Wanna Get Away?

Traveling by Rail through West Texas May Be the Ticket

Berquist relaxing after dinner

The dining car

By The Hon. Philip Berquist

My generation, the Boomers, saw the end of traditional rail travel. Yes, it still exists with AMTRAK, but aviation knocked the dickens out of rail. My first Honorary Consul of the Republic of Croatia for Texas train trips were solo. At the age of 14 I returned from visiting my brother, Paul, and his family in Colorado Springs via the Burlington Northern. All the way to Chicago, where I switched stations to the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) to Grand Rapids. I did this the next year as well. In my senior year of high school, our class took the C&O to Washington, D.C. and back. That was the last regular train service that I took in the US. I should also mention that I spent one college summer as a “track man” laying and maintaining tracks for C&O in Grand Rapids. I maintain my battle scar, a painful back pain, to this day.

I have taken advantage of rail travel many times in Europe - England, France, the Alps, even the Soviet Union and Russia (two different trips). Also through East Germany to get to and from West Berlin in the old days of the Cold War as. G.I.

Now, I am taking AMTRAK, again to visit my brother, Paul, living in Tucson, Arizona. Why, well, why not? I have the time, and it takes a lot of time to get to Tucson from Houston and I wanted to experience the trip on the “extreme cheap.” One way to Tucson on the “Sunset Limited” which runs three times a week from New Orleans to Los Angeles. I am leaving on a Monday evening, hopefully at 6:55pm and arriving at 7:45pm the next night in Tucson. The fare is $125 for coach but as a Senior, my cost is reduced to $108. The same reduced fare is available for veterans. I will return on Southwest Airlines. 18 | HEIGHTS | July + August 2020

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Sleeping compartment options are available, but they do not fit into my “extreme cheap” category. There is a limited menu in the dining car. I recall on the Burlington Northern there was a fully functional dining car with stewards, table clothes, china, etc. I do not expect my dining experience on the “Sunset Limited” to in any way resemble the Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint scene in North by Northwest.

“All Aboard!...”

I have heard that the scheduled times of arrivals and departures are “flexible.” I arrived AMTRAK Houston off Washington Avenue, just west of downtown, at 6:30pm. The “Sunset Limited” is already late, scheduled now to depart at 7:06pm instead of 6:55pm. Update at 6:45pm - 7:21pm departure. Looks like 15 minute delay every 15 minutes! Now 7:41pm. Train arrives at 7:15pm. I am in the “caboose”, the last car, upstairs. I am assigned seat 1, window, right side. Actual departure is 7:31pm.

I made my reservation a few weeks in advance, securing a “coach seat - upper” meaning the second floor of the car. You do not know where exactly you will be sitting, or sleeping if you get the sleeper, until immediately before boarding, on the platform, from the conductor who has an official list of what is available. Being coach, The conductor, noting my height, said, “looks like you could use some extra leg room!” He put me in a “bulkhead” seat and he also never had anyone sit next to me the entire way. What a saint!

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AMTRAK coach seats are very large, probably the equivalent of a first class seat on an airplane. There are four reclining options, the last one to the 35 to 40 degrees, exactly as promised, and the foot rest extended continuously from the window to the aisle. So far this was much more comfort than I expected.

The layout of the train, front to back, includes two engines, two sleeping cars, the dining car, the lounge car and the final coach. The sleeping cars consist of four options - roomette, small with no private facilities, to bedrooms and bedroom suites, which have facilities.

Following the sleeping cars is the dining car. It is located on the second deck. Many tables, nicely set with silverware(!) and two stewards / waiters. On my journey they were Heather and CC, both friendly and conversational. On the lower deck of the dining car is the kitchen manned by a chef and a souschef. The food is actually pretty good, a little on the expensive side, but tasty and served by a very friendly staff. They offer a full breakfast, burgers for lunch and even a steak dinner at night. They ask passengers to make reservations as there are probably only some two dozen seats at a serving. If you are alone, you will not be eating alone, they fill the tables.

Next comes the lounge car. On the upper deck are many seating options, all facing the windows directly or at an angle. There are also ceiling windows to enhance the view. On the lower deck is a snack bar, with soft drinks, chips, etc. and microwaveable delicacies such as nuked chicken parts (nuggets). I declined. You should too!

Then comes my car. The top deck has many rows of two seats on either side of the aisle. On the lower level are a few more coach rows, and some roomettes as well as lavatories.

Upon departing, I feel like the Sunset Limited achieved its highest speed in the immediate Houston area. I would estimate that the rest of the journey averaged no more than 50 mph. Schulenburg at 9:45pm, San Antonio at midnight. There we waited a couple of hours to hook up with the Texas Eagle from Chicago. Two cars were added at the back of our train and we departed at 2:45am. Del Rio - 7:00am, and a stop at Sanderson to take on passengers at 9:15am. Sanderson would seem an unlikely place to pick up passengers since, according to an announcement by the conductor, it is a nearly 2 hour drive to the nearest grocery store!

We also stopped in Alpine and several travelers with back

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packs de-trained to hike in Big Bend National Park. We arrived in El Paso at 2:30pm and stopped for passengers for about a half hour. As the Sunset Limited crew had predicted, a woman, Juanita, “The Burrito Lady,” met the train and sold fabulous burritos for $2 each. What a treat! As we left El Paso the tracks were literally on the US/Mexico border and we saw several miles of a very imposing border wall built in the early 2000’s.

An hour and a half later we are in the New Mexican “oasis”, Deming - that is one ugly town! Now the final run to Tucson. Unfortunately the Sunset Limited / Texas Eagle would now break down about 30 miles west of delightful Lada, New Mexico. An electrical problem. How did they solve the problem? Well, urban legend has it that is why they use two engines - the second one being the backup.

Following the hour that it took to “repair” the electrical problem, we were again on our way. Another set back, however, as we had to go to a siding for over an hour and wait for a freight train to pass.

We finally arrived in Tucson, some 5 hours late, about midnight. The Sunset Limited would proceed without me to Los Angeles.

Things to consider if you are interested in the Sunset Limited - freight trains have priority over passenger trains so expect quite a few unscheduled stops on sidings waiting for the freighters to pass. I traveled in January and the train was

Alpine, Texas wall

about 60% occupied. While not being full was a plus, the fact that it was dark for long periods was a negative. Much of the daylight portion of the trip was foggy. Arriving so late in Tucson, it was impossible to see the mountains and the beautiful and unique saguaro cacti on the mountain sides. I would think that summer travel would allow more viewing options but I have been told that the train is packed with passengers. If you have no concerns about time and about NOT being on time, AMTRAK is a great option. Only one passenger (not me) was frustrated about the constant delays. Everyone else took the journey in stride and seemed to totally enjoy the Sunset Limited.

Would I do it again?

Yes, definitely, and I plan to go again, this time round trip!