Ep.12 – US Railway Travelogue

Episode 12 is the second part of the Chicago to The Bay Area leg of Tim Davies’ journey.  Tim is travelling across the USA on the iconic Amtrak trains.  This latest leg of the US Railway Travelogue is on the California Zephyr train, and this episode finds hims continuing from Mount Pleasant, Iowa to Denver Union Station, Colorado, before the train continues on to Salt Lake City, Utah in future episodes.

Map showing Amtrak’s western routes, the California Zephyr through the middle. Credit: Amtrak.

California Zephyr poster. Credit: Loco Steve, CC BY 2.0.

Map showing diversion route of the California Zephyr, through Wyoming. Credit, Loco Steve, CC BY 2.0.

We follow the journey taken by Tim through this episode with images of some of the points on the route, and some photos taken by Tim himself below on the Sound Vault website.

Mount Pleasant Station. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Members of the local Amish community at Mount Pleasant Station. Credit: Tim Davies.

The setting sun….. Credit: Tim Davies.

Ottumwa – home to the company clerk from M*A*S*H, Radar O’Reilly. Credit: Tim Davies.

Ottumwa. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Ottumwa Station platform. Credit: Tim Davies.

Osceola Station. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Osceola Station. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Osceola Water Tower. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

The observation car – home to the interviews. Credit: Tim Davies.

The observation car – home to the interviews. Credit: Tim Davies.

Creston Station. Credit: Augiejv, CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Creston Station. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Trains at Creston Station. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Stanton Coffee Pot. Credit: Jared Winkler, CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Fishermen on the Missouri River in Council Bluffs. Credit: Decumanus, CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Omaha. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Omaha Station. Credit: Augiejv, CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Lincoln, Nebraska Station. Credit: Ammodramus, CC0.

Hastings Station. Credit: samswitzer, CC-BY-2.0.

Holderedge Ironhorse Station. Credit: Ammodramus, Public Domain.

McCook Station, Nebraska. Credit: Ammodramus, CC0.

Fort Morgan Station. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Cattle at Fort Morgan. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

California Zephyr at Keenesburg. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Nearing Commerce City in the morning. Credit: Tim Davies.

Commerce City. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Commerce City, near Denver. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Denver outskirts. Credit: Tim Davies.

Denver. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Run in to Denver Station. Credit: Tim Davies.

Denver Union Station. Credit: Darkshark0159, Public Domain.

Denver Station platform. Credit: Tim Davies.

Denver Station platform. Credit: Tim Davies.

Denver Station platform. Credit: Tim Davies.

Denver Station platform. Credit: Tim Davies.

Denver Station platform. Credit: Tim Davies.

Without whom we would not be here….. Credit: Tim Davies.

Overland route from timetable. Copyright. Amtrak.

The Overland Route in 1908. Public Domain.

Denver Stockyards. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

Sleepers everywhere. Credit: Tim Davies.

More sleepers, all wood. Credit: Tim Davies.

The picturesque outskirts of Denver on the diversion. Credit: Tim Davies.

More picturesque outskirts of Denver on the diversion. Credit: Tim Davies.

The picturesque outskirts of Denver on the diversion. Credit: Tim Davies.

The picturesque outskirts of Denver on the diversion. Credit: Tim Davies.

The picturesque outskirts of Denver on the diversion. Credit: Tim Davies.

The picturesque outskirts of Denver on the diversion. Credit: Tim Davies.

The picturesque outskirts of Denver on the diversion. Credit: Tim Davies.

The picturesque outskirts of Denver on the diversion. Credit: Tim Davies.

Suncor, Denver. On the diversion. Credit: Loco Steve, CC-BY-2.0.

We leave these outskirts of Denver behind, as we head for Salt Lake City, and the next instalment of US Railway Travelogue in Episode 13 – coming soon.

Music credits:

Theme: “Steam Railway”, AK012, Composer: Kimber-McTiffen; Track Number 1, Royalty Free from “The Special Interest Video Selection“; (AKM Music);