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Tomorrow (April 29), Tzena & I leave on our annual train trip. We'll be on the Eagle from Austin to Chicago and on to Milwaukee. Sunday May 2, we leave Milwaukee for Chicago and the SW Chief, heading to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. We will fly home from Phoenix, so we can spend an extra 2 days in the area, including the Verde Canyon train on Saturday May 8. If any of y'all are on the same train, Look us up. Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Mike, what a wonderful trip you have planned. I too have traveled most of those routes. We used to live in Ft Worth and went to Austin on The Eagle all the time. Great fun. We also traveled to Chicago a lot and did the SW Chief to Flagstaff to see the big ditch. I am sure you know, but there is a great train to the canyon in Williams, and if you have not done that, it is a must. Have a great time, and give us a full report when you return.
Jim Fix
Posts: 24 | From: Panama City, FL | Registered: Apr 2004
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Your trip sounds great! I hope to do something similar coming from the east, getting off in Lamy to see Santa Fe, then continuing to Flagstaff after a few days and from there going to Sedona as well as the Grand Canyon. I also wish there were a way to get to Bryce Canyon by bus or train from Flagstaff but I haven't heard of such a trip--has anyone?
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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I'm tentatively planning a trip next year to Green River UT to do all the desert National Parks next year. I plan on hitting Arches, Canyonland, Bryce, & Zion, returning to Green river and the trip home.
Or I'll do Idaho and visit my parents in Boise....
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Mike - PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!!!!!!!!! Our office computer graphics sometimes come out rather dark, and I did not realize, from the photo quality on our computer that that was your wife next to you!! Sorry!!!!!!!!! Good photo of you two.......... Have a great trip!!
To Yez Boz -- is that a photo of you back up a couple posts, or will I get in trouble with you now like I did with Mike?
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Hey, is that Rochester up there? Remember when Jack Benny asked the ticket agent for a ticket on the train? The agent asked, "The five dollar ticket or the ten dollar ticket?" "What's the difference?" asked Benny. Agent: "For ten dollars, you get to ride on the Inside." Benny: "Well, of course. After all, I'm not as young as I used to be." Agent: You're not as young as ANYbody used to be!" Posts: 171 | Registered: May 2002
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Thats extrememly funny with RRRich and Mrs. Smith.
BTW I knew when I saw Mr. Toy post that "having pictures to go with faces makes it more personal" that if Yez Boz saw that line he'd post that picture.
Posts: 547 | From: St. Louis, MO, USA | Registered: Nov 2002
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Never mind who will win the election!!! What are the winning lottery numbers??
Posts: 116 | From: Auckland, New Zealand | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Rheboi: Our power ball only goes to 7 and there are 6 numbers in the main draw so your numbers are not really helpful... and who the heck is Ralp Nader?
Is that the nationwide powerball?
Who is Ralp(h) Nader? I dont have time to give a History lesson here young man. All I can say is, he is the next president
Posts: 547 | From: St. Louis, MO, USA | Registered: Nov 2002
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Well, here's a quick update. I'm using dial-up and I don't know how I managed before with dial-up... It's excessively slow! I'm too cheep to book a hotel with high speed internet...
Leaving Austin, everything was Ok, except no sightseer, a bashed up P-42 (197), and frumpy old equipment. This is the second year that I've experienced old worn out train equipment. I believe Chicago is intentionally giving the Eagle old stuff.
Anyway, we were on time and everything was normal until Normal, IL. The engineer was smelling diesel fuel, opened the door behind him, saw diesel fuel flying all over the engine and shut down the P-42 immediately. The fire department was called, checked out the engine compartment, and caught as much of the diesel fuel as they could. The engine was lunched. 4 hours later, two UP engines were attached and we continued to Chicago with no HEP. That meant no lights, no AC, and no power to flush the commodes...
We had all the windows open for air flow and actually made pretty good time into Chicago. I think UP took pity on us because they had numerous freights sidelined waiting on us to go by.
We arrived 4 hours late, meaning I missed both Hiawathas (3:15 & 5:08) to MKE and had to take another taxi ride to the airport to get my rental from Hertz after arriving on the 9:30 pm train...
More later.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Yes, when I rode the Eagle in March I thought the state of the equipment was terrible. The sleeper I had was in very poor condition compared to either the EB or CZ rides I've taken of late.
Posts: 70 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Mike, It sounds like Amtrak's decision to have only one locomotive on the Eagle was not such a good idea, as NARP pointed out when the decision was made. No HEP sounds like a recipe for a lot of hot and cranky passengers. At least UP expedited your train. There is a silver lining there, and shows that UP, like the GOP, is not entirely bad.
------------------ Sing to the tune of Humoresque: Passengers will please refrain, From flushing toilets while the train, Is standing in the station, I love you.
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I've arrived at Flagstaff and have an addition to the story. #197 was engine #2 on the westbound SW Chief that left Chicago Sunday. That was a fast fix! It arrived in Chicago Friday after 6:00pm and left a short 44 hours later.... #185 was lead, and it had front end damage, too. (197 had hit a truck)
We were on time or ahead of schedule the entire trip. But DO NOT ORDER their country fried steak!!!!! Geez.... Sonic does it better....
More later.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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