TrainWeb.org Facebook Page

The Return from the Depot Inn & Suites on the Southwest Chief



by Chris Guenzler



Southwest Chief 3 2/11/2007



At 8:12 PM, the Southwest Chief pulled into La Plata and I once again boarded the Sleeping Car Missouri, but this time I was in Room 2. The train set was exactly the same as the one that brought me to La Plata. Henry Ford was once again my sleeping car attendant, so I was in good hands. I settled for a good night's rest as I watched the Missouri countryside from my darkened room and called it a night right before we had reached the Kansas City metro area.

2/12/2007 I woke up in extreme western Kansas and went to the dining car for French Toast and sausage, which I finished before Lamar, Colorado.





I took a picture of the snowy eastern Colorado plains on a morning when it was good to be on a nice warm train. At Las Animas, we held the main for an eastbound BNSF grain train, then at Casa, we passed a coal train before we reached La Junta, a fresh air stop on a rather dark and dreary morning.





The Southwest Chief at rest at La Junta.





Another coal train arrived passed through La Junta prior to our on-time departure. Later at Hoehnes, we came to an unexplained stop at a red signal for twenty minutes before reaching Trinidad. We climbed up and over Raton Pass exiting the Summit tunnel at 7,588 feet, the highest point on the former Santa Fe Railroad. A few minutes later we arrived at Raton, our next fresh air stop.





The Raton Station.





The Raton Station tower. Later I had lunch with Leslie and Gary, traveling from upstate New York to Fullerton, and Patty returning from Kentucky to Victorville. I had the Angus Beef Burger and a Chocolate Bundt Cake. After lunch, my first music of the day was Queen's "Live Killers" which took me over Glorieta Pass, down Apache Canyon and beyond Lamy. I switched to Mark Knopfler and Emmy Lou Harris' "All that Roadrunning". We arrived at Albuquerque early, passing the eastbound Southwest Chief just east of the station. A trip to Coldstone Creamery was in order this afternoon before I returned to the station for some train watching.





New Mexico Railrunner Train 512 ready to depart north for Sandoval/US 550.





New Mexico Railrunner 102 on the rear of this train.





New Mexico Railrunner 103 in their storage area.





Future New Mexico Railrunner Train 516 heading north to the downtown station.





Santa Fe M-190 recently returned from the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento back to Albuquerque on a flat car.





The rear of this unique unit.





Another view of this unique unit.





Still another view of the Santa Fe M-190.





Side view of the cab unit of the Santa Fe M-190.





The sun came out of for this view of the Santa Fe M-190.





The full sun view of the trailer of M-190.





Close up of the cab of the M-190 Motor Car.





Full frontal view of the Santa Fe M-190.





My Southwest Chief ready to hit the road west.





Duck tape is wonderful for fixing things like on our lead locomotive. The Southwest Chief departed Albuquerque on time with me listening to Alice Cooper's "Welcome to my Nightmare". That was followed by the Emerson Lake & Palmer's "King Biscuit Hour", the second disc of live Karn Evil 9.





The Southwest Chief runs west into the night. I had a 6:15 PM dinner reservation and was seated with Mary and Dave Lewis, riding from New York to Fullerton. I ordered Pork Shanks and a Chocolate Bundt Cake. My tablemates told me quite an interesting story about them. They had been high school sweethearts in Connecticut, but went out into life on separate paths. She had put up her information on Classmates.com. About a year later, Dave stumbled onto the same website and found her. Later they married, bringing a happy end to their single lives. I returned to my darkened room for the first disc of the Emerson Lake and Palmer set on a bright star-filled night. Afterwards, I called it a night.

2/13/2007 I awoke just outside of San Bernardino, changed into my work clothes and went to the last call for breakfast in the dining car. I had my usual morning meal on the train, which lasted until West Corona. I returned to my room, took my luggage downstairs and relaxed for the last few miles of this trip. We arrived in Fullerton at 6:56 AM and I detrained, ending another great trip on the Southwest Chief.





The Southwest Chief has left Fullerton for an early arrival into Los Angeles Union Passenger Station this sunny February morning.





Metrolink 603 arrived into Fullerton while I waited for my train back to Santa Ana.





Metrolink 682 arrived and I boarded to go home. After a red signal, we ran to Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana, where I detrained and headed to McFadden for a day of work. This ends yet another fantastic Amtrak adventure and a most wonderful stay at the Depot Inn & Suites.



Home