The Empire Builder is one of Amtrak’s most iconic cross-country train routes. It crosses the northern United States, providing amazing views of Puget Sound, the Cascade Range, Glacier National Park, the Great Plains, and the Mississippi River. It also goes through America’s longest rail tunnel.
Curious what a 45-hour trip in coach class is like? Find out!
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:58 King Street Station
2:46 Boarding the Empire Builder
3:28 Seat Review
3:55 Conductor Announcements
4:50 Puget Sound Views
6:23 Everett, WA
7:24 About the Empire Builder
7:50 Superliner Cars
9:13 History of the Empire Builder, Pt 1
11:56 The Cascade Tunnel
13:02 History, Pt 2
14:13 Fresh Air Stop in Wenatchee, WA
15:17 Combining the Train in Spokane, WA
15:50 Morning in Glacier National Park
18:06 Fresh Air Stop in Shelby, MT
18:43 A Lounge Car, At Last!
19:07 Fresh Air Stop in Havre, MT
20:31 The Montana Plains
20:49 North Coast Hiawatha
22:20 Minot, ND
24:10 Waking up in St. Paul, MN
24:41 Winona, MN
25:40 Crossing Wisconsin
27:30 Reflections on our Trip
28:24 Final Announcement
29:33 Back in Chicago
source
5:16 Getting a seat on the right-hand side would be porpoise-less.
Glad you had a good time
Thanks for another great video
Delighted to see your return trip on the Empire Builder ! Your description was excellent, and I really like the Seattle section of the train which for me is the more scenic of the two routes. Also delighted to see the lead locomotive of your train was the Genesis from Portland, truly my favourite AMTK locos ! Many thanks indeed.
Very good video. You are very knowledgeable. And your voice and descriptions are very clear
Great video, but we need another Bear sighting!!!
I'm riding the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle in April!! I'm so excited, videos like these get me so hyped 😀 😀
So cool I just took it!
18:24THE MOOD CHANGE 😂😂😂
Loved the "Photo Bomb: from the guy in Shelby! LOL Wow, I never heard of not having a working card reader before, that'll make me bring more cash if needed.
I think the ten-ride coach ticket sounds like a great deal but how much sleep do you get in Coach? I always spring for a roomette but would love to save money on a coach seat.
When i had my pass I took Lakeshore Limited Southwest Chief Coast Starlight Empire Builder and the Capitol Limited. Took about took weeks. there's a video on my channel. its basically a slideshow with music. I covered almost 7600 rail miles. Sad reality about Amtrak is even if the train is totally sold out it still doesn't make a profit.
Although others have done trip reports on this route, I was glad to see this posted by you! Your combination of relaxed style, interesting facts and nice camera work make going on the journey with you and Lindsey fun and very enjoyable. I Minot watch your videos when you first post, instead I look forward to relaxing and watching them in full size on my TV!
James J. Hill sent recruiting agents to Ellis Island – and even to ports in Europe – to convince immigrants to settle along his rail route. He named towns Glasgow, Bismarck, and Havre to entice various nationalities. He sold farmland for next to nothing to the new immigrants. Why? Because once they settled there, they had to use his railroad to send their crops to market, and he could charge whatever he wanted.
Great trip! I enjoyed thr ride too.
I did a 16 day, 12 state, 3 train (Lake Shore Limited, Zephyr, and Coast Starlight) adventure like that myself in summer of 2022. It was ABSOLUTELY the trip of a lifetime. You are right its so worth it.
Oh, you’re heading back to Chicago by Empire builder
I like the Seattle section of the Empire Builder the most. Love seeing the Cascade and Rocky Mountains. But the Cascades I find are the most towering mountains in Washington State. The Rockies are outstanding. Love Glacier National Park in Montana.
I just seen amtrack has the special for $50 off right now ending on 26 Dec 2024. Hopely they do another $200 off
I miss seeing the Surfliner F59PHI that are apparently being used by Metra still with the og Surfliner Livery (only difference is they painted Metra over the Amtrak logo). Glad to see em again. Those were the best locomotives imho.
I still never took empire builder yet 2. OMG you caught the F40C at 29:00 the rarest locomotive in the US
28:45 Is he coming into Chicago or Seattle?
Thom, porpoises don't jump out if the water…but orcas do. You may have seen an orrca breach! I am envious. That is a teeat!
I saw your face… Don't get mad at people saying hi to your camera… Jeje is normal and also funny 🤣 …
Awesome video Thom, amazing vistas. If flying is your thing so be it, but if you have the time then take the train you will not be disappointed.
I want to ride the entire route of the Empire Builder going to opposite direction. That’s the way I’d prefer it because I like the idea of going out out of Chicago and then getting all the nice views. I haven’t been on that train ever but I’ve traveled as far northwest as Minneapolis on a road trip from Chicago where that train stops and never went to any of the other states west of it that it travels through. Not even central or western Minnesota.
Brilliant video ya cheeky pair!
Great ending to a great series! It's unfortunate that the card-reader wasn't working in the café car, since many people just don't carry much cash with them nowadays.
COVID planned demic
Great video! The Empire Builder (Seattle-Chicago) is my favorite Amtrak route of all. It's stunningly beautiful pretty much from the beginning to the end. And the beauty of Washington is very different than the beauty of Montana. And Wisconsin. And so on. I didn't know the full history of the route until your video. Bonus points for "Minot".
Love to see you take the Vermonter, the former Montrealer.
I tried to do it this this year too, and unfortunately they eliminate that sell, now they only offer $50 discount of a $499 regular USA Rail pass,very sad. I've done it for 2 years round, and now I have to do some other arrangement to travel different states. Thanks for sharing your video on your way back, great experience!
Nothing beats train travel. Spending 12 to 14 hours in economy on a plane is no fun. You travel long distances but miss everything in between and for most of the flight you are confined to a seat with minimal leg room.
Next time book a sleeping compartment.
When an Amtrak train is going slow, it’s more like slo-comotive.
I’ve been on a comfortable Amtrak train. It was pretty nice being on the Texas eagle, but the trip didn’t last for long. This is because I was taking the Amtrak train to my grandma and grandpa’s and they live in Dunlap, Illinois and I got off at Bloomington-normal
Second time in a row being pulled by an Amtrak alc-42 on a long distance train be like
Great trip, enjoyed your narration as you traveled East. Your history of the stations, trains and area’s traveling through is exceptional.
@2:37 Seattle Union Station is still around, and it's even sort of used for transit. It's the main offices for Sound Transit and sits on top of the International District/Chinatown light rail station. I personally found Union Station to be a more impressive facility than King Street Station, but King Street "wins" because it's actually served by trains.