I got my answer. On todays Trains newswire, it states:
• Southwest Chief — A freak snowstorm between Dodge City, Kan., and Lamar, Colo., on Sunday caused significant delays to westbound train No. 3 that left Chicago Saturday afternoon. It was running more than 15 hours behind schedule into Los Angeles on Monday after operating on restrictive signals while a BNSF Railway track inspector protected highway crossings during whiteout conditions; eastbound train No. 4 is more than 6 hours late into Chicago on Monday.
And somehow L.A. was able to provide a set of equipment for # 4 (1) even though #3 had not arrived. Sunset equipment?
I was on #4 that day, getting on at Lamy, NM during that odd and fierce snowstorm. What caused us to be 3 hours late was a siding switch apparently locked by MOW crew which prevented the meet of #3 & #4 to happen east of Wagon Mount, NM until BNSF got someone to unlock it. At that point, #3 was late for other reasons. A first time event for me after many years of Amtrak travel and the meet at that place was a first since we usually did so further west.
It's too bad the Southwest Chief is no longer on a 39 1/2 schedule.
Can anyone explain why did the schedule change?
Newton, KS to Albuquerque, NM is no longer maintained for fast passenger. IIRC there were sections of 105 mph in west Kansas.
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