Advise on Southwest Chief

There's not really not a hell of a lot to see on the Chief. I have done it several times. The Zephyr is a much better ride.

Just from experience of riding over the Santa Fe main line from Chicago to Kansas City, and on to Barstow, CA. you have the flat plains of Illinois, then Missouri, then Kansas, then Texas, then New Mexico, etc., etc., etc.. Just my opinion but, they don't call it "the desert southwest" for nothing.

Understood -- which direction on the Cala Zep then? East or West?

On the Zephyr IMO the Colorado stretch is the highlight. Both directions are good, but I preferred the westbound.

Jan

I would do the Zephyr and the Coast Starlight for a Chicago LA trip. either direction is good 

For scenery I would take the Zephy from SFO to DEN, then the bus to Raton to catch the SW Chief back to LA, and the Coast Startlight LA to SFO.  Not much to see in Kansas, etc.

The most scenic part, in my memory, is the section they want to change to bus travel. 

We did the Chief from Chicago to LA and though we enjoyed it, the scenery was not stellar. I agree with the idea to do the Zephry from Chicago to SFO and then the Coast Starlight South. We have not done the Zephyr yet but the Coast Starlight run from SF to LA is one of our favorite routes.  You run right along the ocean for most of the trip, right along the beach in Santa Barbara.  Stunning scenery. 

Farmer_Bill posted:

The most scenic part, in my memory, is the section they want to change to bus travel. 

 

Having never done it, my opinion will be less than others but with the current head of Amtrak hell bent on killing long distance trains and seeing all the issues Eddie is having, and the above mentioned section via bus and the removal of hot food on most trains.  I would say don't bother.

For wrong or right, long distance train travel in this country is dead, it just doesn't know it yet.

Looking at farms, crops, and  cattle is a heck of a lot more interesting than looking at rocks and trees in my opinion.

Well friends, thank you all for your comments, suggestions, and thoughts.

Last summer I took my wife and two kids from LA to San Francisco on the Coast Starlight, then San Francisco to Seattle on the same, followed by the Empire Builder to Glacier National Park, and then Glacier to Chicago on the same, and finally Chicago to Cincinnati on the Cardinal. Just three weeks ago we took the Empire Builder from Seattle to Glacier again. That gives us just over 9,500 Miles on Amtrak within a year, all on long distance trains. We have been delayed, but no more than on any distance driving trips during the past year, a few hours here and there. 

In terms of the forthcoming trip, my son (11) and I are going to make the train for the sole purpose of having ridden the route, has we found last year the train takes one through hundreds if not thousands of miles otherwise unseen country, someplaces are spectacular in their natural beauty others show a different America than we otherwise might see.

I love to truly “see” our nation and its people, last year we saw naked people waving in their backyard, homeless encampments outside large cities, farm workers in the fields, million dollar mansions along the coast overlooking the sea, beautiful small towns, July 4th parades and gatherings of all sorts, big cities, oil fields, farms, and darn near everything in between. It was glorious, enlightening, and deeply moving, we saw America as it existed over a large part of the country in the summer of 2017. A moment in time if you will. Give that some thought when you think about where you live and travel, do you see the nation and your fellow citizens? 

Based upon several comments, which were deleted fro reasons unknown, but which came through on email, and the comments remaining, I booked the west bound Southwest Chief for two weeks from now, we’ll fly into LA in the morning and take the train home late that afternoon, after lunch by the Pacific. I hope all of you are right, lots of high desert, open country, small towns with their own unique personalities, vast expanses of nothing, farms, and people. Truly, the American Southwest! 

Later this year I will book the California Zephyr as well, same type of trip either leaving here and flying back or flying to San Francisco and taking the train back. Thanks for pressing the natural beauty aspects of that trip as well. 

In terms of train travel being dead, perhaps it is, but like nearly everything else in this nation we the people live in a world of our own making. 

Sounds like a wonderful trip with your son. Have fun n post some of your pics when you get back. We’d love to see them. 

Around 2k photos from last years trip can be found on my Flickr site, these aren't family photos but those of buildings and sights along the trip, many of which would be good for model railroading inspiration. Some are more general views.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/150071600@N05

CincinnatiWestern posted:

Around 2k photos from last years trip can be found on my Flickr site...

 

Wow, thanks for posting!