name that train

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Rob_C

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Okay, supposing you were going to run a second frequency of the Coast Starlight with a flipped schedule departing LA at 10:00pm and arriving SEA at 8Am.

Now suppose you ran it SEA - Yakima - Bend - KMF - OAK or alternatively KMF - Reno and points south. (all hypothetical of course since track no longer exists south of Reno.)

Or even if you did run it through Oakland, what would you name said train?

"Cascade Something-or-other" (but there is already a Cascade train).

"Desert Something-or-other"? (doesn't seem to fit the pacific northwest part of the run)

"Pioneer" (doesn't really follow Luis and Clark)

Perhaps something related to the Silver-lode areas it might travel through?

Something with "Sierra" in the name?

Just having fun here, no chance that such a real world train would happen. Not even sure the populations of those communities would even support such a train.

What are you ideas for a name?

Thanks!
 
If it ran the same route, Coast Daylight is obvious.

If inland, "silver" anything wouldn't work, because those are East Coast trains.

Would the "Prospector" be appropriate?
 
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Ryan said:
If it ran the same route, Coast Daylight is obvious.
If inland, "silver" anything wouldn't work, because those are East Coast trains.

Would the "Prospector" be appropriate?
Click to expand...

Just for the record, the name Prospector was used some years ago, before Amtrak.

It was used for an overnight Denver to Salt Lake City train. This was on the Denver and Rio Grande RR. It ran the opposite time slot to the CZ. It was scheduled for the business traveler moreso than for the vacationer.

Just thought I would throw that in.
 
:) My cantidate would be "The Golden West Ltd." The idea of running a second Coast Starlight with a flipped schedule is a good one,as we all know this is a very popular train, if it followed the current route the Coast Daylight would fit, the old SP names like The Lark and Owl dont fit!
 
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jimhudson said:
:) My cantidate would be "The Golden West Ltd." The idea of running a second Coast Starlight with a flipped schedule is a good one,as we all know this is a very popular train, if it followed the current route the Coast Daylight would fit, the old SP names like The Lark and Owl dont fit!
Click to expand...
Oh yes SP names fit, if you look at their Portland-Oakland trains you find a lot fits. How about "Shasta Daylight", the "Cascade", the "Klamath". Even the "West Coast" (originally a through Portland-LA train, via the East Side Valley lines, then cut back to Sacramento-LA soon after WWII).

I like "Shasta Daylight" myself. I am not much on "Sierra" names, because the route does not traverse the Sierra Nevada mountains. Something with Cascade or Siskiyou would be more geographically appropriate.

PS. Running K Falls Reno would be a little tough, not impossible. Inside Gateway, then take the east leg of the Keddie Wye, ex-WP to Hallelujah Junction and the former WP Reno Branch into Reno. It would be really time-consuming, then would have to go back over Donner Pass to go south. There are no railroads going south out of Reno, unless you wanted to go to the munitions depot at Thorne (Hawthorne, NV).
 
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Maybe I chimed in to early since I havn't ridden the Coast Starlight yet! Buuuuut by this time next month I will have ridden it twice :D , once to PDX and Twice to EMY. After that I can put my two cents worth in!!! :lol:
 
Wasn't there an Amtrak overnight trains several years back that ran overnight between LA and the Bay area? I forgot its actual name but it was nicknamed the "Medfly Express" or something like that due to the medfly infestation of the period....
 
railiner said:
Wasn't there an Amtrak overnight trains several years back that ran overnight between LA and the Bay area? I forgot its actual name but it was nicknamed the "Medfly Express" or something like that due to the medfly infestation of the period....
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"The Spirit of California", 10/25/1982-9/30/1983 LA-Sacramento via the Coast. Rode it once.
 
Hmmm maybe "Oops you missed the first train now you gotta get this one"

No really hmmmm. West Coast Flyer...I dunno
 
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zephyr17 said:
jimhudson said:
:) My cantidate would be "The Golden West Ltd." The idea of running a second Coast Starlight with a flipped schedule is a good one,as we all know this is a very popular train, if it followed the current route the Coast Daylight would fit, the old SP names like The Lark and Owl dont fit!
Click to expand...
Oh yes SP names fit, if you look at their Portland-Oakland trains you find a lot fits. How about "Shasta Daylight", the "Cascade", the "Klamath". Even the "West Coast" (originally a through Portland-LA train, via the East Side Valley lines, then cut back to Sacramento-LA soon after WWII).

I like "Shasta Daylight" myself. I am not much on "Sierra" names, because the route does not traverse the Sierra Nevada mountains. Something with Cascade or Siskiyou would be more geographically appropriate.

PS. Running K Falls Reno would be a little tough, not impossible. Inside Gateway, then take the east leg of the Keddie Wye, ex-WP to Hallelujah Junction and the former WP Reno Branch into Reno. It would be really time-consuming, then would have to go back over Donner Pass to go south. There are no railroads going south out of Reno, unless you wanted to go to the munitions depot at Thorne (Hawthorne, NV).
Click to expand...
The Shasta Daylight is an old name. Hubby's first train ride was on the Shasta Daylight-from Oakland to Redding as a little boy by himself. He says he only remembers bits & pieces, but does remember having a name tag & the dome car. Much of the old route is followed by the Coast Starlight today. More info about the train here. I would like to see the name used again. I have a real soft spot for Mount Shasta, it's a beautiful place to live or visit.

I also like the idea of using Siskiyou in a train name. Maybe Siskiyou Daylight? Or Siskiyou Unlimited?

(Edited to correct start point for hubby's ride-he was asleep when I posted last night.)
 
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sunchaser said:
zephyr17 said:
jimhudson said:
:) My cantidate would be "The Golden West Ltd." The idea of running a second Coast Starlight with a flipped schedule is a good one,as we all know this is a very popular train, if it followed the current route the Coast Daylight would fit, the old SP names like The Lark and Owl dont fit!
Click to expand...
Oh yes SP names fit, if you look at their Portland-Oakland trains you find a lot fits. How about "Shasta Daylight", the "Cascade", the "Klamath". Even the "West Coast" (originally a through Portland-LA train, via the East Side Valley lines, then cut back to Sacramento-LA soon after WWII).

I like "Shasta Daylight" myself. I am not much on "Sierra" names, because the route does not traverse the Sierra Nevada mountains. Something with Cascade or Siskiyou would be more geographically appropriate.

PS. Running K Falls Reno would be a little tough, not impossible. Inside Gateway, then take the east leg of the Keddie Wye, ex-WP to Hallelujah Junction and the former WP Reno Branch into Reno. It would be really time-consuming, then would have to go back over Donner Pass to go south. There are no railroads going south out of Reno, unless you wanted to go to the munitions depot at Thorne (Hawthorne, NV).
Click to expand...
The Shasta Daylight is an old name. Hubby's first train ride was on the Shasta Daylight-from LA to Redding as a little boy by himself. He says he only remembers bits & pieces, but does remember having a name tag & the dome car. Much of the old route is followed by the Coast Starlight today. More info about the train here. I would like to see the name used again. I have a real soft spot for Mount Shasta, it's a beautiful place to live or visit.

I also like the idea of using Siskiyou in a train name. Maybe Siskiyou Daylight? Or Siskiyou Unlimited?
Click to expand...
Yep, it is and old name, SP 9 & 10, it was a day train (long day, though)between Oakland and Portland. The difference in route from today's Starlight is that it went up the West Side line from Davis through Willows and didn't go through Sacramento. The connection from Los Angeles to the Shasta Daylight was at Martinez via 57/58, the Owl overnight train between LA and Oakland via the San Joaquin Valley. Ironically enough, the connections for SP's Portland trains from Southern California was always via the San Joaquin Valley and never the Coast Line.
 
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Hands down, thee best name for the train would be the "Lynchburger".

In fact all of Amtrak's trains should be re-named, Lynchburger 1, Lynchburger 2, Lynchburger 3, etc., etc.
 
Of course the most logical thing to do would be to rename the Coast Starlight the Coast Daylight, and give the Starlight name to the flipped schedule that passes both the pacific coast and puget sound... *at night*. :D
 
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