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This year instead of my annual trip to AZ on the SWC, I decided on the Empire Builder from St.Paul to PDX (Portland) 3/5/05 -better weather in OR this year?!?!. Since Bedrooms were going for dirt cheap ($224/2 nights) I decided I would treat myself to the space formerly known as Deluxe for the first time. My excellent car attendant, Daryl, was surprised to find I had somehow got past him and settled into Bedroom C on my own.
I was delighted to be in the last car on the train for the unobstructed view out the rear, and surprised to discover so much of the 'Highline' is single track. Since I live 2 blocks from this BNSF northern mainline in St. Paul, I know trains go by every few minutes, yet the EB highballs on through almost never being sidetracked for a freight. (A pox on UP for their relative incompetency!) In both directions we arrived in all stations near on time or early.
Buying tickets only the day before leaving, I got the last 1st class vacancy. The bedroom was roomy and clean, but I immediately changed the bedding so I faced the window and could look out when I was awake. The large seat faced rearward so my daytime hours not in the lounge were spent in the small armchair which faced forward. Contrary to most of you on this forum, I still say coach vs. Roomette/Bedroom is a tossup. I do like the private bathroom, and I always like getting my coffee before the lounge opens at 6:30, but my coach ride back was more interesting and I do like to observe and interact with other passengers.
Even traversing a vast unpopulated region, many people are getting off and on at the intermediate stops. Whitefish may have been busier than MSP or PDX in both directions. Northern Montana seems endless but relaxing, a barren land of ranches and lonely highways. Several small town businesses have the word 'Highline' in their name, suggesting this railroad is the reason for their existence.
The mountains begin to loom at dusk and there is an air of excitement as we speed past Glacier Park Lodge. Strangers begin to tell us their tales of past adventures in the area. Leaving Whitefish we catch views of close elegant mountain homes, mostly glass so we see their lavish interiors.
Sunrise is on Columbia Gorge. Having lost all but 4 cars to the Seattle branch, the lounge rides right behind the one engine and the diesel fumes and loud whistle are prominent. This is fast single level track and the spectacular scenery is changing at a rapid pace from rolling desert hills to the green forests of the Cascades. Snowy Mount Hood looms downriver. We arrive in PDX early on a sunny warm day. My cab ride to Hertz takes me past the giant Powers bookstore I have heard about often on this forum.
Much of my auto tour of Oregon was along the route of the CS from Eugene to Chemult. There were few trains. Why cannot UP manage to keep the CS on time?
Back in PDX on another warm sunny day, I had my luggage stored for the 2 hours til departure and wandered around the beautiful depot and took photos. I was politely approached by a security guard, but when I told him I was just getting some excercise before a long train ride, he was satisfied.
The people connecting from the Coast Starlight were bussed from Klamath Falls to PDX, even thought the train was continuing through about 2 hours late. It is shameful the bus is so much faster then the train. Most were very unhappy.
The late afternoon light on the Columbia make the giant waterfalls across the river easily visible from the train. I fell asleep im my coach seat about 7pm, and woke up well rested in Spokane about 1am. Then one of those unpredictable unique train experiences ensued. Wandering through the lounge I spotted a crowd gathered around an older man who had a laptop with GPS and excellent map software that enabled us to watch our train wind through the mountains of Idaho with constant speed and altitude readings (a lot of 79mph).
We all ended up talking and watching the PC til dawn. We discovered our ages were 68, 58(me), 38, 18 and a younger early teen, and the conversation was lively and delightful. Creatures of the night, all.
I also spent much of the trip talking to Reg, a farmer from Manitoba who spent 4 winter months every year in Mexico and Central America using only busses and trains at a cost of about $6 per day. Both directions I met people who were moving, even whole families, and had all their belongings with them.
The next night the train was sold out, but I still slept soundly and was hardly aware someone occupied the seat next to me. Most on the train were students getting on in North Dakota and going on Spring Break. In the morning the lounge was a mess from the all night Spring Breakers, and the line formed at the lounge cafe counter when they opened for more beer. I suppose I missed the filming of Girls Gone Wild -Amtrak 05.
The onboard staff (except in 1st class) in both directions tended toward ornery, complaining, and far from ambitious. This does not bother me, but I always feel much more could be done to encourage repeat customers. When I got off in MSP, I waited for my coach attendent to help everyone off so I could give him his tip and he greeted me with 'What's your problem?'. Oh well, at least they are not phony Disney nice.
As always, it was an enjoyable and entertaining experience that could not be found using any other travel mode.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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Thanks for the report. If Amtrak is still around next year, I hope to take the Empire Builder.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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I'm pleased to hear that at least the first-class crew were pleasant. But perhaps a little bit of "phony Disney nice" would be an improvement on "ornery, complaining and far from ambitious."
Posts: 524 | From: Toronto Ont. Canada | Registered: Mar 2001
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Wish we could find a happy median between "Phoney Nice" and Ornary. It seems all modes of transportation has been affected that way. Well its more affordable to travel but can you regulate niceness?
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by TwinStarRocket: Even traversing a vast unpopulated region, many people are getting off and on at the intermediate stops. Whitefish may have been busier than MSP or PDX in both directions. Northern Montana seems endless but relaxing, a barren land of ranches and lonely highways. Several small town businesses have the word 'Highline' in their name, suggesting this railroad is the reason for their existence.
Most of Montana is rather "unpopulated", but the Flathead Valley has a population of close to 70,000 within Kalispell (and the unincorporated area of Evergreen), Whitefish and Columbia Falls, as well as several smaller communities. There is also a commercial airport with flights to Seattle (Horizon), Salt Lake City (SkyWest/Delta Connection), Phoenix (America West Express) and Minneapolis (Northwest), as well as Big Sky Air offering a number of flights to Spokane and several Montana cities. In addition, Whitefish is home to Big Mountain, a very popular ski resort (at the station stop, look away from the station to the north and you can't miss it). And many people who go to Glacier Park start off at Whitefish rather than West Glacier or East Glacier, as rental cars, hotels, groceries and supplies are much more obtainable.
As Whitefish began as a logging-and-railroad town, you'll see the railroad influence throughout town - the Great Northern Bar, a development south of town on U.S. 93 is known as Great Northern Business Park and its sign is a large rock with a mountain goat climbing it; switch stands and semaphores can be found in residental neighborhoods, the station is probably the largest building downtown and is home to the Stumptown Historical Society and its museum (including a large number of railroad artifacts); a statue in the park between downtown and the railroad station has an engineer giving a model of a BN SD40-2 to a kid, and there is a GN cupola caboose west of town.
Having been a former resident of Kalispell for several years, taking Amtrak was actually very convenient heading west, as one could leave Whitefish at 9:00 PM or so, and arrive in either Portland or Seattle the next morning after breakfast on the train...heading back east, you leave Seattle/Portland around 4:30 PM and arrive in Whitefish around 7:00 AM.
Posts: 15 | From: Kalispell, MT - USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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To The Briz - note Mr. Wigwagfan's post above -- here is some more great information for your new Web site about station attractions!!
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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