(The following column by Bob Gehrt appeared on the Chicago Tribune website on April 30, 2010.)
CHICAGO — As the Southwest Chief came alive and started wiggling its way through the switches outside Chicago’s Union Station, I thought of Thomas Wolfe’s quote, “You can’t go home again.” I wondered if that could apply to trains too. As a public relations representative for Santa Fe Railway, I had spent a good portion of my life promoting the Super Chief, arguably one of the best, if not the best, passenger trains in the world before Amtrak took over the nation’s rail passenger service in May 1971. Our advertising included the phrase: “Extra Fare — Worth It!”
Concerned that the train replacing the Super Chief would not live up to Super Chief standards, Santa Fe Railway’s management declined to let Amtrak use the name. Hence the Southwest Chief was born. So now, after nearly 40 years have gone by, my wife and I decided to find out whether that prejudicial thinking turned out to be true.
We climbed a narrow, twisting staircase on the Southwest Chief to find our accommodations: Bedroom E. It looked a lot like bedrooms on the Super Chief, including a bench seat the width of the car and a comfortable chair near the window. It had one feature the Super Chief didn’t: an enclosed shower right in the room.
As we settled in, the dining-car steward appeared to make dinner reservations; meals are included in first class. So at 6 p.m. we entered the dining car. Here the comparisons were not so favorable.
The Super Chief boasted Irish linen tablecloths, silver flatware, porcelain china, silver creamer and sugar bowl, and a bud vase with a rose on each table. The Southwest Chief included paper tablecloths, stainless flatware, plasticized paper plates and bowls, packets of sugar and cream, and a bud vase with a carnation. The menu wasn’t “special” as it was on the Super Chief, where all meals were prepared onboard, many from recipes unique to the train. Also, there you could reserve the private Turquoise Room.
Many entrees on the Southwest Chief seemed of the “heat and eat” variety. Nevertheless, breakfast was cooked to order; salads and sandwiches were fresh and inviting. There was a nice variety to choose from at each meal, and everything was served hot and tasty. Perhaps the best way to describe the difference is that eating on the Super Chief was comparable to dining at a first-class restaurant. Eating on the Southwest Chief was more like eating at a neighborhood restaurant: Good, but not special.
The Southwest Chief practices “community seating.” If you enter the dining car with fewer than four in your party, you are seated with other passengers. And we liked that. What hasn’t changed is that people on trains often talk about intimate things in their lives. Like the retired Marine, dying of cancer, who was going to visit his Marine daughter before she left for Afghanistan. Or the young man from New Jersey on his way to a job in an Arabic bakery in Los Angeles, so he could be near his girlfriend. The common denominator is that all these people were tired of the hassles of flying. We knew the feeling.
The Super Chief did not have coach passengers until the last few years of its existence, but we checked out the coaches on the Southwest Chief anyway. They would be a pleasant surprise for those accustomed to airline coach travel: The seats are very comfortable, with plenty of legroom.
Next we checked out the observation car, which features single seats angled for viewing, bench seats next to tables for card playing or just relaxing with friends. A lounge on the lower level offers a variety of reasonably priced foods, snacks and beverages, including beer, wine and cocktails. Another nice feature is a series of 120-volt outlets where you can recharge cell phones.
Back in our room, the attendant had transformed our space. The bench seat was now a lower berth, and above it was an upper, accessible by ladder. I took the upper and had no real difficulty getting in. I admit I had difficulty contorting myself to climb down in the morning, due to a relatively low overhead, but I made it, and I’m 80 years old. If you’re not in relatively good shape, it could create a problem. One way around that is to reserve a bedroom suite, arranged by opening a connecting door between two bedrooms. That would provide two lowers and two uppers. There is another option of a roomette, which is a smaller accommodation with a lower and upper but no extra chair, toilet or shower in the room.
Our room also had a nice, well-lit wash basin with our own 120-volt outlet and a small closet. Each day Amtrak provided a newspaper: USA Today except on weekends, when you get a local paper. Coffee, fruit juice and bottled water were available free, right in our car. You could get it yourself or ring for the car attendant. Again, the service was excellent at all times.
On the Santa Fe, we advertised that “Getting There Is Half the Fun.” That still applies today. A transcontinental train trip serves as a reminder of what a large, beautiful country we live in. The views will captivate you, if you let them.
When we stepped off the train at Chicago’s Union Station a couple of weeks after departure, I had my answer. No, the Southwest Chief did not have the glamour and prestige enjoyed by the Super Chief. In fairness, there may not be a market for an extra-fare train like the Super Chief today. In any event, the Southwest Chief is a pretty darned good train — good equipment, good service, friendly people, on time. You could do a lot worse on your next trip to the West Coast.
Accommodations and rates
The Southwest Chief departs Chicago at 3:15 p.m. daily and is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles about 43 hours later, at 8:30 the second morning. (We arrived an hour early). Amtrak fares vary significantly, much like airline fares, depending on your date of travel. As of this writing, the one-way fare for two adults in a bedroom ranged from $909 to $1,685. For two seniors in a bedroom, $865 to $1,641. For two adults and two children in a family bedroom (a different accommodation), $944 to $1,599. The five meals en route are all included for passengers other than coach. Other sleeping accommodations are available, and travel in coach is much cheaper but also varies in cost.
Amtrak’s Web site (amtrak.com) is good at showing fares and schedules as well as floor plans for the various rooms. But if your plans are flexible, you will probably find it easier to track down the best dates and fares by calling an Amtrak agent at 800-872-7245. My experience with them is that they are very knowledgeable and helpful. Accommodations seem to sell out well in advance, so try to firm up plans early.