New Mexico desert...

Day 16, Feb 18th

Well I know you all want to know, how was the sleep? It was...acceptable. As you’d expect, I have been allocated the top bunk which is not quite as ‘roomy’ as the bottom but there was actually more room than I thought there would be, quite easy to turn over from one side to the other, safe in the knowledge that the harness which attaches to the roof will stop me from falling out....maybe.

I did wake reasonably early at a few minutes to 5am, but as a few know, that is not much earlier than I normally wake. I thought I may as well get up and try the shower. The shower was surprisingly good, plenty of heat and plenty of pressure. There is an endless supply of fresh towels and soaps inside the area. The shower itself is enclosed by a glass door with a magnetic latch. Not a hell of a lot of room to change afterwards however because of the box which you drop the used towels into takes up a bit more room than it probably should. If it was outside the shower in a better spot, the dressing area would be plenty big enough.

Breakfast wasn’t served until 6:30, so I thought I’d wander down to the SSL (Sightseer Lounge/Observation Car). Here is where my first gripe for the trip was. There were coach passengers scattered all over the car, on the seats, on the floor, everywhere. I had nowhere to sit, not that I now wanted to sit there anyway. Staff were already up preparing breakfast and the conductor was also doing the rounds. I’m surprised that these passengers weren’t moved on, it was feral. One guy asked me where I got my coffee which I brought down from the sleeping car. He was jittery and looked like he needed a hit of something, I’m just not sure it was caffeine. I told him where I got it and legged it back to my sleeper.

Shortly afterwards, we came into Flagstaff which is a key stop for transfers to Phoenix, Arizona and also for coach tours to the Grand Canyon. The station itself is pretty underwhelming, but I jumped off and stretched my legs in the sub zero temps. I took a shot of the station plaque illuminated by a weak light and the lone bus who had either delivered or was picking up passengers...

Diane woke early as well, so we were one of the first for breakfast. A brilliant red sunrise greeted us and I regretted not taking the camera to breakfast. After breakfast we went back to our room where we spent all of the day looking out the window at desert and mountains, punctuated by lunch with a nice couple from Ohio who were on their way back home after spending time with their son in Phoenix.

Today the sights were all about deserts. We were still travelling in Arizona when the sun rose, but not long after breakfast we entered New Mexico. We travelled across New Mexico all day, crossing into Colorado on dusk. The train followed the famous ‘Route 66’ for most of the day and it was rare not to see a parade of trucks alongside, racing the train. There are some weird and wonderful rock formations to see, including the ‘Continental Divide’, a row of mountains which just spring straight up out of the flat desert. These mountains signify the distinct line that separates the water tables of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Apparently this line runs from Alaska in the north to the tip of South America...

As well as land and rock formations, there were also numerous American Indian reservations and art and craft roadside stalls along Route 66 that you could see from the train. Arriving at Albuquerque, I took the opportunity to get off the train for a stretch as it was a refuelling stop. I took a few pictures and a short video of the train. The sun was really strong and I couldn’t see the viewfinder on the camera, so my apologies when things get a little out of whack late in the vid. It shows just what a big unit the train is anyway...

I was a bit surprised just how small Albuquerque appeared to be from the train. Very little modern multi-storey buildings in what appeared to be the city centre and open plains could clearly be seen from both sides of the train. For a city which obviously took its name from joining Jessica Alba with one of the Swans finest, it was a bit disappointing.

As the sun was setting, we made a slow climb up Raton Pass and passed through a tunnel which signified the border between New Mexico and Colorado. This line of rail is the highest point of the Southwest Chief trip at 2,310m. By the time we had descended back down the other side of the mountain into Trinidad, Colorado, it was pitch black and looking out the window became pointless. We again chose a late sitting for dinner, so we had a few hours quiet time before going to the dining car for my now regulation rare steak.

So far it has been very enjoyable. We spent the whole day in our roomette, never once feeling cramped and not feeling the need to go to the SSL or Lounge Car. I’m interested to see how tonight’s sleep goes, hopefully it is OK and I can officially stamp our papers as ‘dedicated railfans’.

Now all I need is to find an internet connection and I can get this blog off this word document and online....lol

Later...