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I woke up west of San Antonio with us running about an hour late. This train had engines 14 and 185, Baggage 1172, Transition 39005, Sleeper 32045, Diner 38018, Lounge 33047, Coaches 35002, 34016 and 34098 with Sleeper 32086 Louisiana. The 34098 and 32086 are the through cars from the Texas Eagle. I had breakfast with Sharon traveling from New Orleans to her home in Culver City, California and Hope who was going from Atlanta to San Diego to catch a cruise to Hawaii. I enjoyed French Toast and sausage patties about an hour from our fresh air stop at Del Rio. My Sleeping Car Attendant from San Antonio to Los Angeles is Amtrak veteran Issac Champaign who I have had on the Southwest Chief and Coast Starlight over the years.
One of West Texas finest view, not! A few minutes later we arrived in Del Rio, Texas for a fresh air stop. We left Del Rio still about an hour late.
The Rio Grande River west of Del Rio. The river is the USA/Mexico border. The train climbed leaving the Rio Grande River until we would cross it west of El Paso in about 445 more miles.
Amistad Dam and Lake.
West shore of Amistad Lake.
Passengers enjoying the Sightseer Lounge Car this bright January morning.
On the way to the Pecos River High Bridge.
Me enjoying my room despite that dirty window.
The view from my window. Pretty bad isn't it?
The old Water Tower just east of the Pecos River.
The Pecos River from the Pecos River High Bridge.
The old bridge abruptment to the north of our train.
Eagle Nest Canyon just east of Langtry, Texas.
Langtry, Texas home of Judge Roy Bean, the first judge west of the Pecos River.
A bridge west of Langtry.
A UP stack train at Pumpville.
The bridge across Malvardo Canyon.
Another bridge.
A UP eastbound at Fedora.
Views of Sanderson, Texas.
Emerson siding.
Longfellow siding.
Rosenfeld siding.
Maxon siding.
Tesnus siding full of gondola cars.
Haymond siding.
Warwick siding full of empty stack cars.
Marathon, Texas.
A UP stack train in the Marathon siding.
Lenox siding.
Altuda siding with a UP freight waiting on us to clear.
Altuda siding.
Another UP stack train with the rear two units from the CSX Railroad at Altuda.
Views between Altuda and Strobel.
A UP freight at Strobel. We headed straight into Alpine and our train crew cancelled the fresh air stop to try to make up time.
A gap in the mainline rail at Alpine, Texas.
Leaving Alpine, Texas. Now lets take a trip over Paisano Pass, the highest point on the entire Sunset Route.
Alpine Jct.
Another UP eastbound in the Alpine Siding.
We have reached the west end of Paisano Pass at Paisano Jct and Paisano siding.
Marfa, Texas.
Later just east of Quebec siding, an Airship at dock.
East of Hot Wells siding.
Sierra Blanca where the old Texas and Pacific joined the SP Sunset Route.
Next it started to snow!
A UP eastbound at Lasca siding.
A bridge before Small siding.
Another UP eastbound at Small siding.
A UP westbound at Finlay siding.
CSX power on this work train at McNary siding.
Old Water Tank between McNary and Iser.
A UP westbound at Iser siding.
Tornillo siding just east of El Paso.
Another UP freight waited for us at Tornillo.
UP yard power at Alfalfa Yard on the east side of El Paso.
The UP El Paso Yard.
Tower 47 in El Paso where the Carrizozo Subdivision from Tucumari joins the Sunset Route.
Another view of the Tower 47 area. We had to wait for a UP eastbound to clear so we could reach El Paso Union Station.
The offending UP eastbound finally gets by us in the trench under downtown.
The El Paso Skyline.
Exiting the trench under downtown El Paso before we reached El Paso Union Station. I detrained to get a newspaper and a picture of my train.
The Sunset Limited at rest at El Paso. I met Kevin and his dad during my layover in El Paso. Kevin reads my web site so it is always interesting to met one of my readers. We departed El Paso on time. At 6:30 PM after we had entered New Mexico I went to the Dining Car for dinner being seated with Jackie from Huntington Beach heading home from Fort Worth and William who works in Big Bend National Park going to Tucson. William has also climbed 64 mountain peaks. I enjoyed a Pork Chop and chocolate cake. An after dinner shower before an evening of music in my darkened room. Later, I made up my room for a night.
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