Is this Amtrak’s Most Scenic Train? Day 2 on the California Zephyr
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Watch Part 1 here: • Amtrak Across America:...
Watch Part 3 here: • Amtrak California Zeph...
Have you heard of the California Zephyr before? It is perhaps Amtrak’s most famous long-distance train. In May of 2023, Thom and Lindsey traveled across the United States on a USA Railpass. The Zephyr was the first train they took, and in today’s video we ride from the Nebraska-Denver border all the way to Salt Lake City. All day, we will be running along the remote cliffs and raging rapids of the Rocky Mountains. You need to see these views for yourself someday.
Watch Part 1 here: • Amtrak Across America:...
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:55 Prairie Dogs and Arriving in Denver
4:43 Back in the Sightseer Lounge
6:03 Climbing up to the Moffat Tunnel
10:53 Fraser, CO
11:45 Getting MOONED by rafters
13:22 History of the Pioneer and the Desert Wind
14:41 Stunning Views
19:54 Glenwood Springs, CO
21:18 More Views
23:17 Grand Junction, CO
25:21 The Ruby Canyon
27:38 Arriving in Salt Lake City
28:40 Next Week - Auta a dopravní prostředky
The California Zephyr is a love letter to the western US! Not just because of all the natural beauty, but if it wasn't for the Moffat Tunnel, Denver wouldn't have become the economic engine that it is today! The tunnel was conceived by David Moffat of the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railroad in 1902, hence the name! Sadly, Moffat was unable to raise sufficient funds to build the tunnel before he died in 1911, but the fight for the tunnel continued in his honor! In 1920, a bill was passed by the state legislature to build new tunnels, but other regions blocked it because they didn't want Denver to gain an advantage in commerce.
Blocking this would backfire big time when Pueblo was devastated by a flood in 1922 and Denver took this opportunity to say they'll vote for emergency funding for Pueblo in return for bonds for the tunnel. Eight hundred men ended up working round the clock for three and a half years, moving 1.5 million tons of rock! Regarding the ventilation system you mentioned, originally, trains would have to wait about twenty to thirty minutes before proceeding into the tunnel after the doors were re-opened! James Peak is named after Edwin James, the botanist on Major Stephen H. Long's expedition of 1820. James is the first known person to successfully climb Pikes Peak!
Nothing like using a good old natural disaster to get what you want lol
Here are some prairie dog facts: Prairie dogs do not go into true hibernation, but periods of dormancy or "torpor" during the coldest periods of the winter. A colony will typically have 30 to 50 burrow entrances per acre. The entrances are mounds that serve as lookout points and to prevent water from entering the burrows. Tunnels are generally three to six feet below the surface and about 15 feet long. Burrow systems include several chambers, including one near the surface where the prairie dog can sit and listen for activity above ground! Prairie dogs' means of communication is said to be even more complex than that of chimpanzees and dolphins.
The animals have barks and chirps that communicate numerous messages. Many messages alert the colony about predators. Prairie dogs embed information about the predator's size, color, direction, and speed in a single bark! Entire ecosystems rely on these small mammals! Their tunneling aerates the soil, and their dung is high in nitrogen, which improves soil quality. Grasses and other plants are kept clipped short, so prairie dogs and other prey species have a clear view of predators. Their burrows provide homes for snakes, spiders, burrowing owls, and more. Badgers not only take advantage of prairie dog architecture by moving into burrows, but they also make meals out of the prairie dogs themselves.
I’m gonna start saying I’m in torpor once it gets cold
McCook, Nebraska was named after Alexander McDowell McCook, a brigadier general in the Union Army during the Civil War. His corps suffered heavy casualties and driven back a mile at the Battle of Perryville in October 1862. After it was reorganized, his command again suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Stones River. Once again, the command structure was reorganized and for the third and final time, at Chickamauga, McCook's troops suffered heavily and were driven from the field. He was court-martialed and partially blamed for the Union disaster at Chickamauga. He was not convicted but relieved of duty in the Army of the Cumberland. However, he was brought back for the Battle of Fort Stevens in DC!
Fraser, Colorado was named after Reuben Frazier, an early Grand County Settler. It was originally spelt as Frazier instead of Fraser. It was formerly known as Eastom, for George Eastom, who laid out the town site in 1871. The town came into being because it was the site of a large sawmill and was a railroad terminus for the lumbering operation. Glenwood Springs is named after Glenwood, Iowa! A guy named Isaac Cooper founded the town as Defiance, and his wife Sarah was having a hard time adjusting to the frontier life, so in an attempt to make her environment somewhat more comfortable, she asked to change the name in honor of her hometown.
Lucky you... The observation car was full of the whole time on my trip. At least I saw the Rocky mountains and the Moffat tunnel at the last car, so the view from the back window of the last car was stunning also outside the tunnels.
I took this train last summer, all the way. I spent this second day of the trip playing cards in the observation car with my jaw on the floor. It was incredible.
All the jaws on the floor became a tripping hazard lol
I was fortunate to be able to ride the Desert Wind, Pioneer and the Zephyr back in the 80s and 90s. Wish they would bring the other two back. There was especially good scenery north of Las Vegas, but a lot of it was at night. Colorado was definitely the best scenery, your video shows it just as I remember it - both the scenery and rolling stock is mostly unchanged. Your channel is really great, keep up the good work. 😊
I was at Grand Junction, CO to ride the California Zephyr for my little brother
Fun!
I love Amtrak California Zephyr route it’s absolutely amazing, breathtaking views and scenery! 😊
It’s truly amazing
Beautiful views
Truly stunning
But chatty in the observation car.
@@BobGeogeo that’s what it’s for.
I like it.
Well all western long distance routes from Chicago are scenic!!!
What's about Southwest Chief and passing over Raton Pass, lower Colorado county, most beautiful Albuquerque station, or take Sunset Limited route out of New Orleans, I love that too. Empire Builder, well unfortunately my trip in 2022 was terminated in St Paul due for deadly detail of train a day before ours...
But I was able to take beautiful shorter part of route between Portland and Spokane, along Columbia River Gorge with early morning sun over Mt Hood very picturesque view!!! Unforgettable journey!!!
I’ve been on both of those!
I had the pleasure of riding the Zephyr with friends from Denver to Sacramento back in October of 2016. We were attending the Fall 2016 Motor Bus Society convention there, and we all decided to fly into Denver a few days before, overnight there, then take the Zephyr. It was a wonderful experience and the views were absolutely fantastic and it was an incredible experience. We later took the Capitol Corridor to Emeryville for the BART into San Francisco and I flew home that night, a very memorable vacation indeed. Great video!
That’s a great idea to turn a trip into an even better trip
Me and my mom went on the Zephyr from Denver to San Francisco. We each had our own Roomettes, seeing multiple videos of how small they are. It was amazing and the Sierra Range is just as amazing as The Rockies to me. Btw we went at end of April (2022) and there was still snow on the mountians.
I enjoyed the video👍👍
I watched jeb brooks when he traveled on the California zephyr when he traveled on the zephyr he got the zephyr salute don't be surprised by the zephyr salute
It’d be rude not to salute back…
nice train been on it three times loved it
The rail pass is only for coach trips and it would be great if there were for sleepers but then they're probably be at a much higher price
Coach is perfectly fine for the target audience of the pass
We love watching your videos and the information about the train as well as the scenery!!! Thanks for taking us “along” for the ride and we are looking forward the videos coming up!!! Awesome!!!
Thanks for documenting all of the gorgeous views! It was a pleasure to watch and I enjoyed your commentary.
Great video Thom
Thank you!
solid video as always, looking forward to Thursday!
Great video explaining the Zephyr! I am now putting this train my bucket list thanks to you.
Yes! I hope you get a chance to ride it soon
Nicely articulated and executed
This brought back fond memories of my 1989 trip. Back then the three trains were combined between Denver and Salt Lake City. I travelled Portland Oregon to Denver on The Pioneer, spent some time in and around Denver, then travelled west from Denver to Fullerton California on The Desert Wind.
Highlights for me were the ten degree curve, climbing to Moffat Tunnel, Byers Canyon, Ruby Canyon, the amusing announcement from the conductor approaching Las Vegas ("Don't leave the station precinct, but if you do and miss the train, don't worry, there'll be another westbound in 24 hours if you don't lose your shirt or get arrested for something in the meantime.") and arriving at Fullerton to discover a direct bus service to the door of my motel.
No one mooned for the passage of my trains.😀😉🙂🙂🙂
Great video! Always a treat to see new transit/train videos! :)
I’ve got loads more coming!
Wonderful video of your great Amtrak adventure! Can't wait until your next installment. Thank you, Thom!
You’re welcome!
Definitely a Saturday Afternoon but I missed the memo last time so I will check your community posts.
I have always wanted to ride the California Zephyr! Great video, great views!
Highly recommend it!
It was great we just got to enjoy the scenery quite a bit!
Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the views
If people only get to take one Amtrak trip, this is the one. The scenery is stunningly beautiful. We enjoyed our ride completely. Thanks for this pleasant video.
I would love to have another livestream from you. Last time I had to watch the replay because I missed it. I would love to chat with you. Very sorry about the Cascades mishap. Lindsey and Bear are the best.
I will do another soon! What’s a good time?
Definitely a Saturday Afternoon but I missed the memo last time so I will check your community posts.
really enjoy your videos !! Thank you !!!
I'm glad!
5:51, I appreciated the conductor's honesty about the on-time performance of the train. Ha ha ha.
Great video. It’s 18.5 years since I took this train and the climb out of Denver was one of the highlights. I stopped a night in Glenwood Springs having travelled from New York on the LSL. This is the train I tell everyone to take as there is such a variety of scenery on the whole route. I will take it again at some point but there are so many lines to cover. I just miss the restaurant car when travelling in coach.
Hi Thom this Is the most beautiful video!! Those rock formations look like another planet in some places. I am also sure these open Plains have been used in Westerns. Great video!! 😊
@Thom-TRA Fun fact! The weird and wacky trains playlist has 69 videos. Coincidence I think not
Awesome, indeed!
Excellent views! And I’m excited for the next coming videos other than the part 3 of the California Zephyr. It’ll especially be nice getting to know more about SLC, including the light rail. I’ve never been to Utah at all but I’d like to check it out sometime.
Utah has surprisingly good transit!
@@Thom-TRA From what I heard, definitely yes!
Thank you for this superb video ! I completely agree that the California Zephyr is Amtrak’s most scenic train. Glad you showed the Genesis locos as you left the train, for I find those locos simply stunning. Even when idling they have an appealing sound saying they are keen to go ! Hope you include the Front Runner during your stay in Salt Lake City.and I’m looking forward to your next video. Many thanks indeed.
Oh the iconic Amtrak genesis! The symbol of a generation
Does it matter on which side of the train you take seats? Are views great all the way from Denver to SLC or from Denver to Grand Junction only? Also, if you traveled in coach, did you take all your belongings each time you leave your seat or you leave it by the seat? (I saw that girl was walking on the train with her backpack)
The views are great on both sides, but I would sit in the observation car for the best views. And no, I usually leave most of my belongings at the seat. It will often be more than 2 hours between stations, so chances of theft are very low.
This was doubtless a highlight of Your work. It nutrites the longing for coming back to the US.
Wow, high praise! This was an amazing journey. And it’s not over yet!
@@Thom-TRA When did You make this trip? There were not much green in the mountains....
@@frankbernotimm3031 this was early May 2023
Very good journey report with many magnificent images from the landscape of Colorado and Utah.
Breathtaking landscapes. Take me back.
11:17 WOW that's really incredible. 😮😯👍
The Best Time To Take This Trip Is In The Winter. The Snow Makes This Trip Beautiful And Very Special. Love Your Channel. Hope You Are Enjoying DC.
There was still snow in the Sierra Nevada on day 3!
do they give you blankets for sleeping in coach or do you take your own?
You bring your own
It’s seeing routes like these that makes me feel like train travel is so magical
It’s the best
One of my favorite railfan spots along the D&RGW Moffat route is just West of Hot Sulphur Springs Co. , Byers Canyon. You have road access all along the canyon to get some great railfan shots of the trains traversing the route. The next best railfan spot is just East of Glenwood Springs Co. No Name Co. You can hike right down to the river for some great photo ops.
Hi, Lindsey! 👍 ))
The observation car is the best place to be when going through Glenwood Canyon in Colorado. I did a train trip from San Bernardino, California to Denver and back to San Bernardino, California in coach. My favorite part was Glenwood Canyon on the way back to California. We had a delay in the Canyon and it snowed a bit. :)
Beautiful scenery.
Very cool.
Thank you!
Thanks for this video. Crossing Colorado is awesome! The scenery is indeed awesome. A perfect cross-country trip would involve stopping in Denver and then hiking at least the Emerald Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. You could also get off the train in Grand Junction and go to see Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon of the Gunison National Park. It is 100% super awesome. And, the trip along the Colorado River through to Green River is unique. Bravo! You are great, really appreciate the videos!
Wonderful video! A great capture of the experience. Hope to take this route one day.
I hope so for you too!
Will you go on an Interrail tour with Lindsey in the near future?? I would love to see that
We’re hoping to! We’re beginning to plan what next year looks like
I did it in the other direction about twenty years ago, as part of a transcontinental round trip from Boston to the Bay Area (via the LSL to the SWC to SJs going BOS-CHI-LAX-[bus]-BFD-OAK, then five days in SF, then return on the CZ to the LSL via OAK-CHI-BOS), unfortunately everything east of the Moffatt Tunnel was dark, so the descent into Denver wasn't particularly scenic, but everything else that day was stunning.
Thank you for the wonderful video. Wish you would have said a little about the hostel.
Perhaps if you wait a week, you won’t be disappointed…
I'm curious -- how much time does it take to pass through the Moffat Tunnel?
A little under 10 minutes
@@Thom-TRA Thank you!
Just getting around to watching this now! So thrilled to see the scenery in the summer -- so different from the winter wonderland that it was when my wife and I took the Zephyr two years ago in January. I actually posted a winter CZ scenery video to my channel a while back in case you're interested! Nowhere near as polished and entertaining as your video though!
18:15 wow I love the scenery on the California Zephyr and you mentioned someone was having medical emergency in the middle of nowhere
is there a explicitely expressed policy on opening windows in vestibule? or is that not mentionned and opens possibility that with large enough box of chocolates, you could convince conductor to let you film from outside train when it goes slow enough ?
Not really worth losing a limb to be honest
Oh wow. What an amazing trip. I'm sold. I'm dreaming now of a trip on the California Zephyr, perhaps then changing at Chicago for the empire Builder. Well we have to dream right?!! Thanks for posting.
Never stop dreaming
Interesting that it timed out this way -- the High Speed Rail Alliance just put up a video the other day about The Rio Grande Plan, which would reroute tracks in Salt Lake City and reconnect to the city's old Rio Grande depot -- sounds like it'll take quite a bit of money and political will, but will likely pay for itself by opening up a bunch of land in the city for redevelopment and better connect the city grid
Having waited for the Zephyr in the current Amshack a couple of times, I really hope that plan comes to pass.
Beautiful scenery!
04:02 👋
Another awesome video, you guys are great together
Thanks :) we like to think so
Great views, how was the hamburger?
Juicy
Hi Thom, thank you so much for another awesome video. I am glad you are up and running again!
I’ve been on the Zephyr myself for three times. One time it was running 15 hours late. To take it positive I can say now, I saw most of the line by daylight.
That was my experience with the Southwest chief. The delay was so bad, I got to see the Mojave by daylight. No complaints there.
Nice work again! You're making me miss riding the Zephyr, and it's been less than a year.
Sidenote: The Rio Grande didn't care about proper Spanish, so it's pronounced "grand". :)
Beautiful scenery. Awesome train. I hope that person who had that medical emergency is going to be ok. Anyways, just one curiosity question, what kind of car was the Lyft driver driving that was shown at the end of the video?
Did the freight trains at try harder to avoid delaying your train because of the medical emergency?
The train is very democratic. Meet all sorts of people. Always fascinating.
And we all vote who gets the last Asian noodle salad bowl
1:00 😆😀HA😜😃HA😃😄 👌
as a birder who also loves trains, I would love to someday take the zephyr to go birding in the west, I live in the north-east so this would be a whole new experience for both trains and birds. I can’t wait for the next amtrak railpass video!
The lady next to us was a border.
Also, spoiler alert, but on the Coast Starlight we saw (and caught on camera) a bald eagle!
Wow, what beautiful sights, especially 22:22 😂.
Years ago, as a boy, we travelled from FDL, WI to SLC, UT, and back, by train. We took the Chicago and Northwestern from WI, to Chicago's Union Station. Then we took the City of Los Angeles train to SLC. I remember they had little pamphlets for the kids, and they had a small map that identified the major tunnels along the route. I did my best to be in the front observation car, to see us enter the tunnels. Even got yelled at by the Conductor for running. The views of the Rockies West of Denver were/are spectacular from the trains. Enjoy your journey.
Glad this brought up fond memories!
A great railway trip of the world.One I'd love to have done although I don't think that you can at least at the moment is the Trans Manchurian Moscow to Beijing with a break in Ulan Bator to get a Mongolian stamp in my passport 🛂! China to North Korea would be a shortish but interesting one too.
Greetings from France 🇨🇵 as an American 🇺🇸🇺🇲
Greetings from America 🇺🇸 as a Dutch person 🇳🇱
Thom that's awesome I think you should watch america by rail the heartland volume one it has the california zephyr and the capital limited from DC to san Francisco CA via chicago
Brilliant video!
Thank you!
Amtrak should pay Thom $$$ for posting this video
Beautiful scenery. Did they kick you out of the lounge like I’ve heard they do on full runs? Pure Americana at 22:22. :) The California Zephyr is on my bucket list although I’m trying to decide whether to fly into Chicago or take the maze of Amtrak routes from the southeast. I wish the Rail Pass restarted allowing room upgrades. Especially on a 2 day journey. I have driven the I-70 corridor west of Denver but there was scant opportunity to enjoy and photograph the scenery.
They thankfully never kicked us out. It was very quiet in the lounge car that day, quieter than I’ve ever seen before.
They only kick people out if the people in the lounge are all staying there with no turnover, so there are people who aren't otherwise able to get in. I've been on full runs twice, and they never kicked people out.
Yes, California Zephyr is best scenic passenger train in US. I love to ride it. I do this almost annually on US Rail Pass too, and always trying to beat the price and buying it for $299 at Amtrak Winter Flash Sale. Traveled last time this year from May 1 to May 19 from Orlando Florida to Las Vegas Nevada, using both times California Zephyr!!! Likes Superliners coaches, they are so comfortable for multiday travel!!! Amfleet is not as them!!! For California Zephyr route is one of two US routes with two full day of mountain pass scenery, once over California High Sierra range second over Colorado Rockies, and if train delays that's bonus beside free pizzas, Utah mountains approaching Salt Lake City!!! America is Great and Beautiful!!!
Second scenic route guess which one, Coast Starlight!!! Crossing Coastal Range along glides over Golden Coast and Oregon High Sierra mountains, from Klamath Falls to Portland Oregon!!!
I'm so glad and you were so lucky to snag seats in the SSL. It definitely did help make the trip report so special and I'm sure helped both you and Lindsey take in all of the scenic views.
Virtual Railfan recently started a cam at the Big 10 Curve and this makes me want to watch that cam a little bit more now, too. I do appreciate you giving reference to the Big 10 Curve as well!
Great trip report Thom and Lindsey! Looking forward to part 3 in a few weeks.
I have to check out that live cam now!
@@Thom-TRA I'm surprised you didn't know about it. When the CZ passes, since it's a PTZ, cam operators follow the train passing through the curve.
To be fair I don’t really look at live rail cams all that much
Vielen Dank Thom und Lindsey! Superschönes Video! Ich möchte den gleichen Trip nächstes Jahr machen. Ist der Rail Pass Sale immer zur gleichen Zeit?
Leider war dieser Sale nur dieses Jahr, aber wenn es einen neus Sale gibt, werde ich Ihnen benachrichtigen.
Danke!!!@@Thom-TRA
As a kid I grew up in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and I always dreamed of taking the Zephyr out west. I was pleased to be able to do so twice as an adult. It really is a gorgeous ride--not just in Colorado and Utah, but also in the Sierra Nevadas and in the Bay Area.
I guess dreams do come true! And yes, the day 3 scenery was gorgeous as well. Stay tuned!
I did this route last year with a 4-day stop in Denver and got off at Sacramento. From there, I rented a car and drove to Yosemite National Park and dropped off the car in San Jose, followed by the Caltrain to San Francisco. I wouldn’t mind doing this again. Now to me, no trip to Colorado would be complete without riding the Zephyr at least to Salt Lake City.
Now that sounds like an awesome vacation
I love your videos. They are both educational, informative, and entertaining. This is why I've been watching your videos for years now. Keep up the great work.😊
Thanks for leaving a comment!
LMAO I got mooned when I was on it and I was thinking wtf at the time. It makes sense now 🤣
Gotta respect local traditions man 😂
5:53 🙂🙃😉🤪
Right! The SLC Station is inconvenient and you’re there at 11:30 p.m. I like the station in Ogden but it’s not an option
The Zephyr doesn't even stop in Ogden anymore either
@@Thom-TRA Exactly! I hope you have visited the train station there. My father was born and raised blocks from there in 1926. I have family pick me up in SLC but can never understand why it isn’t more developed
I heard Conductor Brad on your Denver route!
Ah, he's famous, right?
On the CZ now, stopped in Grand Junction.
Are the mountains still there? Lol
If you hadn't got it on video I would never have believed that Amtrak actually possesses Windex and squeegee's. I have never seen a clean Amtrak window in my travels.
When they make money off the views…
have you been to the lower level of DUS? If not I would highly suggest you do! At least your train was on time vs a 12hr a delay and reroute in May due to washouts! czcams.com/video/f54Zy1CdKo4/video.html this a video on the story of that station and what not as well! Love the views and scenery!
I didn’t know this was a thing!
@@Thom-TRA yeah you can walk around it and see other train murals in the rooms. If you go across the street at DUS under RTD there is a mural of a Zephyr on the other side of the escalators as well! Learned that when looking for bottled refreshments late at night when the train and food courts were closed!
Hi from Australia I am enjoying your video and your train trip I would like to do this train trip and I reckon it’s a pretty good idea you going coach because I’m thinking about going coach to I’d like to do the California zephyr and the Texas Eagle like San Francisco to Chicago Chicago to Los Angeles have you got any recommendations any tips there’s one thing I’d like to know is how do you get to know about the specials 👍🏼🇦🇺👍🏼🇦🇺👍🏼
I usually try to post about the specials, otherwise the best thing to do is to follow Amtrak on social media!
@@Thom-TRA
Thanks 👍 for your reply I have sent them an email they said that they will get back to me in time thumbs up from Australia 🦘🇭🇲👍
For these transcon rides, Amtrak should sell access to the sleeper car showers to coach class passengers the same way they sell dining car meals to the folks in back. Would make the decision to ride in coach much easier.
I agree. The not showering is the only part I don’t like. I can bring my own food and pillows but cleaning myself is hard with just wipes.
All the way from Vermont? Any idea who they were? My mom and step dad were on that train on Oct 17th coming from Vermont and headed to California
This was filmed in May :) that’s cool they’re on that trip though
ahh ok @@Thom-TRA
Loved this part 2! Great narration during the entire vlog, even the "now that we have seen buttcheeks." Have a great Wednesday!!!
I’m new to your channel and am enjoying your videos. I had know idea you two were married. You both look so young. It must be great to have a spouse that enjoys train travel.
It’s the best :) glad you’ve been enjoying the videos
i mean you post the this video in may why you dont post the actual day
Because it takes time to edit. Something I guess you wouldn’t know.
hi, non-american subscriber here. a genuine question, do you guys in america trip the train attendees if you are sitting on coach or only if you take couchette/sleeper room? because i saw another train report video suggesting to tip the train attendees. thank you
I don’t tip them. They don’t do anything service-like in coach except wake people up if their station is coming. Not like in sleepers. Half the time they’re nasty towards customers anyways.
is that Caroline Ellison? FTX girl, looks just like her....