chuljin
Lead Service Attendant
A friend and former coworker was going to read from his new novel in Hollywood in the early evening this past Saturday, so I decided to make an afternoon of it by playing with trains on my way there. A few mildly interesting things happened, so behold a brief trip report. (As it turns out, I had been mistaken about the day [it was actually on Sunday] and had plans on the 'real' day, so that was a bit bumming.)
By the time I made my mind up to go to downtown LA hours early, it was not quite the right time to get there on the Surfliner, so drove to the Fillmore station in Pasadena and Gold Lined it. It was one one of the new 'silver' trains (Breda P2550), my first ride on these. I agree with what I read somewhere (can't find it now) that the seats on these are quite small, and often narrower than the seated (certainly in my case
). There's also no 'railfan window' as on the old Siemens cars. Adding to the 'enjoyment' of this leg were the loud guy who was not wrapped too tight, and the 8-10 people eating Snickers they'd bought from one of the ubiquitous fundraiser kids with their boxes.
I'd made my mind up to pass the time by riding an Amtrak train, any Amtrak train, from LAX to somewhere and back (not a mileage run, though, as the price I paid shows). In the event, I got to LAX around 1:45, and not having any ticket, wasn't going to kill myself to make 578 going south. I instead decided to take 775 to somewhere and 784 back. In consulting the timetables, VNC was as far as I could get and have a comfortable 'layover'. (CWT is the absolute northernmost, but at 7 minutes, I didn't want to tempt fate.) So I got my 2 $9-each tickets, and 'chilled' at LAX for a bit. I got a bottle of Diet Pepsi from the machines across from the ticket counters ($2.25/bottle is about 35% cheaper than the now $2/can on the train) and boarded 775.
I sat above the Cafe as I almost always do when in coach on the Surfliners. As usual for trains that pass through LAX, it was closed when I first boarded. By coincidence, he was ready to open just as we arrived at GDL, and he made an announcement to the effect of 'Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Glendale, and the Cafe is now open.' So I went down to get chuljin's famous cheese and crackers®, and got to the bottom of the stairs in time to hear the slightly grumpy conductor who'd just lifted my ticket ask him 'Did I miss something? Are you making the station announcements now?' :| As we left BUR, I noticed something I'd convinced myself didn't exist: an exit from the platforms on the side opposite the airport (the Fry's side). Now I know a fun and point-earning way to get to Fry's the next time I go. I finished the cheese and crackers just before we reached VNC.
Now I 'chilled' here, alternately sitting or standing alternately inside or outside, bought an unreserved GDL-LAX ticket from the Metrolink TVM so I'd have change for the soda machine , and picked up a couple copies of something I'd not seen before: a simple but slick pamphlet about the Amtrak California Thruway system (I'm also a ravenous collector of printed material about public transit). I experienced yet another example of the hilarity that ensues when Julie is underinformed: she told me that 784 would be 16 minutes late at VNC, because it had left SBA 14 minutes late. She didn't know that it had made up time since then, because 784 is (at least that day) one of those trains for which status is updated only at staffed stations (and yet the next day at all stations). Every-day 798 used to be like this; now weekday 798 reports from all stations [except right now because of the UP trackwork bustitution], but 792 seems to still be staffed-stations-only. But I digress.
784 arrived at VNC precisely on time. Because the scheduled dwell there is zero, it could not leave precisely on time, but the conductors admirably hustled to make it as close as possible to such. The conductors included Mr. Big Voice* (who lifted my ticket and was making the station announcements) and our own BlueJeanGirl*. I boarded the Cafe car, as usual, and when I got upstairs, saw an empty pair of seats right at the top of the stairs, but decided I wanted to face forward, so kept walking back towards BC. Not finding any, I turned back forward, met MBV who lifted my ticket, then kept walking, not finding any more empty pairs until I got to the empty cab car. I was traveling light and was in no danger of losing a seat (I'd gotten no seat check, probably because of the brevity of my trip), so I went to look for BJG. We were on a straight stretch where I could see the whole length of the train, but didn't see her, so I decided to walk back and listen. As I entered the northernmost Coach car, I heard her and went down the 'front' stairs. I could see she was lifting tickets, and didn't want to interrupt, so I went back upstairs to wait a bit. MBV saw me and said, 'next car, partner' (or 'buddy' or some such friendly epithet ), thinking that I was looking for the Cafe. 'Oh, no, I was going to go talk to [bJG's real name, that she shared when we met the first time].' So I went back down the forward stairs to find her looking up the rear stairs, and MBV calling down 'some guy was asking about you, did he find you?' 'What guy?' 'This guy,' I said from behind her, and we had a nice chat between VNC and shortly after BUR. She mentioned that it had just been 'Sadie Hawkins', and that it was job bidding time again (good luck, btw, BJG!). I'd heard of Sadie Hawkins, but in a much different context, so googled it later, and now understand what it means, just not why. She also mentioned a not-fun incident that had happened that morning on the way up as 763: approaching CWT, the train went into emergency. One kid had lain on the tracks while the other took his picture. Both were unharmed. I hope they got busted for at least trespassing. Pity that being a dumbass is not an indictable offense.
Just after this story, we reached BUR. A few people got on and off, then approached a man carrying a huge rollaway, another large bag, and an empty car seat, followed by his mother-in-law and his daughter, who was tightly wrapped around his wife. Only the man and his daughter were travelling, and the wife asked if she could bring the daughter aboard. BJG, kind as usual but firm, said that 'sorry, we're already late' and suggested the daughter go into the carseat and the whole thing carried aboard. But the man was already hurrying up the stairs (as much as one can hurry when apparently moving house by Amtrak), saying he'd be back for the daughter. Waited and waited for the guy to come back, until BJG finally suggested that she take the daughter, which the wife and mother-in-law thought was a good idea, but the daughter wasn't having it, maintaining a white-knuckle death-grip on her mother. After several more minutes during which one of the conductors was (rightfully) admonishing them for making the train yet later, the wife finally hurried in, deposited the daughter, and detrained just in the nick of time. 'There, you see?' said BJG. 'Travel light.' So I showed her my notebook (all I was carrying), then we parted company, as she needed to close out her day.
I went back to my seat in the Cab car, which was nearly empty (3-4 of us total); I wondered if they'd only recently opened it up. So I did something that had never occured to me during 73 other trips *towards* LAX on a Surfliner set (plus a couple hundred on Metrolink): I stood and watched out the cab window. Fortunately, the engineer had left open the door between the cab and the passenger cabin (probably because it was not distractingly noisily crowded). I wasn't *quite* sure where we were when I saw something cool (in its own way, and perhaps for me alone)...we met a Metrolink train at an effective passing speed of what seemed like about 150mph (we were both booking, anyways). I didn't get at first why we were traveling kind of obliquely to each other; then I realized we'd reached Burbank Junction, and we were going south/east from the Ventura County Line onto the shared line, while Metrolink 267 was going north from teh shared line onto the Antelope Valley Line, on its way to Lancaster. I found it (perhaps alone, as I said) most impressive. While we dwelled at GDL, the engineer came out of the cab to do something at the table behind him, saw me, and said 'How's it going?' to which I responded with a meek 'Hi.' When I saw him emerge, I half expected to be scolded for some reason for standing up there, but turns out I was fine...I was completely silent and standing at a respectful distance, well behind the red flag placed for that purpose. This positioning also afforded me an opportunity to see the intricate web of switches into LAX, also impressive in its way.
After that, it was mindless Metro Rail wandering: Purple line to dinner at the Carl's Jr near the Normandie Station, walk to the Vermont station, then Red line up to Hollywood/Highland to browse the Virgin store, then back to LAX and Gold lining in to Pasadena and my car.
*Characters:
By the time I made my mind up to go to downtown LA hours early, it was not quite the right time to get there on the Surfliner, so drove to the Fillmore station in Pasadena and Gold Lined it. It was one one of the new 'silver' trains (Breda P2550), my first ride on these. I agree with what I read somewhere (can't find it now) that the seats on these are quite small, and often narrower than the seated (certainly in my case
). There's also no 'railfan window' as on the old Siemens cars. Adding to the 'enjoyment' of this leg were the loud guy who was not wrapped too tight, and the 8-10 people eating Snickers they'd bought from one of the ubiquitous fundraiser kids with their boxes.I'd made my mind up to pass the time by riding an Amtrak train, any Amtrak train, from LAX to somewhere and back (not a mileage run, though, as the price I paid shows). In the event, I got to LAX around 1:45, and not having any ticket, wasn't going to kill myself to make 578 going south. I instead decided to take 775 to somewhere and 784 back. In consulting the timetables, VNC was as far as I could get and have a comfortable 'layover'. (CWT is the absolute northernmost, but at 7 minutes, I didn't want to tempt fate.) So I got my 2 $9-each tickets, and 'chilled' at LAX for a bit. I got a bottle of Diet Pepsi from the machines across from the ticket counters ($2.25/bottle is about 35% cheaper than the now $2/can on the train) and boarded 775.
I sat above the Cafe as I almost always do when in coach on the Surfliners. As usual for trains that pass through LAX, it was closed when I first boarded. By coincidence, he was ready to open just as we arrived at GDL, and he made an announcement to the effect of 'Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Glendale, and the Cafe is now open.' So I went down to get chuljin's famous cheese and crackers®, and got to the bottom of the stairs in time to hear the slightly grumpy conductor who'd just lifted my ticket ask him 'Did I miss something? Are you making the station announcements now?' :| As we left BUR, I noticed something I'd convinced myself didn't exist: an exit from the platforms on the side opposite the airport (the Fry's side). Now I know a fun and point-earning way to get to Fry's the next time I go.
I finished the cheese and crackers just before we reached VNC.Now I 'chilled' here, alternately sitting or standing alternately inside or outside, bought an unreserved GDL-LAX ticket from the Metrolink TVM so I'd have change for the soda machine
, and picked up a couple copies of something I'd not seen before: a simple but slick pamphlet about the Amtrak California Thruway system (I'm also a ravenous collector of printed material about public transit). I experienced yet another example of the hilarity that ensues when Julie is underinformed: she told me that 784 would be 16 minutes late at VNC, because it had left SBA 14 minutes late. She didn't know that it had made up time since then, because 784 is (at least that day) one of those trains for which status is updated only at staffed stations (and yet the next day at all stations). Every-day 798 used to be like this; now weekday 798 reports from all stations [except right now because of the UP trackwork bustitution], but 792 seems to still be staffed-stations-only. But I digress.784 arrived at VNC precisely on time. Because the scheduled dwell there is zero, it could not leave precisely on time, but the conductors admirably hustled to make it as close as possible to such. The conductors included Mr. Big Voice* (who lifted my ticket and was making the station announcements) and our own BlueJeanGirl*. I boarded the Cafe car, as usual, and when I got upstairs, saw an empty pair of seats right at the top of the stairs, but decided I wanted to face forward, so kept walking back towards BC. Not finding any, I turned back forward, met MBV who lifted my ticket, then kept walking, not finding any more empty pairs until I got to the empty cab car. I was traveling light and was in no danger of losing a seat (I'd gotten no seat check, probably because of the brevity of my trip), so I went to look for BJG. We were on a straight stretch where I could see the whole length of the train, but didn't see her, so I decided to walk back and listen. As I entered the northernmost Coach car, I heard her and went down the 'front' stairs. I could see she was lifting tickets, and didn't want to interrupt, so I went back upstairs to wait a bit. MBV saw me and said, 'next car, partner' (or 'buddy' or some such friendly epithet
), thinking that I was looking for the Cafe. 'Oh, no, I was going to go talk to [bJG's real name, that she shared when we met the first time].' So I went back down the forward stairs to find her looking up the rear stairs, and MBV calling down 'some guy was asking about you, did he find you?' 'What guy?' 'This guy,' I said from behind her, and we had a nice chat between VNC and shortly after BUR. She mentioned that it had just been 'Sadie Hawkins', and that it was job bidding time again (good luck, btw, BJG!). I'd heard of Sadie Hawkins, but in a much different context, so googled it later, and now understand what it means, just not why. She also mentioned a not-fun incident that had happened that morning on the way up as 763: approaching CWT, the train went into emergency. One kid had lain on the tracks while the other took his picture. Both were unharmed. I hope they got busted for at least trespassing. Pity that being a dumbass is not an indictable offense.Just after this story, we reached BUR. A few people got on and off, then approached a man carrying a huge rollaway, another large bag, and an empty car seat, followed by his mother-in-law and his daughter, who was tightly wrapped around his wife. Only the man and his daughter were travelling, and the wife asked if she could bring the daughter aboard. BJG, kind as usual but firm, said that 'sorry, we're already late' and suggested the daughter go into the carseat and the whole thing carried aboard. But the man was already hurrying up the stairs (as much as one can hurry when apparently moving house by Amtrak), saying he'd be back for the daughter. Waited and waited for the guy to come back, until BJG finally suggested that she take the daughter, which the wife and mother-in-law thought was a good idea, but the daughter wasn't having it, maintaining a white-knuckle death-grip on her mother. After several more minutes during which one of the conductors was (rightfully) admonishing them for making the train yet later, the wife finally hurried in, deposited the daughter, and detrained just in the nick of time. 'There, you see?' said BJG. 'Travel light.' So I showed her my notebook (all I was carrying), then we parted company, as she needed to close out her day.
I went back to my seat in the Cab car, which was nearly empty (3-4 of us total); I wondered if they'd only recently opened it up. So I did something that had never occured to me during 73 other trips *towards* LAX on a Surfliner set (plus a couple hundred on Metrolink): I stood and watched out the cab window. Fortunately, the engineer had left open the door between the cab and the passenger cabin (probably because it was not distractingly noisily crowded). I wasn't *quite* sure where we were when I saw something cool (in its own way, and perhaps for me alone)...we met a Metrolink train at an effective passing speed of what seemed like about 150mph (we were both booking, anyways). I didn't get at first why we were traveling kind of obliquely to each other; then I realized we'd reached Burbank Junction, and we were going south/east from the Ventura County Line onto the shared line, while Metrolink 267 was going north from teh shared line onto the Antelope Valley Line, on its way to Lancaster. I found it (perhaps alone, as I said) most impressive. While we dwelled at GDL, the engineer came out of the cab to do something at the table behind him, saw me, and said 'How's it going?' to which I responded with a meek 'Hi.' When I saw him emerge, I half expected to be scolded for some reason for standing up there, but turns out I was fine...I was completely silent and standing at a respectful distance, well behind the red flag placed for that purpose. This positioning also afforded me an opportunity to see the intricate web of switches into LAX, also impressive in its way.
After that, it was mindless Metro Rail wandering: Purple line to dinner at the Carl's Jr near the Normandie Station, walk to the Vermont station, then Red line up to Hollywood/Highland to browse the Virgin store, then back to LAX and Gold lining in to Pasadena and my car.
*Characters:
- Mr Big Voice: (the moniker is meant as a compliment ) works (and, it seems, always makes the announcements on) the same trains as BJG. A nice guy with a big baritone voice that gets attention and gets the job done. BJG probably knows exactly who I'm talking about and is now laughing her ass off.
- BlueJeanGirl: like she needs introduction or explanation
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