ColdRain&Snow
Lead Service Attendant
Trip Pics Here.
My last trip aboard the Coast Starlight was over the Fourth of July Weekend, and it was a truly flawless adventure full of great crews, on-time arrivals, and a sharp looking trainset. So, perhaps it was my time to have a Starlight trip that would be a bit rough around the edges. Yet despite the hitches, I managed to have an enjoyable adventure and appreciated the “train time” which has become my Zen time for decompression and self-renewal.
As the weather news from the Pacific Northwest began to trickle into SoCal on November 22, I pulled up the Amtrak Status Maps on one of my monitors at work and kept it there all day. Knowing this Train 11 would become my Train 14 a few days later, I was especially interested in monitoring its progress down the West Coast. By EOB Monday (Nov. 22), I could see that #11 was approaching 4 hours down and had not even made its call into PDX yet. Hmm, this is getting interesting I thought. By Tuesday evening, it was clear that 11(22) would be pulling into LAX well past its bedtime. When I woke up on Wednesday to begin this trip, I noted that the trainset had rolled into Union Station at 3:05A while I slept.
Parking at Union Station was not a problem, even on the morning before Thanksgiving. SOP for me these days is to bolt for the lowest level of the Gateway Center lot and park adjacent to the elevators that take you up to the Plaza level. Though the lot was well patronized, I noted that there was still plenty of parking even though it was the day before Thanksgiving. I have always had good luck parking in Gateway. It is a secure lot that is not only patrolled by private security but also has fenced off sections where the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stores some of its vehicles. I feel safe leaving my car there and have never had a problem with theft or vandalism. You’d have to be an especially stupid criminal nitwit to commit crimes where our Sheriff parks some of his cars.
I arrived into the main hall of Union Station at about 8A and picked up my obligatory cup of java from Union Bagel. On my way to the ticket counter, I noticed a new convenience store built across from the Men’s Restroom. I am not sure how long it’s been there, but it must be pretty new. It’s a welcome addition and boy was it doing a brisk business! Though I usually prefer to pick up my ticket from an agent (just enjoy the human interaction with Amtrak’s employees), the line was quite long so I used Quik-Trak instead. Wow, the ticket stock that came out was thin and unsubstantial, but I understand the cost savings behind it.
Though I sometimes enjoy patronizing Traxx before my northbound trips, I decided against it this time since I knew that it would be bursting at the seams with a sold out #14. Really, we’re just talking about a free cup of joe and a newspaper though I have had some nice conversations there with other pax about Amtrak travels. But I don’t find anything about Traxx to be exclusive or memorable, and wish they would get serious about building a Metropolitan Lounge in LA. I know there are challenges with Catellus and the necessary funding for construction, but it’s a shame that LA can’t do better than a free coffee and USA Today for just one of its LD train’s Sleeping Car pax.
Taking a few minutes to finish my coffee, I sat in the main hall and noticed the Amtrak dog heading my way. The officer was polite and professional, and the dog was a beautiful Black Labrador. The officer said hello, and then directed the dog to my luggage which did not interest him in the least. The officer moved around the station with swift but thorough movements, and I think anyone carrying drugs into that station is incurring a tremendous risk of getting busted. I don’t use drugs myself and never have, as I watched them slowly kill my older brother with deadly efficiency. But to each his/her own, and it is not and never will be my place to tell someone else what’s right for them in their life. But for those who do choose to partake, I would think very carefully about bringing anything into Los Angeles Union Station. That dog was intensely focused on his job, and nobody in the waiting room was spared of his sniffing nose.
It was now about 9A, so I went up to the platform on Track 10 and actually found a bench directly underneath the sign for the 1430 Sleeping Car. Can’t beat that. Knowing that #11 came in last night after 3A, I wondered if #14 would have a late start. I found it very enjoyable to just sit on the platform and watch all of the trains come in and out. Straight across from me, the Sunset Limited sat after having discharged its passengers from their westbound journey. And behind the Sunset sat the Southwest Chief, also idling after its early arrival into LA. Not before long, the Sunset Limited backed out of the station and disappeared out of site. This was the trainset that AU’s Hadley had ridden and wrote about in his trip report. And as it passed me by, I noticed the Tiger/Recovery Act decal on its Transition Sleeper. That’s two new Transdorm refurbs I have seen lately- the other one with different numbers was on my California Zephyr trip a few months ago.
10:15A came and passed which didn’t surprise me, and by 11A, the platform area for all of 14’s sleepers was packed with waiting passengers. My mind turned to luggage space on the lower level as I knew boarding was going to get frenetic since everyone was waiting for the train. About 11:20A or so, the Starlight backed into Track 10, and the boarding process began with a dash for the doors. By the time I got onboard 1430, the lower luggage rack was 95% full with many more pax still waiting to get in. When trains sell out, it is NOT uncommon for the [superliner’s] lower luggage rack to become full, even though I know there is at least one recent AU poster who needlessly argued otherwise.
I had chosen Roomette 10 (9/10 are my favorites), and was stoked that it was on the ocean side of the train for this trip. But to those who believe that the Bedrooms/Even sides of the Starlight's sleepers *generally* face the ocean, I continue to see evidence that such a trend is inexistent. 1431 and 1432 both had their bedrooms facing east on our train, and I have never been able to discern a pattern to car orientation despite much effort at trying to find one. It’s a crapshoot, so I was happy that my room was facing west this time around.
Two other things struck me as I boarded the train. As it was backing in, I could see that our Starlight had a Cross Country Café substituting for the Pacific Parlour Car. Living in Los Angeles, I can ride the Starlight fairly easily, so I wasn’t too bummed about the PPC-less trainset. Still though, it was a bit disappointing even if I would now finally get to experience a CCC (not bad as a lounge but…). When the motive power came around the corner, P42 #140 was on point coupled elephant to a Cascades F59PH. Overall, the trainset was a bit out of character for the Coast Starlight, but then again I have seen both CCCs and Cascades engines on it from time to time. My Sleeping Car was a refurbished Superliner I, and both 1431 and 1432 were Superliner IIs.
Penny was our LSA, and she ran a tight and efficient ship in the Dining Car. Perhaps effusiveness was not her strong suit, but she pulled off feeding a sold out Starlight which must be a very challenging endeavor. I have never heard an announcement about refraining from bringing luggage into the Dining Car, but did on this train several times. The holiday turkey dinner was very good and I give kudos to Amtrak and the chef. The SSL café was staffed by two women, presumably to meet the crush of holiday passengers. Roger was my SCA, and I couldn’t help but notice that he was delivering more meals to pax than I have ever seen an SCA deliver. There was a new welcome booklet for the Starlight in the rooms, and it prominently stated that meals could be delivered by your SCA. I wondered if this more overt reference increased his orders, or if it was something else. I’ve ridden in plenty of sold out trains before, but haven’t seen the SCA having to act as a de facto waiter as Roger seemed to. I’m not sure how I feel about it, as I would prefer that SCAs not turn into waiters for people who insist on having most/all of their meals served to them in their rooms. There are many other things the SCAs have to do during the trip, and I couldn’t help but wonder if these things were being a bit neglected by sheer necessity. I am pretty sure that was the case in our car.
The train ran quite late for its entire trip, so our station stops were all cut very short. For someone who enjoys the fresh air and exercise at every opportunity, I much prefer an on-time train just for that reason alone. We lost a few hours in Sacramento that I slept through, but there was a silver lining to our tardiness! Mount Shasta! I got some great pics of Mount Shasta in broad daylight and got to watch our train climb through the forested Sacramento Valley on the way to K Falls. Very beautiful, and it was nice to catch some new scenery along the Starlight’s route. #28’s pax were bustituted to Pasco, but I would go on to see 28 still sitting in PDX when we pulled up. :blink:
Though we had a late arrival into Seattle on Thanksgiving night, I still met my friend and we hit the town for a nightcap. It wasn’t the best or worst trip I’ve had, and I enjoy every ride for its own set of reasons. Seeing Mount Shasta and the pre-KFS mountain canyons became the prize of this trip, and it wouldn’t have happened unless the train was late. A negative turned into a beautiful positive, and that’s how I will choose to remember this trip aboard our beloved Coast Starlight.
Thanks for reading. -Jeff
My last trip aboard the Coast Starlight was over the Fourth of July Weekend, and it was a truly flawless adventure full of great crews, on-time arrivals, and a sharp looking trainset. So, perhaps it was my time to have a Starlight trip that would be a bit rough around the edges. Yet despite the hitches, I managed to have an enjoyable adventure and appreciated the “train time” which has become my Zen time for decompression and self-renewal.
As the weather news from the Pacific Northwest began to trickle into SoCal on November 22, I pulled up the Amtrak Status Maps on one of my monitors at work and kept it there all day. Knowing this Train 11 would become my Train 14 a few days later, I was especially interested in monitoring its progress down the West Coast. By EOB Monday (Nov. 22), I could see that #11 was approaching 4 hours down and had not even made its call into PDX yet. Hmm, this is getting interesting I thought. By Tuesday evening, it was clear that 11(22) would be pulling into LAX well past its bedtime. When I woke up on Wednesday to begin this trip, I noted that the trainset had rolled into Union Station at 3:05A while I slept.
Parking at Union Station was not a problem, even on the morning before Thanksgiving. SOP for me these days is to bolt for the lowest level of the Gateway Center lot and park adjacent to the elevators that take you up to the Plaza level. Though the lot was well patronized, I noted that there was still plenty of parking even though it was the day before Thanksgiving. I have always had good luck parking in Gateway. It is a secure lot that is not only patrolled by private security but also has fenced off sections where the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stores some of its vehicles. I feel safe leaving my car there and have never had a problem with theft or vandalism. You’d have to be an especially stupid criminal nitwit to commit crimes where our Sheriff parks some of his cars.
I arrived into the main hall of Union Station at about 8A and picked up my obligatory cup of java from Union Bagel. On my way to the ticket counter, I noticed a new convenience store built across from the Men’s Restroom. I am not sure how long it’s been there, but it must be pretty new. It’s a welcome addition and boy was it doing a brisk business! Though I usually prefer to pick up my ticket from an agent (just enjoy the human interaction with Amtrak’s employees), the line was quite long so I used Quik-Trak instead. Wow, the ticket stock that came out was thin and unsubstantial, but I understand the cost savings behind it.
Though I sometimes enjoy patronizing Traxx before my northbound trips, I decided against it this time since I knew that it would be bursting at the seams with a sold out #14. Really, we’re just talking about a free cup of joe and a newspaper though I have had some nice conversations there with other pax about Amtrak travels. But I don’t find anything about Traxx to be exclusive or memorable, and wish they would get serious about building a Metropolitan Lounge in LA. I know there are challenges with Catellus and the necessary funding for construction, but it’s a shame that LA can’t do better than a free coffee and USA Today for just one of its LD train’s Sleeping Car pax.
Taking a few minutes to finish my coffee, I sat in the main hall and noticed the Amtrak dog heading my way. The officer was polite and professional, and the dog was a beautiful Black Labrador. The officer said hello, and then directed the dog to my luggage which did not interest him in the least. The officer moved around the station with swift but thorough movements, and I think anyone carrying drugs into that station is incurring a tremendous risk of getting busted. I don’t use drugs myself and never have, as I watched them slowly kill my older brother with deadly efficiency. But to each his/her own, and it is not and never will be my place to tell someone else what’s right for them in their life. But for those who do choose to partake, I would think very carefully about bringing anything into Los Angeles Union Station. That dog was intensely focused on his job, and nobody in the waiting room was spared of his sniffing nose.
It was now about 9A, so I went up to the platform on Track 10 and actually found a bench directly underneath the sign for the 1430 Sleeping Car. Can’t beat that. Knowing that #11 came in last night after 3A, I wondered if #14 would have a late start. I found it very enjoyable to just sit on the platform and watch all of the trains come in and out. Straight across from me, the Sunset Limited sat after having discharged its passengers from their westbound journey. And behind the Sunset sat the Southwest Chief, also idling after its early arrival into LA. Not before long, the Sunset Limited backed out of the station and disappeared out of site. This was the trainset that AU’s Hadley had ridden and wrote about in his trip report. And as it passed me by, I noticed the Tiger/Recovery Act decal on its Transition Sleeper. That’s two new Transdorm refurbs I have seen lately- the other one with different numbers was on my California Zephyr trip a few months ago.
10:15A came and passed which didn’t surprise me, and by 11A, the platform area for all of 14’s sleepers was packed with waiting passengers. My mind turned to luggage space on the lower level as I knew boarding was going to get frenetic since everyone was waiting for the train. About 11:20A or so, the Starlight backed into Track 10, and the boarding process began with a dash for the doors. By the time I got onboard 1430, the lower luggage rack was 95% full with many more pax still waiting to get in. When trains sell out, it is NOT uncommon for the [superliner’s] lower luggage rack to become full, even though I know there is at least one recent AU poster who needlessly argued otherwise.
I had chosen Roomette 10 (9/10 are my favorites), and was stoked that it was on the ocean side of the train for this trip. But to those who believe that the Bedrooms/Even sides of the Starlight's sleepers *generally* face the ocean, I continue to see evidence that such a trend is inexistent. 1431 and 1432 both had their bedrooms facing east on our train, and I have never been able to discern a pattern to car orientation despite much effort at trying to find one. It’s a crapshoot, so I was happy that my room was facing west this time around.
Two other things struck me as I boarded the train. As it was backing in, I could see that our Starlight had a Cross Country Café substituting for the Pacific Parlour Car. Living in Los Angeles, I can ride the Starlight fairly easily, so I wasn’t too bummed about the PPC-less trainset. Still though, it was a bit disappointing even if I would now finally get to experience a CCC (not bad as a lounge but…). When the motive power came around the corner, P42 #140 was on point coupled elephant to a Cascades F59PH. Overall, the trainset was a bit out of character for the Coast Starlight, but then again I have seen both CCCs and Cascades engines on it from time to time. My Sleeping Car was a refurbished Superliner I, and both 1431 and 1432 were Superliner IIs.
Penny was our LSA, and she ran a tight and efficient ship in the Dining Car. Perhaps effusiveness was not her strong suit, but she pulled off feeding a sold out Starlight which must be a very challenging endeavor. I have never heard an announcement about refraining from bringing luggage into the Dining Car, but did on this train several times. The holiday turkey dinner was very good and I give kudos to Amtrak and the chef. The SSL café was staffed by two women, presumably to meet the crush of holiday passengers. Roger was my SCA, and I couldn’t help but notice that he was delivering more meals to pax than I have ever seen an SCA deliver. There was a new welcome booklet for the Starlight in the rooms, and it prominently stated that meals could be delivered by your SCA. I wondered if this more overt reference increased his orders, or if it was something else. I’ve ridden in plenty of sold out trains before, but haven’t seen the SCA having to act as a de facto waiter as Roger seemed to. I’m not sure how I feel about it, as I would prefer that SCAs not turn into waiters for people who insist on having most/all of their meals served to them in their rooms. There are many other things the SCAs have to do during the trip, and I couldn’t help but wonder if these things were being a bit neglected by sheer necessity. I am pretty sure that was the case in our car.
The train ran quite late for its entire trip, so our station stops were all cut very short. For someone who enjoys the fresh air and exercise at every opportunity, I much prefer an on-time train just for that reason alone. We lost a few hours in Sacramento that I slept through, but there was a silver lining to our tardiness! Mount Shasta! I got some great pics of Mount Shasta in broad daylight and got to watch our train climb through the forested Sacramento Valley on the way to K Falls. Very beautiful, and it was nice to catch some new scenery along the Starlight’s route. #28’s pax were bustituted to Pasco, but I would go on to see 28 still sitting in PDX when we pulled up. :blink:
Though we had a late arrival into Seattle on Thanksgiving night, I still met my friend and we hit the town for a nightcap. It wasn’t the best or worst trip I’ve had, and I enjoy every ride for its own set of reasons. Seeing Mount Shasta and the pre-KFS mountain canyons became the prize of this trip, and it wouldn’t have happened unless the train was late. A negative turned into a beautiful positive, and that’s how I will choose to remember this trip aboard our beloved Coast Starlight.
Thanks for reading. -Jeff
