Passenger Trains > Returning to Chicago from Whitefish on the Empire Builder

Glad to report that after Friday night/Saturday morning's shenanigans between Seattle and Spokane, Sunday night's 8/28 ran to time, arriving in Chicago just four minutes late this afternoon. And the ride from Whitefish was almost a mirror image of our outward journey last Sunday/Monday. A well patronised train with a pleasant on-board crew and decent food.

What did surprise me was the 80 minute stopover we had at Minot (9:30 pm to 10:50 pm), presumably insurance against late running, but even so rather excessive. I did a circuit of downtown whilst we waited.

Here are a few pictures taken en-route.

1: no.8 sweeps into Whitefish a few minutes early on Monday morning. There were plenty of waiting passengers
2: Sun was rising over the mountains of Glacier NP
3: At Shelby, another smoking break/leg stretching stop, a loaded grain train
came off the Great Falls line. Shelby was as hot as hell, as one passenger remarked.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/24 19:57 by 86235.

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4: Taken from the back of the Portland sleeper, the rear unit of a westbound oil train somewhere in eastern Montana.
5: At St Paul this morning
6: Two of my travelling companions in the diner for lunch.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/24 19:57 by 86235.

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Nice review.   Question on St. Paul.  Honest I don't know too much detail  but read about station redo.  Stop is just on a concrete platform.

Bob

Nice! Glad you had a good trip! Overall, I find the Empire Builder more predictable and reliable than other LD trains, if that's even in Amtrak's vocabulary. Minot typically is a 30 minute to 1 hour layover regardless of schedule or lateness. I've arrived when we clearly could have made up about an hour or so and ended up leaving just as late from when we arrived. It's a fuel stop and equipment inspection/check stop. But even after ALL is done, it's often still a "wait and hold."

Nice review, thanks for the report.

robj Wrote:
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> Nice review.   Question on St. Paul.  Honest I
> don't know too much detail  but read about
> station redo.  Stop is just on a concrete
> platform.
>
> Bob

The photo was taken at the far eastern end of the platform. The western end of the platform passes under the beautifully restored concourse of the depot, with escalator and elevators to bring passengers to and from the platform.

Posted from iPhone

robj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice review.   Question on St. Paul.  Honest I
> don't know too much detail  but read about
> station redo.  Stop is just on a concrete
> platform.
>
> Bob

I hope this shows the station better, much of what were once tracks is now grass and metro bus stops.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/24 07:39 by 86235.

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During our extended stop in Minot I shot this.

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Isn't Minot also a crew change for engineers and conductors as well? The headhouse, concourse and platforms were restored several years ago aftter Amtrak had been stopping at the Midway depot since the early 70's. They still will stop there if theu need to add a private car or take one off, otherwise all servicing is done at the Union Depot. Glad you had a great trip!

Mark Kennebeck
Saint Paul, MN



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/24 08:31 by commissioner.

Super photos, Nick. That looked a good trip on the EB.  chris uk.