My Spring Break trip for 2009 started when Bart Jennings sent me an e-mail about his Rare Mileage trips on the former Southern Pacific Copper Branches out of Globe, Arizona and Clifton, New Mexico. Randy Jackson and I discussed this via e-mail and he said "Get to Albuquerque and I will drive you from there to the trip". The dates worked out that I could still include a trip to La Plata, Missouri. My mind then started working: "If I rented a car, where else could I go?" I checked the Internet and found the Branson Scenic Railroad and the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad had trips that coincided with my dates. I called both and set up reservations with both organization. I had always wanted to ride the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad and would finally have an opportunity. It took until the week of the trip to learn that the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway would be operating, so I would ride their train after the Branson Scenic.
Carole Walker, my excellent travel agent, booked my hotel rooms and in La Plata, I would spend the last night in the Pullman Suite of the Depot Inn & Suites before taking the Southwest Chief home. I worked the days at Jefferson Elementary School where no two days were ever the same, and that is why I enjoyed working there. I had to get a replacement pair of glasses after my night-time ones broke the Monday night before I left but luckily, I received them the morning of the trip. The day of the trip finally arrived so I returned home and packed before my mother drove me to the Santa Ana station and I made my way over to Track 1 via the grade crossing at Santa Ana Boulevard.
Metrolink 686 arrived with one of their new MP36 locomotives pulling the train to Irvine.
Pacific Surfliner 583 4/3/2009
I boarded the cab car on a very busy train and sat on the lower level. I had a new laptop computer which only contained my stories through December 2007, so I would be working on updating the trip page the next few days. The train took the south track at Fullerton but other than that, it was just another trip to Los Angeles. I walked over to Track 12, around the end of the platforms and waited for the Southwest Chief to arrive.
Southwest Chief 4 4/3/2009The train reversed into LAUPT with P42DCs 129 and 61, baggage 1132, transition 39016, sleepers 32116 "Vermont" and 32086 "Louisiana", diner 38060, lounge 33042 with coaches 34076, 31019 and 34065. I was in Room 4 of the 32086 sleeper with Lisa as my Sleeping Car Attendant. We departed on time and proceeded to Fullerton, our first stop of the evening as I listened to Queensryche "Empire" and watched the setting sun, ending another wonderful day in my life. Chris Parker and Dan Dalke were at Fullerton to see me briefly before we headed east out into the night. I had an 8:00 PM dinner reservation so enjoyed the evening views as I ate my dinner of a flat iron steak and vanilla ice cream with a family going home to New Mexico. The wife really enjoyed train travel and loved the western end of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. Upon return to my room, I made my bed up below Summit in Cajon Pass and called it a night.
4/4/2009
I arose east of Flagstaff to a mostly clear pre-dawn morning and waited for the dining car to open. Interstate 40 along here was closed due to dust storms from yesterday's high winds. Freight traffic seemed to be on a rebound as on I have been seeing or hearing trains passing by. For breakfast, I had French Toast and sausage patties with an interesting man heading to Newton, Kansas.
After shaving, I watched Poison's "Live Raw Uncut" which took me into New Mexico. East of Gallup, we were delayed by snow-covered signals until after the Continental Divide. I next put on Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus "Best of Both Worlds Concert" and watched the 3D version. I can relate to her as I live two lives as well -- one the hard working person at Jefferson Elementary School as Mr. Chris and the other as the Train Rider Chris Guenzler. The train rolled east with no further delays and we arrived early at Albuquerque, where I detrained after a very fine trip on Amtrak and walked out through the station, where I met Randy and his wife Marie and we loaded the car.
The Driving Trip to Safford 4/4/2009We drove Interstate 25 south to Belen to attend a swap meet at the Belen Harvey House.
The BNSF yard set at Belen.
The line of BNSF freights at Belen. From there we continued south on Interstate 25, passing a southbound coal train on the way to Socorro.
The former Santa Fe Socorro station, built in 1888.
A BNSF coal train passing through Socorro. We stopped for lunch at Blakes Lotaburger, which is a New Mexico tradition then drove US 60 west, where at certain locations, the road follows the former grade of the Santa Fe branch to Magdalena.
The old Santa Fe water tower still stands east of Magdalena in valley north of US 60.
In Magdalena itself we found the former Santa Fe station, built in 1915, now the town's library and box car museum. We stopped to fill the car with petrol and a washroom break then resumed our journey with the next stop thirty miles.
The Very Large Array 4/4/2009
The Very Large Array (VLA) is an astronomical observatory using 27 dish-shaped antennas that are connected together to form a single large radio telescope.
Tracks used to move the antennas to their needed locations around the site. Talk about a rare piece of track on which to ride.
More antennas across the Plains of San Agustin.
A most impressive scene. We visited the Visitor Center before I went on the quick walking tour.
This machine moves the antennas around the site.
An interesting view.
Two hopper cars of ballast are at the ready to be dumped when needed.
Looking down the East Arm of the VLA.
Looking up the North Arm.
Another antenna.
Looking down the West Arm.
The Antenna Assembly building. From here, we drove west on US 60 to Datil, where we turned onto New Mexico 12 then at Reserve, made a cell phone stop since we had a signal. We took US 180 south to Glenwood, where we had dinner at the Blue Front Bar and Cafe, after which we drove south on US 180/New Mexico 78, which we took into Arizona where it became Arizona 78. Dropping down to US 191, we passed nine mule deer then drove US 191 over the hill to US 70, which we took into Safford and checked into the Best Western Desert Inn for the night. Tomorrow would be the former Southern Pacific Globe Line Rare Mileage Trip.
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