We are just west of Spofford, Texas as I write this on Thursday morning. I’m watching the endless landscape of mesquite trees, sage and ocotillo cactus roll by my window. Everything is abnormally green here, from all the rains they’ve had this spring. If you don’t know where Spofford is, it’s just east of Amanda (look it up).
So far our train adventure has truly been great. However, we’re not exactly holding to the precision timetables that American railroads were once famous for. I’ve learned that Amtrak, the stepchild of our rail transport system, is pretty much at the mercy of the major freight lines when it comes to holding to timetables. The big freight lines (in our case, Union Pacific) own the rail tracks, Amtrak just uses them. So last night, when our train was two hours late arriving in Houston, the Station Manager told me that it was because of the freight lines. He called them “High School bullies”.
I found that hilarious since I just recently read about Amtrak publishing its annual scorecard, which graded the major freight lines based on the total amount of delay minutes each freight line had caused for Amtrak. It’s sort of like the kid on the playground who’s constantly harassed by five or six bullies, getting back at them by ranking them based on “number of black eyes delivered”, or “number of lunches swiped”.
After leaving Houston around 9 o’clock last night, we arrived in San Antonio around 2:00 AM. We had a few hours there, so I got off and watched the trackside action for a while.
I met the Station Manager, who saw me taking pictures and struck a hilarious pose between my camera and the train, then came over and introduced himself and explained the plan of action for our layover. The Texas Eagle, coming in from Chicago, would be arriving shortly. Two sleeper cars from that train would be disconnected and then hooked to our train. The only problem was that it was running late too! As we waited, I visited with a few other passengers out stretching their legs, a couple of train conductors, and the friendly Security Guard. So many friendly people, just out doing their work in the middle of the night shift, just like they do every night, with professionalism and good humor.
As we cruise through West Texas now, following the Rio Grande river between Del Rio and El Paso, I’m amazed at how smooth this Superliner floats through the desert. It’s as if we’re gliding on some kind of massive sled, laughing at the rough, rocky terrain that I see outside my window.
What a different ride this must have been for those early travelers who passed through this country on more or less the same 4’ – 8 ½” wide ribbon of rail decades ago. The Sunset Limited, running between New Orleans and Los Angeles, is the nation’s second oldest transcontinental route, established in 1894. It is the oldest named train in the United States. Around 100,000 people ride this route each year.
Stay tuned!
Paul's Point of View 
I love your blog!! It’s great to see your pictures and read your comments. You are a very talented writer and photographer! Have a wonderful time and tell Fawn and the rest of your family hello!
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That looks so fun! Love all the pictures and descriptions. Hope you and Fawn have a wonderful adventure!!
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