites and back in the Victorian Suite, watched Queensryche's "Mindcrime at the Moore" then drove to the Walmart in Kirksville to pick up a few things and stopped at KFC to pick up lunch before driving back to La Plata. I listened to my new CD of Kiss "Sonic Boom" before watching "Public Enemies", after which I went to the Red Rooster for a filet mignon before relaxing the rest of the night in the Victorian Suite.

1/5/2010 The Weather Channel said -6 degrees when I arose, so I took my time and checked the ATCS on the television in my room before driving over to the wooden bridge, the same one I got stuck at on my first mornings here. I would try my best to avoid doing that again.

The van parked out on the wooden bridge.

BNSF 7676 East.

I finally caught a westbound train at this bridge just west of Gibbs.

BNSF 7256 West passed by.

The Southwest Chief came east basically on time for a third day in a row.

The Southwest Chief proceeded to Chicago and I drove down the road and carefully turned the van around, this time with no problems then first went to Gibbs before heading back to La Plata and filled the van with petrol before returning to the warmth of the Depot Inn & Suites for my final day which I would spend inside the Victorian Suite. I relaxed and watched television as I had had enough of the frigid cold temperatures of La Plata. I could not wait to get home back to warm Southern California.

Later I would eat a porterhouse steak at the Red Rooster then returned to the hotels where I learned that Train 3 left Chicago at 4:20 PM, an hour and five minutes late.

My final picture in La Plata was a sunset shot right outside the back door of the hall next to the Victorian Suite. I watched television and checked the Internet before checking out of the Depot Inn & Suites near train time and was driven to the Amtrak station by Bob Cox and waited inside until I heard the crossing gates go down.

The train stopped right on the platform at 8:54 PM and I was greeted by the Conductor and Rene my Sleeping Car Attendant. After a double stop for coach passengers, we departed at 8:57 PM {8:07 PM} with me in Room 2 in the 32057 sleeping car. The train consisted of P42DCs 98 and 116, baggage 1162, transition 39011, sleepers 32000 and 32057, diner 38057, lounge 33021 with coaches 34073, 31043 and 31033. After a few minutes, I made up my room and called it a might.

1/6/2010 I awoke about 7:30 AM and went to the dining car for my usual French Toast and sausage patties then walked most of the train to acquire its consist. The front would have to wait until La Junta. I then watched "Young Frankensein" for this early morning trek towards La Junta.

A windmill in Lamar. The next stop was La Junta and a fresh air break, from where we departed on time and halfway to Trinidad, the movie finished. Next I put on the Rolling Stones DVD "Four Flicks Paris Theater Show" and relaxed as the train took me on to Trinidad and over Raton Pass to Raton, our next fresh air stop. We left a much warmer Raton and headed next to Las Vegas and switched to the Rolling Stones "Four Flicks New York City Madison Square Garden Arena Show" upon our departure. After that I took a nap then watched "Prince and the New Power Generation Live" and later we met Train 4, the eastbound Southwest Chief, at Canyoncito before descending through Apache Canyon to Lamy.

From there it was a sprint into Albuquerque, our next servicing stop, where we arrived early. Randy Jackson and his lovely wife Marie came down to visit me during that time and afterwards, I worked on my next Orange County Railway Historical Society program for the February 2010 meeting before and after dinner. At 5:15 PM, I had dinner with a couple from Uniontown, Pennsylvania and a woman who had to take the train from Albuquerque as she could not get a flight anywhere into Southern California. I had the steak and vanilla ice cream which was excellent and back in my room, after finishing the OCRHS program, I watched Guns N' Roses "Use your Illusion", which took me back into Arizona then made up my room for the last night on this trip.

1/7/2010 I was out of bed at San Bernardino with the Southwest Chief running thirty minutes late at this point. The room was made up and I enjoyed some Coca-Cola along with a Big Texas cinnamon roll as the train made its way through Riverside and Santa Ana Canyon. We stopped at Fullerton before making the final sprint into Los Angeles, arriving a few minutes early at 8:03 AM {8:15 AM}. I took Pacific Surfliner 566 home to Santa Ana and the warmth of home, where it arrived on time. Despite the extreme cold, it had been a fantastic trip to La Plata and the Depot Inn & Suites.

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