Q: For those getting on board in Lawrence, Kansas, the "Midnight Train" doesn't go to Georgia. In fact, it goes in the opposite direction. Just before midnight every day, the Southwest Chief arrives at the Lawrence depot and then heads west, southwest. This Amtrak train runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles, passing through eight states along the way. How many stops does it make in Kansas? (We want the total NUMBER of stops the Southwest Chief makes in Kansas.)
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A: Six (Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City, Garden City)
For those getting on board in Lawrence, Kansas, the "Midnight Train" doesn't go to Georgia. In fact, it goes in the opposite direction. Just before midnight every day, the Southwest Chief arrives at the Lawrence depot and then heads west, southwest. The Southwest Chief makes six stops in Kansas - Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City. The westbound Southwest Chief is the #3 train. The east-bound train is the #4.
The Southwest Chief (formerly the Southwest Limited and Super Chief) is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a nearly 2,300-mile route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
The Southwest Chief is the successor to the Super Chief, which, along with the Chief and El Capitan, were notable Chicago-Los Angeles trains operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The Super Chief name was retained after Amtrak took over passenger rail service in 1971. Then in March 1974, the Santa Fe forced Amtrak to drop the name because of a perceived decline in quality after the Amtrak takeover. The train was renamed the Southwest Limited. After subsequent improvements, the Santa Fe allowed Amtrak to change its name to the Southwest Chief in 1984.
It's not the Midnight Train to Georgia nor the Last Train to Clarksville, but the Southwest Chief is a Long Train Running from Chicago to L.A. and takes passengers through beautiful sections of the southwestern United States. Since we can't possibly make any more references to train songs, we're going to Take the "A" Train to the City of New Orleans before we get The Hobo Blues. See you next Friday!
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