Pacific Surfliner from Fullerton, California, to Los Angeles Union Station

If you purchase a ticket on the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles, its point of origin, you also receive a Pacific Surfliner ticket from any point from San Diego north to Los Angeles.  This gets you to Los Angeles for the departure of the Coast Starlight.  

We boarded in Fullerton, the last stop on the San Diego to Los Angeles Pacific Surfliner route, and rode about a half hour to LAUS.  There is a comfortable layover in Los Angeles giving you time to go into the station and check luggage, if you like, and go to the waiting area in the TRAXX Lounge for Sleeping Car Passengers.  Coffee and juices are provided as you wait in the TRAXX Lounge.  From the Lounge, a Red Cap will take you and your carry on luggage on his electric cart to your Coast Starlight Sleeping Car.

In the TRAXX Liounge, I saw an attractively dressed Amtrak employee, black skirt and sweater and beautiful shell beaded necklace.  I said I was going to nominate her for 'Best Dressed Amtrak Employee' and she said, "My name is Lynn Sullivan."  So, I guess she didn't think I was kidding.  All personnel in the Lounge were congenial and answered all the passengers' questions, making sure those with limited mobility were cared for.

We were in the "Maryland," 1430 Car, Room 4, next to the Parlour Car.  Our Car Attendant was Lilliana.  Dominic was the Parlour Car Attendant.  

While in the Parlour Car, Lilliana gave us a choice of Champagne or Sparkling Cider splits.  Several folks chose to get some orange juice or  Cranberry juice from their car and mix it with the Champagne.  I enjoyed sparkling cider.  Lilliana said they had been providing this service for about a month and a half.  We had experienced this on the Empire Builder in June, 2008.

LSA, Jeff, came through the cars and took our 11:30 reservation for lunch.  Our waiter was Leonard.  Noticing that he was the youngest waiter I'd seen in months on Amtrak, I asked how long he had been working and he said that his one-year anniversary was this month.  He has worked this train and the Southwest Chief, as a sleeper attendant, coach attendant, and waiter.  He likes the waiter job because, "I get to see all the passengers, and, like a Grandparent, give them back to the Car Attendants after each meal."  He was a contrast in his good attitude compared to some of the other Amtrak employees, such as Dominic.  For lunch I had the Angus Burger, chips, Sierra Mist and carrot cake and coffee.

Coast Starlight from Los Angeles Union Station to Portland, Oregon

The Parlour Car, a lounge/dining car for Sleeping Car Passengers only, is always a highlight of any trip on the Coast Starlight.  This would be the first trip for me in which the Parlour Car has free Wi-Fi and a large-screen TV in the Movie Room downstairs.  I was looking forward to the Wi-Fi for e-mail and uploading photos and sections of this report as they were finished.  Hopefully, also checking weather at our destination, the Izaak Walton Inn, and sports scores on the TV.

I immediately tried to log on in the LA Station, without any luck.  After trying again several times, and asking Dominic, who threw a book at me saying that's all he knew, and getting no help from the Conductor nor the Car Attendant, I considered it a lost cause.  I noticed that there were "Free Wi-Fi" signs in all Amtrak Stations I've been in as well in the Parlour Cars.  Another Amtrak disappointment. However, at this moment, writing this report at Paso Robles, if I had had Wi-Fi, I would have been on the Internet rather than doing my work!  I'll have Wi-Fi at the Izaak Walton Inn and back home, when I get there.

[ During this trip, I had e-mail dialog with Sandra Nevarez, Marketing Coordinator, Internet Connectivity Group, Lake Forest, CA, about "Free Wi-Fi on the Parlour Car."  Here is a summary of our conversations:

"a troubleshooting guide and Standard Operating Procedures ... will be distributed by Amtrak, to Amtrak Personnel over the course of the next 30 days."   (May 17, 2010)

“I.C.G. anticipated the system being available to coincide with the release of Amtrak Marketing materials. This did not happen and I.C.G. expects to have the system fully operational on or about Memorial Day”.

"... the WiFi service on the trains uses the broadband cellular network for internet connection there will always be some locations where no cellular service is available and therefore no WiFi service.  This will be outlined in the info provided to the Amtrak employees.  In addition, I wanted to make sure that you understood that the TV is actually not a satellite feed, rather content that is downloaded wirelessly over the 3G cellular networks and cached on our MobileMedia System™ on the train car."

Thanks, Sandra, for this honest and straightforward information ]

Incidentally, the Internet worked fine on the way home on the Coast Starlight.  The TV was intermittent and did not have the menu choices that I saw in Los Angeles at the RailPAC Conference in April.  Again, Sandra addressed the TV issue by saying, "This feature is being deployed now and over the next week. The initial focus has been on establishing WiFi service."

I noticed on the Coast Starlight, while riding from Portland to Los Angeles, that each station we pulled into, the power went out momentarily in the Parlour Car.  I know at home, if this were the case, this would reset any movie or Internet connectivity.   ICG says they are aware of this and are taking steps to compensate for the repeated power losses.

I agree that the WiFi should be the first priority, then the TV feature.  It has been my experience, based on the fact that people see me using my laptop in the Parlour Car and often ask if I am online, and I don't see that many people inquiring about TV reception, or movies.

As I hear more about ICG's progress in this area from Sandra, I will post updates at TrainWeb.com.

One unexpected use of the Internet on the way home was during Wine Tasting of all things.  Carmella, the Parlour Car Attendant, asked Wine Trivia questions during tasting the first day.  During the second day, she admitted that she had run out of Wine Trivia questions, so, during Wine Tasting,  I went online and found some for her to use during the second day's Wine Tasting.  (Just Google "Wine Trivia" and you might win a glass of wine with your dinner on your next trip.)

View from the Parlour Car

Along the coast, in Vandenberg Air Base, we had a 25-minute stop while the crew solved an electrical problem.  Therefore, by the time we got to San Luis Obispo, we were 1 hr. 15 min. late.  Our worry is that we'll be taken off the train at Klammath Falls and bussed past the Columbia Gorge to meet the Empire Builder if we are too late to meet it in Portland.

I decided not to partake of Wine Tasting at 3:30.  Domonic set up 6 tables, with 4 glasses each for wine tasting and I didn't actually hear any announcements offering it, so only those that knew about it evidently participated.  I spent some time in the Parlour Car during Wine Tasting, and could see that they were enjoying themselves.  In the past, with the cheese and crackers, I had found that I was full at supper time, so I was glad I didn't participate.   Supper came at 6:00, and I had salmon with a couple from Ventura who were taking the train to Seattle, then a cruise to Alaska.  Don let his dinner time slide to 7:30, then went in to be seated.

Because school is not out yet, there are no children in the sleepers that I have seen.  Mostly grey beards like me.  The car attendant says the train is full, but I see a few empty roomettes.  Of course they might be sold for arrivals later down the line.

The Lead Service Attendant on this train was Jeff.  Our server for lunch was Leonard.  He seemed young and enthusiastic, so I asked if he was a 30-year veteran of Amtrak like many I've seen.  He responded that he would have his 1-year anniversary with Amtrak this month.  I asked if he liked his work, because he seemed to be enjoying himself.   He said he has been a coach attendant and sleeper attendant, but he likes serving in the diner because he sees all the the passengers and then they leave until the next meal, which he compared to being a grand parent.  Leonard was very friendly and young.

Our lunch started at 11:30, about Oxnard.  I had an Angus Burger, chips, Sierra Mist, and for desert, carrot cake and coffee.  I told Leonard that I'd take the carrot cake because my Dr. told me to 'eat more vegetables.'  

We were staying in Sleeping Car Maryland, 1430, Room 4.  I believe the unrefurbished Superliner Sleepers  were named for states, and when refurbished, they lose their state name.  When I might be late for a meal in the diner, I usually say, "It took me a while, I had to come all the way from Maryland!"

Fresh Air Stop during crew change in SLO Our car attendant (right), Lilliana
Horse shoe curve, above SLO, where you can see the front and back of the train.

The Empire Builder from Portland, OR, to Essex, MT.