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The Coast Starlight and Winterail 2019

I needed this trip in my life at this point. I decided to take the Coast Starlight to Winterail 2019 this year so called Amtrak Guest Rewards and exchanged points for sleeping cars both ways. Robin Bowers would join me this year and our plan was to take the Coast Starlight to Vancouver, Washington, meet Chris Parker (who would fly Southwest Airlines from Los Angeles to Portand) and then the 3:00 PM Amtrak Cascades to Vancouver. Bob and Elizabeth Alkire would drive down after Elizabeth finished work in West Seattle. We would stay that first night in Astoria then make our way to Corvallis on a route that included several covered bridges this year.

3/13/2019 I finshed packing that morning before Robin picked me up and we drove to the parking structure at the station. We checked in with station security and Robin gave him his car information. I bought my Metrolink ticket and then we went up the elevator and over to Track One to wait for our first train of the trip.

Metrolink 685 entering Santa Ana station. We boarded the rear cab car and took seats, placing our luggage in the bicycle area. This train stopped at Orange, Anaheim, Fullerton, Buena Park, Norwalk-Santa Fe Springs and Commerce before arriving in Los Angeles on Track 11. We went down and over to Track 10 to wait for our next train which reversed into the station a few minutes later.

The Coast Starlight 14 at Los Angeles. This train had Engines 20 and 45, Viewliner baggage 61047, dormitory 39009, sleeper 32021, sleeper 32013, dining car 38058, Business Class 34510, lounge 33047 with coaches 34049 and 34116. We had Room 5 inland side in Sleeper 32021. The train departed on time but was stopped shortly afterwards by Pacific Surfliner 768. We ran by Glendale and through Burbank to our first stop at Bob Hope Airport. The next stop was Van Nuys as Robin noticed the hills were green. After that we ran through the three tunnels allowing us to exit the San Fernando Valley. We ran to Simi Valley then onto Oxnard; at Strathren we met Pacific Surfliner 774 waiting for us in the siding. We continued to Oxnard then on to Ventura before reaching the shore of the Pacific Ocean. There is now no Wireless Internet on the Coast Starlight!

All of the Channel Islands can be seen from these views just west of Ventura. At noon we were called into the dining car where we were seated with a couple from La Porte, Indiana who have been to Hesston and North Judson railroad museums. They were on a Amtrak circle trip to see their grandchildren. I enjoyed the Angus beef burger and vanilla pudding for a most filling lunch then took a fresh air break at Santa Barbara before the train left and headed to San Luis Obispo. Proceeding west to Point Conception, the Starlight then turned north to Vanderburg Air Force Base and I went to the lounge car and sat at the rear table to enjoy the crossing of the base. I returned to the room just before Casmila where Robin and I listened to music as we neared San Luis Obispo then took a fresh air break at San Luis Obispo this afternoon of over half an hour. We departed on time, learning that our southbound counterpart was over five hours late. Now we would climb Cuesta Grade.

Coast Starlight on the Goldtree Horseshoe Curve. Robin and I enjoyed the rest of the climb of Cuesta Grade. The train made the stop at Paso Robles then departed for Salinas. Robin decided to eat later so I obtained a 5:30 PM dinner reservation, while he took one for 6:30, and I had a Signature Steak and chocolate cake for dessert. We arrived in Salinas just as the southbound Coast Starlight was leaving, almost six hours late. What caused this was that first the train was held for three hours for power lines across the tracks, then one of the sleepers had a fire so passengers had to be removed from it and it was placed on the rear of the train. Good luck to that train on the rest of its trip to Los Angeles. I took a cold breeze fresh air break at Salinas after which we made our way to Moss Landing.

Moss Landing Bay. From here we made our way to Watsonville Jct and Gilroy where darkness was taking hold. We continued to San Jose where Robin and I took another fresh air break. The train proceeded to Oakland Jack London Square station for the last fresh air break of the day. After that we called it a night.

3/14/2019 I awoke at Bray and went straight to the dining car for a breakfast of pancakes and pork sausage with my two usual dining mates. The conversations were good and then I sat at a table in the lounge car the rest of the way to Klamath Falls where I took a cold fresh air break.

The train at Klamath Falls. We left there time and I went back to my table and sat with Barry Draper and we caught each other up on things. Root Beer Falls was blanketed in deep snow but it was a beautful trip to Chemult which we departed on time. Now the climb to Cascade Summit.

Odell Lake before we plunged into the Cascade Summit Tunnel.

Snow on trees at Abernethy.

The views west of Abernethy.

The train heading to the next bridge.

The train on that bridge and entering Tunnel 8. I sat back and enjoyed the ride down the west slope of the Cascade Summit grade but still had one more picture to take after we left Oakridge and went through the next tunnel.

The Oakridge Covered Bridge is really the Office Covered Bridge. We ran through the downed tree zone where many trees have cone down the slope. Lookout Point Reservoir was the lowest in years but waiting for the spring melt to fill it up. We made our way into Eugene, our next fresh air break of this trip. Next we would be running to Albany where we might be eating lunch as the two of us had a 1:30 PM reservation. As I walked to the dining car, the train rocked violently and I was tossed into a corridor post and cut my arm. The fantastic dining car staff brought me alcohol wipes and a bandage which did the trick. We ran to Hallawell where I ate my Angus beef burger and chocolate cake while we waited for the late-running Cascades 511. Once he passed us, we backed out of the siding and continued on to Albany.

Maybe a line to ride in the distant future.

Portland and Western GP39-2 2311 and train in Albany. The train next ran onto Salem slowing down for grade crossing work on the way. After Salem I had to fill out an Amtrak Accident Report then returned to my room while the train stopped at Hito for the southbound Coast Starlight Train 11. Following that we ran north toward Portland. Today's delays have all been waiting on other Amtrak trains. We ran to Johnson Creek where our first freight train delayed us - Union Pacific 5462 South. From here we continued to Portland Union Station and the final fresh air stop of this trip.

The Oregon Rail Heritage Centre shop area. From here we crossed the Willamette River into Union Station where I detrained for pictures.

Empire Builder, train 28, ready to depart with our passengers at 5:05 PM.

Coast Starlight 14, our train, getting ready to leave.

An Amtrak Cascades train awaits its next assignment.

Cascades Charger 1401 at Portland. We loaded our new passengers and departed at 5:11 PM {4:00 PM}, making the eighteen minute trip across the Willamette River and Columbia River to our detraining station of Vancouver. It had been an excellent Amtrak adventure and with Chris Parker in Vancouver waiting for us, it is a case of "I love it when a plan comes together!"

Robin and I detrained at Vancouver and met Chris Parker who was waiting for us. We would take pictures until it got dark while waited for Bob and Elizabeth Alkire to pick us up after 9:00 PM.

First Union Rail {FURX} GP38-2 5517, originally Southern 2857, sat at Vancouver.

Amtrak Cascades 505 came through town next.

It is always fun to watch the Columbia drawbridge open and close in Vancouver, Washington.

BNSF 5307 East came from Portland.

Vancouver is a busy railroad junction for the BNSF Railway.

Canadian National 2249 South was our next train through here.

Union Pacific 8062 North was the next train.

That was followed by Union Pacific 8697 North with CP Rail power in the consist. I read some of the travel magazines and the Amtrak magazine while I waited in the nice warm station on a cool northwest night. After 9:00 PM Robin, Chris Parker and I went outside and waited for Bob and Elizabeth to arrive. Once we put our luggage in their car, we drove out to Astoria and stayed the night at the excellent Astoria Riverwalk Inn. We checked into our room but I had a few pictures to take of the view.

The night time view from the balcony. I had a good night's sleep and tomorrow, on to Corvallis.

Part 2 of the story!