posted
I started my weekend trip in Maricopa, AZ early Friday morning. A friend let me park my car at his house in Maricopa and dropped me off at the station. The train was a few minutes early. I had the Texas Eagle sleeper which was the last car on the train. After the usual 4-5 stops to accommodate the entire consist on the short platform, we were off.
We arrived in LA early and were surprised with rain. I spent the next couple hours exploring LAUPT and grabbing a lite snack.
I chose business class for my Surfliner trip down the coast. My first experience in BC on the Surfliner was good. Not too many people, drinks, muffins, and a cocktail were included.
After a couple days of baseball games and a tour of the USS Midway, I headed back Sunday morning. Business class on the Surfliner was nearly full when we left San Diego and only had a few single seats open by the time we reached LAUPT.
Once arriving in LA early, again, I went over to Olvera Street to grab lunch at one of several mexican food restaurants.
The Sunset Limited left LA on time at 2:30PM. This time I had the Sunset sleeper at the front of the consist, which I prefer so I don't have to wait for all four or five stops in Maricopa upon detraining.
I had the BBQ Beef Brisquet for dinner in the diner, with baked potato, corn and cheesecake to finish. Food was cooked well and tasty.
Arrived in Maricopa approx. 10 minutes late.
All of the Amtrak staff I dealt with were pleasant and helpful throughout the trip.
If you are interested in photos, check the link at the bottom of my website for this most recent trip.
Great report but I have to question the cocktail? Are you sure you didn't pay for that? The only free alcohol I've seen is the afternoon wine. I don't think they even offer beer. Cocktails are available, of course, for purchase.
I wonder if Amtrak will ever go cashless like Southwest has done. It sure makes accounting easier. I suppose there are people out there without a credit or debit card, however.
Frank in overcast SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Great report but I have to question the cocktail? Are you sure you didn't pay for that? The only free alcohol I've seen is the afternoon wine. I don't think they even offer beer. Cocktails are available, of course, for purchase.
I wonder if Amtrak will ever go cashless like Southwest has done. It sure makes accounting easier. I suppose there are people out there without a credit or debit card, however.
Frank in overcast SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Frank, Sorry, cocktail wasn't the appropriate term. When the attendant came around about noon with a snack pack, she followed with a tray of various drinks which included wine. I didn't look close enough to see if she also had beer, but she did have white and red wine. I chose the wine.
Andy
Posts: 120 | From: Arizona | Registered: Mar 2007
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Enjoyed the report Andy. We often visit relatives in Scottsdale and I'd love to take the Sunset. But now that I'm retired, I don't do arrival/departures before 9AM or after 10PM! Our one Sunset trip to Phoenix was to LA then Southwest back from San Diego.
I do hope Amtrak changes Sunset's schedule to make it attractive to that huge population that is really not served. To make it work they'd need to at least offer a Thruway bus into Phoenix- and suburb towns.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Maricopa is better than nothing, but I really hope they can workout a way to bring the Sunset back into Phoenix. The station is still there (well preserved and used as a warehouse/storage facility). There has been talk, and talk is cheap of course, of commuter service between Phoenix and Tucson.
It all depends on money from the state to do upgrades and that probably won't see reality until the economy improves.
Even a thruway bus or shuttle would help the Maricopa station.
Andy
Posts: 120 | From: Arizona | Registered: Mar 2007
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Weren't the former SP tracks between Yuma and Phoenix dismantled a few years ago, and that was the reason for the Sunset re-route?
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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It is my understanding that after the 1995 sabotage and resulting derailment of the Sunset near Hyder,AZ, the UP decided to abandon the line between Phoenix and Yuma. It appears they didn't dismantle it, they just didn't upgrade it. The Sunset then started taking the southern route through Maricopa in 1996.
I have read on a couple websites that the UP started upgrading the Phoenix - Yuma line in 2006 for possible freight use again.I haven't seen lately if the upgrade actually took place and don't know how that may impact the Sunset route in the future. Hopefully it could have a positive affect.
Posts: 120 | From: Arizona | Registered: Mar 2007
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quote:Originally posted by a meyer: It is my understanding that after the 1995 sabotage and resulting derailment of the Sunset near Hyder,AZ, the UP decided to abandon the line between Phoenix and Yuma. It appears they didn't dismantle it, they just didn't upgrade it. The Sunset then started taking the southern route through Maricopa in 1996.
Wasn't the Sunset still running under the Southern Pacific flag at the time of that bad derailment?--I forget what year the UP took over the "Sufferin' Pacific..." And it's not exactly accurate to say Phoenix-Yuma; the actual points where the Phoenix/Amtrak passenger branch entered and exited the old SP "Gila" Sub. were Picacho on the east and Wellton on the west. The Phoenix line was 166 miles of mostly 39 ft. jointed rail--not a very smooth ride. I knew one of the poor guys who died in the Hyder/Buckeye wreck, a sleeping car attendant named Mitch...terrible way to go. I also knew the engineer who was running that night, one of the best men ever to run that Division; Amtrak called it "Zone 12-A."
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Either my mind is hallucinating or I have seen two of the last three posts or something nearly word for work on this site or elsewhere in the not to distant past.
The track is still in place between Phoenix and Wellton, but most of it is out of service. The shift to the main line through Maricopa occurred quite a while after the 1995 derailment, and probably had nothing to do with the decision to reroute the train. The West Line was built in the 1920's primarily for the purpose of getting the through passenger trains into Phoenix, and never carried much freight. It was mostly 113 pound (a section peculiar to Southern Pacific) jointed rail with automatic block signaling using semaphores. Everything about it was obsolete and mostly worn out by the time SP threw in the towel on trying to keep it up for 60 mph operation.
Posts: 2810 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Sep 11, 1996 appears to have been Sunset Day (i.e. the herald; not the train).
Finally, a thought I have long held; BNSP and SFUP would have done a better job of balancing two Western systems without having to resort to the extent now in place, the array of open gateways, access, and trackage rights - all of which represent an "intruder" on your rails - and for which I'm certain affected shippers suffer dearly. Filing complaints with the STB, while maybe provided for by law, does not solve too much.
Posts: 9980 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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TY, GBN-- outstanding posts as usual...so the Sunset that fateful night was still under SP operations. Interesting about the light-weight rail; I remember looking at the stuff on jobs back then; that 113 pound iron was not too "confidence-inspiring." As a side note, my last trip over the Sunset route (summer 2008) we had our leg-stretching break at Palm Springs and also a couple of meets along the way out there in the Desert--I noticed piles of ribbon rail stacked up along the ROW for UP double-tracking. The rail clearly showed "155" embossed along the web= 155 lbs per yard? I know it looked bigger than the ubiquitous 136 pound mainline stuff we have seen for years...
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Interesting info. on the UP/SP line and what the situation was concerning the Sunset re-route. That is why I like reading the informative post on this forum.
Posts: 120 | From: Arizona | Registered: Mar 2007
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quote:Originally posted by a meyer: Interesting info. on the UP/SP line and what the situation was concerning the Sunset re-route. That is why I like reading the informative post on this forum.
Thanks Andy- sorry for the "thread creep" on your post. We took a "diverging clear" when we got into the Phoenix line discussion! Also, I meant to thank George H. for the bit of history he provided. This topic has been covered before, but surely deserves its own thread...
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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I also knew the engineer who was running that night, one of the best men ever to run that Division; Amtrak called it "Zone 12-A."
