Railfanning North America
Coast Starlight Trip
Part 3: Wednesday 20/04/2011
<--PrevNext--> to McClellan Business Park Meet
For
the last part of my trip, I checked out of my hotel at 0917, and headed
to the LAUS. My train #14 did not arrive until 1030, and we didn't
leave until 1045. We had three AMTK P42's + one Amtrak Cascade/Amtrak
West F59PHI on the point leading and two private cars. Train power lead
by AMTK #13411:25 highball Burbank diverging clear/11:30, we stopped at CP Raymer for a doublespot. Moved two cars ahead.11:35 announcement for Simi Valley stop11:40 passed SCAX detecter MP 451.311:45 passed Chatsworth, site of SCAX disaster in 2008.11:48 gone through a long tunnel. No wireless.11:51 passed CP Davis.11:52 passd Santa Susana12:00 passed SCAX detector MP 434.312:09 passed Los Posas and switched to UP Frequencies.12:10 passed UP detector MP 421.1 on Santa Barbara Subdivision total axles, 6812:26
arrival in Oxnard. UP Brakeman on adjacent track called us a big one
because of the extra Cascade unit and two private cars attached. Oxnard
has a small connection with the Ventura County Railroad.
12:34 departed Oxnard.
12:36 passed UP detector MP 402.6 no defects total axles 68 train speed 64 MPH.
12:50 some passengers saw dolphins on the west side of the car, but I didn't see anything.
Some Beach
12:57 passed UP etector MP 383.1 no defects totals 68 train speed 48 MPH
13:09 engineer called UP dispatcher 10 and told them that we have an air conditioner malfunction. Delayed.
13:16 arrived Santa Barbara.
SP Coach Santa Barbara in the city of Santa Barbara.
Private Car Pacific Union Pullman car.
Former CB&Q Silver Quail. Ran on the California Zephyr.
13:22 departed Santa Barbara.
13:30 dinner in the diner (cheeseburger, chips, soda for $13.50)
13:35 stopped Goleta for air conditioning maintenance
Spur in Goleta
Spot Cab
13:45 continued to Ellwood Siding for Track Warrants.
14:08 yellow signal at Naples
14:10 restricting speed at Capitan.
14:12 red signal at Capitan
14:14 stopped at Capitan.
14:20 resumed slow speeds from Capitan.
14:25 clear signal at MP 344.1
14:29 UP detector MP 341.3 no defects total axles 68 train speed 58 MPH.
14:35 passed Gaviota.
14:40 passed Sacate UP with work crew. Roll by called on scanner
14:43 passed UP detector MP 327.6 no defects total axles 68 train speed 56 MPH
15:04 passed UP detector MP 309.0 no defects total axles 68 train speed 53 MPH
15:08 passed South Vandenburg MP 305.8
15:11 passed Honda.
15:15
stopped at Surf to align siding for us to enter. Then we pulled into
the siding. Waiting for freight or passenger train going south,
recieved track warrant at 15:24.
15:35 moved out of Surf. Past
Surfliner with amfleet cars and F40, F59PHI, and P42. We then
stopped north of Surf at the wye, and had to wait for 798 to clear or
something...wasn't hearing the transmissions.
15:48 stopped at Tangair for track warrant. Next stop for the warrant is at Callendar.
15:54 continued rolling north.
16:04 passed UP detector 286.8 no defects total axles 68 train speed 51 MPH
16:07 passed Devon Siding, where a private company was loading gondola cars.
16:18 advance near Waldorf
16:20 arrived Guadalupe.
Yard at Guadalupe
16:25 passed UP detector MP 269.7 total axles 68 train speed 69 MPH
16:27 passed AMTK train #11 SB Coast Starlight.
16:34 passed Grover Beach.
16:40 passed UP detector MP 256.7 no defects total axles 68 train speed 36 MPH
16:52 arrived San Luis Obispo.
Amtrak Cascade F59PHI #466
UP SD70ACe's
17:05 departed SLO
At
San Luis Obispo, we stopped; I got out and shot the Cascade F59PHI.
Sitting next to us was a pair of UP SD70ACe's, which are the
environment equivalent of the widespread UP SD70M's. These are the last
freight locomotives built by Electro Motive Diesel.
17:13 passed UP detector MP 244.8 no defects total axles 68 train speed 24 MPH
Horseshoe Curve north of SLO
Mens Colony
Trestle
17:15 passed Chorro Siding
17:19 Cuesta tunnel.
17:35 out of the tunnel zone
17:43 passed Santa Margarita.
17:48 passed UP detector MP 226.9 no defects total axles 68 train speed 66 MPH
17:53 passed Atascadero spur.
1800 passed Templeton Siding
1808 arrived Paso Robles.
1811 departed Paso Robles.
19:14 passed MP 157.
Salinas Valley Shots
19:16 passed UP detector MP 155.5 no defects total axles 68 trains speed 70 MPH
19:18 tunnel
19:36 passed Camphora
19:37 passed UP detector MP 136.3 no defects total axles 68 train speed 70 MPH
19:48 passed UP detector MP 123.7 no defects total axles 68 train speed 71 MPH
19:58 arrived Salinas.
20:04 departed Salinas
20:07 passed UP detector MP 111.9 no defects total axles 68 train speed 69 MPH
20:20 passed UP detector MP 99.1 no defects total axles 68 train speed 50 MPH
20:27 passed through Watsonville
20:33 roll by crew or train
20:44 passed UP detector MP 83.3 no defects total axles 68 train speed 50 MPH
20:47 passed Carnadero and the Hollister Branch/former SP Tres Pinos Branch (Planned Mainline to LA. Never completed.)
20:54 passed UP detector MP 67.1 no defects total axles 68 train speed 67 MPH
21:15 passed UP detector MP 52.4 no defects total axles 68 train speed 58 MPH (Capitol)
21:26 arrived San Jose/Diridion
21:39 departed San Jose/Diridion
21:41 passed CEMOF
21:45 passed San Jose Newhall Yard
21:47 passed Santa Clara Depot
21:48 passed Coast
21:58 passed Alviso
22:00 passed Drawbridge
22:01 passed Albrae
22:04 passed Mowry
22:08 passed Newark
22:10 passed UP detector MP 29.2 no defects total axles 68 train speed 34 MPH
22:14 passed Alvarado
22:15 passed UP detector MP 25.0 no defects total axles 68 train speed 69 MPH
22:23 passed Mulford
22:24 approach diverging
22:28 passed Elmhurst
22:31 passed UP detector MP 12.4 no defects total axles 68 train speed 63 MPH
22:31 passed Coliseum
22:32 passed Melrose.
22:36 passed East Oakland Yard
22:40 arrived Oakland/Jack London Square
22:47 departed JLS
22:55
arrived inside the Amtrak Coach yard to pull out two units from the
point, one being a Cascades unit, the other an AMTK P42; also being
uncoupled from our consist are the Pacific Union and the Silver Quail..
23:46 departed Coach yard for
23:47 stopped
23:48 moved out of Kirkham.
23:55 passed 10th Street
23:57 restricting speed 34th Street
00:02 arrived Emeryville
00:11 departed Emeryville
00:13 passed Shellmound
0016 passed Berkeley
00:19 passed Stege
00:22 arrived Richmond
00:23 departed Richmond
00:26 passed UP detector MP 14.2 no defects total axles 52 train speed 59 MPH
0030 passed Pinole
00:38 through Tunnel #1
00:41 passed through Crockett
00:43 passed Costa
00:43 passed UP detector MP 27.8 no defects total axles 52 train speed 45
00:46 passed Howard
00:47 passed Ozol
00:50 arrived Martinez
00:50 passed UP detector MP 31.3 no defects
00:56 departed Martinez following UP Light Engine Power to Davis
Estimated arrival in Davis: 0140
Actual Time: 01:35
In
conclusion, for my very first long distance trip, the Coast Starlight
is the superior service you can buy. Although a bit expensive, it's
worth saving for. Best as a single person- two person trip. Only
downside is we go through the East Bay, and pick up some really dumb
kids on the train. I could go without the excessive chatter, but the
people who want to learn are fine by me. This was a great experience
for me, especially in Downtown Los Angeles.
Cheers,
S. J. Hjellum
