The Trip Diary- continued. From this time and place I am not sure how the events occurred. I have some vague recollections about the days leading up to the trip and some of the plans. But most of it is blurry and depends on photos taken at the time and by some luck, a trip diary. ( If my memory serves, my uncle gave it to me some time before the trip, it came from a hand-out from the Augustana Book Concern which was a publishing house for the Lutheran Church.) It must be noted that this document is not very expansive or complete, in those days I did not feel the need to write down much, but there is enough material to give an idea of what the trip might have been like and what I saw and did. The reason I put this in the blog in the first place is I am about to duplicate at least part of the trip. For the most part over the same route, only not the same conditions. Also the present trip will expand the boundries by returning to Galesburg via another route entirely. ( From what I can recall we returned to Galesburg or Moline but it was on the old CB and Q California Zephyr.) As I remember the trip to California took place in June, ( according to notes on the trip diary it was June 14, 1954) that means it was just after school was finished for the year. My father took me to Galesburg the day before we were to leave and on the way down we stopped for supper and he gave me some money for the trip. ( it was a lordly sum of thirty-five dollars- but for that time and place it was a fortune!) I am not sure what I packed but it was in the “family suitcase!” ( Which by some miracle I still have- and I might add, will not be using for this trip!) My uncle who had since moved to Galesburg, now had a room with a family and privileges and so I stayed with him over night.
The train left from the Galesburg Santa Fe station in the evening at the next night about 8:15 pm. Galesburg was a “flag-stop” for the “El Capitan,” that is the station- master would have to “flag” the train so it would stop for passengers. In the reality of service at Galesburg this was not necessary since almost every trip there would be passengers for the train since this was one of Santa Fe’s most popular trains and it was always in demand. The “El Capitan” was one of the classic trains of the Santa Fe, the other being the “Super-Chief.” Although the “Super-Chief” was always considered to be the “luxury-train,” the “El Capitan” was a very classy mode of transportation. This nine car train could transport 350 passengers in style at an average speed of 56.3 mph.
My uncle who at this time was retired and a man of modest means, he booked reserved seats for both of us. ( I am pretty sure he would not have considered booking a sleeping compartment, nor could he afforded to.) So we would sleep in our seats, not that it was a hard ship, as it was all part of the big adventure ,but according to the notes in the trip diary neither of us slept at all well that night. Even if the railroad did supply small pillows. The next morning we freshened up in the men’s lavatory. (Which was always interesting as there were always a bunch of men and boys all trying their best to get themselves presentable for the day, I would not see such a scene again until I was in the army!)
Breakfast was served in the dining car for the sum of $.80 and &1.10. The rest of the meals were ala cart. I was up early as the train was going to pass through Dodge City, Kansas. I wanted to see that. Again, you have to understand, that this was the time of radio and one of the big programs on the air was “Gunsmoke.” Finally, I would have the chance to see where it took place- since it was very real to me even though it was fiction. The train did not stop at Dodge City as it was a flag stop and. . . There was absolutely nothing there, no buildings, cattle pens, no US Marshall, no Doctor, no Dance hall girl, nothing. It was a disappointment! ( later when the program went on to television, the state of Kansas felt it necessary to re-create the “old” Dodge City for tourists and for train passengers!)
One of the items I had taken with me was a comic strip that I had created around the program script from “Gunsmoke?” If the opportunity presented itself when I was at the Disney Studio I could show what I was able to do. ( I also learned that it was not possible to do fine drawing work on the train!)
(California, here I am!)
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