I think that today, 2020 the Desert Wind would be very successful since Las Vegas has grown so much, and air travel has become such a hassle since 911, there would be a new market for it!

I want Amtrak desert wind back!!!!! So i can drive down to LA, just to hop on and have a drink with buddies on route to Las Vegas!

Amtrak is currently discussing the possibility of restoration of the Desert Wind and the Pioneer.

I took the Desert Wind from Las Vegas eastbound and rode Amtrak all the way back to Poughkeepsie, NY back in 1994.

This train and the pioneer should both still exist! Along with the Three Rivers/Broadway

I had the opportunity to ride the Desert Wind in 1990. It split off from the California Zephyr in Salt Lake City then onto Las Vegas. It was an enjoyable ride. Consist was 2 coaches, 1 sleeper, a diner, and a lounge.

I agree this train should still be and so should the Pioneer It too should still be I believe these two trains should make a come back

Thanks for this. I can almost guarantee that a few of these had my father at the controls. This was his run in 1994. He passed in 2003, so this brings back some great memories of riding along with him

Totally miss this train!!! I used to take the Desert Wind all the time back and forth from Cali to Colorado when I was younger. Definitely in need of restoration!! 👍

They should combined the old Pioneer route with the Desert Wind Route. That way the train can run from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. From there, the train could go to Salt Lake City, Utah, where one half of the train splits off to Seattle, WA via Idaho and Oregon and the other half combined with the Westbound California Zephyr en route to Chicago.

Thanks for the video. Yes there still should be a Desert Wind. When I was a teenager I rode the Desert Wind back in 1968. However, back in 1968 there was no Amtrak and no such train named the Desert Wind. What I rode was the magnificent Union Pacific railroad from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, then on to Salt Lake City and through to Chicago. The train was called "The City of Los Angeles." "The City of Los Angeles" ran over the same tracks as Amtrak's Desert Wind. The Union Pacific had a magnificent looking yellow color scheme and an incredible dining car and very roomy sleeping compartments. You could also ride Union Pacific's "City of Las Vegas" train which was an afternoon train out of Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful shots of my favorite train.Brings back quite a few fond memories.

I rode the" Desert Wind' to the Union Plaza, I loved it.

Amtrak should bring back Desert Wind, I can imagine the section between LA and LV being well used. And I would love to use it to travel to Utah or Colorado.

Honestly reckon they should do a Midwest style consist for the Las Vegas to LA section to help revive the desert wind

One trouble with the Desert Wind between LV and SLC was that it ran overnight to catch-up with the California Zephyr. The scenery between LV and SLC is so beautiful, with many canyons and tunnels, maybe it should be a daytime trip integrated with vans and buses to national parks and other recreational centers. There are no population centers between Provo, UT and Las Vegas, NV, but it could be promoted as a way to enjoy outdoor activities and make a direct connection with Brightline. Thanks to the TRAX commuter train, this once a day train could be serviced in Utah without going all the way to Los Angeles,. or it could run overnight from Los Angeles to Vegas.

It should be noted that both Las Vegas and the SLC area have much more population than when the Desert Wind was removed from the timetable.

At 6:42, on the left, there's a yellow passenger train locomotive on the left from the 1950's. I think it's an E. unit. The E. stands for eighteen-hundred horse-power. On the right, there's a passenger train locomotive from the 1990's.

With Brightline purchasing XpressWest, I can see Amtrak cutting a deal with the new management to use the new tracks (if they're built) so Amtrak can bypass UP between Victorville and LV for a Desert Wind's revival.

Thanks for this awesome time capsule!

Wish this train still ran no telling how many years it will take express west to be devolved. Knowing California regulations I’ll be old with grand kids

Thanks for these wonderful videos, Ray!

The Train was 8 Hours Late. Hmmm... The schedule for a Las Vegas drop off or pick up was not a convenient or normal time. So it was late and that makes it worse for people trying to use it... That may be why people didn't ride it enough to keep it going..

One thing that I think is overlooked is that, if there was an available rail line on, or near the I-15 corridor to San Diego (which would be built if the California High Speed Rail Project is able to do that part of the planned line), it might make better sense, if this line were to be brought back, to just run it down to San Diego, instead of Los Angeles from the Inland Empire cities the Desert Wind used to stop at (there are already multiple Metrolink lines connecting the Inland empire cities to Fullerton and Los Angeles). When may dad and I were on this line in early-1988, we actually got off at Fullerton, instead of going to Union Station, because were were returning to San Diego, and there's currently no inland line connecting San Diego, Escondido (where there is a transit center on the east end of the Sprinter line), Temecula, Murrieta, and Perris, which is the southernmost end of the Metrolink line that goes furthest south in Riverside County. If that planned line to connect San Diego to the Inland empire on the I-15/I-215 corridors is built, you might not only see this line return (only with San Diego as a possible end destination, instead of Los Angeles), but also light rail (primarily in the San Diego-to-Escondido corridor), and commuter rail (LA's Metrolink and a similar commuter rail line for the San Diego portion similar to the Coaster) to make one of the last unbuilt connections by rail in Southern California.

Very wood! , Congratulations!

In my opinion Amtrak should buy the equipment for a daily running Desert Wind and recontinue the train because then they could get alot of money. And the train should be there so people who wanted to go from Denver or Salt Lake City to Los Angeles by train can take the train without having to make connections in either California or Chicago.

So sad looking at trains that don't run anymore :(

great video so sad this Amtrak route not bring used by Amtrak trains right now 😢😭

Wow Ray, and look how much of the motels were there in Vegas!! I was there in like 1995! Now look at it!! Cool Video! It was nice to see you yesterday on the bike!!

❤

What we need to be working on is a train from Portland to Las Vegas Call it THE PIONEER DESERT WIND

Nice

Its terrible that a city like Las Vegas doesnt have intercity passenger rail transport

Amtrak should now reintroduce the NEW San Diegan Amtrak California Corridor service that runs between San Diego and Las Vegas via Oceanside, Perris CA, San Bernardino, Victorville, Barstow, and Las Vegas!! And a NEW Long Distance Service between Los Angeles and Calgary, Alberta Canada would use the former route the Desert Wind used from Barstow to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, and extend that connection further northward from Salt Lake City, to Idaho and Montana, all the way up to Alberta Canada in Calgary!! This new long distance service should be called "Desert International" since it goes through the desert and up through the International border into Canada! It will be Amtrak's VERY FIRST INTERNATIONAL LONG DISTANCE TRAIN to Canada from Los Angeles!!

Madness a mega city like Vegas has no passenger rail connection from other major cities.

Does anyone know if there's a documentary why it discontenued?

1977? I seem to recall riding that train, earlier. I rode the first ever PIONEER from Salt Lake City to Portland, in 1977. I remember, when I rode the Desert Wind, I also took a tour from Salt Lake, to Provo, behind UP 8444. Sorry, but memories for dates get confused over the years. My trips to the US were in 1974 1976 1977 1980 and 2014.

Now more Amtrak lines are getting cut due to the continued effect of the GM lobby on passenger rail

I hear that Amtrak has a plan to restore this train

This train route should be reinstated only from LA to Salt Lake City via Las Vegas

What crossing was the picture taken at 6:54?

Amtrak along with the states of California and Nevada could use the surf liner equipment or the Amtrak California equipment for this run and it would be very profitable

the Las Vegas station, is behind Plaza Hotel?

Hello, Amtrak Desert wind train, circulated twice a day in Las Vegas, once in the direction of Chicago and the other to Los Angeles ?. regards

all the streamlined passenger trains should still be none of them should have ever been taken out of service

They say that people are trying to restore this train as well as the Pioneer.

If Amtrak California could get it's last Pacific Surfliner trainset back from Beech Grove, that trainset could be used on the old Desert Wind schedule between Los Angeles-Salt Lake City. It would even have a Business class Coach

If Amtrak can do multiple round trips a day from LA to Paso Robles then it can make round trips from Vegas to LA too, in lesser time even, maybe 4 hours

i wish the Phase 3 livery was still a commen thing to see, especially the pepsi-can livery on the P32-8W's really love those the most, i seriously dislike the Phase 5 colors that amtrak has now-a-days

because the desert wind is no more it should be again and the pioneer that too

What utter shit when Amtrak decided to drop this service.

Need personal ride Amtrak train Freano to Vegas important. that how take disability power wheelchair go to Vegas

you guys realize Amtrak doesn't use it's own rails right?! The tickets you currently buy are heavily subsidized by the government because they do not have to contribute to repair or building of the rail lines. The freight companies in return get a massive tax incentive allowing Amtrak to use the lines. Unfortunately, if a rail line is not going to be used, neither will Amtrak. If maintenance will not be kept up on it, Amtrak cannot risk it. Their own manpower would not make sense to cover the costs when right now, you can get a round trip airline ticket from Vegas to LA for 79.00. SLC to LA 119.00 round trip. The manpower alone to replace track, and maintain the systems would throw the price of the tickets in the 400 dollar range quite easily. If I can be at my destination in a little over an hour for a cheaper price than the alternative which take 11-12 hours and costs more, its just an inferior product that is not even worth considering.

If Amtrak had a brain, and the current board does not, they would realize the LA - SLC run. Look at Southwest and Delta. LA - LVS? Wait til Sir Branson kicks Amtrak's ass at this.

there is no station in las vegas!

the democrats cut corners everywhere for Amtrak which it leads amtraks desert wind demise in 1997 the company officer named thomas downs at the time and that Thomas downs is a democrat

Wish this train still ran no telling how many years it will take express west to be devolved. Knowing California regulations I’ll be old with grand kids