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Oakland Circle II or My Last Steak on Amtrak?

I had suggested to Chris Parker that we should take a trip on the Coast Starlight before Simplified Dining that would occur on this route. After the Southwest Chief had switched over early so this might be my last chance for a steak on an Amtrak long distance train. Chris agreed so I used a Guest Rewards Companion Coupon for the northbound Coast Starlight ticket. For the southbound San Joaquin I used a "Take a friend/Free Companion Fare Coupon" for that ticket. I then booked us a night at the Jack London Inn. Chris hadn't yet traveled between San Luis Obispo and Oakland. As a surprise for Chris I then booked us into a sleeping car for that day and now our meals would be included. Would we have a Pacific Parlor Car? Would the Coast Starlight still be serving a steak? Only by taking this trip would we find out.

I drove down to the Santa Ana Train station and parked. I will now show you how the construction of our new platform and pedestrian bridge is coming along.

The new northeast end Wheel Chair Ramp.

The future northwest where the new Wheel Chair Ramp will be.

The new waiting shelters.

Construction of the new southwest Wheel Chair Ramp.

The Bridge with scaffolding below it. A group going north was told to go to the south end of the train to board. I asked if they had Pacific Business Class Tickets. They said no! I told them that their car would be at the other end. Their leader said I didn't know what I was talking about. I went inside and asked the agent to see where Business Class was and he said it was on the south end. I walked outside and shared that information with their leader who said that she never wanted to ride in a car with me and stormed off. I guess some people can't accept being wrong.

I boarded Surfliner 763 for the trip to Los Angeles and settled in for the ride. My book for this trip is "Pirate of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest". We stopped at Anaheim and Fullerton before we made the sprint into Los Angeles Union Station a few minutes late.

Chris Parker soon found me waiting on a bench on Track 9. We watched a pair of Metrolink trains one for San Bernardino and the other for Lancaster. Surfliner 763 soon departed for Goleta before Surfliner 768 came into LAUPT and then left for San Diego.

Conductor Bob Riskie came by to say hello and in this picture Bob and Chris discuss cell phones. Bob left to check out his train set for Surfliner 572 and a few minutes later the Coast Starlight backed in.

This train had P42DC's 117 and 118, Baggage 1234, Transition 39022, Sleepers 32095 Nebraska, 32015 Tennessee and 32088 Maryland, Diner 38055, Lounge 32020 and Coaches 34113, 34512 Kiddie Car and 34101. As you could tell, there was no Pacific Parlor Car in this consist. Our Sleeping Car Attendant was Carilyn for this trip to Oakland. We had to switch from Room 2 to Room 8 for this trip which was Ok!

The Parlor Area in Room E of the Maryland with Darin as our Parlor Attendant. We left Los Angeles on time and I called Lets Talk Trains, that is linked on my home page, to announce my newest story that Spring 2006 trip I just finished. We ran by what was left of the former Southern Pacific Taylor Yard. The Starlight stopped at Van Nuys before we made our way to Chatsworth where we did a running meet with Surfliner 774.

Chris enjoying his first sleeping car experience. The Starlight passed through the Chatsworth Tunnels and on into Simi Valley.

At 11:30 AM Chris and I went to the Dining Car and were seated with Mary and Mel going to Seattle. Christy was our waitress who is an avid Coca-Cola drinker like me and whose Father had designed a large Coca-Cola plant. We stopped at Oxnard while we waited for our meals to be served.

My Angus Beef Burger which was excellent.

The return of Ice Cream for desert at lunch for me. Yeah! At Santa Barbara, a fresh air stop, I talked with Carilyn who just happens to be a big fan of Trainweb.com We headed through Goleta where Surfliner 763 was waiting to become 784. The mustard plants were in full bloom as we traveled west to Point Conception, by Jalama Beach and rounded Point Arguello on a cloudy day. The train made its way to Surf, Casmalia, Guadalupe, Grover Beach and then on into San Luis Obispo.

The Coast Starlight at San Luis Obispo.

Conductor Alex P helps out with baggage before he went off duty. Chris started his new mileage once we left SLO and would be in that mode until we get to Oakland tonight. We went to the dining car for the "Wine Tasting" with Chris having a Pepsi and me a Sierra Mist. The train climbed Cuesta Grade on this overcast afternoon with Chris being amazed. He had seen the tunnels for years from the highway and now he was passing through them. At the north end of the Summit Tunnel we exited into brilliant sunshine. We stopped off at Paso Robles before we went in for our 5 PM Dinner reservation. We crossed the Salinas {I got water flowing in me} River. We were joined by Marilyn and John heading home to Swan Lake, Montana after an around the world educational cruise.

My meal was a New York Strip, so I did get to enjoy one last steak and that goal of mine was met on this trip.

Chocolate Bundt a la mode was desert. During my desert we passed a Union Pacific derailment at MP 149 complete with four cars on the ground. I learned that it happened over a month ago from the conductor during our fresh air stop at Salinas. We traveled by the Elkhorn Slough with many seals on its shores, through Watsonville Yard, the Pajora Gap before we reached Gilroy.

We arrived at San Jose early and a Caltrain unit was there for the photograph. The Starlight departed San Jose on time and I introduced Chris to dark room after sunset scenery viewing from our room. At Santa Clara we waited for Capitol Train 751 before we headed to Oakland via Niles. We pulled into Oakland Jack London Station at 9:41 PM {9:32 PM} ending a fantastic trip on the Coast Starlight.

Chris and I said our goodbyes to Carilyn then walked the two blocks to the Jack London Inn. We checked in and this time we got Room 202, the north end room away from the tracks. After watching a few minutes of "Jackie Chan's Operation Condor", we called it a night.

4/30/06 Getting up at 6:00 AM and starting your day with a "Waterfall Shower" is a great way to start my day. I checked E-mail before joining Chris for a filling continental breakfast. We checked out walking back the two blocks to Amtrak. We watched Capitol Train 720 load its passengers and depart Oakland at 7:15 AM. Our train rolled through Jack London Square at 7:21 AM and into the station.

Our train to Bakersfield backed into Oakland Station with Cab Car 9307 Mount Baldy, Cafe 8801 Owens Valley, Coach 8018 Trinity River, Coach/Baggage 8201 San Francisco Bay with engine 2004. We boarded the Cab Car and took a left hand seat. Our train left on time, met Capitol Train 723 right before the Amtrak Yard then rolled into Emeryville and Richmond on a beautiful clear morning. It became a hazy morning as our train cruised along San Pablo Bay and the Carquinez Straits to Martinez. Chris was up at the front of the Cab Car video taping our route to Stockton. At Port Chicago we switched to the BNSF and made our way to Antioch. The train made its way across the California Delta and met San Joaquin 711 at Trull on double track. At Stockton the smallest group of passengers I have had ever seen boarded our train. We stopped at Modesto {fresh air} and Turlock passed San Joaquin 702 at Atwater and before arriving at Merced, an extended fresh air stop. Before Madera I got a Hot Dog and enjoyed it to Fresno, a very extended fresh air stop.

At Conejo we took the siding for San Joaquin 713 then onto Hanford {fresh air stop}. Before Corcoran we met BNSF 4422 West and then ran to Wasco. We met San Joaquin 715 at the Kern River Bridge and arrived into Bakersfield at 1:39 PM.

The bus left Bakersfield at 2:01 PM and went up the steep north face of Tejon Pass at 40 MPH. A car had gone off the northbound lane which we heard on the driver's radio and we all played "Spot the car gone off the Road!" We all won that game. The bus did really well on flat or down grade so we arrived LAUPT at 3:53 PM. That gave me twelve minutes to get to Track 12 and Surfliner 582.

I was greeted aboard by Conductor Rosie and minutes later we departed LAUPT on time. The train sped to Fullerton followed by Anaheim. We met Surfliner 583 at CP Lincoln prior to me detraining at Santa Ana on time. I drove my GEO Metro home ending yet another fantastic Amtrak adventure.

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