Amtrak train #36, the eastbound Desert Wind (Los Angeles CA to Salt Lake City UT) passes through Lambert, a "station" in eastern Anaheim, California, on January 27th, 1993. Amtrak's colorful 500-class General Electric Dash 8-32BWH diesels were the normal power on trains #35 and #36 at this time, and one could easily handle this five-car consist. In Salt Lake City, the Desert Wind would connect with both trains #5 and #6 (the Chicago IL to Oakland CA San Francisco Zephyr, later renamed California Zephyr) and trains #25 and #26 (the Portland OR to Salt Lake City Pioneer). These trains were in service from October 28, 1979 until May 10, 1997, at which point both the Desert Wind and the Pioneer were discontinued.
California-bound rail travelers from the east have three choices to reach the Golden State: California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle. A look back through the years including the now-defunct Desert Wind
Depicts Amtrak's "Desert Wind" service, which operated from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, via Las Vegas. Its discontinuance in 1997 left the lower Intermountain region, including Las Vegas, without any passenger rail service since.
