If you are a railfan you can combine that hobby with the trip on the Southwest Chief. The Chief's first stop after leaving LA Union Station is Fullerton, about 40 miles east of LA in North Orange County. In fact a lot of Chief passengers coming from San Diego and other points south take a Pacific Surfliner north to Fullerton and change to the eastbound Chief. I think there is even a transfer of checked luggage. We see a lot of Amish people who are coming back from Mexico after medical treatment. (Amish don't believe in insurance).
If you schedule your departure on the Chief for Friday, the train will get to Fullerton about 6:45 PM (1845). At that time on a Friday evening the station is full of railfans. You could easily take an earlier train to Fullerton and catch the Chief after a light supper at the station cafe. If you are staying near Disneyland, Fullerton is an easy place to board the Chief. Both are on Harbor Blvd, a major N-S street. Just remember, the Chief almost always boards from Track 1, the one nearest the station. This is left side running, a departure from usual American railroad practice.
One confusing fact: for the Chief: Fullerton is an east/west station. For the Pacific Surfliners from LA to San Diego, it's a north/south station. Just east of the station is Fullerton Junction where the line to San Diego turns right. The tracks in the station are oriented exactly east and west which causes some confusion. Just ask someone if you get turned around.. There is a pedestrian bridge and the elevators are usually working.
Fullerton is a prime train watching spot. On a Friday we get 56 passengers trains stopping there. Plus it is on the BNSF's Transcon Rouite from LA/Long Beach harbors to Chicago. That can mean over 75 freight trains a day and business is picking up.
Jack
Another question from Australia,when I arrive at chicago union railway station from Buffalo,can I get a Meta train to Miller,Indiana or how do I get on the South shore line?
RAYMOND T
The South Shore and Metra Electric (the old Illinois Central Electric suburban sesrvice) share the old IC suburban tracks near the shore of Lake Michigan just east of Michigan Avenue. Union Station is about a 1-1/4 miles (OK two Kilometers) to the West. The rapid transit connections are not particularly good, involving almost as much walking as riding. There is a bus that starts at the street bus terminal at Union Station (signs point to it) that does run across town and then down Michigan Avenue to McCormick Place. This is how I usually made the connection. You get off just after the bus turns south on Michigan Avenue, and you will be near the Van Buren Street Station, the first stop of the South Shore and METRA Electric trains south of the Randolph Street Terminal.
Or just take a cab directly to the Randolf Street Terminal, Randolf St. and Michigan Avenue.
Most diesel METRA services use Union Station. Exceptions are those on the old Rock Island lines to Blue Island and Joliet (La Salle Street Station, several blocks east and then south of Union), and the now Union Pacific, formerly Chicago and Northwestern services north to Kenosha, Wisconsin, nothwest to Harvard, and west to Elgin, the "Ogelbie Transportation Center," a block west and two blocks north.
There will be seven of us and we will all have a fair bit of luggage,can we get it on the bus or will we need to take two or more taxis?
Ogilvie Center (Metra UP lines) is at the corner of Canal St. and Madison, just two short blocks north of Union Station.
To get to Millenium Staion at Michigan and Randolph you could take the #60 bus directly ($2.25 each), but since their are 7 of you, it might be cheaper to use two cabs (about $10, see link):
http://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Chicago
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Another thought. If it is the South Shore that you want, you might wish to leave the Lake Shore Limited at South Bend. At one time Amtrak used the "Bendix" South Shore Station at South Bend as its station. I do not know if this is the case now or if the South Shore still uses it with its extension to the South Bend Airport.
Seven people can board the bus. YOu might play it by ear and sea just what comes first, taxi or bus.
The Amtrak and South Shore Line stations are several miles apart, even though the tracks are close together near the Amtrak station on Washington. SS station is at the airport..
Is the only South Shore station at the Airport? Don't they have a station convenient for people wishing to go downtown?
South Shore's airport station replaced the one at Bendix Drive. After South Shore abandoned its street running in South Bend, Bendix Drive was close as you could get to downtown South Bend.
If the Bendix station is adjacent to Amtrak's present station, it should have been kept at least as flag stop so people can make the connection. And a local bus should run to bring people downtown.
I remember the street-running very well.
Thank you for all the replies to my request,we will be there in june,comeing from Buffalo on the lakeshore.
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