This trip was originally going to be to Topeka to rent a car to Alblene, Kansas to be there for the inaugural run of the restored Santa Fe 4-6-2 3415 to Enterprise. Carole Walker, my excellent travel agent, tried repeatedly to get me a rental car in Topeka on a Saturday morning, but with no luck. Since I had a reservation on the Southwest Chief in a room, I needed to choose a new destination. I could go to the Depot Inn & Suites in La Plata, but I wanted to write a story. Then the idea hit me, why not go to Mendota to visit and write about the Mendota Railroad Museum. I called them and it was arranged that a representive would be waiting on the platform when I arrived. Steve, the Amtrak agent in Santa Ana, changed my reservation and I was all ready to go.
Pacific Surfliner 583 5/21/2009I came home from Jefferson Elementary and packed then at 4:20 PM, my mother drove me to the Santa Ana station and I walked to Track 1 to wait for my train to LAUPT.
Pacific Surfliner 583 arrived and I chose a seat on the lower level of a Surfliner coach. It was a quick trip to Los Angeles and soon the train was pulling into Track 12. I walked down the platform to wait for the Southwest Chief.
Southwest Chief 4 5/21/2009The Southwest Chief reversed in with P42DC's 203 and 47, baggage 1716, transition 39006, sleepers 32068 and 32099 "New Mexico", diner 38066, lounge 32023 and coaches 34077, 34004 and 34014. I took Room 18 in the transition sleeper and listened to Sweet "Blockbuster! The Best of Sweet" both before and after dinner. We departed on time and at 7:00 PM, was seated in the dining car with a couple going to Chicago and a man going to Kansas City. I enjoyed a flat iron steak and vanilla ice cream then returned to my room and continued my listening as the train climbed Cajon Pass. After Summit, I called it a night, made up my room then slept well into Arizona.
5/22/2009 I was up after we left Flagstaff and went to the dining car for French Toast and sausage patties and was seated with my Kansas City friend again.
The turntable in BNSF's Winslow yard.
BNSF power in Winslow.
The La Posada Hotel and Harvey House Restaurant in Winslow.
The former Santa Fe station built in 1930.
PPCX 800110 sleeper-lounge "Louis Sockalexis", ex. 1958, exx. parlour car 7156 1957, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 8423 "Frank Thomson" built by Pullman in 1949. Its intended name was "Conemaugh Narrows".
PPCX 800162 "Santa Cruz", ex. Amtrak 1591 171, exx. Atlantic Coast Line 5031 nee Seaboard Air Line 6004 built by Budd Company in 1940. It was used in Seaboard Air Line's Silver Meteor service between New York City and Miami. It was bought at an auction in 1980 and is owned by Mike Salwitz. It was placed into revenue service later in its career for NASA accompaying rocket booster segments.
I started my DVD watching of this trip with "Jethro Tull Live".
The clouds were hanging low this morning.
The Red Mesas here are in Arizona just before the Southwest Chief entered New Mexico.
BNSF power in Gallup.
The Santa Fe Gallup station built in 1923 and used by Amtrak.
Santa Fe caboose 999219, originally Santa Fe 1909, built by American Car and Foundry in 1930. I switched to Kiss "Live in Texas" DVD.
The Southwest Chief leaving Gallup behind.
Those low clouds were still hanging around.
Later at Isleta, a BNSF freight was waiting for us to pass.
BNSF power at Albuquerque.
Santa Fe caboose 999751 built by International Car in 1981.
BNSF GP60M 111, nee Santa Fe 111 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1990.
Former Santa Fe and Burlington Northern cabooses.
The Santa Fe turntable built in 1915.
The former Santa Fe Albuquerque shops, which consist of eighteen surviving buildings erected between 1915 and 1925.
A baggage car, caboose and crew car on the north side of the shops.
Amtrak P42DC 198 was Amtrak's protection power here.
New Mexico Railrunners laying over at their facility in Albuquerque before we arrived there very early at 11:16 AM. At 11:30 AM, I had a lunch of the Angus beef burger and vanilla ice cream then afterwards, watched "Led Zeppelin Live" as the train departed on time. We went through Lamy and met the westbound Southwest Chief at Canyoncito before climbing Glorieta Pass. Later we arrived into Las Vegas, New Mexico.
The former 34-stall Santa Fe roundhouse in Las Vegas built in 1913.
The former Santa Fe freight house built in 1926s. Just before the station, we came to an emergency stop as our train almost hit two children and we were delayed twenty minutes.
Another former Santa Fe building which is now part of the city's water treatment plant.
The former Santa Fe station built in 1898 and is the Amtrak station.
The former Santa Fe Harvey House, called La Castaneda, also built in 1898, and was being restored.
Those low clouds were still hanging around! I saw four baby antelope before Wagon Mound then later at Raton, took a fresh air break. At 6:00 PM, as we climbed Raton Pass, I was called into the dining car and I had the worst flat iron steak that I have ever had on Amtrak. After Trinidad, I was back in my room and watched "Hannah Montana Live in 3D" as we made a fast trip to La Junta, where I detrained for more fresh air.
The Southwest Chief at La Junta. I managed to access the Internet and checked my e-mail before our on-time departure then made up my room and called it a night.
4/23/2009 I went to the lounge car for a cinnamon roll then back to the sleepers for some orange juice while the train was being refuelled at BNSF's Argentine Yard.
Two privates car at Kansas City Union Station.
Amtrak's Missouri River Runner Train 314.
This BNSF freight passed through with Norfolk Southern power. Our train departed on time but someone pulled the emergency brake which delayed us a few minutes. I started to watch "Johnny English".
Santa Fe Sibley station built in 1910 and used maintenance-of-way use.
The Missouri River.
The Missouri River bridge at Sibley.
Later the coaling tower at Marceline.
The tender of Santa Fe 2-8-0 2546, nee Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad 2546 built by American Locomotive Company in 1911, on display in Ripley Park in Marceline.
The Santa Fe Marceline station, built in 1913 and now the Walt Disney Museum. At this point, I would usually be packing my room to be ready to detrain in La Plata but I did not have to do that this time, instead watching my "Queen on Fire Live at the Bowl" DVD.
The Train Party/Trainweb building at La Plata.
The ever-changing ballast pile here.
The Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point at La Plata, where the Depot Inn & Suites is located.
Santa Fe Lake in La Plata where Santa Fe steam engines used to take water.
The Des Moines River as we entered Iowa.
Later, the Mississippi River as we neared a fresh air break at Fort Madison.
The Mississippi River as crossed into Illinois.
More clouds as we ran fast across Illinois.
An interesting farm after Galesburg.
The Southwest Chief arrived into Mendota about forty minutes late and I detrained to start my visit of the Mendota Railroad Museum.
