I awoke after the train had climbed the Cantara Loop, dressed and poured myself some complimentary orange juice before going to the lounge car for some early morning pictures of Mount Shasta.
I saw Mount Shasta as we passed through its namesake city of Mount Shasta, California.
The train ran by Black Butte.
We were treated to many more views of Mount Shasta on a beautiful morning. At 6:30 AM, Tom and I went to the dining car for breakfast with me having French Toast and sausage links. Once back in our room, I listened to Meatloaf's "Bat out of Hell". The Coast Starlight then entered Oregon to an early arrival at Klamath Falls, where I took a fresh air break on a rather pleasant cool sunny morning.
The Klamath Falls station.
The Coast Starlight here before we departed on time and a few minutes later, were paralleling Upper Klamath Lake.
Upper Klamath Lake.
A beautiful Oregon volcanic peak on a magnificent morning. My next musical choice was Yes' "Magnification" as the Coast Starlight made its way toward Chemult, where we left a couple of minutes late and turned west for our crossing of the Cascades, but waited for a Union Pacific freight to clear into the siding.
Logs from the Frazier Slide Area at Crescent Lake ready to be shipped to a lumber mill for processing.
Odell Lake as we neared the tunnel at Cascade Summit.
My favourite bridge-tunnels area on the Cascade Line. About ten minutes later, the Coast Starlight reached the Frazier Slide area.
The uphill Frazier Slide area.
Large bulldozers wait for our train to pass through.
The rear of the Coast Starlight passing though the Frazier Slide area.
Workers' office at the west switch of Frazier. The train continued down to Fields before passing through the tunnel that reverses the train's direction as we come off the mountain.
The old slide zone has been overgrown with trees since it last moved.
The Coast Starlight passed beneath the Frazier Slide area.
A newly-created slide chute.
At the Salt Creek bridge, the tracks reverse directions again so we will head northwest to Oakridge.
Just west of there, the Westfir Covered Bridge as we drop down the grade towards a full Lookout Point Reservoir and onto Eugene, our next fresh air stop. Yes' "Open Your Eyes" assisted in getting me there and the Coast Starlight departed only 13 minutes late. At Alford, we had a couple of minutes delay due to signal problems.
The Willamette Valley as we made our way to Albany.
Willamette and Pacific power in Albany before we made our station stop there. Now, a quick tour of Deluxe Room B as we stopped in Salem before continuing north to Portland.
The in-room vanity area with sink and mirror. Towels are stored down in the cabinet.
The room has a chair that can be swivelled.
A room length couch that transforms into the lower bed with a fold-down bed above it.
In-room toilet and shower.
There is an overhead luggage shelf as well as a closet next to the hall door. It is a great room in which to ride.
Oregon Pacific Railroad, a shortline in Woodburn, Oregon. We made it to Coalca where we stopped for a non-clearing Union Pacific freight and the southbound Coast Starlight. We had no more delays as Tom enjoyed another in-room wine tasting before we arrived at Portland Union Station seven minutes late because of a Union Pacific freight train blocking our path. A special thank you to all of our crews aboard the Coast Starlight that made our trip to Portland so very special.
Portland 5/11/2008As Tom and I entered the station, we found Richard Elgenson, also a writer for Trainweb.com, here. Out in front, Tom and I said goodbye until tomorrow morning as I was going to the Chinatown MAX station. The ticketing machine there was not working so I hopped on the first eastbound trolley to Rose Quarter and detrained to find a ticketing machine that worked. I called home to wish my mother a Happy Mother's Day, then called Chris Parker, before an Airport trolley picked me up to take me to 82nd Street NE. There, I checked in to the Days Inn for the night and finished the story from today before calling Winston to proof it, then watched the first period of the Pittsburgh Peguins/ Philadelphia Flyers Eastern Conference semifinal game. I went to Elmer's for dinner before returning for the rest of the game and relaxing the rest of the night.
