Las Vegas Amtrak Station Today

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I went to a couple conventions in Las Vegas on the DW, I remember looking at those murals.
I envy you that. I went to a couple of conventions there too but I couldn't have gotten there via the DW; would have loved to though.

My first ever Amtrak trip was out of Phoenix Union Station, also now unused by passenger rail. It was a very beautiful building inside and out. The good news is it was added to the National Register of Historic Places so they can't tear it down or make any radical changes, last I heard.

Is this Las Vegas station still intact?
 
The only transportation remaining from that location, is Greyhound, whose depot, also part of that same construction, is at the other end of the casino and parking garage.

I made several trips on the Desert Wind, and it has to still own the record, for the most "missed" passengers of any Amtrak train and station....especially the Westbound, No. 35....

Thru passenger's were strongly admonished not to run in during the station stop, but the lure of the "one-armed-bandits" was far too strong for many to resist, and consequently lose all track of time (and money)
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It wasn't so bad if you were westbound, and could just catch a bus later for the five hour ride to Los Angeles, but it was a long 24 hour wait for the next train to Chicago....
 
The only transportation remaining from that location, is Greyhound, whose depot, also part of that same construction, is at the other end of the casino and parking garage.

I made several trips on the Desert Wind, and it has to still own the record, for the most "missed" passengers of any Amtrak train and station....especially the Westbound, No. 35....

Thru passenger's were strongly admonished not to run in during the station stop, but the lure of the "one-armed-bandits" was far too strong for many to resist, and consequently lose all track of time (and money)
default_wink.png


It wasn't so bad if you were westbound, and could just catch a bus later for the five hour ride to Los Angeles, but it was a long 24 hour wait for the next train to Chicago....
I have heard this is also an issue with the Reno station on the California Zephyr.
 
The only transportation remaining from that location, is Greyhound, whose depot, also part of that same construction, is at the other end of the casino and parking garage.

I made several trips on the Desert Wind, and it has to still own the record, for the most "missed" passengers of any Amtrak train and station....especially the Westbound, No. 35....

Thru passenger's were strongly admonished not to run in during the station stop, but the lure of the "one-armed-bandits" was far too strong for many to resist, and consequently lose all track of time (and money)
default_wink.png


It wasn't so bad if you were westbound, and could just catch a bus later for the five hour ride to Los Angeles, but it was a long 24 hour wait for the next train to Chicago....
I have heard this is also an issue with the Reno station on the California Zephyr.
Probably, but not anywhere near the same numbers...the Reno station is not conveniently attached to a casino...IIRC, there were even a few slot machines right in the station waiting room in Las Vegas, or at least in the passageway connecting it to the Union Plaza hotel lobby and casino.

Another factor was the Las Vegas stop was a servicing stop, while, at least back then, Sparks was the servicing stop for the Zephyr, with just a quick stop at Reno...
 
Sort of weird how some that are short of time will drop some loot into a bandit and miss a train; where the bandits sit idle at the gates for the airlines. Plus I never see them paying off.
 
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Part of it is/was the LV Station was attached to a regular casino hotel (the Union Plaza) while the machines located at the airport gates are not. At the airport, you can hear your flight being called for boarding from the machines. You can not hear any train announcements from the casino floor. In the airport you are more conscious that you are leaving soon, but in the casino you get hypnotized and forget about time.
 
Coming home from an ATA convention, two of my piers wanted some last minute luck, well they got it right up to when they realized both of their planes had not only departed but were in the air. My boss told them he hoped they won a lot, because he wasn't paying the cost of getting themselves home. It was hilarious for those of us who had later flights and were just now arriving at the airport. So even the airport machines, if you are winning cloud your judgement.
 
Those are some really nice murals. It is a shame they are not in a publicly accessible area anymore.
 
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