RAILforum: Southwest Chief Questions

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Posted by dcfan (Member # 2311) on :

Two questions about the Southwest Chief:
1. Do they still wash the car windows in Albuquerque?
2. Any websites with photos of stations in Gallup and Winslow?

[This message has been edited by dcfan (edited 03-04-2003).]

Posted by Southwest Chief (Member # 1227) on :

Yep, the windows are still washed at ABQ. Although now they use squeegees on poles instead of the cool forklift cleaner. But the window cleaning tradition lives on. At least as of last November, when I was last there.

Not sure about the websites but I've been to both the Gallup and Winslow stations.

Gallup is an okay station, but if you plan on boarding from here be sure to know how the Chief is doing for on time performance. As the attendant will not be there if the Chief is late. He usually arrives and opens up the station an hour to 2 hours before the Chief will arive, not scheduled to arrive! And if #3 is really late, you'll miss any chance for dinner. Here's a hint that I used one time. Call up a pizza delivery company to deliver a pizza to the station.

Winslow's station is not so hot, but the hotel next to the Amtrak station is the beautiful former Harvey House, La Posada. I've stayed here and it's great! As for the station, it is less then desirable but for the rather small town of Winslow, it's okay. There are two private car tracks here, and surprisingly, they are used often.

As for websites, again I'm not sure but you can try these two.

http://www.augustweb.com/~marcc/

http://www.qstation.org/

Hopes this helps

[This message has been edited by Southwest Chief (edited 03-04-2003).]

Posted by Eric (Member # 674) on :

You can check out http://www.crewten.com for some route info, and an inside look at the train and trip.

Posted by stlboomer (Member # 2028) on :

Here's a link with photos of the gallup and Winslow depots circa 1980:
http://www.atsfrr.com/resources/dkspencer/Depots/ATSF/Index.htm

Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :

The last time I passed through Albuquerque, the cleaning crew only washed the platform side of the train. The window in my sleeping compartment (on the "wrong" side of the train, needless to say) remained less-than-pristine for the remainder of the trip.

Photo-wise, you'll find multiple shots of virtually every Amtrak station in the nation at this excellent site:
http://snow.prohosting.com/usarail/

Posted by rmiller (Member # 341) on :

quote:
Originally posted by dilly:
The last time I passed through Albuquerque, the cleaning crew only washed the platform side of the train. The window in my sleeping compartment (on the "wrong" side of the train, needless to say) remained less-than-pristine for the remainder of the trip.

and to define "right" side of the train so that your window gets washed there: it is the right side of the train as you travel west and the left side as you travel east.

Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :

On 3/1/03 I got on the Southwest Chief eastbound at ABQ and they washed windows on both sides of the train.

Posted by Cthetrains (Member # 2148) on :

I don't know about websites; but Trains magazine had pics of the station in Gallup not long ago

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Cory (o:}=