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bridge—it's 320 feet down to the river. This is pretty dry country,
and lots of cacti and mesquite can be seen. About 20 minutes
farther on, the Sunset
rolls through the town of Langtry, once
the home of the legendary Roy Bean. He wasn't really a judge,
but that didn't deter him from proclaiming himself the “only
law west of the Pecos” and dispensing his own unique version
of justice here for a number of years. Somewhere along the way,
Ol' Roy became infatuated with Lily Langtry, a famous British
actress, and he named the town for her—a dubious honor at best.
The Sunset heads a bit more to the north now, climbing into
the Del Norte Mountains. Just after a stop in Alpine, Texas, you'll
cross Paisano Pass, which is over 5,000 feet in elevation and the
highest point of the entire trip. It's late afternoon when you reach
El Paso, located on the Rio Grande and surrounded by the Frank-
lin Mountains. As you depart El Paso, the Mexican city of Juárez
is just there on the other side of the Rio Grande. You'll cross the
river and enter the state of New Mexico just a few minutes after
leaving El Paso. It's here that the Sunset passes literally within a
few feet of the Mexican border, which is marked by a white post
just to the left of the train.
You'll cross the Continental Divide shortly after leaving
Deming, New Mexico, around dinnertime, and you'll reach the
Arizona border a couple of hours later. Mining of gold, silver,
and copper is big in these parts.
During your second night aboard, the Sunset Limited crosses
the Arizona-California border. If it's on time, there'll be a mid-
morning arrival into Los Angeles. It isn't the original transconti-
nental trip, but it's still quite a journey.
Important note: Before planning any itinerary involving the
Sunset Limited, see the note at the end of the route description
for the Texas Eagle (page 289).
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