When Amtrak 3, the westbound Southwest Chief, departed Chicago, it had the usual five-car reduced consist due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Engines 42 and 41, sleeper 32097, dining car 38034, lounge 33003 and coaches 34065 and 31045. By the time this train got to Fort Madison, Iowa, coach 34065 had developed an issue of some sort and needed to be set out. This resulted in a delay of about 90 minutes. Thanks to padding in the Chief’s schedule, however, the train – now with one locomotive for every two cars! – was on time as it straddled the Anaheim-Placentia border as it approached its next-to-last stop in Fullerton. Thanks to additional padding (nearly 90 minutes to make the 30-minute run from Fullerton to Los Angeles), it would arrive in LA 30 minutes early, completely negating the 90 minutes it last in Iowa. (Anaheim, California – May 13, 2020)
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
