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2026 California Zephyr trip with Mark and Lindsay
Written by Lindsay Korst
gngoat@gngoat.org
Friday May 22nd
CZ_Day2
8:00am means a free breakfast buffet at the Marriott. Mark said he saw a big guy
with an "End World Hunger" T-shirt at the trough, just shoveling it in. Doing
his bit for the cause. Too bad M couldn't get a picture, I would have posted it
here. ;p
Mark also said he reeeeally liked the room coffee (Cafe Valet Rainforest Blend
Dark Roast), so I gave him my packet (it looked like a hockey puck) for Saturday
morning. I was pleased to see my room had English Breakfast tea for the coffee
machine.
Now, what to do all day? We didn't have a whole lot planned. We defaulted to
Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry (MSI). I had visited there in 2021, but
M hadn't seen it in quite a spell (they had an O-Scale train layout back in his
time). A quick Lyft ride got us out to the lakeshore. I hadn't checked out the
U-505 German submarine before, so that's where we headed first. Raus! Mach
Schnell!
It's a long walk out to the U-Boat. Hundreds, if not thousands, of school kids
are shrieking and running around. It's the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend,
so their teachers brought them down here by the busload to absorb some history,
or at least blow off some steam.
The thing was huge! Notice even with the underground cavern they carved out for
it, they still had to lop off the conning tower to fit inside (it's on the
starboard side of the boat). That's right side for you landlubbers.
MSI had excellent exhibits along the way. "Calling all cars, Calling all
cars..." THE STORY of how the U.S. wound up with a German submarine during World
War 2 is quite interesting.
Next up is the Transportation Hall and
New York Central (and Hudson River
Railroad) #999. Lindsay waves for the camera and in the cab, we spy a
holographic engineer looking back at us.
A United Airlines 727 appears about to drop onto downtown Chicago; Union Station
is where Mark and I will be leaving tomorrow on AMTK #5.
As you can see, Mark's remembered O-Scale layout has been replaced with a YUGE
HO-Scale diorama of BNSF's Chicago to Seattle Northern Transcon.
1. A high bridge with trains above and below; 2. The diorama from above; 3. Seattle
from King Street Station looking north; 4. Seattle from Space Needle looking
south.
Great Northern #611,
an EMD GP7, leads a short passenger train past the Prairie
Town Ford dealership.
Well, look at this. A MOLD-A-RAMA! Boy, does this machine bring back memories.
Here, my big brother inserts a fiver and creates me a "molded in colorful
plastic" (black) locomotive. Thanks, Mark!
The memories go way back to the days of ancients (1960's) when I was taken to
the Madison, Wisconsin, Henry Vilas Zoo. I begged for and received a plastic
elephant "Winkie" created by one of these contraptions.
Apparently, Winkie (both
of them) had a rather tragic history.
Just before leaving MSI, the piece de resistance:
The Burlington's Pioneer
Zephyr found in the basement of the parking garage.
1. Nose shot of the power unit; 2. Interior peek of the Railway Post Office
section; 3. One of the coaches; 4. Looking out the rear observation; 5. The
"boat tail" end of the train.
Selfie Stick shot of Mark and Lindsay with
the first, stainless-steel
railroad streamliner (circa 1934), CB&Q #9900.
That's enough museum for one day. We Lyfted back to the hotel @ 3pm.
At 4pm, we sauntered down La Salle & Jackson Streets to
the famous (and
original) Giordano's deep dish pizza place. This was to hopefully make up for
the miserable Rosemont Giordano's experience we had in 2023.
It did. Mark
ordered up the "Meat and more meat" pie. It was delish and along with a couple
salads, just the right amount for the two of us.
On the way back to the room, we stopped off at a 7-11 so Mark could pick up some
mixer (Coke Zero). The Indian (dot) proprietors eyed us very suspiciously.
Outside, a bum was sprawled on the sidewalk. We didn't tip him. M said he was
surprised he hadn't been mugged yet in Chicago!
That evening, it was a Shark Tank marathon while we sipped adult beverages. I
staggered back to my room at 8pm. Big day, tomorrow!
 
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