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The Southwest Chief pulled into Fullerton right on time as I shot this picture from up on the bridge with Maureen. We said our goodbyes as we reached the ground before I headed to my luggage.
C.M. Richard and Jeff just after the train pulled in.
C.M. Pat and Jeff train side.
I collected my luggage, pulled out my ticket and gave it George,
my Sleeping Car Attendant before I went to my Room 8. I went back
down to the door to wave goodbye to all on the platform who couldn’t
join me on my unique trip towards a Million Rail Miles. The Southwest
Chief had engines 165 and 182, Baggage 1234, Transition 39010,
Sleepers 32111 Texas and 32016 Pennsylvania, Diner 38025, Lounge
33019 and Coaches 34057, 31041 and 34050. I set up my room putting up
in the window the Orange County Register article and the front page
of my web site like I usually do when I travel in a Sleeping Car.
C.M. Sunset from the rear door at Corona.
C.M. Steve Grande downstairs In the Texas before the toilets failed in this Sleeping Car.
C.M. Andy Smith who kept Trainorders.com updated on our trip.
C.M. Carl Morrison who travels with all sorts of electric equipment. I met our group in the Lounge Car and before Riverside said goodbye to Bob Manning who detrained at Riverside to return home to Palm Springs. At 8:15 PM Chris Parker, Anton and I went to the Dining Car and was seated with Dave from Brighton, England. Ken Levinson our Dining Car Steward was making his final Southwest Chief round trip before retiring. Ken and I go back to the Café Cars on the San Diegans and he has served me many excellent meals over the years. I enjoyed a Pork Chop which was very good. We returned to the lounge car for the trip over Cajon Pass then down to Victorville where I called it as night.
4/26/07 I woke up early and went to the Lounge Car before we arrived into Williams Jct. to start writing this story. Jonathan soon joined me for the rest of the ride to Flagstaff where I detrained for a walk in the cold crisp morning air.
Steam engine 25 on display in Flagstaff. I had breakfast with the Winstons and Larry with me having French Toast and sausage patties. Back in my room I finally had a chance to look at the cards the McFadden kids had made for me while I listened to Aerosmith "Permanent Vacation". The kids did a really excellent job in creating the cards and it was very had for me to select the top three but after 45 minutes I did it. I then went back to the Lounge Car to enjoy the morning.
Arizona.
Entering New Mexico.
After a large group boarded in Gallup, the New Mexico Red Mesas.
Barbara Sibert and Dave Abbott of the Pacific Railroad Society who both just happened to be on my Million Rail Miles Train Trip. Pretty cool!
Chris Parker in the Dining Car.
Carl, Tom and Larry in the Lounge Car.
A New Mexico Red Mesa.
A 1,000,000 Rail Mile Red Mesa.
Ken Levinson taking lunch reservations.
Mount Laguna.
More New Mexico beauty.
I went down to use the bathroom in Coach 33019 and found this down stairs. Just another example of the excellent work that the Beech Grove Shop team does working with Amtrak passenger cars. Between Suwanne and Rio Puerco we passed 7 BNSF eastbound trains which once again showed really impressive train handling by the BNSF dispatcher.
Later the Rio Grande River before we reached Albuquerque.
The M-190 still on its flat cars.
The Southwest Chief arrived into Albuquerque with Randy Jackson waiting for me with 7-UP in hand. I lead the way to Coldstone Creamery then returned to the nice warm air at train side.
The New Mexico Railrunner run through the station on its way to Belen.
C.M. Our group in Albuquerque during the layover.
I met our Conductor who was very impressed that I was about to break the Million Rail Mile Mark tomorrow. I checked my E-mail on Andy Smith’s computer and he has been updating our progress on the Amtrak Board onTrainorders.com before we left Albuquerque thirty minutes late. I was taken to the Transition Crew Lounge and did a video interview for the documentary being made about my Million Mile Rail Trip. The Southwest Chief next stopped in Lamy and I tossed the friendly Amtrak agent a T-shirt as she was so kind to me when I was stuck in Lamy for hours back a few months ago. We finished up this part of the interview and I went to the Dining Car to ride beyond Glorieta Pass. I returned to my room for Jethro Tull "Best of Acoustic" and some Sudoku puzzles. As I listened to the Tull, memories started flowing through my mind. The -42 C in Lynn Lake, boulders on the tracks in Copper Canyon, daylight running along the Gulf Coast, the Inside Gateway, catching the United States Mail in Osceola, Wisconsin, riding out onto the ore dock on the Erie Mining Railroad trip, the Union Pacific 3985 setting Utah on fire, my Fall Color Trip, the Southern Pacific 4449 trip to Bend and the Beech Grove Shop Tour! I have been one very lucky Person to have experienced all this and so much more! See America Fares, All Board America Fares, Canrail Passes and the North America Rail Passes had all helped me get almost a Million Rail Miles. I can’t believe my goal is almost within reach.
Las Vegas, New Mexico. I returned to the Lounge Car visiting with Tom, Anton
and Steve. Believe it or not, this is the first time Steve and I have
ever traveled on a long distance train together.
Later we did the fresh air stop in Raton before they called us in for dinner. Richard, Anton, Chris Parker and I were seated together with me enjoying the Pork Chop and Chocolate Cake. Our meal lasted nearly to La Junta where I made a run to the Safeway for some Coca Cola for my big moment in the sun tomorrow if all goes right the rest of the way to the bridge. We departed La Junta on time and Richard then had me be a guest on the Internet Radio Show, the Travel Hub, where I talked about breaking a Million Rail Miles mark. After Lamar I told some John Cleese jokes in the Lounge car before calling it a night in anticipation of my big day tomorrow. I slept extremely well.
Special thanks to C.M.= Carl Morrison for the use of his photos in my story.