Tom Anderson asked me if I wanted to join him for the Relaunching of the Coast Starlight on May 10th, 2008 by taking the train to Portland, Oregon. I suggested a round trip on the Amtrak Cascades from Portland to Tacoma with a return on Monday after our arrival on Sunday then fly home that evening. It was then announced that National Train Day would be the day we planned to depart LAUPT. Nature then was involved when a massive mudslide at Fields in the Cascades shot down that route for more than three months. Union Pacific finally opened the tracks on April 5th with QPWRV0-2; only freight trains allowed during a non-work window at the slide location.
As such, Amtrak first bussed passenegers between Klamath Falls and Eugene for over a week before suspending service alogether. Many rail groups were not happy about this, so after a few weeks, a Los Angeles-to-Sacramento stub train was run, followed by an overnight bus between Sacramento and Portland. Finally, on April 19th, Amtrak returned to Klamath Falls with a full service train, bus to Eugene and stub train to Seattle. They sent the Pacific Parlour Cars back to Beech Grove to be upgraded during this period.
On April 24th, another slide occurred which turned out to be minor and shut down the railroad for only eight hours. On May 6th, the first full service Coast Starlight ran from Los Angeles to Seattle. Amtrak then announced that the relaunch of the Coast Starlight would be on June 10th, 2008. With airline tickets to get home, Tom and I decided to take this trip anyway, which could be a very interesting Amtrak adventure.
5/10/2008 I was up early and after doing my usual Saturday morning chores, I packed for this trip then drove to the Santa Ana station and parked for a two-night stay. I took care of a ticketing issue and stopped by the National Train Day display before crossing the bridge to Track 1 to wait for Pacific Surfliner 763 to arrive.
The train arrived and I boarded a very busy Pacific Business Class car, choosing an aisle seat as we made our way to Anaheim and Fullerton, where Tom Anderson boarded and sat behind me. The train made good time to Los Angeles and detrained with my first task being to find a luggage cart so we could have freedom to move around.
National Train Day in Los Angeles: A Brief Look 5/10/2008The display train sat on Track 9.
It was still lettered for the Coachella Express.
Get Your Choo Choo on National Train Day May 10.
A rear view of this unique locomotive.
Pacific Parlour Car 39975 "Willamette Valley", ex. Amtrak 9975, nee Santa Fe 580 built by Budd in 1954. They were configured as lounges for use on El Capitan, an all-coach train running between Los Angeles and Chicago. All cars used on the train were known as Hi-Levels, denoting that they had two levels. When Amtrak put out the bid to design and produce the bi-level Superliner equipment in the 1970's, the Santa Fe Hi-Levels were used as a model due to their popularity. Amtrak refurbished the Pacific Parlour Cars in the mid-1990's to provide a casual, yet elegant, space for sleeping car passengers to relax.
The display train consisting of Amtrak F59PHI 458, Pacific Business Class 6802 "Echo Park", Pacific Parlour Car 39975 "Willamette Valley", sleeper 33032 and coach 3415. I called Brian Hart of Amtrak who told us to meet him at the information booth at the front of the station so Tom and I made our way there and were greeted with bags of National Train Day items He then gave us a tour of the area to be used for the National Train Day celebration.
The old ticket window area of Los Angeles Union Station had been turned into a stage for actor Drake Bell.
The sound board area for the show.
A view up onto the stage.
Tom and Brian Hart of Amtrak.
Amtrak table.
Los Angeles Sparks table.
The LA Metro table.
Fillmore & Western table.
RailPac table, shared by Southern California Transit Advocates and High Speed Rail.
Amtrak California table.
The model railroad setup.
Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau table.
San Diego table.
The Woo Woo Woo picture station. We thanked Brian for his time before we returned to Track 9.
We passed through the south garden on the way to the tunnel.
My luggage cart had a will of its own.
In the tunnel was a National Train Day poster. We made our way to a bench on Track 9 to wait for the Coast Starlight.
Coast Starlight 14 5/10/2008
The train reversed into LAUPT at 9:48 AM with P24DCs 115 and 67, baggage 1707, transition 39007, sleepers 32110 "Tennessee" and 32090 "Michigan", diner 38060, lounge 33049 and coaches 34062, 34508 and 34093. Noticeably absent was the Pacific Parlour Car or a substitution. Gabriel was our Sleeping Car Attendant for this trip with us in Room 5 in the "Tennessee".
Tom Anderson, Tony Escarcega and Andy Smith, the latter two who came to see us off.
Tom, myself and Andy, picture by Tony.
The Coast Starlight prepared to depart on its trek to Seattle, leaving two minutes late and made its way our first stop at Van Nuys, which had its own little National Train Day event. I called Let's Talk Trains, the Internet Radio Show, and told them what we were doing for National Train Day 2008. At Chatsworth, we took the siding to let Pacific Surfliner 774 pass before we proceeded through the Chatsworth Tunnels to our next stop at Simi Valley, arriving there early. While there, a pipe in the lounge car burst, causing a temporary closing of the lower level.
Before Oxnard, we were called for lunch and made our way to the dining car. I had the Chef's Marketplace Special of sliced turkey over a roll and chocolate ice cream; the meal lasting almost to Carpinteria. At Santa Barbara, we detrained for a fresh air break.
At the station was Ryan Stern, a new Director of the National Association of Rail Passengers. We departed on time while listening to the Partridge Family's "Greatest Hits". The train stopped at Goleta for a mechanic to look at that pipe in the lower level of the lounge car and we switched to about a third of Styx's "Styxworld Live 2001" before we returned to that car.
The train crossed Jalama Creek before entering Vanderberg Air Force Base.
Our train crossing the base.
Passing Point Arguello.
The launch pads.
The surf at Surf.
Crossing Santa Ynez River.
We left the base and the Pacific Ocean for the trek to the Santa Maria Valley. Tom enjoyed two wines as the Lead Service Attendant did a modified wine tasting for him in our room. The train later passed through Grover Beach before making its way into San Luis Obispo, our next fresh air stop.
The Coast Starlight at rest at San Luis Obispo. I then decided to go into the station to see if the city was doing anything for National Train Day and learnt that David Weisman, the station host, had put together the whole event here.
A photography exhibition by a local railroad photographer.
A model railroad display.
Free snacks were distributed, as well as Amtrak engineer hats. I returned to the platform.
David Weisman and the author. They blew the whistle and we returned to the train to learn that we had been upgraded by the crew to Deluxe Room B. We moved our belongings from Room 5 into Room B and settled in for more of this trip.
The Chorro Horseshoe Curve.
View looking east after we passed through Tunnel 10 then stopped after letting a Union Pacific freight exit Serrano siding.
Tom reflected in the mirror of our Deluxe Room B.
The author watching the Union Pacific freight roll by.
A more posed picture while we waited to let the southbound Coast Starlight pass us on the siding then we continued to Paso Robles after we stopped briefly for another Union Pacific freight train. At 5:30 PM, were called into dinner and tonight, I had pork tenderloin and chocolate ice cream while Tom had the flat iron steak and raspberry cheesecake. We returned to the room and I watched Frank Zappa's "We Don't Mess Around". At Salinas, we took a fresh air break before the Coast Starlight made its way through Castorville to Moss Landing.
I switched to Rush's "R-30" DVD which we both enjoyed. A fresh air stop at San Jose was followed by a trip up the Mulford line into Oakland and we took some more fresh air at Oakland Jack London station. Ryan and I walked back to the coaches then found Jarrod with his parents in the lounge car. Jarrod has a website that promotes the Coast Starlight. I rode and talked with then until almost Emeryville where I enjoyed more of the night air as Gabriel made up Room B while we departed and proceeded out into the night as I officially ended National Train Day 2008.
