posted
I think it's been at least seven years since I last rode Amtrak unfortunately. In that time I met and married my current wife, had two kids, and moved to Victorville, CA. Three months after the latter I finally had an excuse to ride Amtrak, albeit very briefly! So here's a trip report on that brief 90 minute tip.
As some of you may know, Victorville is on the route of the Southwest Chief, situated a few miles north of Cajon Pass, which can be a bit of a railroad mecca for some. I've driven down some of the public roads there and enjoyed watching a few trains pass. The Southwest Chief, however, heads through the pass eastbound between around 8:15pm and 8:45pm and 4:45am and 5:15am westbound, so it's usually dark.
My excuse to ride the train came in the form of my 4-year old son who wanted to ride the train - though wasn't impressed with Daddy driving around dirt roads trying to find a safe and legal place to watch trains. He has an American cousin of the same age who had never been on a train. Finally, the wife wanted us to go to an event near San Dimas so it was simple: after the day's events she would drop us off at the bottom of the hill and pick us up at the top. Everybody was happy!
Without going all the way into LA to catch the Chief from its source, it was a choice of Fullerton (possibly actually further to travel), Riverside, or San Bernardino. We chose Riverside just to get a bit more daylight.
So we arrived at 7pm at an unmanned station but which had numerous Metrolink trainsets parked on both west/southbound platforms and in the small yard beyond. Fortunately there are hand printed signs indicating that the Chief departs from the other platform across the bridge, and there were maybe two dozen people waiting already.
The scheduled departure time of 7:33pm came and went, so I had a look at the Amtrak webite on my phone. Twenty minutes late! With another Metrolink arrival parked on the eastmost track, it meant only one possible track for the Chief - and there as a continuous parade of southbound freights going through there. No less than four went through that track in the opposite direction to the Chief with a couple northbound on an adjacent track as well. By the time the signals lit up for the third train and then the fourth, it was obvious the Chief wasn't going anywhere fast. But eventually a flashing yellow northbound signal was showing and the Chief came around the corner, over half an hour late. Two engines, sleepers on the front, three coaches on the rear, and nothing behind - a standard consist.
By the time everybody had boarded through a single door, the Chief departed nearly 40 minutes late but made reasonable progress towards San Bernardino, the last advertised smoke break before Winslow (I think) the following morning. It was now nearly dark. The kids and I sat in the lounge car which was half tables, half the chairs I remember from before. The tables are a definite improvement but it was very noisy in there with two separate tables playing some sort of dice game, and just general hubbub of noise.
After leaving San Bernardino on Track 3 (eastmost), we switched to Track 2 at Baseline or Verdemont (not sure which) which is less steep than Track 3 which takes a slightly different route than 1 and 2 - the original route I guess. Over on track 1 was a northbound BNSF freight which we slowly caught up with and overtook, despite us only doing around 25mph according to the GPS on my phone!
Once over Summit, we raced down the gentle decline through Hesperia and into Victorville where we arrived 40 minutes late, doing just a single stop so no sleeper passengers boarded (a double stop is required if there are sleeper passengers). My wife assumed the big train station building was the train station. No, the train station is that big slab of concrete next to the tracks with a bus shelter. Well, that building is supposed to be intermodal but I've only ever seen one bus there and it wasn't open during train hours!
So, what's changed in those 7+ years? Not a lot. I think the coach seats had been recovered but the bathrooms had gaffer tape covering cracks or things that simply weren't there. The bathrooms still had the soap that I love the smell of - is it almond? The cafe/store was a little messy but eventually I found a $6 cheeseburger that was quite edible if a little bland, and $2.50 for juice, so prices don't seem to have changed too much. The crew were friendly except for the cafe car attendant who was more disinterested than unfriendly. Would I travel again? Definitely!
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
That was a short trip but I'm sure there will be many more. Welcome to the U.S.! Next time how about a short overnight - maybe to Flagstaff or Winslow (LaPosada hotel).
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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I really like the soap Amtrak uses as well. I wonder if that is available for purchase anywhere so that I can imagine I am on a train more often?
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Overnight would be nice but I suspect I would either have to ditch the family for maximum enjoyment or... actually, just ditch the family! Having a four-year-old and a baby would not be fun I suspect. The 90 minutes with the two boys was about their tolerance limit before boredom set in.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I misread your post the first time I looked at it and thought it said "unfortunately in that time I met and married my current wife, had two kids......"!
I haven't been around the forum very much these past couple of years but I had noticed that my fellow Brit from a few stops up the GWR seemed to be missing.
Hope it's all going well for you, it's six years since I last travelled on Amtrak and nine since I was on the SWC. Seems as if you had the same cafe-car attendant as me - not unfriendly but disinterested!
Posts: 395 | From: england | Registered: Sep 2002
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I misread your post the first time I looked at it and thought it said "unfortunately in that time I met and married my current wife, had two kids......"!
