Midland Valley
Lead Service Attendant
I would have put this on the travel log but since it was so unusual, I place it here. Monday night, well Tuesday morning at 4:37, two of my sons 12 &13 left Hutchinson, Kansas on the Chief for Albuquerque. West bound was very uneventful, beautiful climb over Raton Pass, good lunch in the Dining car, lots of antelope and elk along the traks, perfect sun angle for apache canyon and about on time arrival into Albuquerque.
On Friday morning, I called "Belle" and she said the train should arrive at the station at 11:36 AM. about 30 minutes early. So the boys and I walk from the hotel to the station. The train arrived at the early time and we boarded. After we got situated into our seats, I went back out onto the platform and purchased an item from an Indian vendor as a gift for my 15 year old back home. I got back on the train and overheard a person identifying himself as a police officer asking people if he could speak with them. I had seen him earlier and he looked like any other passenger on the train in shorts and a polo shirt. He asked for passports from a couple of Chinese girls. When he got to me he aske if he could ask me some questions, he showed his badge and ID (drug enforcememnt) and proceeded to ask where we had boarded, how much luggage we had, where we were going to and where we lived. No sooner had he finished, his communicator said "we got him...get up here ..quick!!! He took off for the car ahead of us, several of us looked through the doorway and could tell there was a struggle, but we didn't hear the gun shot, which went into the seat and the luggage rack above. In moments the new crews were there. They locked down the car and got everyone off. Fortunately no one was hurt. The man was arrested and hauled off. He had a 40 calb. pistol on him. Amazingly we were only 55 minutes late in leaving the station. At Dinner, the three of us sat a young man who was sitting across from the gunman. He was so shaken up, Amtrak, (to their credit) took him out of the coach and put him in a roomette. He said the man had been basically sleeping all the way from Flagstaff, very quiet. When the police officer began to question, he wouldn't give a straight answer, didn't give proper ID and finally produced the gun and said "I want to kill myself" and in a schuffle, it discharged.
That was about as much excitement as I have ever seen on Amtrak. The rest of the trip was great. Good view of Spanish Peaks coming down Raton.
Arrived in Hutchinson about 15 minutes late. Pretty Good!
On Friday morning, I called "Belle" and she said the train should arrive at the station at 11:36 AM. about 30 minutes early. So the boys and I walk from the hotel to the station. The train arrived at the early time and we boarded. After we got situated into our seats, I went back out onto the platform and purchased an item from an Indian vendor as a gift for my 15 year old back home. I got back on the train and overheard a person identifying himself as a police officer asking people if he could speak with them. I had seen him earlier and he looked like any other passenger on the train in shorts and a polo shirt. He asked for passports from a couple of Chinese girls. When he got to me he aske if he could ask me some questions, he showed his badge and ID (drug enforcememnt) and proceeded to ask where we had boarded, how much luggage we had, where we were going to and where we lived. No sooner had he finished, his communicator said "we got him...get up here ..quick!!! He took off for the car ahead of us, several of us looked through the doorway and could tell there was a struggle, but we didn't hear the gun shot, which went into the seat and the luggage rack above. In moments the new crews were there. They locked down the car and got everyone off. Fortunately no one was hurt. The man was arrested and hauled off. He had a 40 calb. pistol on him. Amazingly we were only 55 minutes late in leaving the station. At Dinner, the three of us sat a young man who was sitting across from the gunman. He was so shaken up, Amtrak, (to their credit) took him out of the coach and put him in a roomette. He said the man had been basically sleeping all the way from Flagstaff, very quiet. When the police officer began to question, he wouldn't give a straight answer, didn't give proper ID and finally produced the gun and said "I want to kill myself" and in a schuffle, it discharged.
That was about as much excitement as I have ever seen on Amtrak. The rest of the trip was great. Good view of Spanish Peaks coming down Raton.
Arrived in Hutchinson about 15 minutes late. Pretty Good!
h34r:
