Blog 806, En route for Flagstaff and Williams Arizona (AZ)

Today, the train is full. We have already lost two hours, although, as I write, we a just an hour and twenty-five minutes late.  Not too disastrous yet.  During the waking hours, i.e from around 09.00hrs (08.00hrs MT time) I have sought to photograph each station stop during the run to Flagstaff. Right now, we are arriving at Albuqerque, New Mexico at 17.48, although the phone remains on Central Time. 

The view as I awoke this morning was of the vast plains o

This is the first time things have gone slightly pear-shaped. We are well over two hours late, but nobody will say exactly.  Two hours is not catastrophic, three hours will be dodgy, four hours and sleep deprivation will kick in as I really need to be up by around 07.45hrs tomorrow, especially as breakfast is included for two nights.  I also hope the hotel has laundry facilities.  We stopped at Gallup around 20 minutes ago and our smoke stop was rather brief so as to be able to make up for some lost time. 

There is just one more stop before Flagstaff, Arizona.  It’s dark now, but I’m told the clocks go back an hour at the Arizona border. If that’s the case and we are two hours late on top of retarding the clocks an hour, we are on this train much longer than I thought we would be. And yes, 23.00 hrs became 22.00 hrs, so we are back where we were in Vancouver and San Francisco.  I think the penultimate stop for me is Winslow.  I will have to check the spelling.  We were due in at 20 32 hrs; it is now 22.12 hrs and still my phone insists that it’s twelve minutes past midnight. 22.47hrs I have been assured that Flagstaff is just half an hour away. With luck, I should be in bed for midnight!

I did enjoy a day and a half on Amtrak’s South West Chief, and met many interesting folk from different walks of life. I shall complete my journey on this train after three days at the Grand Canyon. It’s a pity the train is late, but random time keeping goes with the territory of riding U.S.trains.

At Flagstaff, I along with eight others got off the train; nine more boarded for stations to Los Angeles. Renee was my cabin steward for the journey from Chicago. A pleasant efficient lady, I was able to enjoy my journey to the full, despite the late running which is quite normal on these very long journeys.

Thankfully, the booked transport was still waiting, and I joined a few others on the small vehicle for the 30 minute transfer to Williams, Arizona, which I understand used to be an Amtrak stop. I remember, not, the time I checked in to the Railway Hotel, but I do remember hitting the hay at 01.30 hrs (03.30 hrs Chicago time).

I was up well in time for the adventures the next day would offer.

Many thanks for reading, David, 11.43 hrs, 26/6/22 in the lobby of the Railway Hotel, Williams, Arizona, dodging a heavy burst of rain, where I completed this blog.