Rookie's 1st Train Trip

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I'll be on the Empire Builder one of these days, but til then it is fun to read your reports and live vicariously :)
 
I'm enjoying your reports. I have got to travel in a sleeper sometime if only to enjoy all the included meals. It starts to sound like a cruise with all the food and snacks! That's kind of fun! I get lazy about eating sometimes and skip meals so it would be kind of entertaining in itself to be fed three meals a day, assuming there's anything on the menu that I can actually eat :)
 
Great report, Rail Freak -- and I also love the PPC -- what a great way to travel!
 
Computer crashing,so gotta make short reports & save!

Arrived in SAC at 5:45, 30 minutes early. No train breakfast today, my favorite too! While waiting for a Red Cap, I met Rosemary, an 85 yr old lady from San Angelo, Tx. heading to Denver on my next connection, The California Zephyr #6. So, since we had hours to kill, we made our way to the Starbucks about a half block away.

While in the station, after breakfast, a fellow told me he had brought his cat with him in a carrier on the #11, but his connecting train wouldn't allow it on board. He said he met a woman who offered to take it to the Sacramento Hummane Society!

They had the Station doors wide open ,as it was such a nice morning, & two pigeons were walking around like they owned the place except for the 6 yr. old chasing them all over creation!

The CZ time table says SAC departure - 10:54, the electronic Station Board says 10:10, & there's no way to understand the PA system in this big marble room! On top of that the Ticket Agent has a hell of an Attitude Problem! After much carrying on about nothing, she informs me the #6 is about an hour late. (which turned out to be 1 1/2 hrs) She told me to stay seated where I was & she would send a Red Cap to get me when the time came, whenever that might be! Not the friendliest Amtrak employee I'd met, but turned out to be a peach compared to my #6 Sleeper Attendant!!! :angry:

Around 12:15 everyone heads for the doors leading to the platforms & Rosemary & I are the only people in the station. Decision Time! I broke the agent's orders & took off to track down a Red Cap. Good thing I did, we barely made it!!! The 1st negative of my trip, but KEEP ON SMILING :) !

http://flickr.com/photos/railfreak/sets/72157607373851850/
 
Thought I'd check out the lonuge car before they called for lunch. WOW, there was actually a vacant seat! Relaxed til they called lunch & off to the diner for the Meatballs over Rice. Good Stuff.

Thought I'd go to the room to kick back after spending all morning dealing with the mass confusion in SAC Station! I met up with Dianne, my Sleeper Attendant. I asked her if she'd bring me a bucket of ice, (WRONG QUESTION!)! "A Who?" she said, "We ain't got no buckets"! "You want ice, you go up stairs & get it!" She yelled! Hey, on 2 of the legs of my trip, I was brought a BUCKET of ice without even asking for it. I thought it was Standard Operating Procedure! But, Oh Well, live & learn!

The Sierra Nevadas are Awesome! The train slows in some of the more scenic portions, that or there were slow orders. That's cool, let's make this last as long as possible.

Our LSA, Shiela came by the room for my dinner reservation (5:30). The train stops for about 45 minutes for some unknown reason whic puts us about2 1/2 hrs. late. But, there are probably thousands of people out there who would love to behere on this gorgeous sunny day in the middle of these Mtns. & Forrests! The delay was a Freight train with mechanical problems ahead of us.

We arrive in Truckee, Ca. & it is a cute old western looking town!

http://flickr.com/photos/railfreak/sets/72157607378223747/
 
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Love your reports RF, keep them coming.

#6 started leaving Oakland about 1/2hr later than the schedule says a while back. I'll be on it in 29 days!
 
Leaving Reno I cut the lights & called it a day hoping to make up 4 hours during the night. Awoke at 4am, overslept a bit :lol: ! Showered & waiting on the diner to start breakfast & see where we are on the map! On one hand I'm concerned about my #30 CL (Capital Limited) connection in Chicago on the other hand I couldn't care less! I don't want this journey to end! If they're trying to make up ground, it seems they should be going faster!

Well, sat down to breakfast just as we were pulling into SLC.,3 hrs. late. Ate with a lady who had met her husband one day & married him the next! Hurried breakfast & got up before I heard the stories for the 5th time :rolleyes: !

What a refreshing morning as I watched SLC lighten up with the sunrise. Mountains in the distance.

http://flickr.com/photos/railfreak/sets/72157607378805633/
 
Rail Freak said:
Thought I'd check out the lonuge car before they called for lunch. WOW, there was actually a vacant seat! Relaxed til they called lunch & off to the diner for the Meatballs over Rice. Good Stuff.
Thought I'd go to the room to kick back after spending all morning dealing with the mass confusion in SAC Station! I met up with Dianne, my Sleeper Attendant. I asked her if she'd bring me a bucket of ice, (WRONG QUESTION!)! "A Who?" she said, "We ain't got no buckets"! "You want ice, you go up stairs & get it!" She yelled! Hey, on 2 of the legs of my trip, I was brought a BUCKET of ice without even asking for it. I thought it was Standard Operating Procedure! But, Oh Well, live & learn!

The Sierra Nevadas are Awesome! The train slows in some of the more scenic portions, that or there were slow orders. That's cool, let's make this last as long as possible.

Our LSA, Shiela came by the room for my dinner reservation (5:30). The train stops for about 45 minutes for some unknown reason whic puts us about2 1/2 hrs. late. But, there are probably thousands of people out there who would love to behere on this gorgeous sunny day in the middle of these Mtns. & Forrests! The delay was a Freight train with mechanical problems ahead of us.

We arrive in Truckee, Ca. & it is a cute old western looking town!

http://flickr.com/photos/railfreak/sets/72157607378223747/
Click to expand...

ok
 
The rolling mtns., national forrests, train tunnels cliffs & plateaus are pretty scenic for this Florida Boy! Gonna have to change my camera's memory card soon (1 gig) :eek: ! We should be in Helper, UT. in about 30 minutes 10:30am (3 hrs. late) Went to the lounge car, forget that idea! A group called the Holy Rollers boarded in Reno last night & the lounge is packed! As I passed thru the diner, Willis, the Diner Attendant was dozed off across the table. It looked as though he had been trying to do some paper work!

Back in my room I couldn't find my Gorilla tape I use to tape my maps & schedules to the wall. So I dug out my flashlite & BINGO, found it under the bunk.

Boy, these AU Folks prepared me well. The only thing I haven't used are the ear plugs, although I could've used them this morning at breakfast!!! :lol:

Had the burger for lunch (hit the spot) as we passed rafters along the river & they gave us a show, as promised! As we pulled into Grand Junction, it seemed larger than I expected. The station had a for sale sign on the fence! Pax bailed out & made a bee-line for the little store there. Me too, for a couple of zip lock bags of ice!!! l

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railfreak/set...57607376305732/
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/railfreak/set...57607399900811/

We left GJ flying but still not making up any time! Glenwood Springs (finally spelled it correctly) is a nice little place, quite nice! It sits along the Colorado River.

Wow, where did the time go we're in Granby & just finished the trout for dinner & brought the chocolate/cherry cheese cake back to the room! I swear my waist line has grown 4 inches!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railfreak/set...57607397581294/

As the sun set, I laid back for a couple of minutes. YEAH RIGHT!!!
 
When I finally wake up, it's 5 am the next morning. I stumble to the shower wondering where in the world are we!? :unsure: I believe we were around 3 hrs. behind when I fell off the planet last night, can't wait to see where we stand now! :blink: If I miss my CL connection, so be it, just another part of the adventure! :p

Went to breakfast and discoverd we were approaching Lincoln, Nebraska! :rolleyes: What the .....! BTW, should've put those ear plugs in my pocket, motor mouth is at the next table, jeeeezzzz! Had the greek omlette, good.

The Conductor, who gets off in Omaha, informed us there were slow orders overnight that prevented us from making up time & that the new conductors would keep us informed thru the day of any problems we may encounter with our connections in Chicago! (here's where the plot thickens, so to speak!)

We're now in Iowa with the hammer down!We are flat out Flyin!! Can't believe it's been 30 years since I've been in this area.

Well, they just informed us we will be bustituted from Galesburg,Ill to Toledo,OH! You can feel the panic kicking in! :eek: Our Bus was waiting when we arrived in Galesburg. Problem was, not all buses were there! <_< There were other pax being bused to Elkart & South Bend, but of course, they ended up on our bus! What a mess!!! B)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railfreak/set...57607398713484/
 
Railfreak,

Great trip report!!! How'd you like LNK's train station? Its small but kinda cute in my opinion. Also, pretty sure the SA you had on the Cap was the one Brenda, I and her two girls had. She was tops!!!! Been around Amtrak around 25 years or so!

Al
 
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