Booking Cascade PDX-SEA

[jackal]

I may have the opportunity to get out of state (finally!) for a brief weekend.

If the stars align, I may be able to ride Amtrak from PDX to SEA on the evening of 8/14. I'd be taking the 6:15pm departure.

What time does it start to get dark in WA in mid-August? (Any train ride is a good train ride, of course, but should I be prepared to miss most of the good scenery?)

And is the $14 upgrade to Business Class worth it? (I assume the Talgos will be back in operation by then...they were supposed to be already!) If the Talgos aren't used, what do I get on the Superliners for my business-class ticket? If it's just a warm soda, then I might want to rethink the upgrade...

 

[RTOlson]

I thought the Talgos were currently in service for nearly all parts of Cascades service, except for the Seattle-Vancouver, BC leg.

Unless they withdraw all the Talgo sets again for some needed upgrade, you should be on a Talgo for a PDX-SEA run.

 

[jackal]

I thought the Talgos were currently in service for nearly all parts of Cascades service, except for the Seattle-Vancouver, BC leg.
Unless they withdraw all the Talgo sets again for some needed upgrade, you should be on a Talgo for a PDX-SEA run.

Ah. Thanks for clarifying!

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I may have the opportunity to get out of state (finally!) for a brief weekend.
If the stars align, I may be able to ride Amtrak from PDX to SEA on the evening of 8/14. I'd be taking the 6:15pm departure.

What time does it start to get dark in WA in mid-August? (Any train ride is a good train ride, of course, but should I be prepared to miss most of the good scenery?)

And is the $14 upgrade to Business Class worth it? (I assume the Talgos will be back in operation by then...they were supposed to be already!) If the Talgos aren't used, what do I get on the Superliners for my business-class ticket? If it's just a warm soda, then I might want to rethink the upgrade...

The BC upgrade is worth it-- coach seats are more cramped then they are on Amfleets. BC seating is 2-1 with hard faux leather, no leg rests. It's not a club car but its better than sardines.

Upon check in you'll get a $3 voucher for the Bistro, but most everything in the Bistro is $4-7 so it's just a bit of clever marketing. You don't get any perks beyond that. They'll give you priority boarding or at least segregated boarding so you're not rushing with the coach pax. Your assigned seat is your assigned seat. If you're lucky and get an empty train then maybe you can move about. I'd avoid sitting in either end of the car due to the insane rattling those glass doors have when the train is moving.

Bring your camera, that's the best thing about PDX and SEA-- I have been overt with my rail photography there and station and train crews are more than enthusiastic about letting you have your fun. There's usually a parked 27/28 in PDX and some good freight action in SEA.

Bring a pair of headphones in case you want to watch the movie and in case the movie system is working.

 

[JSmith]

The BC upgrade is worth it-- coach seats are more cramped then they are on Amfleets.

That might be true, but the overall cars themselves are more pleasant and attractive than Amfleets (which are quite utilitarian!). I rode from Seattle to Centralia and back in coach and enjoyed it a lot. For $14 I would probably upgrade to BC.

I really enjoyed the scenery along Puget Sound between Olympia and Seattle. The train runs right along the shore for quite a while. Official sunset for 8/14 is at 8:22 but I assume you'll have some twilight for a long while.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

The BC upgrade is worth it-- coach seats are more cramped then they are on Amfleets.

That might be true, but the overall cars themselves are more pleasant and attractive than Amfleets (which are quite utilitarian!).

That is a matter of opinion Sir. I find the Talgos to be deplorable.

 

[JSmith]

That is a matter of opinion Sir. I find the Talgos to be deplorable.

Well, I only rode the one time, so I probably didn't have time to get to know its deficiencies. And the train I was on had a pretty light passenger load and I didn't have to share a row with anyone. So I might have felt otherwise if it was more crowded that day. But I do like the look of the Talgos, both inside and out. I think it makes a much more "modern" impression than a train of Amfleets like the Empire Service.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

That is a matter of opinion Sir. I find the Talgos to be deplorable.

Well, I only rode the one time, so I probably didn't have time to get to know its deficiencies. And the train I was on had a pretty light passenger load and I didn't have to share a row with anyone. So I might have felt otherwise if it was more crowded that day. But I do like the look of the Talgos, both inside and out. I think it makes a much more "modern" impression than a train of Amfleets like the Empire Service.

Much more to a train than looks and aesthetics. Many frequent riders like them, some don't.

 

[yarrow]

i love the talgos.

be sure you are ready with your camera after you leave tacoma heading south when you go under the new tacoma narrows bridge

 

[gswager]

That is a matter of opinion Sir. I find the Talgos to be deplorable.

I wouldn't believe on what someone is saying, so I'll have to test it like riding Talgo. So I did and it was pretty cool.

 

[DET63]

The BC upgrade is worth it-- coach seats are more cramped then they are on Amfleets.

That might be true, but the overall cars themselves are more pleasant and attractive than Amfleets (which are quite utilitarian!). I rode from Seattle to Centralia and back in coach and enjoyed it a lot. For $14 I would probably upgrade to BC.

I really enjoyed the scenery along Puget Sound between Olympia and Seattle. The train runs right along the shore for quite a while. Official sunset for 8/14 is at 8:22 but I assume you'll have some twilight for a long while.

Not to nitpick or anything, but isn't the Puget Sound scenery mainly if not exclusively between Olympia and Tacoma? Between Tacoma and Seattle, the tracks are a few miles inland.

BTW, not that it matters here, but NB trains coming into Tacoma are actually going almost due south, then turning east when they stop at the station. Leaving toward Seattle, trains will be going southeast (and thus away from Puget Sound) for several miles before turning north again for the final run into Seattle.

 

[JSmith]

Not to nitpick or anything, but isn't the Puget Sound scenery mainly if not exclusively between Olympia and Tacoma? Between Tacoma and Seattle, the tracks are a few miles inland.

I think you're right... the tracks don't run along the shore until after Tacoma station (coming from Seattle).

I heard that they are going to be changing the route of the Cascades to shave a few (like 6) minutes off the run that will take it inland and bypass a lot of the waterfront scenery (the Point Defiance Bypass). I know faster trains are important especially to business travelers, but I would spend an extra 6 minutes to have that scenery! At least the Coast Starlight will apparently still use the coastal route.

 

[Cascadia]

Wonder if you could go further and ride north of Seattle, the scenery between Seattle and Bellingham, and from there up to Vancouver, is really superior to the scenery south of Seattle, in my experience. So much of the route is right on the shoreline, you look out into island studded bays, with tons of birds and other wildlife. I saw a baby seal on a rock the other day from the train, and I have seen as many as 100 eagles north of White Rock, not exaggerating.

 

[jackal]

Thanks for the info.

Tickets are booked. Since it's a special redemptions route, I'm considering the 1,500 point BC award instead of the $47 ticket (both will reset the AGR expiration clock). Any restrictions on refunding Business Class? Is it more like a sleeper (7-day advance notice) or a regular fare (fully refundable even after the scheduled date of travel)? Of course I won't print the ticket until I'm getting ready to leave...

Looks like I'll miss the Point Defiance scenery because I'll be getting up in that area too late, but I'll definitely have my camera.

 

[AlanB]

Tickets are booked. Since it's a special redemptions route, I'm considering the 1,500 point BC award instead of the $47 ticket (both will reset the AGR expiration clock). Any restrictions on refunding Business Class? Is it more like a sleeper (7-day advance notice) or a regular fare (fully refundable even after the scheduled date of travel)? Of course I won't print the ticket until I'm getting ready to leave...

No, only a paid reservation will reset the AGR clock.

Using an award just uses up the points before AGR takes them away.

 

[jackal]

Tickets are booked. Since it's a special redemptions route, I'm considering the 1,500 point BC award instead of the $47 ticket (both will reset the AGR expiration clock). Any restrictions on refunding Business Class? Is it more like a sleeper (7-day advance notice) or a regular fare (fully refundable even after the scheduled date of travel)? Of course I won't print the ticket until I'm getting ready to leave...

No, only a paid reservation will reset the AGR clock.

Using an award just uses up the points before AGR takes them away.

Ah! Thanks for the clarification.

Though I'm pretty sure we discovered somewhere (here or FT) that a used award results in something like a 0 point Amtrak ticket being posted to your account, which they considered as account activity. Am I remembering wrong, or was it indeed the case but has since stopped?

 

[AlanB]

Hmm, it would seem that AGR has updated the T&C to include language that would suggest that an AGR trip would reset the clock. Not sure when that happened, but it used to specifically state that the trip must be a "paid" trip. So it would seem that using an award would reset the clock.

However, I'm not sure that I'd personally want to risk my points until we're 100% sure.

 

[the_traveler]

If you wanted to reset the clock legally, you could take a Cascade from PDX to VAN (Vancouver, WA) at 12:15 PM, have a 38 minute layover, catch the CS back to PDX, earn 400 more AGR points (this summer) and be back by 1:50 PM - all for $12.60!

Does the_traveler need to figure ways to get points all the time! :lol:

 

[jackal]

OK, so I just redid everything.

I'll be leaving SEA on train 501, departing at 7:30 and arriving in PDX at 11:00 on 8/12. This way, I'll get to see everything during daylight. It also works better with the plans of the group I'll be traveling with.

That eats into my MAX-riding time on Wednesday (since I was originally going to be flying in at 5am 8/12), but I pick Amtrak over MAX! :lol:

Anyone know if there are luggage storage options in/near Portland Union Station?

 

[RTOlson]

^^

There's a Metropolitan Lounge in Portland Union Station. I would guess you would be able to use it if you travel in business class?

In the lounge, there is an unattended storage area right in front of the attendant's desk.

 

[the_traveler]

There's a Metropolitan Lounge in Portland Union Station. I would guess you would be able to use it if you travel in business class?
In the lounge, there is an unattended storage area right in front of the attendant's desk.

But traveling BC doesn't qualify for the Metropolitan Lounge - only sleepers!

Perhaps at the baggage room they have day storage.

 

[jackal]

There's a Metropolitan Lounge in Portland Union Station. I would guess you would be able to use it if you travel in business class?
In the lounge, there is an unattended storage area right in front of the attendant's desk.

But traveling BC doesn't qualify for the Metropolitan Lounge - only sleepers!

Perhaps at the baggage room they have day storage.

I suppose I could check my bag and then just "forget" to pick it up until later in the day...

(Wasn't planning on checking it, since it's just a 22" rollaboard, but if it gives me free storage... :lol: )

 

[AlanB]

I suppose I could check my bag and then just "forget" to pick it up until later in the day...
(Wasn't planning on checking it, since it's just a 22" rollaboard, but if it gives me free storage... :lol: )

There you go!

 

[Bob Dylan]

There's a Metropolitan Lounge in Portland Union Station. I would guess you would be able to use it if you travel in business class?
In the lounge, there is an unattended storage area right in front of the attendant's desk.

But traveling BC doesn't qualify for the Metropolitan Lounge - only sleepers!

Perhaps at the baggage room they have day storage.

When we rode the Talgo to SEA we checked our bags for a couple of hours/had lunch etc.

@ the baaggage room!Cost us $4!Leaving your checked bag till later works too,we did it in LAX!

 

[the_traveler]

I suppose I could check my bag and then just "forget" to pick it up until later in the day...
(Wasn't planning on checking it, since it's just a 22" rollaboard, but if it gives me free storage... :lol: )

That will do it!

I plan on doing the same thing in a few weeks. Instead of getting an AGR award PDX-SAC, then paying to store my bag in SAC and then carring it on the Capitol Corridor trains (which don't have checked baggage), I plan to check it to LAX on the CS and "forget" to pick it up until the following day when I leave!