[?]

To Home from Everett, Washington 7/31/2017

While staying at the Alkire's house in Lynnwood, Bob asked me if I would like to ride the Sounder from Everett rather than Edmonds and I readily agreed. As Elizabeth had to work, since this was Monday morning, we all arose earlier than normal after checking the Internet, had another great breakfast then Bob drove Elizabeth and I to the Everett station and dropped us off. Elizabeth used her ORCA Card and a very helpful security guard helped me get my paper ticket.

Our southbound Sounder, the last commuter run of the morning. A BNSF freight pulled next to us prior to departure and one runner from the other side of the tracks missed his train as we departed right on time. I was nicely surprised to be on a short piece of new track up to the main line switch, then we curved into the tunnel under Everett which took us to the shore of the Puget Sound. It was a beautiful morning without any clouds and Mount Rainier was seen the whole way along the water.

We passed another BNSF stack train and Amtrak Cascades 510 for Vancouver, British Columbia then crossed the Ballard Drawbridge, went through BNSF Interbay Yard and along the Seattle Waterfront and into the Downtown Tunnel before arriving at Seattle's King Street Station. The two of us waited for the other passengers to detrain before we did, then rode the elevator up to the bridge and down the west side in that elevator. Bob was waiting inside the station and I said goodbye to them both and Bob drove Elizabeth to her office in West Seattle. It had been another fantastic trip with two of my best friends.

The conductor scanned my ticket with the sleeping car passengers and we waited for the door to be opened. Train time came and went then there was an announcement that the Coast Starlight would be late and I found out two cars had to be replaced. The train reversed in at 9:38 AM and soon we were allowed to board; I chose my usual rear seat on the right and had Amanda as my car attendant. The train left at 9:58 AM {9:35 AM}, 23 minutes late, and I was on my way home.

New State of Washington SC-44 "Charger" locomotives soon to be put in service. I worked on next year's Winterail program as we travelled south then took a break at noon for lunch in the dining car, having the Angus beef burger.

Coast Starlight Train 11 during the Portland layover. After Portland I finished the show to this point then my Coast Starlight entered a siding for a Union Pacific freight train. We made it to Labish, just north of Salem, where we met the northbound Coast Starlight, Train 14, but sat waiting for trains to clear out of our way. I passed the time by watching "Queen Houston Rocks" from the 1977 tour which was the first time I saw Queen at the Long Beach Arena. We finally departed Labish at 4:47 PM and continued to Salem, from which we departed at 4:58 PM {3:37 PM} or 1 hour and 21 minutes late. That delaying train was the Salem switcher. The journey resumed toward Albany and we stopped in the next siding south of Salem for Amtrak Cascades 508 from Eugene.

From here we had a straight shot to Albany, passing another Union Pacific freight, which this time was in the hole for us, then stopped at Albany and proceeded to Eugene. Since the dining car steward never came down and dinner service had started, Amanda took my order and I prepaid it. She brought me back the change and a few minutes later brought me Amtrak's signature steak which I enjoyed at my seat. I stepped off for fresh air at Eugene then watched "Alice Cooper Theater of Death" before calling it a night and was sound asleep just before Klamath Falls, when the people getting off were very noisy and woke me up. They had opened the door and left it open and I glared at these detrainers and finally asked them to please close the door as they woke me up. They did that but a man and woman came in and talked in loud voices the rest of the way to Klamath Falls, where they both got off and peace returned, so I had the lower level all to myself and returned to my nightly slumbers.

8/1/2017 I survived the night and awoke very well-rested at Chico. I freshened up then went to the dining car at 6:30 AM for my breakfast of French Toast and bacon, caught up the travelogue to this point and watched "Aerosmith You Gotta Move". The train stopped in Sacramento and I took a fresh air break on a wonderful cool morning, a nice change to the usual August heat, but I was eager to get home. We departed at 8:45 AM and made our way to Davis across the dry Yolo Bypass. Aerosmith took me to Martinez and beyond and I received my 12:30 lunch reservation as we passed the California Zephyr just west of Martinez. Next I listened to the audio set that came with the DVD which took me to Emeryville and Oakland beyond.

Caltrans' new SC-44 2105. I took a fresh air break at Oakland, from which we left at 11:24 AM after the crew added the private cars "Silver Lariat" and "Silver Solarium" to the rear of our train.

Southern Pacific's Santa Clara tower built circa 1926-1927.

Caltrain's College Park station.

Caltrain F40PH-2 911 "San Carlos", built by Electro-Motive Division in 1985.

Caltrain F40PH-2 912 "San Bruno", built by Electro-Motive Division in 1985.

Caltrain F40PH-2 908 "Redwood City" and F40PH-2 909 "Menlo Park". The Coast Starlight arrived at San Jose and I went to the dining car for lunch of an Angus beef burger then returned to watch "Ladies and Gentlemen The Rolling Stones", which took me to Salinas and beyond. Once that finished, it was "Jeff Beck Performing This Week Live at Ronnie Scotts" which took me up the Salinas Valley to Paso Robles and beyond to Atascadero, where we waited three minutes for the northbound Coast Starlight. Then it was down the hill to San Luis Obispo and a fresh air break, where I ran into Conductor Bobbie Lee on the platform and gave her one on my 2018 calendars. We left here and continued to Santa Barbara.

The dining car steward once again passed me up for dinner reservations so Amanda took my order and I used my six dollars off Business Class coupon. She brought me back too much money which I returned and then received my Signature Steak and really enjoyed my meal in the peace and quiet of the lower level. After dinner, I watched Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Masters From the Vaults" then when we reached Tangair, we went into the siding and waited for over thirty minutes for Pacific Surfliner 777. Unless a miracle happened, I would be taking the bus home from Los Angeles.

"The Mummy Tomb of Dragon Emperor" lasted to beyond Santa Barbara and after Point Conception, I called Elizabeth who told me our ETA was now 11:10 PM, so the bus it would be. I stepped off for the last fresh air break at Santa Barbara then continued to Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys and Burbank Airport, arriving at LAUPT at 11:10 PM {9:00 PM}, ending the rail part of my trip home.

I and others walked out to the bus loading area just as the 11:10 PM bus was leaving but the driver would not stop. I called the toll-free number since not a single Amtrak representative was outside and she called the ticket office to tell them we were all out here waiting. Finally she came out and informed us that Amtrak could not hire any buses, even though we had been told on the train that the buses would be waiting. She told us that anybody going to Fullerton or Santa Ana would take the 12:55 AM bus and those going to Anaheim, Irvine, San Juan Capistrano, Oceanside, Solana Beach or San Diego would take the bus at 2:55 AM. Some people found other ways to get to their destinations.

8/2/2017 Later, we learned there would be no buses until 2:55 AM since the bus from Bakersfield broke down. The scheduled bus arrived and I boarded the one which stopped at Fullerton but had no Anaheim passengers, so it was a straight shot to Santa Ana, where I was dropped off at 3:50 AM, ending this bussing adventure. My mother picked me up and I was home in my bed by 4:15 AM, ending a very enjoyable trip to the Pacific Northwest.

RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE