Just west of Plano. Missed GBN at MP 18 (train moving too damn fast). First class SCA: Isaac Heath. No route guides, nor timetables. Must ask him about those. (Brought my own anyway.) Sleeper from 1st order, rebuilt, still in fine shape. More later.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I was there (Red Lex wasn't) @ MP 18.00; #5(19) appeared to be going track speed of 70.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Have fun! Where are you heading--La Plata?
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Whoops, you said number 5. Disregard....
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
My very first venture 'west' was in a superliner roomette CHI-DEN on #5 one fine May evening. I was on my way to spend the summer performing with the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps in Denver.
This was also my first time splurging for first class accomodations.
To this day, the notion of a roomette on #5 still conjures a sense of adventure and a summer of experiences which, to a degree, would shape my adult life.
I've had many great train adventures since but the California Zephyr still holds a spot that is a little bit more special.
To date my journey for the real afficionados here, I'll add that my sleeping compartment was 'tastefully' done in avacado and orange AND I just missed the opportunity to sample the 'Rio Grande Zephyr' by a few weeks. My #5 carried the name 'California Zephyr' but had yet to operate through the Rockies (as opposed to around them) on account of the Thistle, UT rockslide.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Just left Ottumwa. Dinner (BBQ pork ribs) fine. Diner crew excellent. Nothing to complain about yet. Dining car a tad long in the tooth but seemed serviceable.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Just into Denver, 35 minutes late, but they say we'll leave OT. Rough night for me -- too much rich food. I need to be more self-disciplined. Otherwise one of the best Zephyr trips so far -- excellent crew and the chef knows how to deal with sous-vide cuisine. Just the luck of the draw, I guess.
GBN, I had a belated realization why I missed seeing you. You said you'd be on the engineer's side. So, having flown the left seat way too long as a pilot, I sat on the FIREMAN'S side. More fool me.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Arrived at GSC early, giving the gasper addicts a 13-minute smoking break. I have had many excellent Amtrak trips, and this one rates at the top with four or five others.
Also got in contact with one of the crew members I'd been trying to track down for months, for the update to "Zephyr."
Life is good.
Now to go get my swim togs and head for the thermal pools.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
I had to look up "gasper"--that's a new one to me.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Had steak and conversation last night at Juicy Lucy's in downtown Glenwood Springs as guests of the estimable GibG of this forum. His tales of riding the name trains in his youth are not to be missed. Many, many thanks, GibG!
Posted by SilverStar092 (Member # 2652) on :
Glad things are going well, Henry. Be sure to tell us how the springs were. Did you get a glance at the temporary Denver station?
Posted by SilverStar092 (Member # 2652) on :
Glad things are going well, Henry. Be sure to tell us how the springs were. Did you get a glance at the temporary Denver station?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I saw it only from the train, but the temporary Denver station seems to be Cinder Block Moderne. Same with the platform. We won't miss it when 2014 rolls around.
The hot springs pool is wonderful as ever. I wish I'd brought flipflops; the nubbly concrete walkways are very hard on the super-tender soles of my city feet. I also wish I'd had the sense to slather on sunblock; got a bit sunburned. Nothing but sun here for three days. Nary a cloud.
I do believe Glenwood Springs is a first-class place for taking the family via train, or even for geezers seeking a couple of days of relaxation. The town has grown hugely since 1991, my first visit. New chain hotels, motels, restaurants; population has soared from 6,000 to 9,000. Ten years ago a big thrill seeker's amusement park was opened atop Iron Mountain to the north. It's reachable by cable car with terrific views of the valley, and although this geezer has no interest in bungee jumping and stuff like that, he found the views from the top of the mountain spectacular. There's even a free city bus line that takes people all over town. [Later. Just learned that the line will charge $1 a ride starting next week. Probably unexpected fuel price hikes.]
Glenwood Springs still retains the raffish frontier charm of the early '90s. Tattoo parlors abound, and so do medical marijuana emporiums. One of the latter proclaims in its front window, "OUR MEDS ARE SO STRONG MONKEYS WILL STOP THROWING POO." That sure sounds therapeutic.
Debby and I are planning to bring our grandchildren out here on the train sometime soon.
Today, hopping aboard No. 5 at 1:53 p.m. This time we've got a bedroom paid for by AGR points. Did I say life was good?
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
I did an Osceola-GSC trip myself summer before last. Both directions sleepers were sold out west of DEN, but it was cheaper anyway to change to/from coach at DEN.
It was such a pedestrian friendly town and I loved walking the bike/footpaths along the Colorado and Roaring Fork. I liked the Best Western with western decor and wooden shutters, that also was just across from Enterprise, the only car rental in town.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
There are now two other rental car companies in Glenwood Springs -- Budget and Silver Wheels. So Enterprise no longer has a monopoly.
By the way, Sandi, the Amtrak agent at GSC, says passenger boardings and detrainings there have remained flat since 1991. Biggest reason is service interruptions, followed by no increases in train capacity. Pity on both counts,
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Arrived at EMY 1 hour 10 minutes late account freight traffic outside Denver.
Good trip. Not as good CHI-GSC: diner crew a little slow though quite friendly, sleeper attendant with physical woes just hanging in there till early retirement in two months. Other sleeper attendant covered for her a lot but not completely.
Chicken in diner remarkably good -- nicely moist. Debby said her barbecued ribs were dry, unlike those CHI-GSC.
No French toast for breakfast (Amtrak warns us about that on the menu) but the pancakes were first rate and griddled aboard, the waiter said.
If the CHI-GSC trip could be rated an A+, this was a decent B. It helped that we had an AGR points-sponsored bedroom. The diner side sliding door of the sleeper was stuck open but Debby said she didn't hear any train roar.
Sunny weather until Sacramento, then a steady rain across the Valley and into the Bay.
And, oh yes, the hostelry of choice is the Hyatt next to EMY Station. I asked for a room with a view of the station for photography purposes and got it -- one with a little balcony to shoot from.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Thanks for the updates, Henry. We are contemplating a western trip this summer. Part of that would be a return from Emeryville on No. 6. Good to know about the Hyatt there. We are considering getting off in Glenwood Springs rather than Denver to see the town and visit friends in Estes Park. What is your hotel of choice there?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
In Glenwood Springs we stayed at the Hotel Denver across the street from the station. It's excellent, and cheaper than the Hot Springs Lodge by the pools, which we'd used in years before. The Lodge renovated over the winter and has kited its prices sky-high compared to previous years.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
About the French Toast - is that on it's way out system-wide?
I've been missing that in the diner on the northbound Crescent and, more recently the westbound Capitol.
If it has gone missing on the California Zephyr as well I may just have to become an omelette man.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I'll ask for French toast on No. 6 Wednesday morning and if it's not available I'll ask if it's on its way out. I surely hope not, even though the buttermilk pancakes are excellent.
The lunch steakburger doesn't taste so good anymore. It used to be the best thing at lunch on Amtrak. Guess they've changed suppliers or perhaps species.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Henry, maybe they're using that "pink slime"!
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Ocala Mike, you have just spoiled my ENTIRE TRIP.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Henry, the roast chicken used to be pretty good; do they still offer that?
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
They did change hamburger vendors, and I am drawing a complete blank on the name. I posted it about two years ago, and then someone jumped in and gave the name--but for the life of me I can't remember. They also changed the hamburger in the lounge car also. They're very "blah" now.
And I also say BRING BACK THE TURTLE PIE!! Best dessert ever served on a train.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I did have the chicken one night and it was quite good -- tender and juicy. Twenty years ago it tended to dry out on the steam table, but now that it's prepared by the sous-vide method, it seems to stay moist. Same with the steaks.
This morning I board No. 6 at EMY for the trip back to Chicago. Hope it's a good one.
One more plug for the Hyatt next to EMY station. It's a very good hotel, not terribly expensive, and the staff really tries to accomodate requests. The restaurant is decent, and the free breakfast is excellent.
There's a free Emeryville-Go-Round shuttle bus that takes one to the MacArthur BART station for excursions into San Francisco. One of those bus lines stops in front of the Hyatt and the other stops in front of the Amtrak station. Very convenient.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Best wishes for a nice ride on #6!
The last time I rode the California Zephyr eastbound the planets aligned and we were on-time or early at every station from Sacramento to Denver. It was trip put together on such short notice that the only available room was a Family Bedroom. Loved the big bed - went to the sightseer lounge for larger windows!
Turns out that we were the last #6 to get through for a week on account of a rockslide in Colorado.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Sounds like a rather nice trip all around, Henry. Palmland, I second the Hotel Denver and Glenwood Springs rec; but do go over to the Hotel Colorado dining room for a meal--I had breakfast or lunch (couldn't afford dinner), and it was very fine.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
FRENCH TOAST FOR BREAKFAST TODAY! Yay!
On the Zephyr, at least, there's either French toast or buttermilk pancakes, but not both. The menu explains that. Guess it's a storage problem.
The dining car crew on this run is exceptional. Three large Reno-bound tour groups got on at Emeryville and all wanted lunch at the same time. (We went to the dining car at 1, gave our names, and were called at 2:15). It was a madhouse, and one sleeper attendant was pressed into duty as a server. The LSA in particular remained cheerful and unflappable, even when scores of petulant passengers kept asking her when their names would be called.
The sleeper attendant, Roland, rates an A-plus, too.
Now it's a very light load into Grand Junction.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Kisor, it appears you have some kind of on-board "smart phone" device.
I may be down at MP 18 for your passing aboard #6(27). If I am, I'll be on the Fireman side (the Left side if you are forward riding).
Perhaps, you'll see me.
Otherwise, let it be noted that I'm not alone in my regards to "electronic playthings". My aversion is I simply have no need for them beyond a basic cell phone - which I haven't touched since my trip to Ann Arbor three weeks ago:
Yes, Im communicating with a Verizon 3G-equipped iPad 2. I also have a handheld GPS with downloaded topographical maps that tell me where we are every mile of the way. And my Pentax SLR camera is equipped with a GPS that embeds lat/long and altitude into every photograph so that I can pinpoint on Google Earth where it was taken.
Of course the Energizer battery people just love me.
The only spots the 3G data wouldn't work was between Sparks and Green River (I was of course asleep at SLC).
Life is good, especially electronically.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Arrived at Denver at 6:15, 23 minutes early. The UP held a couple of coal trains for No. 6 on the way down from Plainview. Who would have thought the UP would do that?
In fact, over the entire trip from Emeryville, we have not gone into the hole once. Of course, there's still the Denver-Chicago run to go.
There is a rogue dog aboard. It looks like a young redbone coonhound and is ill-behaved, lunging at passersby and pulling heavily on the leash. But the conductors can do nothing, thanks to silly ADA regs that forbid them to question the passenger if the passenger claims it is a service dog. They can't even ask for credentials for the dog. There will always be people who game the system. What a headache for Amtrak this must be..
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
I've seen people abuse the service dog rules before. I asked a friend who is an AmConductor what the rules were on that, and sure enough, what Henry said is right. They are not allowed to ask for credentials or verification that the dog is a service dog. It is considered prying into their medical record, which is verboten. So then all people have to do is bring the family mutt on the train and say, "This is my service dog". Can you believe that?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
In the early days of the ADA, people who used service dogs were barred from public libraries and restaurants and transportation of all kinds by shirty Jack-in-offices who thought they made the rules. It was a real problem and the Justice Department decided to get tough. Unfortunately the rules DOJ came up with simply don't fit all circumstances. I'm going to ask Amtrak media relations if they're trying to do something abouit it, or just going with the flow.
Posted by Vincent206 (Member # 15447) on :
quote:When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.
But,
quote:A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or (2) the dog is not housebroken. When there is a legitimate reason to ask that a service animal be removed, staff must offer the person with the disability the opportunity to obtain goods or services without the animal’s presence.
It looks like Amtrak needs to develop a protocol for dealing with service animals and the owners who can't control them.
Posted by mr williams (Member # 1928) on :
quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: FRENCH TOAST FOR BREAKFAST TODAY! Yay!
Three large Reno-bound tour groups got on at Emeryville and all wanted lunch at the same time.
It's almost ten years since I took the CZ from OSC-RNO. I had read about the excellent Amtrak french toast but there was none available.
A few years ago there was talk of extending a couple of Capitol Corridor trains to Reno but IIRC UP objected to it due to freight congestion on the line. With the economic downturn is there any spare capacity now, or does the same downturn mean that the idea is out of the window?
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
What hath happened to #6(27) with Mr. Kisor aboard?
Left Ottumwa 33ML; Burlington 104ML.
Oh and for benefit of Mrs. Hale, ML; official Amtrakese for Minutes Late
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Freight congestion at Burlington thanks to track work and a Mississippi River bridge delay for a couple of long tows put us behind. Murphy's Law after a smooth OT trip into Omaha.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Observed #6(27) passing MP 18 at about 335P. We await to learn whether Mr. Kisor observed me.
Oh, and allow me to note; I just completed three days of dog sitting for a Goldendoodle; his name (drum roll) - Murphy.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
quote:Originally posted by smitty195: I've seen people abuse the service dog rules before. I asked a friend who is an AmConductor what the rules were on that, and sure enough, what Henry said is right. They are not allowed to ask for credentials or verification that the dog is a service dog. It is considered prying into their medical record, which is verboten. So then all people have to do is bring the family mutt on the train and say, "This is my service dog". Can you believe that?
Well, I have a very lovable Basset Hound. She is trained to do absolutely nothing - except being housebroken (but has succeeded in training me to do a couple tricks). However she 'knows' if I'm a bit tense and will jump up on the couch to be pet, which immediately relaxes me. Look for her in a Amtrak bedroom near you.
Even more bizarre is this - can you say ponies? Sounds like SNL material to me.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Missed GBN again, if he was there. A double-stack freight was heading west and obscuring my view of the upcoming Clarendon Hills station and things opened up too late for a good look.
No. 6 tied up at 3:52 p.m. by my watch, and Debby and I were home 55 minutes later.
A fine trip with just minor glitches. I do wish that last day across Iowa and Illinois wasn't so boring in terms of scenery. But that's true of any eastbound Western long-distance train.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Another question about Glenwood Springs. I see there is also the Hotel Colorado. Anyone have experience with that vs. the Hot Springs Lodge which I guess is very close.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: Missed GBN again, if he was there. A double-stack freight was heading west and obscuring my view of the upcoming Clarendon Hills station and things opened up too late for a good look.
No. 6 tied up at 3:52 p.m. by my watch, and Debby and I were home 55 minutes later.
A fine trip with just minor glitches. I do wish that last day across Iowa and Illinois wasn't so boring in terms of scenery. But that's true of any eastbound Western long-distance train.
I'm going to disagree with that last part. The Empire's run down the Mississippi on its last day is interesting, and Wisconsin Downs is always worth watching.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Wisconsin Downs? You mean the Dells?
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
I think Henry's quote about the boring scenery across Iowa and Illinois applies to the Zephyr and SW Chief only, this thread being about the Zephyr primarily. The Empire Builder doesn't cross Iowa at all, and Mike's comment about the Builder's scenery is quite true -- along the Mississippi River, and also across the driftless section of Wisconsin (of which the Dells is a part) with all the interesting rock formations, is quite scenic.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Agreed about the Builder's scenery. Trouble is I always seem to ride that train in cruddy weather. Hmm. Maybe I'll take the Builder to Minneapolis and back later this month just for a joyride.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: Wisconsin Downs? You mean the Dells?