10/13/1999 - The train from Elkhart IN to Chicago IL was to arrive at 8:26 AM and we were there in plenty of time but it arrived at 10:15 AM.   Between that and additional delays by freight trains having the "Right-of-way" we arrived in Chicago at 1:05 PM instead of 11:15 AM.   This was no real problem since we had a 4 hour and 5 minute "layover".   We had lunch at the food court on the upper floor of Chicago Union Station and got settled in our upper level Deluxe Suite about a half hour before our scheduled 3:20 PM departure time.   We left On Time but before we got out of the Chicago area we were held up by more frieght trains.   We had dinner near Galesburg Illinois.   We arrived at the Mississippi River it was dark (sometime after 8:00 PM) we were stopped and informed that it was caused by the turnstile bridge over the river near Fort Madison IA.   It was open because of a barge on the river and as soon as the barge passed and the bridge was in place we continued.   We were in Kansas City MO around midnight and there is a 15 minute or so layover while they adjust freight cars and do maintenance regarding the water, waste water, etc. and although I slept through most of KC, Peg was awake since she was still trying to get used to sleep with the vibrations and swaying of a double-deck car.

    10/14/1999 - We had an early breakfast in the area of Hutchinson KS and I started taking pictures sometime after Garden City KS and near the Colorado border.   Click here for the group of Arkansas River pictures.
We had a maintenance stop for about 15 to 20 minutes in La Junta CO where these pictures were taken of the train and our car "attendant" for the entire trip to Los Angeles.   That is the person that folds down the bed each evening and folds them up in the morning as well as any special requests you may have during the trip.

These pictures are from just east of Trinidad, Colorado through part of New Mexico.   We had Lunch in New Mexico and Dinner near Gallop NM.   It was beginning to look like we would get to LA anywhere from 1 to 2+ hours late and our connecting train was scheduled to leave 50 minutes after this train would arrive at Los Angeles Union Station.   We asked the car attendant what could be done about a late arrival and he assured us that Amtrak would take care of it one way or another.

    10/15/99 - When we awoke we found out from the attendant that some time had been "made-up" in the California desert (the same area as the derailment occured the next night because of the Earthquake) but we were still over an hour late. He said that we would be taken off the train in San Bernardino and taken by Bus to meet the train. He mentioned that, if they were too late to catch the train before Oxnard (our final stop) that the Bus would take us to Oxnard and then go on.

    When we got to San Bernardino the attendant had already had them locate our luggage that was checked only to LA and we, and our luggage, went on the Bus heading to catch up with the train that had not yet left LA. The Bus took us to the Glendale Station and about 1 hour later we got on the Coast Starlight Amtrak and got to Oxnard at about the scheduled time (just after 11:00 AM. We then got a Taxi to the Casa Sirena Hotel and Marina.

    As you can tell, we were very pleased with the Amtrak trip and the attention given by all of their employees.   I can remember times that a flight was too late to contact with the connecting flight and the only response was "We are sorry." but they could check the schedule to see when the next flight was.   The food in the Amtrak Diner was excellent in quality, preparation, and service.   On our return trip we met a couple that had been on the "ill-fated" train that was derailed by the earthquake.   On the page for the trip from California to Elkhart, IN I will have more description of those conversations.