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Reno to Glenwood Springs All Aboard Story
Wednesday November 26th
Arriving at Reno Amtrak station, I must admit, although the station itself holds a certain charm, the view from the platform is anything but scenic. In fact, it is ugly. The tracks lie deep in a trench—a consequence of a $282 million project completed in 2005 to lower the Union Pacific line through downtown Reno. While this effort successfully removed 11 dangerous grade crossings that once halted cars and pedestrians alike, it also buried the station beneath street level. Now, the platforms are flanked by stark concrete retaining walls, lending the place a bunker-like atmosphere.
Still, I can’t help but reminisce about the good old days when Jay and I visited Reno. My dad would remind us that my brother’s driving the train through town—maybe you’ll get to wave at him!” And we did, and others joined in because everybody always loves waving at the engineer. I suspect these days many tourists don’t even know the train goes through Reno.
The California Zephyr was scheduled to roll into Reno at 3:37 p.m. It left Emeryville (just shy of the Oakland Bay Bridge) this morning at 8:25 a.m. and pulled into Reno at 3:00 p.m.
That’s practically a miracle considering Zephyr’s legendary on-time rating of... wait for it... 33%.
Train delays often stem from the fact that freight trains dominate the tracks, leaving limited room for passenger service. Add unpredictable weather, ongoing track maintenance, and grade crossing incidents, and you've got a recipe for disruption.
Thinking about grade crossing incidents, my dad was always baffled by how little people understood about trains. He used to say, "They think I can just slam the brakes and stop 50 tons of steel. Even at moderate speeds, I need a mile or more to come to a full stop “.
Once aboard the train, we discovered our sleeper compartment — a cozy cube of dreams measuring a luxurious 7 feet by 7 feet. It’s basically a walk-in closet.
The couch moonlights as bunk beds, a sink the size of a cereal bowl and a window that offers sweeping views of trees, and cows. The bathroom is the size of an airplane lavatory and gives you the luxury of being able to sit on the toilet and take a shower lol. All and all, it has everything you need — and absolutely nothing you don’t. The train is not as crowded as we expected for a holiday. It was a pleasant surprise.
As we headed across the Nevada desert terrain we retreated to the observation car for a glass of wine. We see desert landscapes, distant mountain ranges and because it is around sunset there are dramatic skies. It is peaceful.
At dinner we are seated at a table for four. Communal seating is common. This is part of the classic train travel experience and encourages social interaction. Our table mates were from Reno. Catherine, the mom, and Zack her precocious 8-year-old son who, throughout the dinner played Rock, Paper and Scissors and shared the inner workings of the game Dungeons and Dragons. Whatever…
Dining on the train is kind of impressive. It is not reheated frozen meal or sandwich served at 30,000 feet. On the Zephyr train, chefs cook food instead of just defrosting and reheating it. At dinner we had a choice of salad or soup, followed by our choice of steak, chicken, pasta or salmon and then of course dessert. Afterall it is said a train ride without cheesecake or chocolate cake is just a commute. I can report our steak was o.k. but the white chocolate cheesecake was to die for.
After dinner we retreat to the bar car and have an aperitif. When we pull into Elko it is dark and see just a flicking of lights. It is time for bed, so we head back to our compartment and Jay to climbs up to the upper berth (after all he was a fireman) and besides I am afraid of heights. Overnight we will go through Salt Lake City and wake up in Utah.
