CZ delayed west of DEN

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
getbent

getbent

Train Attendant
Joined
Aug 9, 2013
Messages
50
Propane truck crashed near tracks and the earliest it's pulling out of Denver is midnight. Staff is refunding meals and rebooking people, if wanted.
 
No. It looks like it cleared Fraser okay, so it's close to Denver.

ETA of train is now 4 a.m.
 
Engineer on the train reported back that we won't roll out of Denver before 4:30.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
jebr said:
AmtrakBlue said:
Golden grrl said:
Woohoo, daylight across Nebraska! Rare visuals!
Click to expand...
Which will affirm why it's normally done at night. :D
Click to expand...
Hey! Fields...can...be...interesti...yeah, it's best to go through Nebraska at night.
Click to expand...
Now, now, my friends, this time of year is bird migration time. May get to see some flocks of sand hill cranes and whooping cranes, amongst others.

On the other hand, during a daylight across Nebraska, I would suggest re-reading My Antonia for a better understanding of the book. Until I crossed Nebraska on I-80 several times, I just didn't get the descriptions that Willa Cather used.
 
AmtrakBlue said:
Golden grrl said:
Woohoo, daylight across Nebraska! Rare visuals!
Click to expand...
Which will affirm why it's normally done at night. :D
Click to expand...

Last year I was on a several-hours-late CZ that afforded me those spectacular views of Nebraska, which also resulted in mis-connecting with the Cardinal. I think I'd have rather seen the scenery of the Cardinal. ;)
 
I wouldn't recommend the daytime Nebraska or the chicken.

Looking at being ten hours late into Chicago. Do I earn a special badge for this?
 
Thanks Golden Grrl and andersone for recommending books. I just put in an order at Powells, after checking the local public library holdings.

Expect Nebraska scenery is not spectacular for watching from the train - maybe drive, walk, or bicycle.

Hope to ride the CZ soonish, but not with any accident delays.
 
NW cannonball said:
Thanks Golden Grrl and andersone for recommending books. I just put in an order at Powells, after checking the local public library holdings.

Expect Nebraska scenery is not spectacular for watching from the train - maybe drive, walk, or bicycle.

Hope to ride the CZ soonish, but not with any accident delays.
Click to expand...
Actually, NW, I wasn't really recommending the book when I said "On the other hand, during a daylight across Nebraska, I would suggest re-reading My Antonia for a better understanding of the book." If you've read the book before, then passing through Nebraska during the day is a good time to recheck Cather's stories. As I said before, until I crossed Nebraska on I-80 several times, I just didn't get the descriptions that Willa Cather used."

She's not my favorite author-the book was required reading in high school where I grew up on the east coast. But seeing Nebraska, rather than sleeping through it, really helps to understand the characterizations she wrote - both of the immigrants and of the land - a lot better.

Willa Cather's was born in northern Virginia; the Cather family migrated to Nebraska when she was about 9, in 1883. What a stark contrast - from the verdant Virginia hills and valleys to the vast and windy plains of Nebraska.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
NW cannonball said:
Expect Nebraska scenery is not spectacular for watching from the train - maybe drive, walk, or bicycle.
Click to expand...
I'm surprised none of the rail fans here have noted that there are impressive rail yards to see in Lincoln and Omaha.

As my user name suggests, I once lived in Golden, Colorado, so my only Amtrak choice then was on the CZ. That's why seeing NE in the daylight, or getting a chance to go the overland route in WY [as was done last year after the Colorado floods] would be more interesting to me - rare views from the train. I've never caught a Zephyr through NE in full daylight, so my experience of the Nebraska rail yards came from biking and hiking there almost a decade ago.

If you get the chance, biking in eastern NE is quite good - the rails-to-trails programs allow for some excellent mileage without having to deal with auto traffic. One practically cannot be elected to the city council in Lincoln without being a supporter of expanded bike paths. As an owner of a heavy-duty cross-country style tandem bike, I was amazed to see the variety of bikes used on those trails, including double recumbents. Since so many trails once were railroads, the grades are gentle. You'll never speed down the hills at 60 mph, as one can do on one of my favorite paths near Golden, so these NE trails are not so exciting for youngsters. But for the older bikers out to enjoy nature, eastern NE bike trails can be pleasant.
 
I too had Willa at gunpoint, I think it was Jr. year. Actually the history of the region is more than corn. As a former Sioux City resident (and I loved it there) me thinks the cyclist would also enjoy RAGBRAI, the Register's (Des Moines) Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa a ritual my neighbors in Sioux had sixteen straight appearances in. when I left in 86. The towns vie to be an overnight stop, often swelling the population of a town of four thousand to thirty plus.
 
Ended up getting into CHI at 2:30 a.m. Took a cab to the hotel, rather than walk. Wasn't sure about downtown CHI in the middle of the night. Put a cramp in the travel plans, but I was fine. I'll let Amtrak have this one.

I've ridden my bike across both Nebraska and Iowa on BRAN and RAGBRAI, respectively. The daytime trip across Nebraska allowed me to point out a stop I had last year on the ride and Iowa is always full of memories. I had a pork chop in Ottumwa while on RAGBRAI.

So, as you can tell, there are even slower ways to travel than train. ;)
 
i spent several nights at endpoints when i lived in God's Country (Iowa) and it was Mardi Gras and every other wild party I had ever been to rolled into one. And you thought Dorothy's relatives lived in the Hawekeye State. !!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top