Train Cancelled (sorta)

[Diane]

Well, we went down to the train station today to catch our train to Seattle and the train has been cancelled from Sacramento on. They said that it was due to severe weather including flooding, white outs and ice.

We are bummed but I guess you can't help what Mother Nature does.

We have rescheduled into a Deluxe bedroom on Friday. I am hoping that this room will be the right size for 2 good sized adults and a child. My husband is 6'6" and built like a football player.

Amtrak said it is the only room available.

Diane

 

[AlanB]

Well daytime configuration will be fine, as you'll have a large couch plus a fold-up chair.

The fun part might come at night. A lot is going to depend on just how big both you and your daughter are. If the two of you can fit into the lower bunk (basically the same size as the one in the family room), then you'll probably be ok. Your husband will have to keep his legs curled up a bit in the top bunk, since it isn't quite long enough for him.

And yes mother nature has a lot to say about "The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men." :lol:

 

[battalion51]

The Deluxe Room is fine for three people. I know Viewliner always travels in a Deluxe when he, his brother, and mother travel. Hope they get everything cleared up by Friday for you. Plus the Deluxe Room is upstairs, as opposed to the Family Room downstairs.

 

[tp49]

Today's 11 left Sacramento at 1 PM fuly 6.5 hours down the weather up north near the Oregon border was a mess because f the storm we had on Monday, very high winds and heavy rains here in Sac and heavy snow between Redding and Medford Oregon closed I-5 for a couple of days.

 

[Diane]

Today's 11 left Sacramento at 1 PM fuly 6.5 hours down the weather up north near the Oregon border was a mess because f the storm we had on Monday, very high winds and heavy rains here in Sac and heavy snow between Redding and Medford Oregon closed I-5 for a couple of days.

Any indications (or maybe an idea of where to check) as to when UP may have the rails north of Sacramento clear?

 

[AlanB]

Any indications (or maybe an idea of where to check) as to when UP may have the rails north of Sacramento clear?

I don't know if there is a way to find out from UP just what's happening, but I would monitor Amtrak's train status during the day tomorrow. If they give you no status at all, then the line is most likely still shut. If trains are getting through, even if they are running late, then you'll have status updates.

 

[PRR 60]

I hope I (and the National Weather Service) are wrong, but I would not bet on the Coast Starlight heading north on Friday (1/2). A second storm is set to hit the same area clobbered earlier this week. The snow should start tonight (12/31) and last through Friday. Predictions are for about two feet of new snow even in the lower elevations. There was a time when such things as blizzards were simply an annoyance to a train, but with greatly reduced track maintenance forces, those days are long gone.

This suggestion might get me tossed from this board, but if your trip timing is essential I would look seriously at availability on Southwest Airlines from SAC to SEA. Amtrak may not be moving up to the northwest for a while.

 

[Diane]

I hope I (and the National Weather Service) are wrong, but I would not bet on the Coast Starlight heading north on Friday (1/2).  A second storm is set to hit the same area clobbered earlier this week.  The snow should start tonight (12/31) and last through Friday.  Predictions are for about two feet of new snow even in the lower elevations.  There was a time when such things as blizzards were simply an annoyance to a train, but with greatly reduced track maintenance forces, those days are long gone.
This suggestion might get me tossed from this board, but if your trip timing is essential I would look seriously at availability on Southwest Airlines from SAC to SEA.  Amtrak may not be moving up to the northwest for a while.

I have been watching the weather reports but I have to have positive thinking about it. If for some reason we can't leave on Fri then I was going to put my husband on a plane, he has to be to work on Monday, and my daughter and I can wait out the train here in Oxnard. She would miss school but I think a few days would be ok.

We'll see how it plays out...

Diane

by the way thanks guys for the input on the deluxe beds

 

[tp49]

I was in San Francisco on the Embarcadero tonight when the New Year rang in and it started to rain getting progressivly worse after getting off BART around 1:45 AM. If this storm is anything like the one on Monday then I'll just sleep in and watch College football today no sense in going out in it the wind and rain were horrible.

Completed all my SF Muni streetcar trackage as Muni was free after 8 PM , would have ridden Caltrain round trip from SF to SJ b/c that was free after 11 PM but there was no way to get back to SF from SJ as the last train left SJ around 10:30 PM.

Also, I got my information on the Starlate by hearing the chatter on the scanner while doing some work just after lunch which is how I figured it to be 6.5 hours late. Makes me wonder though whether there are 2 or 4 trainsets in the Starlate pool.

 

[tp49]

Just read from another source that Amtrak is running a "bus bridge" between Sacramento and Klamath Falls, Oregon replacing service on both 11(31) and 14(31). This is to try and minimize the 6-8 hours of delays experienced between the two cities due to the weather. Thus I would figure that the set that was 14 (31) will layover in Sacramento and become 11, too bad I'm in SF and can't go to the depot to see that I'd love to see where they would store that with the three Capitol Corridor and one San Joaquin trainset that usually layover there, unless they would deadhead it to the Oakland Coachyard then deadhead it back to Sacramento.

 

[battalion51]

Most likely it stayed in Sacremento. It's unnecessary and expensive to deadhead a train when you have layover facilities already there. It's entirely possible that the train may have just sat in the station. I know that many times when trainsets have to be held in Miami (i.e. Hurricane Isabel) trains sit down at the station as there is not enough room in the yard for three complete trainsets.