OK, Medic, as promised, here are a few thoughts, having just arrived back at my home, within earshot of the railroad in Flagstaff. So you are going LA to Chicago in a roomette? Excellent. The timekeeping of this train has usually been pretty good, but has slipped in the last several months. Hopefully you will be close to on time or not too late, but at least you don't have to be concerned about connecting in Chicago. Do NOT plan on an important event the evening that you arrive. If you arrive in good shape, then you can be spontaneous and go do something that is of interest to you, or maybe you are visiting. Be sure to make use of the First Class Lounge in LA, which is a nice facility. Walk down the hall to the right of the ticket office and you will be looking at rental car counters. Turn left and you will see elevators on the left. Go up one floor and turn left into the lounge. The redcaps will drive you in carts directly to your train. Dinner is served upon departure Los Angeles. Some of the food is pretty good - steak is the best bet, and some things like salad and vegetables are blah. Remember that the price of meals is included in your sleeper ticket. You may order anything on the menu. There are many opinions on tipping in dining cars, but I tip as though I was in a regular restaurant, and am happy to do so if the service is good. Alcoholic drinks are extra. In your sleeper, you will probably want to sleep on the bottom bunk, as it is easier to get into and has a window. The showers and rest rooms are separate from your roomette - one restroom on the upper levee, three on the lower, plus shower and luggage racks. If you are pleased with the service of the car attendant ( SCA ) it is appropriate to tip them. ( For the two night trip I would give them at least $10. Last year I had an uncooperative SCA and she received zip. To some I have cheerfully given $20. )) I usually have trouble sleeping the first night on the train - you will probably do better the second night, although be prepared for some rough track in western Kansas. You will find traveling overnight by train to be special and a very different perspective in crossing the country, quite different than by car.
Nobody knows how this will turn out, but in 2016, the Southwest Chief is likely to be re-routed away from the old Santa Fe mainline over Raton Pass, and will be sent east across the Texas Panhandle at Amarillo, through northwestern Oklahoma, and up to Wichita. Therefore, appreciate the charms of the present route while you can. East of the movie set like station at Lamy ( the station for Santa Fe ) is where the ride is most interesting, up narrow twisting canyons at low speed, across the Pecos River and wide open spaces right out of the Old Wild West, and over Raton Pass into southeastern Colorado. You will most likely want to hang out in the sightseer lounge car next to the dining car. For over 200 miles you will see no other trains except Amtrak headed westbound, which should normally be east of Lamy. At meals, you will be seated family style with other passengers. While occasionally some of these people are duds and/ or obnoxious, it is often the best part of such a trip, meeting people from all over and striking up lively chats. If you don't want to share a table, you may request that meals be brought to your room, something I have never done. If you want to be left alone, go to room room, shut the door and pull the curtain. I feel that most Amtrak employees do a great job, often under difficult circumstances. They can really make the trip pleasant, even if management has cut back on some of the amenities this year, which has been much discussed. If you have more questions, please private message me.
