Southwest Chief - chicago to los angeles

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Kieran

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Hi, im planning my first train journey across the us (or anywhere) and just wondered what to expect. Im from the uk so plan on flying to NYC then taking the train to chicago and traveling on the Southwest Chief to LA and spending a week there before flying back to the uk from LAX. Im looking at going in september. What can i expect? Delays? Where and how long does the train stop for? Any information is appreciated!! Thanks
 
Delays can, or not, happen at any time. Did you take a look at the schedule for the Southwest Chief? That will provide info as to where and how long the train stops. Most stops are brief and some may provide an opportunity to step off the train (and stay close). The "Route Guide" would be good to take a look at as well.

From this link you will be able to download the schedule/timetable, the route guide and, the dining car and cafe car menus.

https://www.amtrak.com/southwest-chief-train
 
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Riding Amtrak trains from NYC to LA you can expect to see a just about every kind of scenery the US has to offer.

You'll also be able to contrast the air travel hustle, bustle, crowds, and treatment as a suspected terrorist with the much slower pace and dignified experience of US train travel.

If you're used to travel on UK and European trains you may find US trains not quite as spiffy. The US government is quite stingy with funding for Amtrak and Amtrak's rolling stock is some 40 years old now.

You have a number of train route options for getting from NYC to Chicago:

1. You could take any train out of NYC that will get you to Washington DC in time to catch the Capitol Limited @ 4:05 PM. The CL would give you 6 hours or so to sight see in downtown Chicago before the Southwest Chief (SWC) departs.

2. Lake Shore Limited - The LSL would give you about 5 hours to sight see in downtown Chicago.

3. Cardinal - Hoosier State - Again, you would have about 5 hours to sight see in downtown Chicago. Many think the Cardinal is more scenic than the CL, LSL with the LSL being #2 of the 3.

The Cardinal uses single level cars and only runs 3 days a week - Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday from NYC.

September is towards the end of the summer travel high season.

The trains may be carrying a lot of passengers when you travel.

You don't say if you will be in coach or if you will have a sleeper berth.

Either way, the CL, and the SWC have a Sightseer Lounge car (SSL) that makes sight seeing very easy.
 
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With the exception of Chicago (where you will change trains), all other stops are brief. (Some as short as 1-2 minutes!) So even if the schedule shows a stop to be 30 minutes long, if the train is late, that stop may not be 30 minutes. As soon as the station work is done, they can depart! Listen for the Conductor to call out "All Aboard!" after which the doors will close and the train will leave - with or without you! During the stops, ask your train attendant how long the stop will be - and DO NOT LEAVE THE PLATFORM! (Be ready to reboard at any time.) If you do not reboard, the next train is in 24 hours - or if the Cardinal in 2-3 days.

On the SWC, be sure to spend some time in the Sightseer Lounge (Car)!

If you are in a sleeper, meals in the Dining Car are included. If you in a sleeper from NYC to Chicago, you can use the ClubAcela in NYC (and Washington if you're connecting there) and the Metropolitan Lounge (ML) in Chicago. If you're in a sleeper from Chicago to LA, you can use the ML in Chicago and LA.
 
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KmH said:
Either way, the CL, LSL and the SWC have a Sightseer Lounge car (SSL) that makes sight seeing very easy.
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No Sightseer Lounge on the Lake Shore Limited.

the_traveler said:
If you are in a sleeper, meals in the Dining Car are included. If you in a sleeper from NYC to Chicago, you can use the ClubAcela in NYC (and Washington if you're connecting there) and the Metropolitan Lounge (ML) in Chicago. If you're in a sleeper from Chicago to LA, you can use the ML in Chicago and LA.
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Bear in mind that, on Sundays, the Cardinal departs NYP 15 minutes before the ClubAcela lounge opens.
 
Take the California Zephyr from Chicago; the most beautiful trip in America.
 
Were you spending some time in LA before flying home? If you decide you like train travel, you might consider taking the Coast Starlight north to San Francisco

and fly home from there.

There is usually at least 10 minutes to step off the train in Raton NM. There is usually about 20-30 minutes in Albuquerque. There are people selling turquoise

jewelry on the platform in ABQ.
 
Thanks for the suggestions! Yeah Im spending a week in LA. Its gonna be my fourth visit there. Ive just decided why fly over america if I can travel through it!! If I wanted to stay a day in (eg, Flagstaff) would I have to book to there and book a seperate ticket from there the next day or can I hop off and on with the one ticket?
 
Kieran said:
Thanks for the suggestions! Yeah Im spending a week in LA. Its gonna be my fourth visit there. Ive just decided why fly over america if I can travel through it!! If I wanted to stay a day in (eg, Flagstaff) would I have to book to there and book a seperate ticket from there the next day or can I hop off and on with the one ticket?
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You'd have to book a multi-ccity ticket to Flag. You thinking of going up to look at the Grand Canyon? Lots of cool stuff to do in the area. A ride down Oak Creek Canyon toward Sedona would be cool as well. I used to live out there, so let us know.
 
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Im open to stop anywhere. Im interested in the old america that still exists. Old motels, gas stations, diners that sort of stuff. So if you have any recommendations that'd be great! Can I make as many stops as I like with that ticket?
 
Each individual segment needs a separate ticket. (Example: Chicago-Kansas City, Kansas City-Raton, Raton-Flagstaff, Flagstaff-LA) You can not just buy a ticket from Chicago to LA and get off and on the train if you stay over somewhere.
 
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Yes, but you have to book each city you want to get off. For example, Flagstaff, Winslow, Albuquerque, etc. The SW Chief gets into Flagstaff around 9:00pm. I would suggest staying over, and renting a car for the following day. The Grand Canyon would be a nice day trip as well as Sedona. Check out the below link. Right up your alley with what you are looking for.

http://roadtripusa.com/route-66/arizona/

http://www.theroadwanderer.net/route66.htm
 
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Flagstaff has an old observatory - Lowell Observatory - established in 1894 on Mars Hill just west of what is now downtown Flagstaff.

As the crow flies, Lowell Observatory is just under a mile from the Amtrak station and about a 1.3 mile drive.

Percival Lowell was a wealthy amateur astronomer from Boston.

He had Alvin Clarke build him a 24" refracting telescope that he then had installed in Flagstaff and the telescope was recently refurbished.

Lowell was very interested in Mars and thought he saw 'canals' on Mars that suggested a race of intelligent beings lived on the planet.

He was wrong, but back in that day his pronouncements were followed by the common man and Lowell was well known.

None the less Lowell hired astronomers who made a variety of valid astronomical discoveries.

Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930 and in 1912 Vesto Slipher recorded spectra of the Andromeda Nebula that showed the nebula was moving through space at a speed of 300 kilometers per second, an accomplishment often, but incorrectly, credited to Edwin Hubble circa 1923.

lowell-observatory.jpg


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Kieran...as you are into nostalgia, check out this video. I rode the Super Chief in 1956 with my Mom and Dad...I was 10 years old and still have many great memories. This is the same route you will take on the Southwest Chief. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl_LoQ4vHDc
 
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Thanks for sharing Eric!

Pleasant memories indeed! Those of us fortunate enough to have ridden on the Super Chief, and similar "crack" Trains, were fortunate indeed!

The closest thing left today is VIA's Canadian, everyone should ride this gem while they still can!
 
the_traveler said:
Each individual segment needs a separate ticket. (Example: Chicago-Kansas City, Kansas City-Raton, Raton-Flagstaff, Flagstaff-LA) You can not just buy a ticket from Chicago to LA and get off and on the train if you stay over somewhere.
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Just to clarify for the original poster, Amtrak tickets (with the exception of corridor services) are priced much the same way airline tickets are. There are no transit-style passes on long distance trains. It also helps to plan your trip out a bit and decide what stops you want to make in advance. Amtrak ticket pricing follows the yield management style that airlines and hotels use, i.e., as the demand increases so does the price. A ticket from Point A to Point B might be significantly higher or lower a day earlier or a day later (of course this matters only if cost is an issue).

All that said, it still helps if you are flexible in your plans. Delays often occur, as do the occasional unplanned incidents. I wouldn't purchase non-refundable tickets to an event (concert, sporting, etc) scheduled for a few hours after the train was due. Give yourself at least 24-36 hours after the expected arrival before you have scheduled that highlight activity.
 
A book the OP might find helpful is USA by Rail Plus Canada, by John Pitt. The 8th edition is the current one for the US; a newer one might be available in the UK. It's published by the longstanding Brandt Travel Guides and, as a UK publication, is written from the perspective of the European traveler. There are explanations of customs and peculiarities as well as pricing and essential traveler information such as money exchange options and those things most domestic travelers wouldn't need or think of (like finding and operating a telephone---or mailing a letter or postcard back home). Some parts are quite verbose; others rather terse. I still occasionally pack my copy on routes I've not been on before, as there is an extensive route guide that highlights parts and stops that Amtrak's guides do not.

I would definitely recommend becoming as familiar as possible with rail travel before your trip, since you are a newbie. It helps to have a realistic view of what to expect so that if something irritating or unexpected happens you can say "Ohhh, I remember someone mentioning this!" and not being alarmed or put off by it.
 
Thanks everybody fof the help!!! Great video. Just need to decide where I want to visit on route to Los Angeles now.
 
The more things change, the more they stay the same (if only!). From wikipedia:

One of the Super Chief's most popular signature dishes was the AT&SF version of pain perdu, simply and appropriately named "Santa Fe French Toast"
 
Just an update! Ive booked to travel nyc to la next month. 49 to chicago then the southwest chief. Thanks again for the help.
 
Any reccomendations of things to do in chicago on a 6 hour layover
 
The Willis Tower is within walking distance of Union Station. I remember going there once between trains. I probably wouldn't recommend it if the first train is significantly late though.
 
Nice trip!

Please join AU as a member, it's Free and you will be able to PM with other members for info and have access to Forums not available to Guests.

There is a multitude of threads about Chicago on this Site including where to stay, what to do during layovers, where to eat, how to get around etc. Please Goggle them up!
 
By foot or by taxi, there are many things to do in Chicago. Besides the Willis Tower, there is Michigan Ave (mile of shopping), Grant Park, the Art Institute, The famous Bean in Millennium Park, etc. The real issue is how much time after arriving (is the train late) and how soon before departure do you want to be back at Union Station. Though you say 6 hours, it may be less, so I would have a couple contingency plans ready. Weather is also an issue. Rain knocks out the Willis and puts a damper on walking in the parks, so again contingency plans like the Art Institute, or walking through a couple old hotels like the Palmer or Chicago Hilton to see the old style lobbies and the grandness of these hotels years ago.
 
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