Amtrak's EMPIRE BUILDER - 3 Days and 2200 Miles Across the US

[Music] hello and welcome to Seattle's King Street Station today we're riding on one of Amtrak's most iconic routes the Empire Builder from stunning views of mountain passes to vast expanses of the Great Plains this train has it all riding 46 hours across 7 States and over 2,200 M of Railway I hope you're ready for a journey unlike any other and welcome aboard the Empire Builder our adventure begins in the heart of downtown Seattle built in 1906 King Street Station serves Sounder commuter rail Amtrak Cascades inner city trains the coast Starlight and of course the Empire Builder Standing Tall above the station building is the 242t tall Clock Tower modeled after the compan D San Marco in Venice it is an absolutely gorgeous summer morning here in Washington the sun shining down on Amtrak Cascades two Togo 8 train sets these Spanish manufactured trains are the only other train sets currently operated by Amtrak with the other being the asella sets on the Northeast Corridor their shared Bogies and low lung car bodies give them a very distinct silhouette and their European Interiors are unlike anything else here in the US heading inside we find ourselves in a beautiful waiting Hall the White Walls and tiled floor make the Hall feel both like a railway station and a grand ballroom although the space is very pretty the facilities actually aren't that great there's more than enough space for people to sit and wait but there's no convenience store around to get a quick snack or drink Seattle also doesn't have a business class Lounge despite being a larger station this is especially disappointing considering we would have been allowed access with our sleeper ticket on today's train the bell of an approaching train soon Rings throughout the station and in pulls our train Empire Builder number eight leading us from Seattle to Spokan is Seaman's ALC 42 number 328 one of Amtrak's new national network locomotives the signs track side indicate it's time for boarding and lo and behold boarding begins a few minutes after our train arrives scanning our ticket we're allowed out onto the platforms and shown to our Sleeper Car our room is in car 831 the second sleeper on today's train boarding a sleeper train never gets old just knowing you're about to embark on a multi-day adventure in a mobile hotel room will always be exciting we verify our roomat with the car attendant and can take our first steps aboard Amtrak's Empire Builder ascending the stairs we can head down the corridor to room 8 our home for the next 46 hours putting our bags away we can get settled in for this 2200m adventure over on the adjacent platforms lie three Amtrak Cascade trains with two SC 44s and a p42 for power Amtrak Cascades runs down the 467 M corridor from Vancouver British Columbia to Eugene Oregon as is clear from the destination board Lo motive 1404 and its consist are headed to Portland in a few hours time while we wait for boarding to wrap up we can take a look at our route across the northern United States our adventure begins heading north out of Seattle turning East and ever and heading into the Cascades the sun setting on day one we meet the Portland leg of the Empire Builder in Spokane overnight White Fish Montana our first Smoke Stop on day two it's a slow climb through Glacier National Park in the continental divide the Plains of Montana greeting us on the other side sunset on day two comes as we leave Montana our train traversing most of North Dakota and Minnesota overnight Wisconsin is our penultimate State on route to Chicago the Empire Builder making a sharp Southern turn through Milwaukee to head down into Illinois coming to a stop at Chicago's Union Station we'll cover a total of 2,26 miles over the next 2 days with a travel time of 45 hours and 50 minutes the sign beside us indicates that our train is ready for departure soon enough our ALC 42 Powers up beginning our 2200 M Adventure on board Amtrak's most iconic train leaving King Street Station we're immediately plunged Into Darkness the first few miles take us North to Everett or train passing beneath downtown Seattle to reach the northern side of the Puget [Music] Sound exiting the tunnel the beautiful Puget Sound rolls into view the weather is absolutely fantastic the calm Waters of the Puget Sound glistening in the high afternoon sun across the water the peaks of the Olympic Mountain Stand Tall the tallest of these Mount Olympus stands at 7,980 ft tall the 52 tallest in the state of Washington ahead the tracks curve around the coast of the sound our train making good time as we head north dinner is our first meal on board the Empire Builder our dining car attendant coming through to take our reservation coming from the dining car coming around making dinner reservations shortly both lunch and dinner on Western longdistance trains are seated by reservation only with the first seating for dinner at 600 p.m. the Waters of the sound continue by our side for another 15 M to Everett moving Inland we make another quick stop in Everett the Waters of the pet sound swapped for the rolling mountains of the Cascade Range now if you haven't noticed already something is wrong with our sleeper it's just our luck that our coach has a flat wheel which leaves us with a super annoying clanging sound for the next four 44 hours it's a good thing I brought some earplugs cuz if I hadn't I don't know if I would have been able to get any sleep our dinner reservation is called as we wind our way through the Cascades the dining car on today's train is located rear of the sleepers and forward of the coach car dinner as always is a three course meal with an appetizer entree and dessert amra starters include capric skewers coconut crusted shrimp and a mixed green salad for Entre Amtrak offers their signature flat iron steak a pan roasted chicken breast Atlantic salmon or rigatoni Bolognese non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary during dining service passengers are also allowed one complimentary alcoholic beverage with dinner after our pleasant experience with the rigatoni on the coast Starlight I decided to go with that again as a main plus a mixed green salad to start our salad comes out almost immediately it's a standard mixed green salad with a mini bre cheese and a balsamic vinegret to go with although a little lack luster the salad is fresh so I can't complain too much outside the Cascade rain just sends high above us our train following the valley carved by the skyish river our entree is soon served and unfortunately it's not nearly as nice as our dish on the Starlight the sauce is watery and Bland and the noodles have been torn apart while the dish was being mixed so it doesn't look like it was supposed to the roll is fine and it helped to sop up some of the extra sauce but this definitely wasn't what I was hoping for there's always been a saying that people eat with their eyes and right now mine are having a feast on these incredible views outside the window if only our main course was this good dessert has always been an Amtrak strong suit Amtrak offers three options a white chocolate blueberry cheesecake a lemon cake and the option will be having a chocolate toffee mousse as I expected the dessert is amazing the cake is moist paired with a rich and chocy mousse the toffee stripe down the center adds a contrasting texture the flavor wrapped together by the chocolate sauce on top if we look at just the appetizer main course from today dinner sits at around a 4 out of 10 the appetizer wasn't anything special and the entree just wasn't that good the dessert however was was the Saving Grace bringing this meal up a whole two points to a 6 out of 10 definitely not the best I've had on board but it certainly could have been worse returning to our room the river and Railway swap sides the clouds slowly turning from white to Orange as the sun begins its descent beside us the wachi river gains strength our tracks mirroring the twists and terms of the Waterway the sun has finally reached the end of its descent towards the horizon the sky turning into one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen none of this has been color adjusted or edited in any way this is exactly how I experienced it well on board so just take a second to appreciate this unreal Sunset the Empire Builder breaks away from the wachi as it reaches the Columbia River our train pulling to a stop in wachi for our first Smoke Stop on route to Chicago stepping outside we're met with the closing stages of that beautiful sunset the Deep pinks and purples illuminate the clouds above reflecting off our super liners for an incredibly picturesque view of our trrain looking down the terrain it's clear that at least a few cars are missing namely the observation car and a couple coaches that's because our train is currently only half of the full Empire Builder comp consist from the west coast to Spokane Washington the Empire Builder operates as two trains with one going to Portland Oregon while the other heads to Seattle the two Eastbound halves meet in Spokane around 2:00 a.m. coupling together to form one long train to Chicago the main reason I chose the Seattle segment is because the Seattle portion gets the dining car while the Portland portion gets the observation car had we departed from Portland to dinner would have been a flexible dining experience with reheated meals instead of fresh cooked ones I was hoping to get a look at our ALC 42 but unfortunately the short platform length means our locomotive is well beyond the area we're allowed to walk in the All Aboard call is made and we can climb back aboard the Empire Builder our train pulling out of wachi and on into the night before heading to bed it's time for a shower the shower for room at passengers is located on the bottom floor next to the accessible bedroom and bathrooms as with all super liner 2 showers the room is divided into two spaces a changing area and a shower stall the dry side includes a bit of space to change a trash can and a linen bag towels are found outside by the luggage rack instead of in the shower room unlike our rides on the coast Starlight in the Lakeshore limited neither shampoo or conditioner are provided with only bars of soap to help get clean turning to the shower stall we find yet another small but functional facility the water pressure is surprisingly High the temperature control for which is working well the detachable shower head is always nice allowing me to take a shower without leaning over it's certainly not perfect especially without shampoo but it'll have to do returning to our room the seats have been folded down into their sleeping configuration with a sleeping pad and bedding laid on top the lower bunk in each roomat is around 6 and 1/2 ft long which doesn't leave me a lot of extra space at 6' 3 the bedding is quite comfortable though and after getting settled in it's time to turn out the lights for night one of two on the Empire Builder day two begins as the morning Twilight sneaks in through the blinds the sun rising above the mountain sore East it's about 7:00 a.m. Mountain Time our train having crossed into the next time zone overnight we also missed out on state 2 of 7 with Idaho coming and going around 4:00 a.m. of course we're sitting stationary a few miles north of Whitefish Montana our first stop on day two would anyone like to take a guess at the reason for our stop I'll give you a hint it's that massive free space in the middle of your Amtrak bingo card you guessed it we're waiting for Freight an intermodal train finally trundles ped on the main line our train backing up past the switch to continue down towards Whitefish Montana's Natural Beauty has only just begun the mountains rising and falling in the distance as the sun ascends the sky White Fish Lake appears by our side the tree line breaking every couple hundred yards for a fantastic view of the water and mountains Beyond after passing yet another Intermodal train we pull pull to a stop at White Fish Depot our first Smoke Stop on day two the crisp morning air hits us as we step out onto the platforms the sun just peeking out over our super liner coaches we finally have a platform long enough to walk the full length of the train which means we can get a look at our beautiful ALC 42s overnight locomotive 304 was added to the front of our consist 328 now second in command and 304 Bears amra's Phase 6 Livery with 328 adorned in the phase 7 paint Scheme the alc 42s are some of the best looking locomotives currently out on the rails at least here in North America the flat face of their sc44 Brethren streamlined for longdistance efficiency 304 definitely needs a good wash its nose coated in bug splatters it also looks in need of some cosmetic work as there's quite a large dent and subsequent paint chip below its right headlight 328 is in much better condition its front end is relatively clean with no dents to speak of hopefully it will remain that way for the remainder of its service life but with so many years ahead of it who knows what will happen looking down the platform we see our train has almost doubled in length the Seattle and Portland segments have now become one the extra locomotive of byproduct of this extension the baggage tractor rolls past the All Aboard call is made and we can reboard ahead of the real start of day two as we head out of white fish it's time for breakfast breakfast on long-distance trains is a first come first Ser a fair service starts at 6:30 a.m. with the last seating at 9:30 if you plan on sleeping in or waking up early be sure to ask what time zone breakfast is in as gaining or losing an hour can easily throw a wrench in your morning meal plans Hamra traditional dining offers five options for breakfast a continental breakfast French toast a three egg omelette scrambled eggs and a breakfast case adilla I went with the Omelette for our first of two breakfasts while we waited for our meal the Montana Plains and a few Plains rolled past the window the distant mountains growing ever closer yeah the tracks meet the Flathead river through Columbia Falls the Waterway are guide through the first half of Glacier National Park we don't have to wait long for breakfast to be served the omelet comes paired with a side of bacon potatoes and a croissant plus a complimentary beverage The Omelette was hot and delicious chocked full of bell peppers tomatoes and onions the bacon was crisp and salty and the potatoes well seasoned the plating could have definitely used a bit of finesse but the flavor was awesome and it was a great way to start our morning a solid 8 out of 10 breakfast on day one while we ate our train stopped in West Glacier despite the crew's warnings to not step out onto the platform someone of course chose to do so anyways said person was of course not on board when the train departed but lucky for them the crew was feeling generous and stopped the train again to let them back on board our appetite now satiated we can turn our attention inward for a tour of our roomat the roomat is Amtrak's smallest and cheapest sleeping accommodation our room number eight is one of 14 room Mets per super liner car though only 10 of those 14 are upstairs the 6 1/2x 3 and 1/2t room includes two bunks two seats and enough space for two adults although I will say it definitely gets cramped with two people each am trck room includes a door with a positive interior lock to ensure security well inside with blinds for both the door and hallway window for privacy in their daytime configuration rats feature two comfortable seats each can be reclined using the bar beneath the seat bottom or transformed into a bed using the lever on the side each seat comes with a single pillow which is pretty comfortable though I think you can ask for more if need be between the two seats are cup holders for two complimentary water bottles the tray table and the safety information card the tray table lifts up and folds out across the space between each seat and is large enough to hold two smaller laptops the rearward seat includes a reading light the room's temperature controls and the sole Outlet the forward seat includes a reading light of its own the volume controls for the PA system and an attendant call Button storage space is limited in each roomette with a small cargo hold beside the the rearward seat and a bit of floor space between the stairs for smaller bags above the storage space are two coat hangers with complimentary towels in the two Cubbies the top bunk is stored away in the ceiling until it is kneed at night releasing the latch allows the bed to fold down a top which we find the lower bunk bedding in two blankets getting up into the top bunk is a little tricky but it's fairly comfortable once you're up here the bed is a couple inches shorter than the lower bunk which means it's a little less comfortable for taller people than its downstairs counterpart but you do get a reading light and a small pocket for personal belongings although it's rather small the roomat is a great way to travel it gives all the perks of a sleeper accommodation while still keeping the price relatively low with our train now well past West Glacier we have officially entered Glacier National Park which is hands down the most beautiful segment of the Empire Builder's entire route through Essex we pass the Isaac Walton Inn a railway themed hotel alongside the BNSF Mainline out front we spot a great Northern Livery locomotive Great Northern Railway was the first operator of the Empire Builder a service which started in 1929 the Empire Builder was great northern's Flagship train the service seeeing the industrial progression from Steam to diesel following World War II From Here We Begin our Ascent through the Rocky Mountains and across the Continental Divide Glacier National Park is home to some of North America's most beautiful landscape and our train goes straight down the middle of it I'm doing my best to capture this unbelievable landscape but the camera just does not do it justice let's just take a minute here to really appreciate Mother Nature's Beauty [Music] oh [Music] I [Music] another great way to get some special views of our Mountain Pass is by heading to the rear of the train behind us the tracks twist and turn their way between the mountains despite its elevation this is still a freight Mainline with anywhere from 25 to 30 freight trains daily as if to prove this an eastbound BNSF oil train trundle passed on the opposite track the tracks level out as we reach Maria's pass the pass is the lowest crossing of the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains with a peak elevation of 5,213 Ft really the whole line through the mountains is Maria's pass but it's here where the Maria's pass obelisk is located heading back towards the front of the train we can take up residence in the lounge car amra's observation Lounge car is the Premier spot for enjoying breathtaking views on board any train the car includes a combination of sideways facing swivel seats and full tables for seating foot rests along the walls and larger windows that even wrap onto the ceiling for optimal viewing angles from any seat this Lounge car has also been recently refurbished with the new upholstery on every seat the reupholstering is a stop Gap solution while Amtrak Waits on its new line of coaches to replace the superliners in the coming years the cafe is also located downstairs which means it gets very busy in here during Peak meal hours from our seat in the observation car we see the Continental Divide in all its Glory although known mainly for the Rocky Mountains the divide's most prominent feature is its hydrological one west of the Rockies water drains West into the Pacific Ocean while on the east side water drains into the Atlantic this means that from here on out any River we cross will somewhere someday end up in the Atlantic Ocean east Glacier station is our final goodbye to the beautiful National Park but the area does have one more trick up its sleeve before bidding a do just after leaving East Glacier we crossed the two medicine's Trestle the Railway Bridge first opened in 1900 over 123 years ago and has been in service ever since and with that we say goodbye to the mountains and hello to the Great Plains of North America for the next day and a half it'll be pretty much nothing but flat Green Farm land although the land is quite flat we do get one bit of terrain variation as we Cross cutbank Creek our train pulling into Shelby Montana a few miles down the line Shelby is a very quick stop the crew calling out the All Aboard after only a few minutes on the platform if you're enjoying our ride on the Empire Builder why not hit that subscribe button it's totally free and it really helps support the channel I also want to give a huge shout out and thank you to my patrons and channel members y'all are amazing and I cannot thank you enough for your incredible support if you two want your name in the video or just want to support the channel in more ways than one then head on over to the links in the description below first on the agenda for the second half of this adventure is lunch as with dinner lunch is by reservation only our car attendant seating us quickly in the filling dining car I decided to try something new for lunch today the loaded baked potato the baked potato is one of four vegetarian or potentially vegetarian lunch options on Amtrak's traditional dining menu and comes loaded with vegan chili cheddar cheese sour cream and scallions plus optional bacon of course I went all the way with the toppings and our piping hot potato was served in only a few minutes although it doesn't look super appetizing the potato is awesome the chili is Savory with a slight note of sweetness a bit of heat and plenty of spices add on the bacon cheese and a few scallions for a fresh bite and you've got one of the best lunch options on the traditional dining menu and the amount of food you get is great the potato itself is huge and Amtrak is quite liberal with the helping of chili port on top so you definitely won't be hungry for a while after dining of course lunch comes with a small dessert this time I went with the delicious buttercake a brownie the other choice for the chocolate lovers out there the farther out into the Great Plains we get the hazier the sky becomes a byproduct of the Canadian wildfires the wildfires are the largest in North American history and have burned an estimated 71,1 144 square miles as of October 6th of 2023 the smoke covered most of Canada and the United States for months on end causing air quality alerts across the continent while making my way around our coach I noticed that the family bedroom on the lower level wasn't occupied so why don't we take a look at Amtrak's largest accommodation the 5'2 in x 9 5-in room includes accommodation for two adults and two children hence the family bedroom name although there are four total bunks the room is more akin to a roomette combined with a bedroom on one side we find two face-to-face seats like a roomette while on the wall is a couch like a bedroom the bedroom couch is already more than enough space for two adults so the addition of two chairs means there should always be extra seating for two children to have their own space the controls and storage space are certainly interesting the main lighting controls announcement volume and Outlet have moved to the wall next to the door though the reading lights and temperature control have remained by the headrest of each seat what's concerning though is that there is only one outlet for this entire room that's potentially four people to one Outlet which is not good storage space comes in the form of a shallow closet opposite the couch and a little cubby by the couchs side window of course there's plenty of floor space for larger bags but it's still not a lot with the two lower bunks folded out almost the entire floor space gets covered by bed releasing the upper bunks completes the day toight conversion the main reason the family bedroom is advertised for two adults and two children only is because of the length of the roomette Style beds the upper and lower child bunks are 4' 7 and 4T 9 respectively which is definitely not long enough for a third or even fourth adult for families looking to get out on the rails this is a great option the family bedroom is usually priced between the room at and bedroom as it has more space than a room at but doesn't include an onsuite shower or bathroom the miles fly past as we head east our train peaking at 81 mph before coming to a stop in h Montana H is yet another shortened Smoke Stop our crew hoping to make up time but we are able to step out onto the platform for some fresh air out in the open the smoke of the Canadian wildfires is even more apparent the land and trees just beyond our train obscured in the haze beside the platform we find a quick note on the town of H however much like many of the towns along the Empire Builder route is a railway Town founded around the construction and operation of the Great Northern Railway the name H supposedly comes from the story of when two French squatters got in a fight over the affection of a woman when the girl finally made her choice the squatter wor off reportedly said you can have her presumably pronounced you can have her hence the name H as fun as the story is I'm not convinced it's true we don't have time to fact check it though as we're asked back aboard our train carrying on the Milk River adds a bit of aquatic contrast to the vast expanse of the Great Plains River and plains trade blows from miles on end but the Montana Farmland finally wins out the power of the PLS too much for the river to handle as we approach the North Dakota border the smoke begins to lift blue skies finally visible for the first time this afternoon the afternoon quickly turns to evening and dinner time from the options I went with the capris skewers for an appetizer and the panser chicken breast as a main the appetizers are out quickly our skewers as delicious as ever the fresh mozzarella roasted tomatoes and Rich balsamic are a delicious combination our chicken breast is next served with a lemon orzotto waxed beans and a tomato butter sauce the plating of tonight's meal is much nicer than last night so we're we off to a good start the chicken breast is a little overcooked the skin tough but the meat inside tender the flavor is great with notes of salt and lemon the dish brought together by the rich tomato sauce the risotto is well cooked and seasoned and the vegetables are all right despite having them multiple times now the waxed beans still aren't my thing for dessert I went with the white chocolate cheesecake instead of the chocolate mousse someday I'll have the lemon cake but today isn't that day yet again dessert is Amtrak strong suit and the cheesecake definitely didn't disappoint it's a perfect blend of sweet and sour topped with a few blueberries white chocolate shards and a generous drizzle of strawberry syrup dinner tonight ranks at a 9 out of 10 the capris starter is always fantastic the chicken breast although a little tough on the outside was tasty and tender on the inside and the cheesecake Just Hits everything home for another fantastic dining experience with Amtrak I also want to give a quick shout out to John and Thomas two of the people I was seated with at dinner John and Thomas were the first two people I met who knew of the channel so that was quite quite the surprise when the channel came up in conversation anyways it was a pleasure chatting with yall over dinner and I hope both of you are doing well Sunset comes right as we return to our room the smoke in the sky turns the sun into a gorgeous ball of pink and orange our view unfortunately spoiled by a westbound Freight Train by the time the train is gone so too is the sun the bright patch on the horizon the only evidence of where it once was it's also during the Sunset phase where our train crosses into North Dakota state number four of seven the last of the Twilight Fades as we ride East the lights of Min not filling the window around an hour after Sunset Min not is our one and only smoke stop in the state of North Dakota it's also a crew change and refueling point which means we'll be stationary for about an hour this is nice oh it's good out here it's a crisp cool night here in Minot ahead of us the baggage cart works the lead car while behind us our train curves out beyond the station building the cold night allows for a moment of reflection on what a fantastic Journey it's been so far and just how much farther we have to go I am absolutely exhausted so it's time to head to bed even before we head out of myot climbing under the covers its lights out on day two we're well into Minnesota by sunrise on day three the Empire Builder at full tilts to make up [Music] time perfect start to any day is a fresh cup of coffee and out by the stairwell is just that a freshly brewed pot of coffee coffee in hand it's off to the dining car for breakfast as we get seated we pass by minneapolis's friends of the 261 Friends of the 261 is home to Milwaukee Road's 484 steam locomotive number 261 the friends of the 261 also owns Milwaukee Road EMD F9 number 3 2A plus a whole host of historic private cars any of which were owned and operated by the Milwaukee Road in a past life breakfast starts with a cup of orange juice to go with our coffee followed quickly by our main course amra signature French toast our breakfast comes with four pieces of thick cut french toast dusted with powdered sugar a few strips of bacon some strawberries and a container breakfast syrup the French toast itself is nice it's not too sweet on its own with most of the sugar coming from from the syrup the bacon again is a good choice and the strawberries were crisp and fresh it's definitely a solid breakfast option and I'll have to give this one another 8 out of 10 Minneapolis is our next stop or at least it was back in 2014 Midway Station known for being at the approximate Midway point between Minneapolis and St Paul served Amtrak trains from 1978 until its closure in 2014 the station was one of the first built under the Amtrak standard stations program in 1978 termed as type 300a the station design was the largest in the program with a peak capacity of 300 passengers other designs included the 150b 50 CN s and 25d with each station number reflecting its low-end peak capacity it's also here where we pick up an additional car one we'll have to look at a little later on our actual stop in the Twin Cities comes in St Paul about 20 minutes down the road from Midway the smoke of the wildfires has almost entirely dispersed leaving us with clear blue skies and a gorgeous shot of the St Paul Skyline up front 304 has added a few more specimens to its bug collection and by a few I mean a lot 328 remains clean its phase 7 paint free of dirt and debris when it comes to the differing Li of 304 and 328 I have to say that 304 wins out but only just the solid blue interrupted only by the Chevron at the rear is a great look but that's not to say the phase 7 paint Scheme isn't stunning as well the phase 7 Livery will look even better once Amtrak's aot train sets reach the rails in 2026 the first prototype coach was recently revealed to the public a first look at the future of Amtrak the aot trains are set to revolutionize rail travel in North America the Horn of 304 rings out the staff ushering us back on board the mighty Mississippi guides us out of St Paul the tracks of the Empire Builder following the waterway that divides Minnesota and Wisconsin the hours fly by and soon it's time for our second lunch of the trip I decided to go back to the Angus burger which is always a great choice on Amtrak as expected the burger patty is well seasoned with a slice of cheese and some fresh veggies for a nice textural contrast with chips as aide it's a solid meal for dessert I went with the other choice this time a brownie it's dark rich and delicious as always Winona Minnesota is our next Smoke Stop only a couple hours down the rails from St Paul instead of heading forward we can head to the rear of the train to check out that private car we added in Minneapolis tagged onto the rear of the Empire Builder is Northern Charter sleeper Dome northern sky northern sky was originally built for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1955 and operated on the city of Los Angeles between LA and Chicago the car was later purchased by David Hoffman a successful Wisconsin Highway contractor in 1971 it was then rebuilt by Northern rail cars in to the northern sky we see today the coach includes four double bedrooms a dome dining area observation Lounge full kitchen and onboard washer and dryer it's a beautiful coach and maybe someday I'll get the opportunity to ride in a private car but for now it's back aboard the Empire Builder the mighty Mississippi continues its run beside us our car now in full view of one of the US's largest rivers we eventually make our way across the river and into Wisconsin the penultimate state of our seven State Adventure the ride through wiscons is fairly uneventful our train pulling to a stop in Milwaukee Milwaukee either was or still is but wasn't on this occasion a fresh air stop on the Empire Builder after chatting with our car attendant however he let me know that all passengers are asked to stay on board I really wanted to set foot in Wisconsin but I guess that we'll have to wait for another day the stop is super quick though so even if we were able to hop out it would have only been for a minute or two pulling out of Milwaukee we round the bend to Head South toward Chicago as we head out westbound Empire Builder number 7 pulls in led by p42 DC number 22 and ALC 42 number 311 our first signs of Chicago come from the Metro stations we pass by from here into Union Station the Empire Builder runs down Metro's Milwaukee Northline seeing Metro stations also means we're officially in our final state of the Empire Builder Illinois Glen View is our penultimate stop the station serves the Empire Builder and hawaa trains and of course metr Milwaukee Northline Chicago's skyline finally appears above the tree line the Willis Tower easily the most prominent of the massive sky skyscrapers we pass by metr train after metr train the skyline growing ever [Music] closer eventually we make one last turn into Chicago's Union Station pulling to a stop 46 hours and 2,26 mil after our ride began it's been an unreal Adventure but we must now bid farewell to the train which has brought us 2third of the way across the country tree heading inside Chicago's Union Station we can follow the signs to the Great Hall the best place to leave off any Amtrak journey of course if you're up to it there's always one more pit stop to make and that's the Metropolitan Lounge complimentary with any same day Amtrak ticket the Metropolitan Lounge offers light snacks and drinks with plenty of space to relax before or after a Long Day's travel heading back out into the Great Hall it's finally time to bring this incredible journey to a close if you're new around here I would really appreciate it if you hit that subscribe button down below it's totally free and it really helps support the channel if you want to go the extra mile with your support then check out the Channel's patreon or become a channel member if you you two want your name in the video access to exclusive weekly posts and even the opportunity to vote on future videos then click the links in the top right or the description below to learn more but anyways that's all I have for today thanks for riding with me and I'll see you in the next one

Channel: Lonestar Trip Reports

Views: 50,302

Keywords: empire builder, amtrak, amtrak sleeper car tour, amtrak bedroom suite, amtrak empire builder, superliner bedroom, amtrak superliner bedroom, amtrak superliner bedroom tour, amtrak superliner coach, amtrak superliner train, amtrak empire builder documentary, amtrak empire builder glacier national park, glacier national park by train, glacier national park train, amtrak train, Amtrak Across America, king street station, amtrak empire builder 8, superliner sleepers, train journey

Id: Q_7XO8opmv8

Length: 47min 34sec (2854 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 17 2024