C2
I did not get back on
the Zephyr until September, 2013. I had hoped for a cross country
trip in first class, but it would have been cheaper to take the QE2 across
the pond. So thanks to Southwest Airlines and JetBlue I was able to take
care of most of the cross country travel, saving hundreds of dollars.
I did book coach class on the Zephyr between Denver and Reno, and between
Reno and Sacratmento, where I would pick up a Cap Corridor train to my family
in Berkeley. Mother nature messed around and so it was the last ride on the
CZ between Denver and Reno before the horrific Colorado floods, and
an Ambus over to Sacramento from Reno a couple of days later.
A few comments are in order. The train was clean, packed, and staffed by
people who seemed to have a good understanding of customer service. The
food service was a bit less than ideal, what with a dining car that was
obviously hard pressed to serve the heavy passenger load and a cafe car
that mysteriously closed durinig breakfast time, makinjg it impossible to
get a simple cup of coffee. The dining car food was good and fairly priced,
though to be honest folks it had an air of plastique about it. Click here to check out the menu.
Above a shot of the train above the Colordado River and the dining car.
First row below features the interior of the Denver station (a bugger to find;
I would have missed the train had it not been an hour or so late), a view
not far from Granby and the always busy observation car. How pleasant it
would have been to have someone come through the train with a trolley.
Above some scenery, the Grand Junction station, the Reno stations (a rather
forelorn place actually; some doors lock, virtually no amenities) and Cap
Corridor trains in Sacramento, a fifty yard walk from the station with little
help for the elderly and poor signage. A surprise because my experience with
these trains has always been good (as was the ride over to Berkeley).
My wife and I rode the train from Davis to Reno in 2015. Not much difference
save that the flowers had been removed from dining car tables as a cost savings
measure required by Congress (yes, really!) Happily, our good humored server
found some on our placemat.
Check back often. I'll be adding new pics as I edit them.
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