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Rail Sale to Seattle on the Coast Starlight 11/8-12/2002

Following the Deming trip, I was a guest on the Internet radio show Let's Talk Trains on November 2nd and rode Amtrak to the Rolling Stones concert which was excellent. As always, I was contemplating future trips and during the return journey on the Pacific Surfliner from my guest appearance, I thought of a Rail Sale trip after Christmas. A day later, I booked a journey to Chicago and back for $58.60 each way, then a roundtrip to Louisville, Kentucky for $65.70. With a winter trip now booked, it was time for the autumn visit to Seattle.

I awoke to the first major rain storm of the season which surprised me as it was still autumn. After packing, my mother drove me to the Santa Ana where I waited under the cover of the walkway and saw Metrolink 607 come and go. My train arrived right on time and I chose a seat on the upper level of the café car. As we made our way to Los Angeles through the rain, it was refreshing to see all the normal dry waterways flowing with the much-needed rainwater since California had been in a drought the last three years. A construction project in Santa Fe Springs blocked the flow of a culvert causing a slow order while a crew worked on repairing the problem. We arrived at our destination just a few minutes late.

The Starlight reversed in about fifteen minutes later but while passengers were boarding the other two coaches, our car's connecting passengers waited for ten minutes until one of the other coach attendants opened the door as our car's attendant was late in arriving. We departed Union Station on time with P42DCs 118 and 120 as the power and proceeded out into the storm, passing Metrolink's shops before stopping to wait for a Union Pacific Swift train to passy. We continued to CP Raymar to wait for the weekday meet with Metrolink 112 then at Chatsworth, we met Pacific Surfliner 774. After the Starlight passed through the Santa Susanna tunnel, we paused at Hassan for a meet with Metrolink 114 before arriving at Simi Valley then stopped again at Strathearn to meet another Union Pacific freight. We arrived at Oxnard to a steady wind so I felt that our trip along the Pacific Ocean should be interesting. At Ventura, the tank train was nicely tucked away in the siding and as we reached the shore of the Pacific Ocean, it was very angry, rough with high waves, the wildest I had ever seen.

As the storm continued, I enjoyed a Black Angus steak burger, along with an ice cream sundae, as the train rounded Point Conception into a world of low ground-hugging clouds. At Guadalupe, the rain returned with force and when we arrived at San Luis Obispo, I took my fresh air break in the rain to pick up another Amtrak national timetable. Halfway up Cuesta Grade, we were stopped by a red signal and had to get the Union Pacific dispatcher's permission to pass. Further north at Templeton, just south of Paso Robles, we went into the siding to get around another eastbound Union Pacific freight.

Dinner time rolled around and after sunset, with no reservations offered, I enjoyed a filet mignon with Lauren, a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student studying agribusiness and a fabulous lady along with two interesting ladies who had been on the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited. We met the southbound Coast Starlight at Camp Roberts (McKay) and slow orders added to our delays to Salinas. North of Watsonville at the end of double track, the Coast Starlight cooled its wheels waiting for Union Pacific 9379 east. I finished reading "The Southern Pacific in Los Angeles 1873-1996" by Larry Mullaly and Bruce Petty then went to sleep after Oakland, wondering where I might wake up.

11/9/2002 I awoke at Lincoln on the East Valley Main, meaning the train had travelled via Roseville. Our locomotives were operating normally until MP 110 on the Valley Subdivision when 118 died, followed by 120. After rebooting all computers several times, the power desk wanted the crew to open the battery switch on 120, which resulted in it shutting down and they were unable to restart it. We waited for assistance from a southbound freight which towed us north to Sunset Whitney where we waited on Union Pacific C44CCTE 5750 from Roseville to pull our train. Amtrak had had trouble with 118 several times in the last few months, per a Starlight conductor.

Both locomotives were "toasted" to use the term the conductor from Dunsmuir later used to describe their condition. Of course, it could only travel 70 mph so we would lose more time. I sat in the lounge car as we made our way through Marysville and crossed the Feather River before enjoying a pancake and sausage breakfast. As I was eating, we met the southbound Starlight at Fagan and we departed left Chico at 7:15 AM {1:55 AM}, five hours and twenty minutes late, as the adventure continued. Always remember, every trip is an adventure.

The northern Sacramento Valley was under clouds but dry until Red Bluff, when the rains began again in force as we made our way to Redding, departing there at 8:52 AM {3:14 AM} and crossed the magnificent Redding Trestle. Minutes later, we went through a pair of tunnels that took us to the lower level of the joint highway bridge over the Pitt River and five more sidings led us to O'Brien Siding where the trees were in late autumn colours. We crossed over a dry arm of Lake Shasta before plunging into another pair of tunnels that took us to another dry arm of Lake Shasta, another indication of the drought. We passed through another tunnel before crossing a very low Lake Shasta and started our trek up the Sacramento River Canyon, which is always a treat to see in daylight then travelled up the soggy canyon with waterfalls galore, yet beautiful with the late autumn colours.

I enjoyed the Sacramento River Canyon to Dunsmuir, where the smokers stood out in the pouring rain. We departed there at 11:07 AM {5:04 AM} after we changed our crew, since ours going to Klamath Falls was going to die on the 12 hours of service law. The Starlight climbed out of the Sacramento River Canyon after rounding the Cantara Loop, passed through Mount Shasta City and Black Butte, with no sign of either Mount Shasta or Black Butte. Just before Hotlum Trestle, the crew pointed out Lake Shastina down in the valley. In all the times I have ridden this line, this was the first crew to point out that lake. As the Starlight reached Grass Lake Summit, it started snowing with enough on the ground to make it white until we descended to a lower elevation. Our luck of passing trains on the main ran out at Penoyar where the dispatcher routed us through the siding to pass Union Pacific 5712 East and we made it to Kegg, only to haveto wait for Union Pacific 5749 East. Further at Mount Hebron, we ran around yet another Union Pacific freight then crept through Dorris and the tunnels into Oregon on a ten miles and hour slow order before arriving at Klamath Falls, where I bought a newspaper, a Mug Root Beer and a Three Musketeers chocolate bar.

The crew took extra time here trying to re-start the locomotives and the term "toasted" was used again. We departed at 3:03 PM {8:25 AM}, which was six hours and thirty-six minutes late, making this my latest Starlight ride, and ran fast along Upper Klamath Lake towards Chemult, passing my favorite Root Beer Falls along the way. I thought to myself that it was Root Beer Float Falls with the ground snow-covered and the falls frozen. We departed Chemult at 4:24 PM {9:40 AM} and passengers who were transferring to the Empire Builder would be put up in Portland overnight and re-accommodated on tomorrow's train. I listened to the Let's Talk Trains episode prior to our snowy crossing of Cascade Summit then went to the dining car for a repeat of last night's dinner, a filet with an ice cream sundae for dessert. While I was eating, we were stopped by a red signal at Cascade Summit as a track gang was finishing their work, further delaying us.

I returned to my seat as it was pitch black out and put my headphones on to do some word fill-ins then watched the film "Mr. Deeds" starring Adam Sandler in the lounge car which lasted until to Eugene. We were held out of there for a few minutes as a freight train was not clear of the depot then departed at 8:23 PM {12:44 PM} and I napped until Portland, but still managed to receive the times of departure from the intermediate stations: Albany at 9:10 PM {1:30 PM} and Salem at 9:43 PM {2:03 PM}. We sat across the river from Portland, first waiting for a freight to clear and after a thirty minute wait and a crew change, since our Dunsmuir conductor just died on the hours-of-service law. The assistant conductor had to align two switches to allow our train to cross over and with that, the Coast Starlight crossed the Steel Bridge and arrived at Portland Union Station at 11:25 PM.

11/10/2002 Midnight came and went, with Enoch, a passenger who was a most talented musician, playing his Technic keyboard downstairs in the Kiddie Room. His half hour of playing really cheered me up as good music always does. While that was occuring, Amtrak P42DC 48 was added in front of the operating Union Pacific 5740 our train and F59PHI 460, dead. Two live locomotives (48 and 5740) and three dead ones (460, 118 and 120). In one word, amazing! We departed Portland at 12:25 AM {4:05 PM}, a new Coast Starlight record and I slept most of the rest of the way to Seattle. We crossed the Columbia River and left Vancouver at 12:45 AM {4:05 PM} then later at Tacoma, we departed at 2:18 AM {7:08 PM} and followed a slow-moving BNSF freight to Seattle. I was awokened as the train was passing Boeing Field and we passed both Safeco Field and Seahawks Stadium before arriving at King Street Station into the tunnel then reversed into the station itself, finally arriving at 4:50 AM {8:30 PM}, an all-time late record of eight hours and twenty minutes.

I walked to the Best Western Pioneer Square Hotel for what was left of the night and it took less than seven minutes for me to walk there and I was glad it was not raining. I checked in with a wakeup call for 8:00 AM before going to my room on the fifth floor for a well-deserved shower and short rest. I had just 2.8 hours hours of sleep, the wakeup call came much too early and following checking out and a continental breakfast, I walked back to King Street Station, again with no rain, to wait for my train back to California.

As I waited, it was announced that Seattle's mechanical forces were still working on the "toasted" locomotives and no word when the train would be released from the yard. "I will keep you informed!" said the station master. While I was waiting patiently and getting to know my new fellow passengers, besides the usual BNSF movements, the Empire Builder arrived thirty minutes early followed by the American Orient Express on our departure track. That later train had been in Portland when we were there this morning. After numerous poor decisions and the AOE was taken apart then moved, the Coast Starlight went by the station into the tunnel before arriving at 12:19 PM, at least not AM, so I was already twelve hours ahead. After the sleeping car passengers boarded, I led the coach passengers out to the train and boarded the 1112 car, the same one in which I had been riding the last two days, only one seat behind where I had sat northbound.

We departed at 12:41 PM {10:00 AM} with P42DCs 113, 48, 120 and 118, the first two 'alive' and the last two still "toasted". We did not get too far before the first delay as BNSF 4670 passed, then our crew had to align a switch before we could make our escape from the Emerald City of Seattle. My wonderful car attendants the last two days, Graham and Erica, talked with our assistant conductor and offered me a room from Portland to Los Angeles for $175. I felt that after the incidents of the last two days that I should treat myself to something special. After all, it was Day 2,853 of my sobriety and had I not quit drinking, I would not be taken this adventure with all of the experiences. In addition, a peaceful place to spend the rest of the trip would be welcome.

The sky was mostly cloudy but dry as we made our way towards Tacoma, where it was raining when we arrived, then we paralleled the Tacoma Narrows as the sky dried up before waiting for Amtrak Cascades 506 to clear the station at Olympia-Lacey before we could do our station work. After we left Centralia, our outstanding female assistant conductor took care of the financial arrangements for Room 11 in the 1131 car while I read "The Blunders" for this southbound journey. The rain returned north of Kelso-Longview, where no one boarded, as the sun came out from one of these hit-and-miss showers then stopped in Vancouver before crossing the Columbia River into Oregon and on into Portland, where I detrained to move to my sleeper.

I walked down the platform to the sleeping car "New Jersey", met my wonderful sleeping car attendant Herminio and stored my belongings before visiting the station's store for some postcards then relaxed in the Pacific Parlour Car with a cranberry black cherry soda served by the most knowledgeable Parlour Car attendant Richard. The Coast Starlight departed at 4:52 PM {2:25 PM} just as the last light of day was fading. At 5:00 PM, I went to the dining car for my now-usual filet and sundae then returned to my room to music along with the peace and quiet just watching our night-time passage. After we left Eugene at 7:30 PM {5:10 PM}, and being extremely tired from the trip so far, I called it a night.

11/11/2002 I awoke briefly at Redding but arose for breakfast at Tehama and ate French Toast as the train stopped at Chico. Further at Binney Junction, we turned down the former Western Pacific line to Sacramento, where we rejoined the California Pacific line to the Sacramento Amtrak Station where I detrained to purchase a USA Today and saw my brother Bruce doing a meet-and-assist. I read the newspaper from Sacramento, departing there at 8:56 AM {6:35 AM} to Davis, where I returned to my room to listen to some music and watch the world pass outside my window. We ran non-stop until the Carquinez Straits lift bridge which delayed us by two minutes since water traffic has the right-of-way over train traffic. We arrived at Martinez the same time as the California Zephyr and a few of our passengers had to walk through the Zephyr to reach our train.

We departed Martinez 10:24 AM {7:34 AM} for the beautiful trip along the Carquinez Straits and I sunned myself at Emeryville, departing there at 11:06 AM {8:20 AM}. At the east end of the coach yards, we stopped beside Union Pacific 5749 East to wait for a late Capitol Corridor Train 528 to clear and passed private car SP 100 which was going to be added to our train at Oakland. As usual, the car should have already been at the station and ready to be cut in when we arrived. This operation took five more minutes than we were scheduled for and we departed at 11:38 AM {8:50 AM}. We passed the home of the Oakland Raiders and when I returned to my room, found that we were on the route of the Capitol Corridor trains via Niles.

We then went into the siding at Albrae to wait for Capitol Corridor Train 534, which was not even scheduled to leave San Jose for another eight minutes when we came to a stop. Talk about a major dispatcher error, a thirty-minute delay. Every delay of this train has been caused by human error. The choice in Seattle of leaving the AOE to take apart a dead train on the only live track the Coast Starlight could use is ridiculous. We can forgive Seattle mechanical due to the lateness of our train not giving them enough time to work on those two "toasted" engines. Putting the extra engines on our train was a great idea. Still though, human error added to all of this which made me have to take a bus to get home to Santa Ana. We departed San Jose at 1:33 PM {10:07 AM}.

The Starlight ran through the Pajora Gap and by Elkhorn Slough to our next stop at Salinas and during our stop, it gave me an opportunity to see Southern Pacific 0-6-0 1237, which had been put on display here about a month ago. We departed at 3:03 PM {11:48 AM} and ran to MP 136 where we ran out of Direct Block Authority and had to wait for additional blocks from the Union Pacific Railroad. We continued up the Salinas Valley with numerous slow orders as the sun slowly set over the Santa Cruz Mountains then stopped at McKay again for more block authority and a two-minute delay meant that the northbound Coast Starlight was running late. We left Paso Robles at 5:08 PM {1:38 PM} as I was sitting in the dining car waiting for my final filet mignon of the trip, along with the final ice cream sundae, which was served by the outstanding Maurice, who served all my meals on this southbound trip in the same spot in the dining car for every meal.

After dinner, we met Union Pacific 5728 West before descending Cuesta Grade and the impressive Horseshoe Curve, even more so in the dark, prior to our arrival at San Luis Obispo. A call was made to home with a message of where I was and the time, as well as the fact that I would be bussed. After the northbound Coast Starlight departed three hours late, we left San Luis Obispo at 6:51 PM {3:20 PM} and the rest of the way to Glendale, I rested before we arrived there and left at 11:26 PM {8:23 PM}. The Coast Starlight ran the final miles into Los Angeles Union Station, arriving at 11:38 PM {9:00 PM}, or two hours and thirty minutes late, ending another interesting adventure on the Coast Starlight. Reading "The Blunders" Book on this journey was certainly fitting.

While there were two buses, only one was being used to make all necessary stops. We departed Los Angeles at 12:04 AM and bypassed Fullerton, going straight to Anaheim then left there at 12:43 AM for the quick run to Santa Ana, arriving there ten minutes later. A quick walk to a taxi and I was home in my house by 1:00 AM, ending this Rail Sale trip.

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