I was pretty lucky in the years, months and days leading up to Amtrak. Between having an SP pass (half rate orders on foreign lines), Navy travels, SP travel, and school on the East Coast I was able to ride a lot of what was left in those last years before Amtrak.....and VIA for that matter. But what sticks in my craw are the ones I missed. I still have an unused rate order for a ride on the Texas Zypher that never happened. And I still remember looking the Official Guide listings for the CBQ sleeper that ran from Omaha to Alliance. And the Panama Limited and City of New Orleans just went in the wrong direction for any of my travels. And the Newfie narrow gauge was still running. But you just couldn't do it all. In April of 1971 I was working in Salinas and was able to ride and get final shots of the Del Monte and Coast Daylight.

JBWX