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Returning Home From the Norfolk and Western 611 Excursions 4/11/2016

David Pressley dropped me off at Salisbury, North Carolina station for my on-time departure of The Crescent and I ate the hot cakes and sausage that we purchased en route to the station.

The Southern Railway station and area. A lady who had ridden the Norfolk and Western 611 excursion was on her way to Atlanta, Georgia so she was taking Amtrak 19, the Crescent, tonight. The station keeper arrived at 12:20 AM and let us in. A southbound Norfolk Southern freight came blasting through and later, the southbound Crescent arrived. I went outside again to wave goodbye to my new friend and at 2:10 AM, walked my luggage out to the locked gate leading to the platform. The temperature was dropping while I was waiting and eight minute later, the gate was opened and I walked to near where my Viewliner Sleeper would stop. I could hear the horn of the Crescent in the distance, saw the headlight then the train arrived.

I boarded and found my Room 7 then my bags were delivered to my room and I pulled down the top bunk and placed them up there. The conductor scanned my ticket and I said goodnight to everyone, made the bed, climbed in and was fast asleep all the way to Alexandria so I had almost seven hours. I arose, freshened up then took my luggage down and saw the sights of Washington, DC from the train before we arrived.

The lady who had been across the aisle from me, Sara, and I walked off the Crescent and went straight to Club Acela where we checked in and received 5:00 PM dinner reservations. I stored my luggage then went to McDonald's for hot cakes and sausage which cost two dollars more than in North Carolina. After a good meal, I checked e-mail and showed Sara this year's Friday night Winterail program then she went to get lunch I relaxed until being taken out to the Capitol Limited by a Red Cap.

I had Room 3 in Car 2901 32075 with Paul Stein as my Sleeping Car Attendant. The consist of today's train was P42DCs 166 and 824, Viewliner baggage car 61013, transition car 39025, Sleepers 32075 "California" and 32073, diner 37012, lounge 33024 and coaches 34058, 340390 and 31027. We left Washington, DC on time, bound for Chicago then at 4:45 PM, Sara and I went to the dining car and were seated with a very nice couple riding from Wilmington to Los Angeles. I had the steak with a chocolate mousse then returned to my room and watched "Cheap Trick Germany 1983" in honour of them being elcted to the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. After that, I made up my room and called it a night.

4/12/2016 This morning started at 6:00 AM when I awoke and went to the dining car where my two tablemates did not say a single word and the woman was just reading her phone most of the time. The pancakes and sausage were excellent. Back in my room, I watched "Queen Houston Rocks Night at the Summit Houston Texas 1977" as we stopped at Waterloo, Elkhart and South Bend before the final sprint to Chicago. The ground had many puddles on it from excessive rains since I passed through this area eastbound late last week. The train arrived at Chicago Union Station at 8:04 AM {8:45 AM} and I was glad to be back here.

I walked off the train and made a beeline to the Metropolitan Lounge. I called Elizabeth to let her know the travelogues were ready for proofing then asked Sara to watch my belongings while I went to Gold Coast for a pair of Char Dogs for lunch. She watched my 2014 Friday night Winterail program which she really liked then I corrected the travelogues.

The floor plans for the new and improved Metropolitan Lounge, opening in June, which will overlook the Great Hall, so this would be my last visit to this particualr lounge and I was a little sad that it was changing. An announcement was made for my train so I said goodbye to my Sara, who was returning to Holland, Michigan tonight. We all walked out to the train on Track 16 and I made a note of the car and engine numbers on my way to my car then dropped off my bags and obtained the rest of the consist while everyone else boarded.

The consist for this version of the Southwest Chief had P42DCs 197 and 130, Viewliner baggage car 61059, transition 39032, sleepers 32026 and 32033, diner 38049, lounge 33024 and coaches 34038, 31039 and 34034. I was in Room 3 of Car 32033 with Phillip as my Sleeping Car Attendant. We departed on time and started our journey west.

A Metra train in Aurora with the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy roundhouse now housing a Walter Peyton Steakhouse. I watched Paul Stanley's "One Live Kiss" as the train sped across Illinois then had a 5:30 dinner reservation and was seated with Pat and John going first to Newton, Kansas than on to Dallas and a soccer player from Orland Park, Illinois. I had the steak and chocolate mousse.

Crossing the Mississippi River into Fort Madison.

Crossing the Des Moines River into Missouri. I switched to Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson "Thick as a Brick in Iceland" and watched the original through La Plata and onto Elmer.

The sunset just east of La Plata, after which I made my bed and called it a night.

4/13/2016 I awoke and went to the dining car when it opened at 6:30 AM MDT, where I was seated with a very nice Amish couple from Goshen, Indiana and a black gentleman from 'everywhere', as he said. I had pancakes and pork sausage patties then went back to bed, sleeping past the crew change in La Junta and waking up just west of there. I made up my bed and started my day at 9:30 AM by obtaining both lunch and dinner reservations. I saw Pikes Peak and Spanish Peak as the train rolled the miles to Trinidad, watching the second part of the concert from last night and after Trinidad, changing to Martin Barre's "Live in Lize Murea, Spain 7/10/2015 Jazz San Javier" that took me over Raton Pass to a fresh air break in Raton. At lunch, I was seated with a woman from Vermont, a Canadian from Montreal and Andrew from Indianapolis on his first major train trip. I had the Angus Beef Burger and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Once back in my room, I timed my May Orange County Railway Historical Society program as we climbed Glorieta Pass, meeting our eastbound sister train at Fox. After that, it was time to listen to the Young Dubliners and we descended through Apache Canyon to Lamy then I switched to Metallica's "Death Magnetic". As we approached Albuquerque, we were running a little late, arriving there at 4:32 PM and I called my friend Randy Jackson. Our departure was at 5:11 PM, 26 minutes late and I was called to dinner at 5:30 PM, being seated with Jon, who was going to the Grand Canyon and Andrew again, who was going to Las Vegas, Nevada via the bus from Kingman. I had the steak and chocolate mousse for the last dining car meal of this trip.

After dinner, I watched Asia's "Fantasia Live in Tokyo", called home and then Katie Wright, my Special Education teacher whom I work for. I really miss the students and teachers on our case load and I was looking forward to returning to Heninger Elementary School in Santa Ana, if all goes according to plan. Once we reached Arizona, I was very tired so made up my room and called it a night.

4/14/2016 I stripped the bed then enjoyed a cinnamon roll and orange juice for a light breakfast before detraining for some fresh air break at San Bernardino, then we rolled slowly toward Riverside. On the way, it dawned on me that I could take Metrolink 809 to Santa Ana and beat Pacific Surfliner 564 by 18 minutes since we were now 50 minutes late. So I told Phillip, my sleeping car attendant, my idea and he let me off at Riverside. I had a nice man watch my luggage while I bought a Metrolink ticket to Santa Ana then the train arrived from the storage area and I boarded Car 192. We made our way west west then south to Santa Ana where I detrained, ending a very excellent trip to La Plata and a life-long dream to ride behind Norfolk and Western 611.

I tried to take a taxi to work at Heninger Elementary School, but it turned out there are no longer taxis at this station. One taxi cab pulled up but was waiting to take someone else so he gave me a card and I called, but after a five minute wait, was told it would be an hour. It seemed that four days ago, the taxi company lost their business at this station so I went to the Amtrak counter and told Randy, the agent, of my problem and he offered to drive me to work and I was very grateful for his offer. I left my luggage in the office manager's office and went to the rest of my classes during the morning with my staff and students, who were very happy to see me. I worked my shift then Robin Bowers picked me up. That was the good news.

The bad news was that while my mother left the screen door unlocked before going to lunch with a friend, the same could not be said for the regular door, so I was locked out of my house. Robin left me after about thirty minutes and when my mother returned, I finally entered and was home at last, ready to be back in my own bed tonight.

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