posted
Following my St. Louis-Alton misadventure Friday evening, the remainder of the weekend improved.
Saturday morning I made an easy 75-minute drive from my Caseyville, IL hotel over to Washington, MO.... another delightful midwestern river town with historic buildings, interesting shops, and a riverfront park.
I found the Amtrak station, parked in the designated spot, and went inside to wait for the morning westbound Amtrak train. The station here has been renovated and houses a visitors center, an art gallery, and a nice Amtrak waiting room which is open at train times regardless of whether the visitors center is open. Inside are some model trains representing Missouri Pacific and Kansas City Southern passenger trains, interesting historic photographs, lots of brochures, and even an old-fashioned train bulletin with the currently effective Amtrak train times posted...... in chalk.
A nice place to wait for a train that demonstrates above average local pride.
My train trundled in about 10 minutes late with the locomotive, cafe car, and three Horizon coaches. It was still brutally hot outside and the air-conditioning was spotty throughout the train with both the business class area and our coach.....the last one on the train, losing AC at one point or another. In both cases the crew managed to get the AC back up but at one point they opened the doors at either end our coach to channel some outside air through our car until reaching Lee's Summit. The first two coaches were about 85% full, the rear coach maybe 40% full and with passengers on and off at every station.
Due to heat restrictions we could run 50mph max and steadily lost time arriving nearly an hour late in Kansas City where a long line of people were waiting to board the same consist we had just come off of. Somehow they managed to turn the train, load, and depart again in just 35 minutes..... which put the eastbound departure about 25 minutes late to start with.
Kansas City Union Station is wonderful. The Amtrak space there is not.... a small room which at one point was a newwstand or drug store serves as the waiting room. NOT bad mind you, but why would anyone sit there when just 30 feet away you could wait on a bench in the grand concourse?
What does not make sense to me in KC is that the passenger enters the door marked 'Amtrak' and finds themselves in a small corridor area. A souvenier store is to your left, the Amtrak waiting room is to your right. An area to line up along the wall while waiting for your train is roped off just beyond the door to the Amtrak waiting room.
Where, though, is the Amtrak ticket office? It is a bit further down the corridor area hidden behind an oversized counter with some available Amtrak luggage tags. It does not face the entrance to the Amtrak area at all and isn't visible until one walks three quarters of the way back towards it...... BUT YES - train times are posted there once you find it.
Not bad, mind you..... just not the most effective use of the space it seems.
I visited the KC Rail Experience in the station and also a model railroad exhibit at the station as it was still blistering hot outside. Once these things closed at 5pm, I strolled across the link bridge (hot but tolerable due to air conditioning units) and checked in at the Westin Hotel. My 5th floor room faced Union Station and I could even catch a glimpse of the railroad tracks just east of the station. As it was still blistering hot outside, I had supper in the Crown Center, watched a movie, and went back to my room where I checked email and watching trains till bedtime.
The Westin is a fabulous location for train riders arriving-departing KC and it is a nice hotel..... with a caveat - the discriminating traveler accustomed to staying in 5-star properties may find the Westin Kansas City to be a bit dated (in terms of decor) and a little musty. It's not a new hotel anymore...... but I liked it.
Sunday morning I was up at 6:15am, showered, dressed, and checked out in time to walk back to Union Station. I did not enter the Amtrak waiting area..... I waited in the concourse and then walked out on the freight house bridge to photograph the Southwest Chief arriving just 20 minutes late. Once back inside, I entered the line for the morning eastbound train and moved across the walkway and on to my return train just a few minutes later.
Riding east I was in Business Class.... the only Amfleet car on a train of Horizon coaches. It was early in the day and we stayed nearly on-time because the heat restrictions had not yet kicked in. We did lose 5-10 minutes meeting freight trains west of Jefferson City. Apparantly the freights Union Pacific is running in Missouri these days are longer than the sidetracks. In each case we had to come to a full stop and wait for the freight train to pull out behind us and ultimately clearing the main in front of us within two or three minutes. These were efficient meets on a busy railroad.
Leaving Jefferson City the heat restrictions kicked in again and we managed to lose an hour by the time we arrived back in Washington where I got off the train and returned to my vehicle waiting patiently for me.
Coming soon - the third and final installment -
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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One of these days, I'll have to try the River Runner. My only excursion on this route was on the City of St. Louis, but that was long ago.
I didn't realized UP was afflicted with the 90 degree heat restrictions. Reminds me of a thread we had some time ago where the consensus seemed to be the best time to ride Amtrak was when it was not too hot, too cold, or too wet ie. late spring, early fall.
When we were last in KC on a western auto trip we had a good lunch in the Harvey House lunch room. It seemed very popular with lots of vintage photos on the wall. Good milk shakes as I recall. Is it still there?
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Harvey's still exists in Kansas City Union Station.... they even have dining available on top of a kiosk looking down the concourse. I didn't have the opportunity for supper there however. Union Station was hosting both a 50th reunion and a wedding reception and Harvey's was 'full up'.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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