Coast Starlight (better scenery NB or SB?)

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S Unger

Train Attendant
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
20
Location
Simpsonville, SC
We want to take a trip on the Starlight. Is the scenery better going from south to north or the other way around. I am trying to determine the best viewing time along the coast.(I’m glad everyone understood my meaning, obviously the scenery is the same either way it’s just darker one way!)
 
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We want to take a trip on the Starlight. Is the scenery better going from south to north or the other way around. I am trying to determine the best viewing time along the coast.
Going north you will definitely see the coast. Going south you will miss it if severely late, however you might be able to enjoy the sunset while going along the coast.

Going north you also see the Cascades better, and have a better chance of seeing Mount Shasta (especially in the summer).
 
In my case ignorance is probably bliss because I have always gone southbound because it fit into my itinerary better. In May and June when the daylight hours are long I have been very pleased with the southbound scenery in the Cascades and along the coast (although I have yet to see Mount Shasta.)
 
Also as important as N vs S is the side of the train your roomette/bedroom (or seat) is on. Again both have advantages and disadvantages. Going N the side on the coast gives you the best view of the coast obviously. The inland side gives great views of the rivers and waterfalls the next morning in southern Oregon. I always found that to be a highlight but I did grow up a mile from the beach in SoCal so the beach isn’t as a big a highlight for me as it could be.

That brings up another point how stupid Amtrak is getting rid of the lounges. If your room or seat is on the opposite side of whatever it is you want to see your kinda screwed. You can’t go to the lounge to see scenery from both sides of the train anymore. Roomettes maybe there’s remote chance you could switch sides with help from your attendant but high priced bedrooms are only on one side of the train so no dice. I know it’s only the Eagle as of now but one food service car per train is the stated goal:(
 
Also as important as N vs S is the side of the train your roomette/bedroom (or seat) is on. Again both have advantages and disadvantages. Going N the side on the coast gives you the best view of the coast obviously. The inland side gives great views of the rivers and waterfalls the next morning in southern Oregon. I always found that to be a highlight but I did grow up a mile from the beach in SoCal so the beach isn’t as a big a highlight for me as it could be.
You can see waterfalls from the starlight? I didn't see any (nor many rivers in southern Oregon either unless you're talking about the Willamette River).

Also, being a southern Californian, I agree with you about the coast! However it's not like we get to see those beautiful cliffs down here.
 
Theres lots of Water around Klamath Falls, and farther North on Both Sides of the Train.

Closer to Portland on the Left side of the Train, there is a River with some Dams and Falls, ( Willamette?)
 
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I am partial to Northbound since I love the scenery around Santa Barbara. I am not a good photographer, but I took this photo in 2014 from the dining car (and I think it looks pretty darn good). Jim, I think you were sitting at the table with me. (maybe Betty also).
IMG_0075.JPG
 
Willamette Falls...also the structures of former paper mills. Pretty interesting area.
And not spectacular but interesting -- the dam provided the hydroelectric power for the first "long-distance" transmission line, 14 miles to Portland. During spring run-off times the water over the dam is spectacular on a small scale.

Besides the ocean and mountain views, there are stretches in the Willamette Valley that are far from I-5 and so pleasant small towns look as though they are in the Midwest. In fact, Hollywood has used the area as a stand-in for the Midwest.

Entering Portland on the lower deck of the Steel Bridge you get a good look at the downtown area and may see some river traffic. Leaving Portland northbound you'll see the more active harbor areas and cross the Willamette River again.

The Steel Bridge is an engineering marvel as shown in this recently scanned photo of Train 11.

1978  139.jpg

Over 100 miles of oceanfront provides lots of photo opportunities.

2012 May-June 068k  Coast Line.jpg

And northbound, the Klamath water resource that is so desperately fought over.

P1040500.JPG
 
When we needed the Viewliner wheelchair-accessible bedroom from NYC to Chicago owing to an injury, we were delighted that the room had a window into the side aisle (the room's door faces the car's door which is very close). Opposite that window was an exterior one along the aisle, so we had a great view of the Hudson. Eastward the Viewliner's upper as well as seat-level windows gave us a great view of the palisades and passing lovely terrain.
 
I prefer the northbound because I think you get the mountain scenery in the Cascades better than southbound. Going southbound it has always been dark for me over Cascade Summit. And you are always going to have good views of the coast. Sometimes southbound you get the sunset on the coast.
 
Also as important as N vs S is the side of the train your roomette/bedroom (or seat) is on. Again both have advantages and disadvantages. Going N the side on the coast gives you the best view of the coast obviously. The inland side gives great views of the rivers and waterfalls the next morning in southern Oregon. I always found that to be a highlight but I did grow up a mile from the beach in SoCal so the beach isn’t as a big a highlight for me as it could be.

That brings up another point how stupid Amtrak is getting rid of the lounges. If your room or seat is on the opposite side of whatever it is you want to see your kinda screwed. You can’t go to the lounge to see scenery from both sides of the train anymore. Roomettes maybe there’s remote chance you could switch sides with help from your attendant but high priced bedrooms are only on one side of the train so no dice. I know it’s only the Eagle as of now but one food service car per train is the stated goal:(
Did the Coast Starlight get rid of the sightseer lounge? what about the other Superliners?
 
A few sightseeing tips:

As mentioned, typically on Southbound you will miss much of the ocean views around Santa Barbara, particularly if the train is delayed, particularly in winter. Bring binoculars for these views as from the higher cliffs you can look down in the water and see dolphins and sharks swimming in the surf, and further away you can see humpback whales, and grey whales if it's in migration season. At Vandenberg don't forget to peek out the east side of the train a bit to see the SpaceX and ULA launch facilities -- time it right and you can even see a rocket (though they hold the trains before a launch so you can't actually watch a launch from the train), and if you're particularly eagle eyed you can see the ground based midcourse interceptor silos from the ballistic missile defense system.

Just north of San Luis Obispo between the horseshoe curve and the mountain pass (bounded by a rapid series of tunnels leading down to Paso Robles) is usually a great view either NB or SB, and the key is to look out the EAST side of the train for spectacular views across the valley, with lots of hilly pasture land that looks like it's out of the Shire in Middle Earth. It's especially best after a rain when everything is green. Keep an eye out of eagles and coyotes.

Something you can only see well on a severely delayed northbound train, or an INCREDIBLY badly delayed southbound train is the Sacramento River Canyon between Redding and Dunsmuir. The views are spectacular and one that people frequently miss. If you travel during a full moon you can also get some great views of it at night from an on-time southbound train if you black out your room (assuming your window is facing the right direction).

Now here's my super secret top Coast Starlight tip. During a king tide on a new moon (i.e. around noon), hope that the southbound CS is delayed by about 90-120 minutes coming out of San Jose. Alternatively, if the moon is extra close, it can also happen on an on-time train a few days earlier. When the tide is high enough, the tracks at the Elkhorn Slough (between San Jose and Salinas) actually go *underwater*. Since the water is still not very deep, the train actually fords through the water and the train swishes through the water like it's a friggin' boat. You can see sea lions and sea otters swimming around the train sometimes. For safety it goes extra slow while fording, so you get tons of chances for an incredible view from your now-aquatic train!
 
The Steel Bridge is an engineering marvel as shown in this recently scanned photo of Train 11.

1978  139.jpg
Your statement, while true, would not be self-evident to me if I didn't know more. There are two levels, trains on the lower and cars and light rail on the upper. The lower level can be raised to just below the upper level to let a tall ship pass, and both levels can be raised further to let a taller ship pass. Pedestrians can cross on either level, with some access restrictions. It's a short walk from the Portland station.
the train swishes through the water like it's a friggin' boat.
I experienced this in Wisconsin, on the first Empire Builder to go through a flooded area after some some days of cancellations. Happily for me, I was in the Portland sleeper so I could look out the railfan window at the wake spreading behind the train.
 
Something you can only see from southbound (unless northbound is delayed by many, many, many hours) is Drawbridge, California -- the only ghost down in the SF bay area. It's in the swamps between Fremont and Santa Clara (between Oakland and San Jose on the CS). There are buildings on both sides of the train, slowly rotting and sinking into the swamp. It used to be a bustling old-west town with saloons, a brothel, etc. but after the highway system went in it was slowly abandoned. While you can see it only southbound on the CS, it's also easy to see from other routes that use the track (ACE and Capitol Corridor). Views are a few inches higher on Superliners and California Cars vs. ACE's Bombardier Bi-levels, though not enough to really make a difference. Obviously the view will be worse on Capitol Corridor when they switch to single-level Siemens Ventures.
 
For us, it’s NORTH BOUND. Much of the first day’s journey is spent paralleling the coastline which, if it’s a sunny day, makes for some spectacular viewing. During the second day, there is the passage through the Cascades, which has to be one of the most scenic places that Amtrak travels through. (Southbound, you go through the Cascades when it is dark or almost so.)

Eric & Pat
 
Now here's my super secret top Coast Starlight tip. During a king tide on a new moon (i.e. around noon), hope that the southbound CS is delayed by about 90-120 minutes coming out of San Jose. Alternatively, if the moon is extra close, it can also happen on an on-time train a few days earlier. When the tide is high enough, the tracks at the Elkhorn Slough (between San Jose and Salinas) actually go *underwater*. Since the water is still not very deep, the train actually fords through the water and the train swishes through the water like it's a friggin' boat. You can see sea lions and sea otters swimming around the train sometimes. For safety it goes extra slow while fording, so you get tons of chances for an incredible view from your now-aquatic train!
Do any videos of this (or something like this on a different Amtrak train) exist? I would absolutely love to see it.
 
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