In November 1995, I took an Amtrak trip to Santa Fe New Mexico from Newton Kansas. Newton is a lonely town, with a high priority for railroads. Even though Amtrak's Southwest Chief (train #3&4) stops only for a few minutes at 3:08 am and at 5:30 am, there is a fueling station next door to the Amtrak depot. At three AM, there is high activity, fueling freight trains.
It was a real enjoyable trip. I saw many beautiful sights along the way.We went on coach to Santa Fe and got a sleeper going back. We were on a brand new Superliner coach and it was really comfortable. Our attendant was really nice and helpful. The meals in the dining car were hot and fresh. On the way back, we got a family bedroom. It comfortably holds 2 adults and 2 kids. We managed to cram 6 people in to the room. Then it was crowded. We only slept half a night. We had to de-train at 3:00 am. I will never forget that trip. There's a place in my heart for trains. Same for my grandma. She has taken the Lake Shore Limited and the Southwest Chief over 30 times. She has also taken many other train trips. She probably knows more about Amtrak than any station master.
Three weeks later, I took another trip to Albany, NY. We had the same crew and they remembered me.
