Seat 2A

Lafayette is only 120 miles and a three hour train ride from Chicago. As such, I had booked a seat aboard Amtrak’s Hoosier State, departing at 8:00am from Lafayette and connecting nicely to the westbound California Zephyr, aboard which I had reserved a sleeper compartment all the way to the coast. My early morning departure made willing teetotalers of us all and so we awoke early the next morning to a fine breakfast (You gotta eat a breakfast, Marge. I'll fix you some eggs. For some reason, this line from the movie Fargo keeps running through my head) and a snowy drive out to the Lafayette Amtrak station.

Surprise! The train had been cancelled. In its place Amtrak had arranged for a bus to transport us up to Chicago. Due to extreme cold temperatures in Indianapolis overnight, the water pipes aboard the train had frozen rendering the onboard toilet facilities inoperable. We were informed that by law no long distance train may operate without working toilet facilities.

Cold weather however was just one of the problems facing travelers. Additionally three to four inches of snow had fallen and was continuing to fall. The conditions on Interstate 65 up to Chicago were abominable. I saw a number of semi-trucks stopped right in the lane of traffic on even the slightest of inclines to put on chains. Our driver very carefully negotiated our big MCI Coach along the icy highway but it took us over four hours to cover the 120 miles to Chicago. We arrived at Chicago’s Union Station at 1:00pm, and hour and fifteen minutes prior to the departure of the California Zephyr.

Amtrak’s First Class passengers have access to the Metropolitan Lounge while awaiting their train’s departure. These lounges are available in only six cities system wide and Chicago’s is the largest. It is hardly the best, however. I’d been looking forward to checking out this lounge and had expected something akin to a proper domestic airline lounge. Unfortunately it was quite a bit less. The lounge was comfortable enough I suppose but the pale green décor and lack of windows or natural daylight made for a rather gloomy ambience.




Although free wi-fi was available, there were no work stations and none of the tables were near an electrical outlet. No food was offered and the only drinks available were coffee and sodas.





When boarding was called at a little after 2:00pm, about two dozen of us were led out a side door and escorted out to the waiting train. We approached from the rear and since the First Class Sleeping Cars are all located at the front of the train, we had quite a walk before finally reaching our assigned cars. I was in car 511, room 11. This was a downstairs room and one that I’ve taken quite a liking to over the years.





Amtrak’s Bi-Level Superliners offer Standard Bedrooms on both the upper and lower levels of each car. The accommodations measure 3’6” by 6’6” and are accessed via a sliding glass door. During the day they offer two wide opposite facing seats that fold together to become a bed at night. Above them is a fold-down upper berth. Each compartment has its own huge window, approximately 2’ X 5’, through which to view the passing scenery. Other amenities include four separate lights, an electrical outlet, a mirror, a fold out table, a small closet with hangers and a thermostat. Toilet and shower facilities are down the hall.





While many first time riders are excited about having a room high on the upper level, I’ve learned through experience that the lower level is the place to be. The downstairs rooms are quieter because all the traffic between cars is upstairs. Very few tracks provide a perfectly smooth ride and because of this the train’s rocking motion makes for a difficult time walking. Most passengers traveling between cars on their way to or from the diner or lounge tend to ricochet down the narrow hallways, bouncing off walls and doors with equal abandon. Downstairs this is not an issue.

At the top of the stairway is the service area for each car. Juice, coffee, bottled water and ice are always available. My car attendant Alistair stopped by to introduce himself and answer any questions we had about the accommodations or the 52 hour journey ahead. Interestingly, Alistair was accompanied by a man introduced only as Mr. Scarlet. Mr. Scarlet said nothing but was seen in Alistair’s company throughout much of the trip. I thought he might be a trainee but he never really seemed to do all that much. Unfortunately, neither did Alistair.

Beers on Amtrak cost $4.50 for cheap domestic stuff and $5.50 for somewhat better brew. I’m not a rich man however, and since First Class passengers are allowed to bring along their own libations, I pulled out a 12-Pack of Tecate, placed three of them in the built in wastebasket alongside my seat and headed off to procure some ice. While Tecate would not normally be my first choice of beers, space was more important than quality and as canned beer goes, Tecate was the best I could find. Besides, Cerveza Tecate and train journeys go way back for me. I first encountered Tecate at the equivalent of 68¢ a can while journeying 38 hours between Mexico City and Juarez aboard the NdeM’s El Fronterizo back in 1984. It’s accompanied me on many a journey since.

Scheduling of the California Zephyr is designed to provide passengers with optimal viewing of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Mountains during daylight hours. The plains states and deserts of Utah and Eastern Nevada are crossed at night. I rather enjoy the bucolic farmlands of western Illinois but today’s inclement weather and darker skies diminished that aspect of the trip considerably for me.




I’ve written two previous reports on riding the California Zephyr

Denver to Sacramento Aboard Amtrak's California Zephyr

Fast As Freedom On Good Wind ~ Travels Around The West via Air, Rail & Road

So rather than completely rehash a trip that was very similar to what I’ve experienced and written about in the two above highlighted reports, I shall instead regale you with photos from the journey through the Rockies followed by a brief recap of the trip.

Click here for a copy of the California Zephyr Route Guide.

The first afternoon was none too spectacular in terms of scenery since it was dark and snowy throughout the day. A trip on a train is about more than just scenery though. Perhaps the best part of a rail journey is the chance to head up to the lounge car to meet, drink beer and trade stories with your fellow travelers. The ambience in a railroad lounge car is far more conducive to this than being stuck in a seat on an airplane. I enjoy hearing other traveler’s tales as well as adding my own to the mix. Apart from the scenery, the social interaction found in the lounge or dining car is one of the best reasons for taking an overland trip. And, once you have taken a journey across country by rail, it is a trip that you’ll never forget. How many people can say the same thing after flying from coast to coast?








I awoke the next morning to the featureless desolation of northeastern Colorado and the promise of the upcoming journey through Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. I quickly showered, grabbed a cup of coffee and wandered up to the lounge car to watch as we approached Denver. The Zephyr has to slowly back into the station, and once this had been accomplished it was announced that we’d have about thirty minutes here in Denver. Please don’t stray too far from the train as more than a few people have been left behind while having a beer at the Wynkoop Brewery or taking a quick stroll along the 16th Street Mall.

Denver’s Union Station was first built in 1881 at a cost of $525,000.00. At the time, it was the largest building in Colorado. In 1894, a fire destroyed most the station. It was quickly rebuilt employing more stone than wood and, other than the loss of its clock tower in 1914, remains essentially unchanged today. While not on the scale of New York’s Grand Central Station, Denver’s Union Station is still an architecturally classic railroad station. Like many big city railroad stations, it is indeed a monument to not just train travel but transportation in general, reflecting an era when travel in any form was an exciting and adventurous endeavor. Inside, the plaster arches that line the walls of the central waiting room have 2300 carved Columbine flowers in them. Here are some views of this impressive building:












Soon after departing Denver, we began a long and scenic 4000’ ascent into the Rockies via S curves, switchbacks and twenty-some odd tunnels culminating in the 6.2 mile Moffat Tunnel, located at 9,239 feet above sea level. The tunnel was completed in 1927 after four years of construction and costs that soared from an original estimate of $6 million to $15.6 million. The first train passed through in February 1928.

Here are some photos of the scenery through the Colorado Rockies as the Zephyr travels through impressive canyons and high country along the Colorado River:





















I stopped for a night in Glenwood Springs, Colorado to visit with my friends who own and work the Glenwood Springs Hostel. I can get a quiet, private room there for $25.00 per night. Even if I had millions, I’d stay here before I’d ever check into a fancy hotel. As per tradition, no trip to Glenwood would be complete with driving down to Carbondale for breakfast at The Village Smithy.












These guys travel as much or more than I do. John in the middle is off to Nicaragua for a month starting this week and Gary, the guy on the right who owns the hostel, is off to India next month when John gets back. Gary has been seemingly everywhere from Africa to Asia and he’s got some great stories to tell. Marin (she’s not pictured) just got back from a year in India. Joey on the left went to Grand Junction last week.

We had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast at The Smithy since the Zephyr was running four hours late. By the time I finally pulled out of Glenwood at 6:45pm, we were almost five hours late. Unfortunately this deprived us of some of the spectacular canyon country west of Grand Junction, but I made up for it with a good steak dinner and a fun night in the lounge car.

Morning found us speeding along at the maximum permitted speed of 79mph through the stark landscape of northeastern Nevada. We’d made up almost two and a half hours overnight. The skies were clear and sunny promising a pretty trip into California. I headed up to the diner for a tasty omelet and chicken sausage breakfast.












Although crossing the Sierras is not as dramatic as crossing the Rockies, it’s still a pretty route up and over Donner Pass. Unfortunately, I was in the dining car having lunch during the best of the scenery. Taking pictures through windows is bad enough, but Amtrak’s windows were none too clean after the long trip from Chicago. I did manage one shot before lunch as we were just starting our climb into the Sierras outside of Truckee.






Incredibly we made up another hour along the way – not an easy feat for the California Zephyr given the bullying tactics of the host railroad - and by the time we pulled into Emeryville at 7:00, we were only an hour and a half late.

This was my 200th long distance train ride and it was a typically enjoyable journey for me. Airplanes are fast and convenient for those without a lot of time but if you want to get there in style and comfort while passing through beautiful countryside, enjoying good food and drink, meeting interesting people and perhaps even making new friends, it’s hard to beat a ride on a long distance train. My roomette cost me $407.00 and included all meals. Similar accommodations are about 50-60% higher during the summer, so now is the time to get rollin’.