I decided to go somehwere I had never been for my birthday this year, and as it was my milestone 50th, chose Memphis, Tennessee. To make the trip more interesting, I planned to ride the Coast Starlight, Empire Builder and City of New Orleans both ways to see some countryside that had not seen since 2004. I had a good Christmas at home but was up on Boxing Day ready to start this trip.
Pacific Surfliner 763 12/26/2007My mother drove me to the Santa Ana station and I stopped at K. Lee Gift Shop to pick up some items then took the elevators up and over to Track 2 to wait for the Pacific Surfliner to arrive which was running late.
Pacific Surfliner 564 on its way to San Diego came in on time.
While that train was doing its station work, the late-running Pacific Surfliner 763 arrived and I boarded the lower level of the cab car for the trip to LAUPT. This Surfliner had cab car 6903, coaches 6413 and 6406, coach/ é 6303, Pacific Business Class 6807 and F59PHI 459. There was a lengthy stop at Anaheim due to excess baggage then a normal stop at Fullerton before our final sprint to Los Angeles, arriving there 14 minutes late, which I did not mind. I waited on a bench and a few minutes later, an early Sunset Limited arrived at 9:16 AM, whose consist was P42DCs 143 and 97, transition 39030, sleeper 32091 "Minnesota", diner 38004, lounge 33028, coaches 31020, 34049 and 34038 with sleeper 32078 "Florida". Pacific Surfliner 768 then arrived, as did some Metrolink trains, making a very busy station this mid-morning.
Coast Starlight 14 12/26/2007At 9:22 AM, the Coast Starlight reversed into the station with P24DCs 135 and 87, baggage 1708, transition 39018, sleepers 32065, 32113 "Vermont" and 32098 "New Jersey", lounge 32019 (substituing for the Pacific Parlour Car), diner 38021, lounge 32020 and coaches 34064, 34512, 34045 and 34504. I stored my luggage in Room 2 of 32065 with Sleeping Car Attendant Matelen working this car. I went outside and visited with Conductor Bob Riskie who stopping by to see me then visited the lounge car for some cinnamon rolls and orange juice before watching the first disc of "Kissology I" on a portable DVD player I was using as I did not want to bring the computer on this trip.
We departed on time, stopped in Van Nuys, then after stopping for three trains (two Metrolinks and Pacific Surfliner 774), finally arrived at Simi Valley then proceeded to Oxnard.
After Ventura, we crossed the Ventura River.
Offshore islands as we reached the shore of the Pacific Ocean.
Rough surf along the coast this early afternoon.
I was using an Axiom 7 LCD monitor and DVD player. At Santa Barbara, I took a fresh air break, visited the lounge car then retuned to my room as we departed Santa Barbara 22 minutes late and I switched to Elton John's "Caribou" CD as we made our way west, briefly stopping at Goleta to drop off a passenger who had boarded our train by mistake.
West of Refugio State Beach.
West of Gaviota State Beach looking east.
Later, looking north at Jalama Beach.
The lighthouse at Point Sol as we turned north along the coast crossing Vandenberg Air Force Base.
I love the rocky points before Surf.
After I rode the lounge car across the base, we dropped into Casmalia and I watched the second DVD of "Kissology I".
Later we came down the hill into Grover Beach then on to San Luis Obispo where we met the southbound Coast Starlight with Pacific Parlor Car 39972 in its consist at East San Luis Obispo. Our train reversed onto the mainline into the station, our next fresh air stop and crew change.
The Coast Starlight at San Luis Obispo. We departed at 4:05 PM {3:43 PM} as I watched the Kiss Show from Houston.
Our train at the top of the Goldtree Horseshoe Curve as we climbed Cuesta Grade. I finished Kissology Volume I as we neared Paso Robles, was called into the dining car for dinner and was seated with Rob and Gene going to Sacramento to visit their grandchildren, and Bobby going to Dunsmuir. My tablemates were served in ten minutes and I let them to start. My flat iron steak finally arrived, followed by chocolate ice cream.
After dinner and back in my room, I watched Jackie Chan's "Fantasy Mission Force" then took a fresh air stop at Salinas.
Caltrain trainsets were laying over at Gilroy. Since I was very tired, I made up my room and was in bed by San José.
I went to the lounge car for some Danish and orange juice then later at Kegg, we held the mainline for a non-clearing Union Pacific 5384 South. The Coast Starlight then passed through two tunnels into Oregon with our next stop in Klamath Falls.
We passed the old lift bridge south of town before arriving at Klamath Falls where I detrained for some cold fresh air and pictures.
The Coast Starlight changing crews in Klamath Falls.
The snow continued to fall. We departed an hour and ten minutes late as I read The Oregonian before watching Jackie Chan's "Master with Cracked Fingers".
Upper Klamath Lake was frozen.
Passing the frozen Root Beer Falls.
We then arrived at Chemult, our next station stop before climbing the grade to a very snowy Cascade Summit.
Exiting the Cascade Summit Tunnel before starting downgrade.
Passing through Abernethy.
These snow-covered trees are beautiful!
On trestle between Tunnels 4 and 5.
Later we crossed the Salt Creek Bridge just before Heather. I then watched "Kissology III" as the snow continued to fall.
A Union Pacific flanger waiting for its next chance to get out and work at Oakridge.
The Office Covered Bridge built in 1945 by the Westfir Lumber Company and spans the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. It connected the Westfir Lumber Company mill to the main office. It measures 180 feet in length, making it the longest covered bridge in the state of Oregon. Its length also made it one of the only two bridges in the state to use tripe Howe truss engineering. A distinct feature of the bridge is the covered walkway, which allowed people safe access across without being in the way of loaded log trucks.
By the time we reached Lookout Point Reservoir, the snow had turned to rain and we proceeded to Eugene, a fresh air stop.
Views from the platform before I returned to my room for "Kiss Unplugged". We departed at 2:42 PM {12:44 PM} then at Hallawell, before Albany, we held the mainline for Union Pacific 5395 South as the rain continued to fall.
A Union Pacific freight at Albany.
Willamette Pacific power in their yard north of Albany. At Marion, we took the siding for the southbound Coast Starlight before arriving at Salem. Sudoku puzzles took me the rest of the way to Portland and Matelen did an excellent job, not only with our sleeper, but also with the transition car. We arrived at Portland at 5:35 PM {3:40 PM}, ending a relaxing trip to the Rose City.
Portland 12/27/2007I walked through Portland Union Station to a waiting taxi cab that took me to the Mark Spencer Hotel and after I checked in and stashed my luggage in the room, I walked four blocks to a MAX station at SW 10th Street. The ticket machine would not accept change or give any and one lady's ticket cost her twenty dollars. A Red Line trolley picked me up and took me out to 82nd Street and dinner at Elmers, where I had Prime Rib. I returned to the Mark Spencer and accessed the Internet and cleared out my e-mail then returned to Room 603 and called it a night.
12/28/2007 After a continental breakfast, I watched an hour of ESPN Sports Center before checking out and hailed a taxi back to Union Station then relaxed in the Metropolitan Lounge. The westbound Empire Builder arrived at 10:58 AM with P42DC 157, lounge 33030, coaches 34116 and 31042 and sleeper 32050. This train should be the rear of my Empire Builder when it gets to Spokane tonight.
Amtrak Cascades 506 12/28/2007
When I arrived at the station this morning, I obtained my boarding pass for my Amtrak Cascades Talgo trip to Seattle. At 11:58 AM, the gate was opened and all Cascade Business Class passengers followed me out to a waiting train. This was the same set that had just come down from Seattle, so all the passengers from the Eugene Cascades had to transfer from their train to this one.
Amtrak Cascades 506 ready to leave Portland Union Station for Seattle's King Street Station. I settled in single Seat 5C with a large window and we departed a few minutes late.
Our train crossed the Columbia River into Washington and our first stop at Vancouver.
The author enjoying Cascades Business Class. The movie was "The Bourne Ultimatum".
We were running along the Columbia River to our next stop at Kelso-Longview with Oregon across the river. It took forty minutes in a line to use my Business Class coupon for three dollars off in the bistro car.
We ran through the Washington countryside south of Winlock as the sun came out for the first time today.
There was a break in this storm as we passed through Chehalis before arriving at Centralia.
The north end of Centralia station.
Passing the Mystery Mounds just before Olympia-Lacey.
A rainy Puget Sound.
One of the many islands in the Sound.
The new Tacoma Narrows Bridge, with the old one next to it. We continued to Tacoma.
BNSF locomotives laying over in Tacoma. We made our way to Tukwila as the GPS map in the business class coach gave up the ghost, then stopped at Tukwila before the final sprint to Seattle.
Passing Boeing Field as we neared downtown Seattle.
Amtrak Cascades 506 arrived at Seattle at 4:07 PM {3:45 PM} and I went inside King Street Station to wait to board my next train, the Empire Builder.
