My first Amtrak trip, leaving Flagstaff AZ in early July on the Southwest Chief, Chicago bound. We are really looking forward to this! Can anyone comment on do's or don'ts for this train? Can one get off the train at the stops or is it a hassle? Any recommendations on which side to be on at any particular point? Any help or comments appreciated!
All I can say Steve is you'll really enjoy it. As to getting off the Conductor will make an announcement that you can get off before the train arrives at the station. I think the only stops on the chief that you can get off from memory are Albuquerque and Kansas Citybut from Trinidad to about Topeka is night time. At Albuquerque you get about 40mins and there are people on the platform selling touristy things. as to sides go to the lounge car so you can swap around most of the yards I remember were on the left side in the direction of travel Gallup, Argentine KC. Cicero in Chicago is on the right, but Global 1 is on the left and the Amtrak yard near the station is on the left. Enjoy the trip, lots of trains on the transcon so if you like scenery expect the best bits to be blocked by speeding containers and the breakfast is really nice. Alex
The Flagstaff station is pretty unique, don't think I've seen another like it. Like Sten says, it makes several stops where you can get off so you may as well strech a bit. Seeing how industries have changed along the rails is interesting. Don't be shy with the camera, everyone else will be wishing they had theirs. In new Mexico it will stop at one of the historic Fred Harvey houses of Harvey Girl fame, I found that interesting. Dinning on the train is a must. It's all about interacting with other passengers and the food is suprizingly good, not that crap the airlines try to pass off as food. I found it tough to sleep on the train. Just as I'd start to doze of, the train would shimmy and I'd snap back to full awake as if I had nodded off while driving. Strange sensation. For me the trip was as exciting as Disneyland, but then again I'm a little nutty anyway! ENJOY IT! BTW: Did you get a sleeper or are you gonna rough it in the coach?
sleeping on the way over from LA to Chicago was fun last time. I was travelling solo and they put a family next to me so I stroll up to my seat at around 2300 to catch some z's and there is a young kid asleep on the isle seat so I ended up sleeping on the floor of the sightseer lounger using a safety vest from my camera bag as a pillow. It was cool!! They turn most of the lights off (leaving just the floor markers per regulations) so I would look up and see the night sky out of the windows. not that I got much sleep to much to see even at night seeing all these little Kansa towns roll by. Oh well will be doing it again in October from Chicago to LA with a stopover in Flagstaff for the Grand Canyon can't wait!!!!
Thanks guys, We're roughin' it in the coach! Thanks for the info, hoping to do some photography at least in the daylight, hence wanting to get off the train (and to stretch). Can you do much photography from the train, or is it the situation that there are problems with windows/glare/angles/wrong perspectives/etc? This vacation is definately family-oriented, but believe me I'm wanting to shoot about 6 rolls of film railfanning the whole time (going to be in maybe 10 or 12 states, including some highway travel). Thanks again! Any other comments welcome!
Steve, If you will be staying or traveling around in the Chicagoland area, and you have access to a car(rental or borrowed)try to get to the railroad park in Rochelle IL. Plenty of action on the BNSF and UP. There is a small yard on the BNSF in Rochelle and they also do some industry switching in the area and up to Oregon IL. A couple of times my sis & BIL went to wave HI to me and snap a photo or two if I was running a freight on the long pool to LaCrosse WI. They live in De Kalb IL. Of course it would only be if I would be going there at a "reasonable" time of day. I would ring them up on my cell phone with my loco # and an ETA. Sorry I wont be able to see you while on the job, cuz I retired last October. Have fun. Have a pleasant trip CT
