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Back to the Depot Inn and Suites for New Year's

I had planned to go back to La Plata for Christmas and New Year's Eve this year, but had to deal with a major life loss of someone who could never be replaced.

Here is a picture of Bruce working baggage in Santa Ana in 1976. My brother Bruce passed away peacefully the morning of December 23, 2010 after battling cancer for two-and-a-half years. He started working for the Santa Fe Railroad after he had a work experience program with them his Senior Year at Santa Ana High School. He worked with Santa Fe until Amtrak starting hiring ticket agents, and joined that company in early 1973. He worked at Santa Ana, Fullerton, Oceanside, Glendale, Alhambra and Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal.

In 1980, he moved to Pocatello, Idaho where he lived and worked for five-and-a-half years. It was his move there that started my train riding career and booked all of my early Amtrak trips. In 1986, he moved to Davis and helped with in having that station restored. After that, he worked the reat of his career at Sacramento as a ticket agent, except for a brief period of being a manager. He will be missed by not only our family, but all the people he had worked with throughout the years.

To say that my Christmas was indeed sad was an understatement. I hosted the Let's Talk Trains Show on Christmas morning, had an excellent Christmas turkey dinner and then had some quiet moments to myself before my brother Jon drove me to the Santa Ana station to start my trip back La Plata, Missouri and the Depot Inn & Suites.

The train arrived a few minutes late and I boarded the lower level of the Pacific Business Class car for my journey to Los Angeles. It made a quick trip to Anaheim and Fullerton before the final sprint to LAUPT, arriving a few minutes early and I walked down, under and over to Track 12 where my train was waiting to take me to La Plata.

I boarded Sleeping Car 1131 and had Room 11 on the lower level with Efren as my Sleeping Car Attendant. The consist of this train was P42DCs 68 and 55, baggage 1234, transition 39033, sleeping Cars 32110 "Tennessee" and 32038, diner 38068, lounge 33015 and coaches 34079, 34072, 31041 and 31010. We departed on time as I watched "Jeff Beck Performing this Week... Live at Ronnie Scott's". I took fresh air breaks at both Fullerton and San Bernardino then it was a CD of Asia "Omega" that took me up and over Cajon Pass. After that I made up my room and called it a night.

12/26/2010 I awoke at 7:15 AM east of Winslow and went straight to the dining car for a French Toast and bacon breakfast, being seated with a couple from Chicago who are in an "S" gauge model railroad club and a lady going to Albuquerque. After breakfast, I read the Arizona Daily Sun newspaper as the train made its way towards Gallup before watching one of my DVDs that took me most of the way to Dalies. I relaxed the rest of the way to Albuquerque and my mood was still sad as hosting the Internet radio show yesterday was one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life so far. It was good to get some fresh air in New Mexico's biggest city, where we arrived at 10:35 AM {11:42 AM}, which I was told was a new early arrival record.

After a long stay with me online for most of it, I decided to take a nap which I did until Las Vegas, New Mexico then just enjoyed the views from my room until we arrived at sunset at Raton for a fresh air break. On the move again, I had a 5:00 PM dinner reservation and was seated with two ladies from outside of Erie, Pennsylvania and a gentleman from Chicago who rode plenty of pre-Amtrak trains. His favorite was the Great Northern Empire Builder with Baltimore and Ohio's Capitol Limited a close second. I had an excellent steak along with vanilla ice cream for dessert then had a refreshing shower while we were waiting on time in Trinidad before I watching my DVD of "Ladies and Gentlemen... the Rolling Stones", which took me to La Junta. After some fresh air, I tried access the Internet but had no luck and we departed on time, bound for Kansas as I made up my room and called it a night.

12/27/2010 Efren awoke me half an hour from Kansas City and I went to the dining car and was seated with a beautiful woman who had just moved to Claremont, California and was headed to Kansas City. I had French Toast and bacon and finished before our early arrival there. I detrained to test the morning temperatures so could be prepared for La Plata later this morning. The train departed on time as I watched my Poison DVD "Poison Live Raw & Uncut" which took me as far as Carrollton, after which I listened to "Mylie Cyrus I Can't Be Tamed" as I caught up on the story. In case you noticed the lack of pictures, I was not really in the mood to take any and as I always say "Been here already and done it!" The CD finished just past Ethel and I relaxed the rest of the way to La Plata, arriving there a few minutes early.

One of the Depot Inn's employees, Brad, picked me up and drove me to the hotel for my nine-night stay here. I received the key to Room P then obtained the van and headed out.

The frost on the tree outside the Depot Inn & Suites, after which I drove out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.

This train that snuck up on me was Union Pacific 8092 with mid-train DPU Union Pacific 8216.

The former Wabash grade looked beautiful this late morning.

BNSF 5347 East.

BNSF 7326 East was the next train.

A family visiting the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point. I went to see Shivam at TrainParty.com about getting my webpage pictures back up which he fixed then returned to my room and and made sure everything was working, which it was not. Shivam solved that issue as well then I returned to the hotel and later went to the Red Rooster for a smoked hamburger and relaxed the rest of the evening.

12/28/2010 I woke up, prepared myself for the day and picked up breakfast-to-go then drove out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point, checked e-mail and Trainorders.com, learning that a BNSF freight had derailed in Dodge City and as a result, the eastbound Southwest Chief would be five hours late. I called Bob Cox to let him know.

BNSF 7454 West with a tank car train.

BNSF 7553 East.

BNSF 7263 West came next.

He was followed by BNSF 4160 West.

A single Amish man in his buggy on Brown Street.

Here came a colorful BNSF westbound train with BNSF 4369, CSX 7644 and Norfolk Southern 9291.

Union Pacific 5254 West arrived mid-train DPU Union Pacific 8414. I returned to the Depot Inn & Suites where I helped Brad to re-install the display cases in the Exhibition of Amtrak History.

A five-hour late Southwest Chief came through Ethel on the way to La Plata. I drove to the KFC in Macon for dinner to go before returning to La Plata then later, obtained the keys to the Express Cars and moved all of the items that had been stored there back into the Exhibition of Amtrak History car. After I watched "NCIS", I returned and helped Bob Cox and his daughter Karri sort things by train name and we started putting everything back together. I then called it a night.

12/29/2010 I arose and picked up some breakfast to take with me out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point, drove the van out there and soon had things set up.

My usual setup at the Lookout Point. I checked my E-mail then did my daily voting for the NHL Allstar Game as I waited for trains to arrive on a cold and damp morning. It was quiet until the horn of Amtrak's Southwest Chief interrupted the silence.

The Southwest Chief made its stop at La Plata then departed, meeting BNSF 7328 West right in front of me.

BNSF 7622 West came through with twevele locomotives in the consist.

Later, a quiet and short BNSF westbound rolled by my location. I returned to my room and watched a Blue Oyster Cult DVD then drove up to Kirksville to Pizza Hut and Wing Thing for some wings to go then watched Peter Frampton Live. Later, a very poor smoked hamburger at the Red Rooster was had before I met Bob Cox and we worked the evening away on the Exhibition of Amtrak History. After that I called it a night.

12/30/2010 I woke up this morning to a temperature of 46 degrees and after breakfast, drove down to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point, finding that snow had melted after the warm rain last night. After the voting and checking my e-mail, I started working on the story to catch up on it since I had arrived.

A low-light shot of a BNSF eastbound stack train.

A few minutes later, a westbound BNSF piggyback train went through La Plata. I now waited for the Southwest Chief to arrive.

Amtrak's Southwest Chief was right on time this morning.

BNSF 5011 West came through next.

BNSF 7408 East.

Two warbonnet units were on this westbound BNSF freight that snuck up on me. I returned to the hotel and showed my Winterail program to Maria Snodgrass, the manger, who enjoyed it. I then watched concert videos for the afternoon before receiving a phone call from Bob Cox about a unique train on its way. I obtained the van and drove down to the grade crossing by the station and waited just a few minutes.

BNSF 7592 East was not the train we were waiting for. I saw Bob Cox so I moved the van over by the Trainparty building and joined him. We went inside for a minute then returned outside when I thought I heard a train coming.

BNSF 7560 West came through La Plata next. We waited and Ray Burns arrived to run the mail to the post office. The three of us waited out in what turned out to be a nice late afternoon here in La Plata. Soon we heard a horn, then the gates went down and here came an interesting train.

This was a very interesting train with BNSF 719, 721, 200, 1556 and Arizona and California GP39-2 3901. After that I drove to the KFC in Kirksville for dinner and relaxed the evening away before calling it a night.

12/31/2010 I woke up to what might be the first rainy morning on my birthday, in this case, my 53rd. I had some chocolate donuts then voted the NHL All-Stars before driving to the Amtrak station and visited with Bob Cox as we waited for the train.

BNSF 4798 East was my first train this rainy morning.

Bob's daughter Karri at the station.

By the front of the station came BNSF 7561 West.

BNSF 4796 East went through La Plata.

BNSF 7614 West came by the north side of the station.

BNSF 4305 West from across the station.

The Southwest Chief arrived a mere forty minutes late this morning. I picked up Nathan Chidester and his girlfriend Erin from the sleeping cars and Lee Reisinger and his wife from the coaches. The train headed towards Chicago and I gave a quick tour of downtown La Plata before taking them all to the Depot Inn & Suites where they received their rooms. After watching most of "Naked Gun: Police Squad", I went back to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point and was soon joined by some other visitors.

BNSF 4687 West came through first this afternoon.

Next was BNSF 7280 East.

BNSF 7598 West under the Brown Street bridge.

Union Pacific 7840 West.

BNSF 7887 East.

BNSF 4018 West on this sunny and very windy afternoon.

This afternoon's guests at the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.

Next BNSF 4018 slowed down then met BNSF 4008.

BNSF 4008 East sped through on its way to Chicago. BNSF 4018 then crossed over at the La Plata crossovers and I returned to the Depot Inn & Suites, meeting Nathan in the lobby. We talked with hotel assistant manager Sally before going to Room P and continuing our conversation then at 5:30 PM, we met Bob Cox, who drove us to Colton's Steakhouse in Kirksville for dinner. After waiting thirty minutes to get in, I had an excellent top sirloin for my birthday dinner and back at the hotel, a birthday cake awaited.

My birthday cake.

Me and my birthday cake. After 9:00 PM, I drove Howard Miller out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point for our New Year's celebration.

The night-time view from the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point looking towards the La Plata station.

The last train of 2010 was a westbound BNSF train.

It was then quiet just after midnight.

Our group at New Year's 2011.

The first train of 2011 was an eastbound BNSF at 12:03 AM. A westbound BNSF train passed three minutes later and with that, we returned to the Depot Inn & Suites on a 13 degree night and I called it a night.

1/1/2011 I arose and prepared myself for the day before meeting Nathan and Erin and we drove over to the Red Rooster, where I had French Toast and crispy bacon. After that we returned to the hotel where I learned that the NHL Winter Classic was delayed until 7:00 PM tonight, which meant it would not interfere with Nathan and I hosting Let's Talk Trains at noon. At 10:30, we drove to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point from where today's show would originate. I voted for my NHL All-Stars then set everything up.

BNSF 7423 East came through first.

BNSF 7404 was next. After that, Nathan and I hosted the show inside the nice and warm Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.

Erin took these pictures of Nathan and I hosting Let's Talk Trains.

Amtrak's Train 4 arrived over three hours late today during one of our commercial breaks.

After the show, BNSF 623 East passed us and we then returned to the hotel for the rest of the afternoon. I went to the Red Rooster for a steak then watched the NHL Winter Classic as the Washinghton Capitols defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1. I went to sleep with an early wake up call for a day of fun with trains.