The trip through Ruby Canyon and out onto the Utah Desert. Since it was a late evening, I made up his room and called it a night.
7/6/2015 I was up the next morning in Nevada just east of Wells.
An early morning shot of Nevada. I had a breakfast of French Toast and sausage patties in the dining car then watched Motley Crue's "Lewd, Crued & Tattooed" to help me cross Nevada.
That took me to lunch time so I started the line and was seated in the dining car for my usual lunch of the Angus Beef Burger and one last ice cream for dessert. I returned and timed my next Orange County Railway Historical Society program for August as I continued to take a few more pictures crossing Donner Pass.
We crossed the American River, I packed up the room and detrained from the 2 hour and 22 minute late California Zephyr. It had been a fantastic trip on the train, the food on the whole trip home was excellent and the train crew service was outstanding. I walked over to the Vagabond Hotel where I checked in for the night, went to Perko's for my final dinner of the trip and tried to upload my travelogues but had problems. I watched a bit of WWF wrestling before I called it a night so was in bed at 8:30 PM and had a good night's sleep.
San Joaquin, Thruway Bus and Pacific Surfliner 580 7/7/2015
As I arose, all I wanted to do was get home. I checked out and the Vagabond shuttle van took me over to the walkway to go out to the trains at Sacramento. I boarded and chose the left side single seat at the rear of California Car 8017 then detrained for my final two pictures before finding out my laptop was still not working properly
I bought a cinnamon roll and orange juice after which the train left Sacramento on time and at the Siemens Plant, were three more Amtrak electric locomotives being completed before going east. We passed through Lodi, Stockton and Modesto then Empire, where the Modesto and Empire Traction was busy switching freight cars on this early morning. We then had to do the Turlock Shuttle, a move where we go into the siding at Turlock and go all the way to the east switch. San Joaquin 711 was at the west end of Turlock, already having stopped there. We then reversed into Turlock and this was the most exciting moment of the trip.
We next proceeded to Merced, Madera and then Fresno before going south to Hanford where after that stop, I had a lunch of chicken wings and pretzel crisps which was my final Amtrak meal of this trip. The train stopped in Corcoran, Wasco and then on to Bakersfield. It has been a good and quick trip aboard San Joaquin 702 and I transferred to the Thruway Bus to LAUPT which was a quick ride.
Once at LAUPT, I made it up to the platform and boarded Pacific Surfliner 580 for the final train then called my mother to be picked up at 3:50 PM. We left on time, stopping at Fullerton, Anaheim and then Santa Ana, where I detrained. I would like to thank Amtrak for getting me safely home from Albany to Santa Ana. This was my second longest trip, only the 33-day one in 2000 was longer and I was glad to be home, so I could sleep in my own bed for the first time since June 10. My mother picked me up and took me home.
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