Daily Archives: 15/05/2022

Monday 9th to Wednesday 11th May 2022 The Amtrak service between Chicago and the Pacific northwest coast is called the Empire Builder which seemed a strange choice of name to us having spent several days in Boston learning about the American struggle to escape the shackles and restrictions of the British Empire. Empire Builder was however James J. Hill’s nickname. This gentleman acquired several failing railroads and reorganised them into The Great Northern Railway described as the ‘only successful attempt at a privately funded transcontinental railroad’. The first ever Empire Builder was inaugurated on June 10, 1929 and named after James J. Hill – the company’s founder. We had again booked a roomette. Cody our charming sleeper car attendant greeted us as we boarded. This time, however, there was no personal toilet in the roomette so it was marginally narrower with a little less space for changing and undressing once the beds were made up. One of the dining car attendants went through the train to confirm what time people wanted to have their evening meal. We had a momentary trans-Atlantic mis-communication when Robert asked for the ‘half seven’ sitting. An international incident was avoided when we realised we needed to say seven thirty […]