Time for a couple of semi-apologies. First, my Verizon card has been working like a charm, even in semi-remote parts of Arizona and New Mexico. So much for my comment about the service being a scam. If only it would work this well in Washington, D.C. Also, during our extended stop outside of Deming, George – our quality lounge car attendant – made an announcement that he had stockpiled some hot dogs, pizza and burgers in the dining car and they were available for purchase for a limited time. The streak continues. I had a dog and beer for lunch. You’re back in my good graces, Amtrak.

Outside of Lordsburg, New Mexico, we stop for an approaching signal. The UP dispatcher says on the radio that it will be about 10 minutes before the train passes. The dispatcher also tells our train of a Level 1 heat restriction from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The stop actually takes about 15 minutes.

At 11:20 a.m. MT, Outside of Deming, New Mexico, we stop on a siding for one hour, 17 minutes. The explanation on the intercom is that we are waiting for several freight trains to pass. (In fact, three do during this time). However, I later overhear one of the crew members saying that they reached their time limit at 11:30 and the new crew came from El Paso in a van to meet the train. Anyway, a crew change is the reason for this extended stop on the siding.

I think I need to go to a class called Time Zone 101. We are still in Mountain Standard Time, which is the same as Pacific Daylight Time, which means we actually left Tucson at 5:42 a.m. MST, which puts us 4:22 behind schedule.

The lack of cold food in the lounge car is becoming a problem. After a piss-poor breakfast – cold eggs and bacon, as well as grits in place of the potatoes I ordered – there is no pizza, burger or hot dog alternative. During the 40-minute stop in Tucson, I should have run to 7-11.

In between Bowie and San Simon, Arizona – where there is only one track – we stop for five minutes for CSX 7726 to pass.

During the stop in Tucson, I finally was able to record the complete consist of Sunset Limited 2:

1). Engine 2
2). Engine 840
3). Transition Sleeper 39017 (Car 0210) – half passengers, half crew
4). Sleeper 0230, Mississippi (Car 0230) – I am in Room 5
5). Dining Car 38062
6). Sightseer Lounge Car 33038
7). Coach 34107 (Car 0213) – Passengers for Tucson, San Antonio, New Orleans, Atmore and Pensacola
8). Baggage Coach 31005 (Car 0212) – Passengers for Ontario, Palm Springs, Yuma, El Paso, Del Rio, Houston, Beaumont, Jacksonville and Orlando
9). Sleeper 34098 (Car 2215) – Passengers for Maricopa, Fort Worth, Dallas, Longview, Little Rock and Chicago
10). Sleeper 32104, Oklahoma (Car 2230) – Texas Eagle passengers

We stop at Tucson at 6:03 a.m. MT, just as the sun begins to make its way above Mount Lemmon and the mountains of the Coronado National Forest. During the stop, we take on water in the dining car and fuel for Engine 2 (the primary) and Engine 840. There was talk they would fix the refrigeration system and restock the food in the lounge car here in Tucson, but according to our car attendant, Rick, there were no mechanics. And thus, still no food requiring refrigeration. We leave the station at 6:42 a.m. and are now 5:22 behind schedule.