TrainWeb.org Facebook Page
Southwest Chief LaPlata, Missouri, to Fullerton, California.


PTHS
Passenger Train Historical Society

A non-profit organization of passenger train enhusiasts devoted to the presentation and exhibition of Passenger Train History, especially that of Amtrak.


Depot Inn & Suites toll-free at 888.814.3669

Above titles and graphics by:  Steve Grande, TrainWeb.com,  Announcement:  http://www.trainweb.org/pths/ 

August 7 - 10, 2008

Heading Home after the Passenger Train Historical Society Meeting

Southwest Chief LaPlata, Missouri, to Fullerton, California.

640/IMG_3563.jpg

August 10, 2008

Since the westbound Southwest Chief through La Plata stops at 8:06 p.m., I basically had all day to enjoy Macon County, before heading home. 

First, I went to the Lookout and cut some saplings that Steve had mentioned were blocking the TV camera shot of passing trains.  The TV projects the image on Channel 43 on all Depot Inn & Suites room TVs.  Cutting the saplings reminded me of my days as a kid in Southern Indiana clearing fence rows on our family farm along the B & O.  Luckily, I had only about 5 saplings to cut!  While working around the Lookout, BNSF Freights were in high gear heading both ways:

(Double-Click any photo in this Travelogue to see a double-sized copy; Click BACK in your browser to return to this page.)

IMG_3520.jpg
Old Paint #6874 pulls an auto hauler west past the Lookout.
IMG_3525.jpg
Two auto haulers read:
Kansas City Southern

IMG_3534.jpg
#7545 Follows with an intermodal load.

IMG_3543.jpg
DPUs are often used at the rear of these very long trains.  Another chance for a loco photo.




IMG_3540.jpg
#4464 Pulls another intermodal westward.
IMG_3544.jpg
Shelli Tucker took me on a local tour after leaving the Lookout, and we found a mare and some mule colts.  Isn't there a connection between Mules and Missouri?
IMG_3558.jpg
The white puffy clouds on this August, Sunday, morning made for some nice photos of the Depot Inn.

IMG_3559.jpg

The Amtrak Express cars are just behind the Depot Inn & Suites.  Have them open the Amtrak Museum inside for you when you stay here.

IMG_3560.jpg IMG_3561.jpg
IMG_3562.jpg
The Party Building was sold and removed this week.  the dark dirt in the foreground was its location.
IMG_3563.jpg
With the old bldg. location cropped out, the Depot Inn makes a nice panorama.  Soon there will be a lighted "Hotel" sign on the ridge of the Inn since some passersby didn't know this was a hotel.

IMG_3566.jpg
Depot Inn with RR memoribelia and their Tour Bus.


(Right)  Steve Grande's Happy Birthday wish is on the Depot Inn's message sign.
IMG_3567.jpg

While driving the Depot Inn's orange 1941 Chevy pickup around the community the few days of my stay here this trip, I had seen a sign south of LaPlata, that said, "West Winery --> 1.6 miles."  I finally had this afternoon with time to go there.  Once I found the sign again, I drove .8 miles west of Hwy. 63 on a paved road.  Then I saw another sign saying, "Open Orchard," and turned left for .8 miles following a gravel road.  Soon I came to a new one-story building with an outside patio, umbrella tables and chairs.  There were two people there at the time, the owners, Chris and Jen West.  I was invited in to taste their wines and enjoyed talking with the young wine maker and learn about their orchard and winemaking business.  Their website is www.westwinery.com.

JenAndChris.jpg
Jen and Chris West at their winery's tasting room.
Photo Credit:  Amy and Bob Cox:  www.shownoffphotodj.com
IMG_3569.jpg
Chris gave me and other guests an informative tour of his wine-making operation.
IMG_3571.jpg
Floating-top stainless steel tank for fermentation.
IMG_3572.jpg
Electric pump

IMG_3573.jpg IMG_3574.jpg
IMG_3575.jpg
IMG_3576.jpg

IMG_3577.jpg
IMG_3578.jpg
Also on the wine-making tour were Angie and Danny Weber of LaPlata, MO, on their first visit to the West Winery.

IMG_3581.jpg
The old Ford tractor, with brush hog on the back, "Does the job," as Chris explained.

They have 1500 trees with 300 to 400 peach trees.  They have thornless, seedless blackberries.  We walked through the orchard, first seeing Red Delicous apples (right).
IMG_3582.jpg

IMG_3583.jpg
peach
IMG_3584.jpg
IMG_3585.jpg
Golden Delicious


Green Pears (right)
IMG_3586.jpg

IMG_3587.jpg IMG_3588.jpg
IMG_3589.jpgIMG_3589.jpg
IMG_3590.jpg
A still producing fuel for the building.

IMG_3591.jpg
A collector for more green power.


IMG_3592.jpg
A large, old tree on the property, used on a company label.
IMG_3593.jpg
IMG_3595.jpg
More traditional Missouri farm product, field corn.


La Plata, Missouri.  The Depot Inn & Suites provided transportation of me and my luggage, including the addition of a case of West Winery, Macon, Missouri, over the luggage I brought.

Leavin' on a Late Train, Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again

The train was about an hour late (scheduled for 8:06 pm), but I knew from previous experience that the jovial crew of rail fans that collect at the Amtrak Station Office each evening would provide entertainment and conversation to make the time pass quickly.  The fellows were playing with a remote controlled, twin engine airplane in the grassy field across the tracks from the station, and that was entertainment enough.  I did have a few minutes for computer work on this report and pictures which is what I'd do on the train anyway, so the arrival time was not critical.

The La Plata Amtrak Station is somewhat of a social gathering point at arrival and departure time for the Southwest Chief.  Local folks check the time of arrival by dialing 1800 USA RAIL and telling "Julie" the train number and station.  Since it was late, the people wanting to say goodbye knew they had time to drop by the station.  To my surprise, Bob Cox, Show-n-Off Photography in La Plata, stopped by as well as Depot Inn & Suites owners Kelly and Tom Marshall.  It was just like having family to say goodbye to me as I embarked on my 1,932 mile trip back to California.  There was one other passenger boarding on this Sunday night, and he was headed to San Diego to a Conference.

The problem with the train overshooting the Platform.

As was typical, the train overshot the platform (whose fault is it when this happens?).  My ticket was for a roomette in the Transition Car, the first car past the 2 locomotives and the baggage car, and they knew this, so why would they pull up with the Transition Car past the platform.  I drug my bags to the west end of the platform and the conductor came to me, walking through the ballast, and said, "Just put your bags on this car and we'll get you a room in this car."  (Bad suggestion.)  They had a passenger in the room they wanted me to move to, who would get off in Kansas City, but they would have to make up the room, and check to see if the room was sold anywhere between Kansas City and Los Angeles before I could move there.  I went to my Room 18 in the Transition Car with my computer and continued to work.

The adjacent sleeper car attendent came to my room and asked, "Are you the one who wants to move to the next car?"  (Would it be worth explaining all the above paragraph to her, including the fact that I had no intention of moving, but the female Conductor had suggested it because of the missed spot and my luggage being in the next car...Jeez)  The attendant said, "We'll have to wait  until we get to Kansas City....."

That room move would be fine, but we didn't get to Kansas City until midnight and I didn't know which room I would be sleeping in.  As I stepped off in Kansas City, from the Transition Car, the lady Conductor stepped off at the end of her shift, and I asked, which room will I be in?  She looked at me like she didn't know what I was talking about.  Sometimes Conductors make decisions that are most conventient for them rather than the passenger.  My suggestion to her in La Plata to, "Just help me across the ballast with my luggage and I'll be in the right car." was the right decision as I see it.   Right for me, that is, not Easy for the Conductor.

I saw the adjacent sleeper car attendant and told her, "Why don't we move my luggage to this "40 Transition Car" and I'll use my assigned room, 18.  I helped her accomplish this and told her I'd like my bed made up.  We left KC and I got to bed about 12:30, knowing that we would lose an hour in the night moving from the Central Time Zone to the Mountain Time Zone, and there would be noise in the hallway of employees going to work, so I could, at best, get 6 hrs. sleep.  As it turned out, the tracks in Kansas, I had learned from my trip east, are so rough, you literally have to hand onto your berth or you'd be thrown out! 

So my night's sleep was actually a series of naps between knocks.




Table of Contents
      1. Top of this Page
      2. SWC to La Plata
      3. PTHS Conference Aug. 6 -7
      4. PTHS Conference Aug. 8
      5. PTHS Conference Aug. 9
      6. PTHS Conference Aug.  10
      7. PTHS Conference Aug. 11
      8. Other Rail Travelogues by Carl ]
      9. TrainWeb.com