It is 7:59 pm (19:59) ... and still 91ºF (32.7ºC), as this is the Mojave Desert, after all! ... and Amtrak train 3, the westbound Southwest Chief, meeting an eastbound BNSF freight with just seconds of sunlight left in the day, catches the last few seconds of sunlight as it runs a bit behind schedule ... in fact, 16 hours behind schedule. Due to a "locked axle," AMTK P42DC 137 was set out at Mendota IL, and BNSF ES44C4 6616 taken from a light engine move there and recruited to help AMTK P42DC 36 with this 9-car train. Unfortunately, of course, freight diesels cannot operate at passenger train speeds, so this already late train proceeded to fall further behind schedule, adhering to the old adage that "late trains get later."
And, true enough, when already late Amtrak 3 arrives in Victorville, 23 miles (37 km) ahead, it will sit for 30 minutes to meet Amtrak 4, the eastbound Southwest Chief, which is deadheading a fresh crew. Then, it will take another 15+ minutes for that crew to get onboard and take over. Train 3 would not arrive in Fullerton (its last stop before arriving in Los Angeles) until three minutes before Midnight, some 17 hours late! And it would be the next day (12:04 am) when it departs Fullerton. The passengers must be overjoyed! (Hodge, California – July 10, 2019)
California-bound rail travelers from the east have three choices to reach the Golden State: California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle. A look back through the years including the now-defunct Desert Wind
