Amtrak's Sunset Limited from El Paso to Los Angeles

This is the view along the track ahead of the engine. The engineer has to climb the ladder up to the cab.

This is the engine's rear 'truck.' Photo Note: Use a more narrow focal length; my camera's wide angle distorts straight lines.

A view of town past the end of the train. I think these are regular coach cars.

We left the station at about 2:55 CDT. This is a view across the Rio Grande to Juarez, Mexico. The track crosses the river into New Mexico and swings around the north of a low rocky hill then back to the border near Puerto de Anapra, Mexico, before heading out into the New Mexico desert toward Lizard.

A view of an industrial plant near the track. The train is climbing to get around the north end of those hills.

The tracks cross the Rio Grande into New Mexico.

A look back at the River.

El Paso is well protected by this border fence and Border Patrol SUVs all over the place.

I can't remember whether we stopped at Lordsburg or just slowed down.

The profile of a face in the mountain. Imagine a man lying on the ground looking up at the sky.

Moving along near Bowie in Cochise County, Arizona. That mountain profile may have been the profile of Cochise.

It's hard to photograph the engines from the middle of the train, but everyone likes to try. Here the engines are just visible in through the reflection on the window. There are two sets of tracks in many of the areas out west which allow traffic in both directions.

We got to Tucson around 8:30 CDT. I think they're on Pacific Time, so it would have been 6:30 there. Although the train stops for passengers along the way if passengers are waiting (at 'whistle' stops), no one is allowed to get off for a break except at designated stations. Tucson was one of those stations, and we had several minutes to look around.

This is a nice train depot.

The door to the waiting room.

Becky was interested in this old train yard control console.

After dark, we sat in the observation car booths. Ann and the other Moms and children watched for 4th of July firework displays, and we did see some Then Ann brought out her package of glow sticks for the children to break and wave around. All ages seemed to be fascinated with them, even the teens.

Then we all returned to our coaches and bundled up in our reclining seats for the rest of the night.