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A Visit to the Pacific Northwest 7/26-28/2017

I had chosen the date of 9/9/2017 for my 1,500,000th rail mileage trip, starting at Santa Ana to as far as Solana Beach, then Pacific Surfliner Business Class back to Santa Ana, at which point when I stepped off the train, I would have it. In order to make that happen, I needed one long distance train trip, so Steve Grande, co-owner of Trainweb.com, booked a trip for me to Portland in Coast Starlight Business Class, Amtrak Cascades from Portland to Seattle and the Empire Builder to Edmonds, where Bob and Elizabeth Alkire would pick me up. Saturday we would go to Skykomish for the Great Northern and Cascade Railway and Sunday, we would drive to Canada where I would ride the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway; Bob and Elizabeth were both volunteers at these unique operations. On Monday, Elizabeth and I would ride the Sounder from Edmonds to Seattle where I would then board the Coast Starlight Business Class for Los Angeles and hopefully a Pacific Surfliner train home.

7/25/2017 That morning my mother drove me to the Santa Ana station and I walked over to Track 1 via the Santa Ana Boulevard grade crossing to wait for Pacific Surfliner 763.

The trackside view of the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Centre, designed by the Blurock Partnership architectural firm in the Spanish Colonial Revival and Mediterranean Revival architectural styles to complement the region's older buildings. Features include red barrel roof tiles, arcades, colonnades, exterior walls finished to resemble stucco, and the extensive use of painted tiles for decoration. It opened on September 7, 1985 and was the largest new rail station built in the United States since the completion of the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal circa 1955. It was constructed on the site of a Santa Fe combination depot built in 1939 and closed in 1982.

I talked to Conductor Henry then watched two southbound Metrolink trains go through before my train was due.

I boarded the cab car and chose a seat on the aisle for the quick trip to Los Angeles. The conductor said I had to go to the ticket window to obtain my business class seat assignment, whereas Business Class attendant Matt told me to go to the First Class Lounge to get my assignment. We stopped at Anaheim and Fullerton before sprinting to LAUPT and once there, a Red Cap gave me a ride to the ticket window where coach passengers check in so I went to the First Class Lounge and they said I did not need one. So after wasting my time, I walked back out to Track 10 and waited for the Coast Starlight to arrive.

The train reversed in with a consist of P42DCs 193 and 510, baggage 61052, transition 39032, sleepers 32030, 32019 and 32016 "Pennsylvania", Pacific Parlour Car 39035 "Willamette Valley", dining car 38030, Business Class 34010, lounge 33042, coaches 34094, 34090 and 34001. I boarded Business Class 34010 and sat on the last seats on the lower level. We departed on time and stopped at the Burbank Airport station, followed by Van Nuys, then went through the three tunnels before going into the siding at Santa Susana for Pacific Surfliner 774, later stopping at Simi Valley. I received a 1:15 PM lunch reservation as we made our way to Oxnard then went through Ventura to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

The Channel Islands could be seen on this very clear day.

The coastline.

Rincon Point area. We stopped for a fresh air break at Santa Barbara and upon our departure, were delayed by some police activity but I was in the dining car and enjoyed the Angus beef burger. Once that was cleared, we continued west and I noticed that the mountains had had all the vegetation burnt off from the wildfires earlier this month. I then watched "Alice Cooper Theater of Death Live at the Hammersmith 2007".

Our train curving at Casmalia. The DVD lasted until San Luis Obispo, our next fresh air stop and after resuming the journey, we made our way to Paso Robles by ascending the Cuesta Grade with its tunnels. I had a 5:30 PM dinner reservation after the train crossed the Stenner Trestle and watched "Queen Houston Rocks" which would take me to dinner and beyond. The train went into the siding for over twenty minutes for the late-running southbound Coast Starlight at Santa Margarita. At 5:13 PM, the Coast Starlight went by and we continued to Paso Robles. I went to dinner and had the Signature Steak and pudding for desert. Queen lasted until Salinas where I stepped off for some fresh air again then a little later, called it a night.

7/27/2017 I was sleeping fine until I was awakened by the mobile phone alarm of the nice lady across from me and it rang ten times, so I woke her up. At 6:00 AM, I was up and prepared for the day then at 6:30 AM after Dunsmuir and the Cantara Loop, I went to the dining car for a breakfast of Railroad French Toast and bacon, which hit the spot. After breakfast, the train crossed the Hotlum Trestle and proceeded to Grass Lake Summit, where I sort of felt as though I was back on the Chase Bus chasing the 2005 National Railway Historical Society convention special train as we travelled through Bray on the way to Klamath Falls. I took a brief fresh air break before we departed and continued north to Chemult and watched Aerosmith's "You Gotta Move".

Upper Klamath Lake. The Aerosmith took me to Chemult and two songs beyond then I received a noon lunch reservation for my last meal aboard the Coast Starlight on this northbound trip. Next was "Ladies and Gentlemen The Rolling Stones" which lasted to just past Fields siding then I had my last lunch, enjoying another Angus beef burger, after which I returned to my seat before Oakridge.

Spreader and snow fighting equipment in Oakridge.

Union Pacific maintenance car 906203, nee sleeping car "Newburyport" by Pullman in 1926.

The Westfir covered bridge just west of Oakridge, built in 1944 by the Westfir Lumber Company and spans the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. I passed the time by changing to "Emerson, Lake & Palmer Masters from the Vaults" that took me by Lookout Point Reservoir and on into Eugene, the next fresh air stop. After Eugene, I finished the DVD then scouted a few photo locations for next year's Winterail trip as the train made its way to Albany. The penultimate stop was Salem in thirty minutes then the Coast Starlight made its final sprint to Portland Union Station, arriving at 4:10 PM, or 38 minutes late and I detrained one happy railfan and want to thank the excellent crew, especially the dining car crew, who once again took good care of me.

I walked out of Portland Union Station just as a Green Line MAX train was leaving, so walked over to the stop and first saw an Expo train stop at the Hoyt Street station and a few minutes later, a Green Line train arrived and I rode out to 82nd Street where I checked into the Days Inn for the night. I watched Peter Cushing as Dr. Who in his episode with the Daleks then watched television the rest of the evening before calling it a night.

7/28/2017 I arose, prepared for the day, checked out and walked over to the 82nd Street MAX station to wait for a Green Line train and I took it to Portland Union Station. I bought an orange juice and waited for my ticket assignment to be given by the conductor, letting him know I preferred a Puget Sound-side window seat, after which the train arrived.

The conductor opened the gate and I walked out to the train.

My train to Seattle.

An out-of-service Cascades trainset.

Amtrak non-powered control unit 90250, nee Amtrak F40PH 250, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1977, promoting the Seattle Seahawks, the city's National Football League team. I walked out to Car 9 and chose seat 13 and found 15 inches of window and a wall. So much for my window seat, so I complained and told the crew that I was writing a travelogue for Trainweb.com and needed the full window for photography. The conductor's solution was to come to the Bistro car and take my pictures from there which I politely declined. I walked away very unsatisfied, a first for me on a Cascades train. I decided to forgoe any pictures and would watch a DVD instead, then stopped at the Bistro car and bought a chocolate chip cookie with Tahitian Sea Salt, not good for me, but It was tasty.

We stopped in Vancouver and afterwards, watched "Jeff Beck Performing This Week at Ronnie Scott" which lasted until almost Tacoma, so while I was watching, the Cascades stopped at Kelso-Longview, Centralia and Olympia-Lacey. At this point, August 2017, the route paralleled Commencement Bay and passed the Tacoma Narrows bridge and while I would see this view on my return trip, that would be the last time for me to be on these tracks as the Cascades route was being moved inland. As it turned out, a major derailment in December 2017 postponed the movement until November 18, 2021.

After stopping in Tacoma, we continued to Tukwila then on to the terminus of the route in Seattle.

Amtrak Cascades 500 at King Street Station.

With a layover before the Empire Builder, I decided to ride Link Light Rail so walked over to the International District/Chinatown station, bought an ORCA Card and put $10 on it, then tapped it and rode down the escalator to the platform for the train bound for Angle Lake.

A train entering the station on the way to the University of Washington in North Seattle.

My train for Angle Lake, the end of the line. Once there, it was down the elevator, tap the ORCA Card then back on the escalator to the platform.

My train to the University of Washington station, where, it was up two escalators then tap the ORCA Card again, back down two other escalators and back to the platform.

The Link for the return to the International District/Chinatown station. There I took the elevator back to the surface and walked to King Street Station to wait for my Empire Builder to Edmonds. About thirty minutes before train time, I was standing in line and saw a familiar face looking for me. It was Bob Alkire who had taken the bus to Seattle so that he could ride to Edmonds with me. I was happy he did this as now I would have someone to talk while riding the Builder.

This trip would be on the lower level since we were only going to Edmonds, the first stop. It was a quick trip and we talked the whole way then all too soon, we were detraining in Edmonds.

The Empire Builder in Edmonds. Elizabeth picked us up and we drove to their house in Lynnwood, thus ending an interesting way of getting from Santa Ana to Edmonds all by rail.

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