September 28, 2016:

 

            I got up and had breakfast. I then got dressed and finished packing as today was the day I left for Seattle and ultimately back home. My host Steven said he didn’t have another guest coming and that I could leave my stuff in the apartment which would save me from bringing it around downtown San Francisco as I was planning on making one last attempt to ride PCC #1074.

 

            I then headed out and walked to the West Oakland BART station. I rode one stop to Embarcadero and got off. I then walked to the San Francisco Railway Museum and checked their display to see if PCC #1074 was running. It didn’t appear to be. The person there said that sometimes the GPS tracker doesn’t work and #1074 might come out later as it’s one of the more frequently used cars on the “F” line. I went outside and photographed some PCCs. It turned out some weren’t shown on the map like PCC #1057 (Cincinnati).

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I photographed PCC #1077; the Birmingham painted PCC. Birmingham ran 48 PCCs which were sold to Toronto in 1952. Like other vehicles at the time, the PCCs in Birmingham were segregated as by the time Rosa Parks made her stand, the PCCs were now in Toronto and thus were desegregated.

 

 

            I saw PCC #1075 which is painted for Cleveland heading towards Castro. Since I had photographed it going the other way, it was obvious that #1074 wasn’t between the museum and Fisherman’s Wharf.  I decided to go for a ride. I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            I rode to Castro. Along the way, we did not pass #1074 going the opposite direction so it wasn’t out. Once I got to Castro, I took some photos of #1075.

 

 

            There were three cars at Castro already waiting to go back into service. Two of them were PCC #1079 (Detroit) and #1058 (Chicago). I photographed the PCCs.

 

 

 

            I saw it was very foggy in the distance and couldn’t see houses. San Francisco is known for fog, but this is the time of year when the fog isn’t quite as bad. I took a picture showing the fog as well as PCC #1058 (ex SEPTA) again.

 

 

 

            I boarded #1058 and rode one stop. I filmed the car pulling away. I went to a restaurant thinking it would be a good place for lunch, but decided it wasn’t the case. I walked back to the streetcar stop and saw PCC #1079 (Detroit) arriving. I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            I rode a few stops before I got off and filmed the car pulling away. I walked along and found another restaurant to have lunch. I had a peanut butter crepe like what I had in Barcelona. After lunch, I went to the light rail station. I was going to go by the car house again to try to see #1074.

 

            I photographed two trains before I photographed a train on the “T” line which would take me to where I wanted to go.

 

 

 

 

            I rode the car to the same stop I rode to the Saturday before when I first went by the car house. I got off and walked to the car house. I photographed a Breda light rail car on a trailer.

 

 

            I then photographed PCC #1056 which is ex SEPTA and painted in the livery of Kansas City. #1056 was recently returned to Muni after being refurbished off property.

 

 

            Kansas City ran PCCs from 1941 to 1957 when they got rid of streetcars. Many of the cars were sold to other systems including Toronto. At least one original Kansas City PCC survives.

 

            The door to the track PCC #1074 was parked on was closed, but I photographed it from another door. Clearly they were still doing work so I would not get to ride it at all!

 

 

            I then walked around the car house and photographed PCCs 1078, 1073, and 1040.

 

 

 

            #1078 is ex Newark and is painted in San Diego colours. San Diego ran PCCs from 1937 to 1949. Five years ago, San Diego once again started running PCCs that are of SEPTA and Muni heritage.

 

            #1073 is also ex Newark and is painted for El Paso. El Paso bought some of San Diego’s original PCC cars and used them on a line that ran across the U.S. and Mexico Border!  That line stopped running in the 70’s, but El Paso kept a few PCCs which are undergoing rebuild for a new streetcar line.

 

            #1040 was originally built for San Francisco and is historically significant because it was the last PCC built in North America! #1040 has been restored to the original Muni “Wings” livery and sees occasional service on the “F” line though it never ran while I was there.

 

            Muni has some of #1040’s sister cars and other PCCs in storage somewhere. I had learned they were somewhere on the waterfront. I decided to try to seek them out. I made my way back to the “T” line and boarded a train. I rode to the end of the line. Along the way, we passed wye track.

 

            When I got to the end of the line, I saw the track ended beyond the station and there was no sign of any stored PCCs anywhere. I did see a Caltrain station nearby. I photographed a Breda LRT car coming out of the tail track to go into service.

 

 

            I got on the train and we headed off. I got off at a station close to the wye track. I looked down the wye and didn’t see any stored PCCs there as well. I made my way back to the LRT station and boarded a train heading towards downtown.

 

            As we passed over a drawbridge, I looked off to the side and saw some Muni PCCs in storage. I got off at the next stop and made my way there. The cars were stored in a fenced in area behind some stores. Many of the cars were in the Muni wings livery. I saw one car in the “Landor” livery similar to what Flyer E800 #5300 is painted in. Many of the cars were partially covered with tarps. Others looked like shells. I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I was not too far from the car house so I walked back and took some more pictures there.

 

 

 

            I saw that PCC #1074 was now blocked by PCC #1053 (Brooklyn, New York). I took a few more photos before I returned to the LRT station.

 

 

 

            I caught a “T” line train to downtown. I made my way to a mall and looked around. I saw the mall had a unique feature: an escalator that curves! I had never seen a curvy escalator before. I photographed it.

 

 

            I looked around the mall for a little while longer before I decided to try to ride one more Milan Witt on the “F” line.  I photographed PCC #1076 before I boarded PCC #1052.

 

            #1052 is painted in the earlier version of the Los Angeles Railways paint scheme. I rode the car a few stops before I got off and photographed the car again.

 

 

            I filmed the car pulling away and photographed various buses and PCCs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed PCC #1070 before I went for a ride.

 

 

            I got off and photographed #1070 before I filmed it departing.

 

 

            I waited around but only PCCs and buses came. I walked around. When I came back, I just missed a Milan Witt. However, I had a backup plan. I made my way to the light rail station to catch a light rail train that would take me to Castro.  It was rush hour and I had to wait a few trains before I got on. I did photograph my train when it arrived.

 

 

            I rode the train to Castro before I got off. I walked to the streetcar loop and photographed PCCs 1079 and 1058.

 

 

 

            The Witt had just arrived. I photographed it.

 

 

            I waited for PCCs 1079 and 1058 to depart before I boarded Witt #1859. I rode the car to where the “F” line meets the light rail line. I got off and photographed the car.

 

 

            I attempted to film the car pulling away, but accidentally stopped recording. I then headed to the light rail and boarded an inbound train. I photographed it when it arrived.

 

 

            I rode to Embarcadero and got off. I filmed my train departing and photographed another Breda LRV.

 

 

            I then went to the BART station and awaited my train. I filmed the train arriving. I rode one stop to West Oakland. I got off and photographed a car with an advertising wrap.

 

 

            I filmed the train pulling out and returned to the apartment. I chatted with my host about planes for a few minutes. I told him about my saga with Jetblue.

 

            After a little while, I got my suitcase and left my key to the apartment. It was time to leave.

 

            I still had plenty of time before the Coast Starlight was scheduled to depart. I could have taken BART, but I figured AC Transit was cheaper. I left the apartment and walked back to the West Oakland BART station. I boarded an AC Transit Van Hool. I asked for a transfer, but learned that they don’t give transfers; only day passes.

 

            I simply paid my fare and rode to Broadway. I knew of a free bus service that would take me to the Amtrak station from where I got off. I found a stop for the shuttle and waited. The bus came a few minutes later. I rode to Jack London Square and got off a few blocks before the Amtrak station. I walked over and had dinner at a nearby Subway.

 

            After dinner I walked to the Amtrak station. I phoned Julie and found that the Coast Starlight was running on time.

 

            My family and I had thought of going on the Coast Starlight for awhile. So this trip was as good of a time as any. I also know that the Coast Starlight also runs with a Pacific Parlor coach which is a former Santa Fe High Level lounge car. I had seen some interior shots of one as well as a Pacific Parlor car in Chicago when I was on my Arizona trip. I thought it would be neat to ride in one.

 

            While I waited for the Coast Starlight, I photographed and filmed some trains run by Amtrak California.

 

 

 

 

            Eventually, it was announced that train #14, the northbound Coast Starlight would soon be arriving. I filmed the train as it came in and photographed it.

 

 

 

            I was in room 3 of Superliner 1 sleeping car #32054. My room was on the upper level on the right hand side of the train.

 

            As it was, my room wasn’t quite ready so the Amtrak attendant told me to wait in the lounge car. I went to the lounge car to discover that it was a regular Superliner sightseer lounge. I guess the Pacific Parlor car was bad ordered. This was a big disappointment since the Pacific Parlor cars only run on the Coast Starlight.

 

            The train did have Wi-Fi however, and I logged on. The Coast Starlight departed on time. I was soon told my room was ready. I dropped my stuff off in the room.

 

            The next stop was Emeryville which was less than 10 minutes away. I was allowed off the train and took some photos.

 

 

 

            I then got back on the train. We soon departed. Emeryville is the western end of the California Zephyr which I had originally planned to take home but chose the Coast Starlight and Cascades service because it was less expensive.

 

            I went back to the sightseer lounge for a bit. The Coast Starlight trainsets usually consist of two locomotives, a baggage car, transition sleeper, three Superliner sleeping cars, Pacific Parlor car, dining car, Business Class coach (which only started being used on this train kind of like what Amtrak did with the Crescent), Sightseer Lounge, and 3-4 coaches. So there were two Sightseer Lounges in my train.

 

            After awhile I decided to head to my room and call it a night.

 

September 29, 2016:

 

            I woke up shortly after midnight as we were stopped in Sacramento. I photographed an Amtrak California train next to my train.

 

 

            I filmed the train as we departed. I went back to bed. I got up shortly after 8:00 am. I got dressed and went to the dining car for breakfast. While I was having breakfast, the train stopped in Klamath Falls which was a smoke stop. However, we departed before I could finish breakfast.

 

            After breakfast, I went to the sightseer lounge that was filling in for the Pacific Parlor car. We were going around a lake. In the distance, I could see Mount Shasta which is a dormant volcano. I photographed it.

 

 

Mount Shasta can be seen in the middle of the picture.

 

            We were traveling through the Cascade Range which has 13 active but dormant volcanoes. I was hoping to see others. Only two volcanoes in the Cascade Range had erupted in the last 100 years: Mount Lassen and Mount St. Helens.

 

            The train made a quick stop in Chemult. There was someone pointing out aspects of the route. We went into some tunnels. I attempted to photograph the train as it went around a curve.

 

 

 

            I went to the regular Sightseer Lounge car and got some M&Ms and a Pepsi. I had to pass through the business class car which was a regular Superliner coach.

 

            A little while later, I returned to the Sightseer Lounge filling in for the Pacific Parlor car. The people from Trails and Rails mentioned we were coming up to the area where a few years ago, a massive landslide buried the line. Union Pacific managed to restore the line in three months in an unprecedented move of working around the clock. I photographed the reminates of the slide.

 

 

            I was hoping to see the Three Sisters volcano but was unsure if I saw it or not. The train stopped in Eugene-Springfield. After we departed, I saw an Amtrak Cascades train on a siding. Eugene-Springfield is the southern most station on the Cascades service.

 

            Shortly after leaving Eugene-Springfield, I saw a 76 ball on the ground. It wasn’t on a pole at a 76 station. Unfortunately, I was unable to photograph it.

 

            I went to the dining car for lunch. While I was having lunch, the train made stopped at Albany, (Oregon). We departed Albany. After lunch, we stopped at Salem. At one point Amtrak train #11, the southbound Coast Starlight passed. I filmed part of the train. I saw it had a P32-BWH trailing and it had an actual Pacific Parlor car instead of a second Sightseer Lounge car.

 

            Soon, we were getting close to Portland. I could tell because we were running alongside the tracks used by Portland’s light rail system.

 

            A little while later, I filmed as we passed the Oregon Rail Heritage Center which is home to Southern Pacific Daylight steam locomotive #4449. I didn’t see the #4449, but I saw some of the coaches that are used in trains hauled by the locomotive and an Alco RSD-5 owned by Doyle McCormack plus I caught a glimpse of Nickel Plate Road #190 which I had seen during Streamliners at Spencer back in 2014.

 

 

Here’s Nickel Plate #190 at Streamliners at Spencer.

 

            I also saw and filmed the tender for another steam locomotive at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center; SP&S #700. #700 is undergoing its 15 year inspection at this time.

 

            A little while later, we crossed over a river. I took some photos.

 

 

 

            I was looking for Mount Hood which is another volcano in the Cascades range. However, I was unable to see it.

 

            We pulled into Portland station almost an hour early! Portland is a smoke stop so I got off and photographed the train as well as an Amtrak Cascades train.

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed Amtrak train #28 the Portland Section of the Empire Builder awaiting its departure to Chicago.

 

 

            I went outside the station and filmed a train on the light rail line near the station.

 

 

            I took a few more photos in the area of the station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I again tried to see Mount Hood, but was unable to. I made my way back to the station. I bought some snacks and some lemonade at a store in the station. I saw they had shirts with SP #4449 and other rail related shirts. I didn’t buy any though.

 

            I got back on the train and we eventually left on time. I made my way to the Sightseer Lounge filling in for the Pacific Parlor car. Shortly after leaving Portland, we went around a curve to the right and went across a long bridge. Prior to Portland, we were on Union Pacific tracks. We were now running on BNSF trackage. We passed a BNSF intermodel train. I made one last look for Mount Hood without success.

 

            I photographed some BNSF locomotives as we stopped in Vancouver, Washington.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Vancouver Washington is home to the USGS which monitors all the volcanoes in the United States.

 

            The train passed by a small airport. We stopped at Kelso-Longview a little while later.

 

            I went to the dining car for dinner. The train stopped in Centralia, Washington. While I was having dinner, one of the people I was sitting with said they were going to leave on a cruise ship the next day.

 

            After dinner, I went to the Sightseer Lounge filling in for the Pacific Parlor car. We were running alongside the Puget Sound. The train stopped at Olympia-Lacey.

A little while later we stopped outside of Tacoma because we were early and Amtrak Cascades train #509 was at the station.

 

            There was a BNSF freight doing some switching on the track next to us. The front part of the train pulled ahead leaving us with a clear view of Mount Rainier.

 

 

            Mount Rainier is the tallest volcano in the Cascades range. It is also covered in snow which when it eventually erupts will cause disaster for communities nearby as it would lead to massive mudflows or lahars which could cover half the Puget Sound in mud and debris with a high death toll.

 

            Amtrak train #509 departed Tacoma and passed us. I filmed the train as it passed. We then started moving and then stopped in Tacoma.

 

            After leaving Tacoma, the sun went down. I returned to my room and finished packing.

 

            Train #14 arrived into Seattle 18 minutes early! I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I then left the station and photographed a streetcar on Seattle’s new streetcar line.

 

 

            I then photographed the locomotives of the Coast Starlight.

 

 

            I had to catch a bus to my hotel. I had just missed one and I had 30 minutes before the next bus on route #124. While waiting, I photographed a Breda articulated high floor trolleybus.

 

 

            My bus eventually came and I got on. It was a New Flyer D60. I got on and we headed off. At one point, we passed the Museum of Flight with a couple Boeing 727s outside.

 

            The ride was a long ride, but we eventually got to the hotel. I got off and photographed the bus as there was someone boarding in a wheelchair.

 

 

 

            I filmed the bus pulling away and crossed the street to my hotel. I checked in and asked for a shuttle to the airport tomorrow at 10:00 am. I then went to my room. I logged into the Wi-Fi and went to streetcar.org and saw that once again Muni PCC #1074 did not come out today.

 

            After awhile, I went to a 7-11 across the street and bought some milk. I went back to my hotel and worked on this report and went online. I eventually set the alarm on my phone and called it a night.

 

Click for the last part of my report:  Seattle-Vancouver