The Empire Builder

Miles and Miles of Miles and Miles...


****Again, a special thanks to Irene Rabinowitz for posting this to our blog while we continue or journey sans information superhighway.  (Note from Irene:  If you want to check out my blog from my recent trip to Israel, go to www.irenerab.blogspot.com/ )

Information on the Empire Builder...

Amtrak web site pages on the Empire builder: Amtrak's Empire Builder be sure and check the Route guide and latest schedule PDF's also located on this page.

Here is a little history and details about the train itself.(courtesy of Wikpedia)

The original Empire Builder was inaugurated by the Great Northern on June 11, 1929. The train was named in honor of railroad tycoon James J. Hill, who reorganized several failing railroads into the Great Northern Railway and extended the line to the Pacific Northwest in the late 19th century (Hill's nickname was "The Empire Builder"). The service was altered to carry additional passengers during World War II. After the war, new streamlined, diesel-powered trains were placed into service. This postwar service began on February 23, 1947. The train was fully re-equipped again in 1951.
The schedule of the route was optimized to allow riders views of the passing Cascade Mountains and the Rocky Mountain landscapes of Glacier National Park, a park that was established through the decisive lobbying efforts of the Great Northern. After it was re-equipped in the 1950s passengers viewed the route through its three dome coaches and one full-length "Great Dome" car for first class passengers.
Since its inception service has run from Chicago to Spokane, and split into Seattle and Portland sections (except during the Amtrak era between 1971 and 1981, when there was no Portland section). Prior to 1971, the Chicago to St. Paul leg of the train's route was operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad via its mainline along the Mississippi River through Wisconsin.The Spokane-Portland section of the train was historically operated by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway.
After 1971 Amtrak assumed operation of the train and shifted the Chicago to St. Paul leg to the Milwaukee Road mainline route through Milwaukee.
In fiscal year 2007, the Empire Builder carried over a half million passengers, maintaining its status as the most popular long-distance train in Amtrak's national system. Through the first six months of fiscal year 2008, the train is nearly 9 percent ahead of its ridership from the previous year.

The present-day Empire Builder uses Amtrak's double-deck Superliner equipment. The Empire Builder was the first train to receive this equipment in 1979. In Summer, 2005 the train was "re-launched" with newly-refurbished equipment. A typical 2005 train would consist of (destination noted after the Spokane split):

• Two GE P42 "Genesis" Locomotives
• Baggage car (Seattle)
• Transitional Crew Sleeper (Seattle)
• Sleeper (Seattle)
• Sleeper (Seattle)
• Diner (Seattle)
• Coach (Seattle)
• Coach (Seattle)
• Sightseer Lounge/Café (Portland)
• Coach/Baggage (Portland)
• Coach (Portland)
• Sleeper (Portland)
• Coach (Chicago - St Paul) - This car is train number 807/808.

Out of two engines, one of the P42's takes the first 7 coaches to Seattle. The other P42 engine takes the last four cars to Portland. The last coach of the train (train 807/808) travels 418 miles between Chicago & St. Paul, it is kept at a siding in St. Paul overnight until the eastbound train comes in the morning. Train 807/808 is then reattached, and heads back to Chicago.
This is one of the last two Amtrak routes to feature dining car food that is actually prepared in the kitchen on the lower level of the dining car (The other being Auto Train). Food on all other Amtrak routes is prepared prior to departure and is heated in convection ovens onboard.

If you'd really like to know more about the Empire Builder's History check out these two links:
http://www.gngoat.org/stories_reports.htm

http://www.gnrhs.org/75th_anniversary.htm



Arrived in Chicago Tuesday, December 29, 9:55am only 30 minutes late. Bob's sister, Barbara, and her husband, Buddy, met us on the platform at Union Station. After 'Hi's', hugs and handshakes, we started heading toward the baggage claim area when Bob handed his sister a container of  his homemade hermit cookies explaining he thought they would enjoy the 'Real McCoy' hermit cookies using the same recipe he had given Barbara and his other sister, Maureen during their last visit in October. There are Sheepish looks from Barbara and Buddy as they both started laughing. A little concerned, Bob Asked, “What's so funny?” Barb then handed Bob a 'bag of goodies' containing, you guessed it, hermit cookies!!! Not only was their intuitions in sync, but their thoughtfulness for each other was refreshing to see. Barb and Bud also stuffed the bag with such necessities as various chocolate delights, a compact first aid kit, laundry detergent and gum. You would have thought the Red Cross was visiting the troops... Everything we needed but a pair of nylons! What an unexpected, thoughtful and much appreciated treat! So, with hermit cookies, chocolate treats and travel necessities in tow, we headed over to retrieve our checked baggage and find a locker to store everything in while we enjoyed lunch. At $4 an hour the locker was tough to swallow but, a lot more convenient than trying to lug our four rolling bags around Chicago for 4 hours.

We enjoyed a very fun lunch with Barbara, Buddy and their son, Eric in the Sears Tower where Eric works. We did a little last minute shopping at Walgreens to buy Gary a shaver, since, as many of you will recall, he left his in Provincetown and while there we took the time to get our H1N1 shots since they won't be available to us on the Outer Cape until after we return.

Christmas at the Sears Tower (now named the Willis Tower)

Returning to Union Station with an hour to spare. We recovered our baggage, swapped out a change of clothes and re-checked our bags at Amtrak baggage for the next leg of our trip. Then, we made our way to the Amtrak First Class Lounge. It was standing room only and the WiFi was broken. Grrrr, but they did have a dial-up terminal if we'd like to sign-up. Politely we said, “No thanks... life is just too short for that!” with no place to sit, we orbited for about 10 minutes until our train was called.

Redcaps pointed us to the Empire Builder on track 10. With three engines and thirteen cars, each a double-deck 'Superliner', The train was enormous stretching into the distance and out of site. “We are in carriage 731, compartment A” as each Car Attendant pointed us toward the front of the train, and says, “Your car is up near the engines ...” which appeared to be just over the horizon. Trekking for what seemed days we finally reach car 731. No car attendant around, we climbed aboard and noted the hotel-like signage identifying numbered rooms below and lettered rooms above. We double checked our ticket and noted we were in a lettered room, compartment A. Ascending the spiral steps (Bob is mortified there isn't an elevator. I make a mental note that he may be expressing unrealistic expectations... Next, he'll be complaining the en-suite Jacuzzi is too small...).Winding our way down the hall, we find Compartment 'A', Our newest home.

The Empire builder at a rest stop in Williston Montana.

Wow! What a difference between this 'Standard Bedroom' and the 'Roomette' we occupied on the Lake Shore Limited. You could fit two of those into this compartment. Here the upper berth lowers from the ceiling and stretches 2/3rd of the way across the entire car, reminiscent of compartments popular on European trains. The lower berth opens to the size of a double bed and along the opposite wall there is a combination shower and toilet stall. The cabin-side of that space is fitted with a reasonably sized sink and upper and lower cabinets. Completing the room is an alcove with a single seat adjacent to the wall-sized picture window so you can sit and read, work on your Blog or gaze at the passing scenery.

Our accommodation on the Empire builder: Empire Builder Bedroom


Settling into our new space we meet our super pleasant, and attentive car attendant, Sally, who welcomes us and shows us how all the gadgets in the compartment work excusing herself, she quickly returns with two bottles of Champagne. She certainly knows how to get our attention!

2:55pm, the “All Aboard” sounds and we hear the accompanying two blasts on the horn from the engineer signaling we are on our way. We still needed time to settle in and as we headed past Milwaukee, the dining car attendant stopped by our compartment to take our reservation for a 6:45 dinner. With just enough time for a nap we plug in the MP3 players and both quickly nodded off.

Shaken by the announcement, “Last call for compartment 'A' 6:45 reservation for dinner for 2”, we jump into our clothes and sachet down the hall with dispatch...

We were seated at a booth with two college kids. He was a computer software tester and she was
a Sophmore attending Minnesota Collage of Art. It had been quite some time since Bob and I had to strain to make an effort to hold a conversation with table guests but it was abundantly clear these two had other things on their mind. Look Bob a squirrel! We hope they have a very happy life together... Nonetheless, on the numerous occasions when we found ourselves staring out of the dining car window because of the many lulls in the conversation, we discovered Minnesota at night is beautiful with clear, dark skies against snow covered fields.

After dinner we retired to our compartment and enjoyed the views as La Crosse, Winona, and Red Wing glided by. There was a long layover in Minneapolis/St Paul while equipment was switched and supplies loaded. We ogled at the clean, bright and crystal clear prosperity of the Twin Cities until we climbed into our berths and fell fast asleep. In our dreams we could imagine Minnesota by night and when we awoke in the morning we would be further along on our journey and a new day awaiting us for more great experiences. Ahead lay stunning, exciting, and interesting North Dakota!


We awakened to, “Last call for breakfast, last call”. Bob decides to sleep in and I headed for the dining car and had a decent breakfast of home-made corned beef and hash, biscuits, great coffee and interesting conversation with a fellow Lake Shore Limited Survivor. “Were you in the car that had no heat” he asked? I didn't have the heart to tell him we were in a compartment. “It was so cold I had to sleep in that cafe car that was never open”, I was freezing in that coach”. On our way to breakfast Tuesday morning I recalled seeing him sprawled over one of the tables in the mystery cafe car. So I cheerfully confided, “No we had plenty of heat, too much heat in fact, but our toilet was broken.”

“Broken?” he asked,”When you started or during the trip?”


“No”, I confided, “After we had used it...” His face screwed into an odorous contortion.


Nodding our heads in acknowledgment, convinced we had each suffered equally grievous Amtrak Calamities, we were now com padres, bosom strangers on a train forever joined by dissimilar events from a common foe. Over another cup of coffee we continued our conversation as to how The Lake Shore Limited had not fared well over the last few administrations but, like two bums who had just found a twenty dollar bill laying in the street, we agreed life was significantly better today. That is also one of the interesting things about riding the trains, there is always someone around to share a story, a calamity or an adventure. In fact, you never REALLY want a trip to go perfectly otherwise there is no glue to hold together a conversation with a fellow traveler. I mean, it would not have worked with our Lake Shore Limited comrade to have confided we had plenty of heat, perfect toilet, lights were working fine, slept great and the food was yummy. We would have had class warfare right then and there over the corned beef! When traveling it is calamity which makes us all truly equal. Adversity is the democracy of adventure.


This must be North Dakota!?

The view of North Dakota...well, Words fail... It starts out flat, gets flatter then, it gets really flat, does that for a while longer, then, there is about 15 minutes of the 'Badlands' after that the terrain spends a couple of hours being flat again. Finally, just as you thought you saw a hill in the distance, you realize it was just the middle of the highway. People from the Dakota's, especially the Native Americans, are very proud of their states. For them what we see as stark and featureless holds a great heritage and beauty.

North Dakota from the passing window: 

Fortunately, there is Montana to break the monotony . You've seen those lovely ads of the 'Big Sky State' with gorgeous mountains in the background? The train doesn't get to that portion until around 10:00... at night! Until then, Montana makes North Dakota look like the Smoky Mountains! Power lines come across the horizon and disappear over the opposite horizon with no topography whatsoever to interrupt their march. Houses sitting deserted and forgotten in vast fields with no indication of what dreams died there. Small towns of corrugated everything where the only signs of social life are the red neon signs of the bar and the glowing 'BPOE' sign of the Elks club. Then there are the nameless places with a few houses and a grain elevator rusting by the side of the tracks. The big sky cover these vast sections of land so totally lonely and desolate.

 

Montana from our compartment window.

After dinner and at about 10:00 pm the rails begin to twist their way up the East side of the Rocky Mountains. As the train climbs its way up the slopes we catch a glimpse here and there of the trees and rock lit by the locomotive's headlight. According to our car attendant we miss seeing the Rockies in daylight but will catch views of the Cascades early tomorrow morning. Needless to say missing the Rockies is a great disappointment, but we hope for better luck tomorrow.

With a wake-up call for 5:30am we grab an early breakfast then, go back to our compartment to pack. In the graying light we begin to make out the jagged shapes of the cascades and they are spectacular.  We revel in this first view of something vertical as we descend into the Seattle area. Coming in along the bay we even catch views of Mt Rainier without the usually cloud cover. We arrive about 30 minutes late, gather our baggage and catch a cab to our B&B. Ready to explore a new city.


We hope you read yesterday's posting about the strange relationship between the railroad companies and Amtrak because there is no better example of it than here on the Burlington Northern's tracks between Minnesota and Washington State. Freight does not care how bad the track bed is and this track bed is terrible! We have been slammed, pitched, jostled, collided and traumatized non-stop all day and it is too bad because this is a great train with a great crew whose job is made all the harder because of the physical abuse of the working these rails. Our car Attendant told us no one makes it too retirement on this line because their bodies just wear out from the abuse.