St.Louis, MO. . . Smoke and service stop for the train. Up to now we have had a extra coach on the end of the train, it is now being dropped here. The sleeping car attendant is glad since the coach passengers have been drinking all the coffee meant for us in the sleeping car. ( Just as I suspected, the coach riff-raff is out of control and should not be allowed in the sleeping cars!) The trip has been smooth and the landscape, though flat is anything but boring. It has taken almost seven hours to make it down the state of Illinois. And that is only about 3/5s of the state. Now we proceed across the state of Missouri. We will cross over into Texas in the morning at Texarkana about 5 Am. The last time I did this I think we were later in getting into Texas. Texarkana is interesting in that part of the town is in Arkansas and part is in Texas. I always remember the Movie, ” Smoky and the Bandit” and Jerry Reed’s song, ” Well, the boys are thirsty in Atlanta and there’s beer in Texarkana. . . !” I wonder if there is still a warehouse in Texarkana full of Coors Beer for the taking? ( the only problem with the song and the whole premise of the movie is Texarkana is in a “dry” part of the state- there is no beer anywhere!) At Dinner tonight one of the delights of Amtrak steaks was missing, they did not put baked potatoes on at Chicago and we had to make due with rice or mashed potatoes- but we survived, the steak was good. Not much conversation at table tonight at least from me. Had a Vietnam vet, retired ad executive, a janitorial supply person and me so not much conversation. The dining car also was not the usual configuration but what is known as a “cafe” car. It was lacking in some of the features of a normal car.
While we were stopped in St. Louis I had a chance to ask about what happens in San Antonio. The last two cars, one sleeper and one coach are dropped from the train and connected to static power. Then we wait for the arrival of the “Sunset Limited” from New Orleans which comes by 6 hours later! The two cars are attached to the “Limited” and off we go to Los Angeles. Now if you did not book the right train then you get dumped off in the San Antonio Station and spend the next 6 hours sitting on hard plastic seats looking at the ceiling and wondering if your rear will ever recover. Some people have discovered that there is a 24 hour Denny’s a couple of blocks away from the station that serves breakfast. My thought is to sleep through most of this, and the heck with it.
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