Pittsburgh to Los Angeles

To celebrate my successful Back Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, I proposed to my wife a round trip train trip from our home station of Pittsburgh to Los Angeles to visit a friend. I booked the trip at the end of 2014 as my wife insists on Bedroom accommodations, and we were ready to begin our trip on May 17, 2015. Our neighbor took us from our Steubenville, Ohio home to the Pittsburgh Station, allowing extra time for highway construction on the Parkway West into Pittsburgh. We arrived at the Station about 8:30 pm for the 11:59 pm departure on the Capitol Limited, our doorway to travel westward on Amtrak. The poor Pittsburgh Station is having some sort of entrance doorway repairs as well as ceiling repairs on the platform level. Otherwise it looks okay, especially for a station servicing just one thru train per day, and the Pennsylvanian which terminates in Pittsburgh.

There were about 30 people waiting to transfer to the Capitol Limited to continue west. I love to watch the station activity, my wife is less excited at sitting and waiting for the likely-late train. About 10:00 pm, my cell phone jingled with a text from Amtrak saying that Train 29 was expected at 12:20 am due to freight traffic. Within a couple minutes, an announcement was made in the station with the same information. Within the hour, another message on both my phone and the station PA revised the time to 12:10 am. The reality was an arrival shortly after Midnight.

My wife and I went to the 2901 car and stood at the open door with another lady, wondering if anyone would arrive to guide us into the Sleeping Car, and shortly the Conductor met us and told us where our rooms were located. We went to Room B to find it occupied, when the car attendant appeared and looked at our eTicket. She pounded on the closed door and the occupant showed her their ticket to which the attendant exclaimed, "You are supposed to be in Room D!" Since we were both going to Chicago, the attendant took us to Room D and told us we could have it instead, an easy way to solve the problem.

We took off into the night shortly following the Ohio River. My wife was asleep, while I watched the towns pass by into Ohio until we stopped abruptly short of Cleveland and waited for 2 freight trains to pass. Dawn emerged past Toledo, and we went to the dining car since the Capitol Ltd. had a CCC (Cross Country Cafe) car for a dining car limiting the seating to half a diner, and I knew a backlog would appear. In addition the other end of the CCC was jammed as it was being used to sell snacks otherwise done on the lower level of the Lounge Car. By 7:00 am, a wait list had been started for the limited seats in the CCC car, although like all of this train trip, the staff were pleasant and cordial in the dining car, despite being overworked.

The food on our entire trip was excellent, but it was the SAME on all four trains that we traveled. The Capitol Limited stopped in the Gary, Indiana area for an hour due to Norfolk Southern track work, where a third track was being added. We arrived at Chicago Union Station about 11:00 am, 2 1/2 hours late but not impacting our trip as we were staying overnight at the Holiday Inn Suites near the station. A Red Cap took us to the Metropolitan Lounge where we rested until mid-afternoon. After a lunch at the Metro Cafe, unaware that our favorite restaurant was only a couple weeks away from closing, we boarded a taxi for the hotel and as my wife says, "a bed that doesn't flop around."

We returned to Chicago Union Station the next day, had lunch, and awaited for the departure of the California Zephyr. About 1:30 pm, those needing Red Cap service were instructed to come to the front of the lounge where the open doors awaited us. The lounge attendant barked, "If you are waiting for Red Cap service, wait inside the doors." I relocated myself inside the doors and the attendant walked right up to me and said, "Did you understand my instructions?" Thinking that to be a silly comment to a 61 year old man, I responded "Yes" and turned my head. It was the only nasty comment I heard during our entire trip.

My wife and I were in Car 0532, Room B on Train 5, which seemed to be a renovated Superliner 1 Sleeper, that had more squeaks than any car I have recently occupied. I always bring Book Tape, which seems better than Duct Tape, and I went about silencing whichever noises I could. Then we could concentrate on the scenery that unfolded in front of us. We arrived in Omaha late in the evening, and I looked at the former Burlington Station being converted to a TV station. I love to peek out the window at each stop, the landscape changed across the Plains as we arrived into Denver only a little late. Our train would detour through Wyoming due to track work by Union Pacific in Colorado, and though some on the train were upset at missing the canyons, we enjoyed the new scenery on the way to Salt Lake City. A snow storm, and herds of buffalo delighted our eyes along this portion of the trip! Darkness came by the time we got to Ogden and Salt Lake City was a destination where we backed into the station early! We were tired and went to sleep as the train passed over the salt flat and the barren lands into Nevada.

Part 2 will follow.

Sounds like a great trip, I've boarded several LD Trains to find somebody occupying my assigned Room and always the SCA and Conductor worked it out like they did for y'all!

Several times I was upgraded to a Bedroom when I was booked into an already occupied roomrtte!

Lots of us have been on the Wyoming detour on the Zephyr, and those of us old enough to have ridden Pre- Amtrak UP Trains, rode that route many times!

Looking forward to Part II, thanks for sharing!

Good report and I'm enjoying following along with you! I've had people show up in my room thinking it was theirs too. In your case it was extra special because of happening in the middle of the night!

Part 2

We awoke about Elko, Nevada and enjoyed the barren lands of that state, at least that is the way they appear to Ohioans. The desert had ditches full of water which California would have enjoyed. We arrived in Reno in what my wife called a "concrete ditch" with the stop shortened to make up some time. The trip through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range is always a favorite of mine. Trees all around, and hillsides that disappear into a sharp drop-off, and this trip found a lot of railroad workers along the tracks performing what appeared to be clean-up duties cutting trees. The tracks descend to the valley floor and the first sign of palm trees! I find them so fascinating, but this trip was showing off the California drought with dry, yellow grass apparent everywhere! The Roseville UP yards were quickly before us, and seemed larger than I remembered from previous trips. Shortly after departing Roseville, they announced Sacramento and the fact that everyone needed to gather their belongings if exiting as the Station is some distance from the new Boarding platforms and wow they weren't kidding! It seemed like a fleet of Red Caps were ready for Sleeping Car passengers departing, with some people taking a temporary walkway to the Sacramento Station which appears to be far away now.

From here, we crossed the river, seeing the Delta King Steamboat docked as a hotel down river. Being from along the Ohio River, I know the story of the Delta King and Queen and the Queen's sad ending now also parked as a hotel and not plying the Ohio River like it did for so many years. It always seems like the Zephyr trip is over from Sacramento to Emeryville and everyone is rushing around cleaning up. The flat lands are interesting to watch pass by, but I was surprised by a mere 4 ships docked in Suisun Bay in the "mothball fleet," the fewest I ever remember seeing. Heavy industrial sites along the waterways reminded me of what is developing in our part of Eastern Ohio as the Utica Shale oil and gas fields are converting the 7 counties of our home to a similar oil and gas production field.

It appeared that we would arrive in Emeryville nearly on-time, and we were exiting for the Hilton Garden Inn for a couple of nights of rest in a motionless bed (my wife's terminology) while others were departing for the bus across the bridge to San Francisco. Upon arrival into Emeryville, I was surprised how far the Sleepers were from the Station, and by the time we exited the train it was clear that only one Red Cap was transporting people. My wife walks with a cane, and the Red Cap asked where we were going, and I told her to a hotel. She asked if we would sit on a bench and wait as others needed to get to the buses. I told her it wasn't a problem, but shortly we were the only two people on the platform as even the train equipment had departed for the yards. I commented to my wife "how beautiful this is," 70 degrees, no humidity, swaying palms, and trains passing our bench! My excitement didn't match her feels, but shortly the Red Cap returned and we were loaded and headed for the Station. She was a lovely person, telling us about Emeryville and our hotel, and she took us right to the Cab Stand in front of the Station where there was a waiting taxi.

The Cab driver was very chatty, complained about people parking in the "cab stand" which they have to PAY for, and the lack of parking around the Emeryville Station now. I commented on the I-80 overpass which appeared to be a parking lot for the Bay Bridge approach. During our stay in Emeryville, I had arranged for a beautiful dinner at Skates on the Bay in Berkeley for our 34th wedding anniversary which was absolutely perfect! The hotel was great, and we enjoyed the time there and Emeryville. Two days later, we returned to the Station for an 8:20 am departure on the Coast Starlight for the day trip to our destination of Los Angeles. They told us to sit in specific seats for Red Cap service to Train 11, we were in Car 1130, Room E. The jovial car attendant met us and asked if we could sit in Room C as he had to make up Room E. I told him it made no difference, but he said to go to breakfast and it would be ready. We were seating as we stopped in Oakland, running a few minutes late.

Our train had a Pacific Parlour Car, but it proved useless to us! No meal seatings were available, and they seemed to simply be food brought from the diner -- more of the SAME. The same eight people sat in the plush seats in the Parlour Car the whole day, and when we sat in the booth-style seats we were told those people were "coming back." The car attendant was unconcerned about anything, actually like all the staff we encountered on the Starlight. It was a disappointing day combined with the lack of coffee, and a newspaper other than USA Today that I brought from the hotel. North of Santa Barbara, we slowed to a crawl to pass the oil spill that a massive team was cleaning up. The ditches along the track were dark from the oil which had spilled out of a pipeline and through a State Park into the Pacific Ocean. After Santa Barbara, towns and cities became closer together and we eventually moved inland away from the ocean into the metropolitan area. City names around Los Angeles seem familiar, but my friend insists that it is because those of us who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s heard those city and street names on TV game shows when the contestant would say they were from Van Nuys, Thousand Oaks, etc and we heard street names on Adam - 12 and Emergency TV shows. It was getting dark as we passed the Bob Hope Airport and arrived into Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal. Red Caps were readily available and zipped us down the ramp into the tunnel and to the main passenger waiting area stopping right in front of our friend who was waiting. We would visit for a week of beautifully planned events in L.A. ready to return by train on the Southwest Chief.

Part 3 - The Return

Another wonderful trip report and great trains! Too bad y'all had such a bad LSA in the PPC, I've had the same experience a couple of times but it's usually an outstanding trip and crew!

Please call Customer Relations and let them know about the poor service in the PPC, that person needs retraining or detraining!

Look forward to the next chapter!

Thanks for your trip report. Sorry to hear about the problems with the PPC. I hope that's not representitive of how they operate it these days.

Part 3 - The trip home

After a fabulous week in Los Angeles which included the Aquarium of the Pacific at Long Beach, the Pasadena Playhouse, the Nethercutt Museum, as well as many meals, and a lot of coffee sipping under palm trees, we departed on Sunday, May 31. Our host took us to the Los Angeles Station mid-afternoon as I wanted to experience the new Metropolitan Lounge, and I had only basic directions of where it is located. We parking in the lot in front of the Station and crossed the driveway to be greeted by a Red Cap with only one person in his cart. He stopped and asked if we needed Red Cap service, to which I said "Yes," and I told him we were going to the Metropolitan Lounge. My wife and i (and our friend) boarded and away we went past the Station and around the end of the building, and up a long ramp to the Metropolitan Lounge which is upstairs. He carried our luggage inside and introduced us to the lovely lady in charge and said he would return for us at 5:30 pm when pre-boarding for the SW Chief would begin. Our friend stayed for a bit, and departed. The new Metropolitan Lounge is very nice. It slowly filled with about 20 people waiting for the Chief, and exactly at 5:30 pm our Red Cap reappeared and gathered us and took us past the line of people to his cart. There were five Red Caps taking people to the platform, since you have to cross an active rail line, and it is some distance to the platform.

The SW Chief backed into the Station just as people were charging up the ramp from the tunnel and mass confusion took place as coach passengers attempted to board the Sleepers (since they were closer). Things slowly got organized and all boarded the correct cars. Dinner began about 7:00 pm, with the first smoke stop being San Bernardino. It was supposed to be a brief stop, but several people zoomed to the Station (and were told not to do that) and they had to be gathered up by staff. Our car attendant was the best of our trip, checking periodically to see if we needed anything. He said that the change in ice distribution was taking up a lot of attendant's time, and he tried to coordinate his trips back and forth to the dining car to retrieve ice. We were in Car 0430, Room C, and our neighbors were certainly "high maintenance!" The attendant was polite, but we gained his admiration by placing requests politely and in a timely manner rather than ringing the buzzer every time we thought of something.

By Flagstaff, we remained close to being on-time. The Arizona and New Mexico area display amazing landscapes for a couple from Ohio. Like the trip out, the deserts had lots of puddles of rainwater and were green with vegetation and flowers. California would love some of the puddles! The tracks follow I-40 and Historic Route 66, although the two tracks often stray from each other. Arriving at Albuquerque, I was surprised to see so few Native American vendors compared to previous trips, and few people exited the train during the longer stop to look at the wares. We departed northerly along the line so often debated as to its future, passing no trains until we got to Kansas some 450 miles away. Poor Lamy looked like it could use some tender loving care. The climb over the Raton Pass was beautiful, the Colorado side for interesting to my taste. The Conductor kept announcing that we were running a full train and to please move your luggage in coach to the overhead racks. He said that people would be exiting the train in Kansas, but more would be boarding and would be seated in the Lounge Car.

Dark clouds, lightning and thunderstorms erupted in Colorado. The Conductor said that the dispatcher had slowed us to 40 MPH in case we encountered water on the tracks. While the ditches were full, the tracks managed to remain clear of water. The SE corner of Colorado is so flat, not what the state's name usually brings to mind. We dozed off in Kansas, awakening for one of the stops to see people coming and going. We had just finished breakfast by Kansas City, and by now we didn't open the menu as we had memorized the offerings by now. It was the SAME everywhere, on every train! Train 4 remained filled to capacity across Missouri which surprisingly only has one stop until Fort Madison, Iowa on the Mississippi River. It was a brief smoke stop, and I had to admit to my wife my sympathy for smokers. I have never smoked, don't understand the attraction of putting something on fire into your mouth, and witnessed smokers taking chemotherapy when I was being treated for colon cancer some 8 years ago. The reconstructed Fort Madison was interesting, sorry to learn it is closed now according to the Conductor. I am an Interpreter at Historic Fort Steuben in our hometown and know the work and money needed to keep it open and operational.

Crossing the Mississippi River on the Santa Fe Bridge, which also accommodates vehicular traffic on an upper deck, the remainder of the trip was through Illinois and the flat green countryside that feeds America. Arriving back into Chicago, we departed again for the Holiday Inn Suites for a night's rest, before returning to Pittsburgh on the Capitol Limited. Our neighbor met us in Pittsburgh around 6:00 am, the train being about an hour late. Home we went and I changed for work, as I had a lot to do in a short time. I am ready for our next trip on a train, my wife said she would be ready in 2-3 years.

Thanks for sharing your great trip with us! And looking into the Crystal Ball, I foresee a Solo Train trip before the 2-3 years are up!

Glad you enjoyed the trip, fellow Buckeye. Sorry about the poor service on the Coast Starlight...retraining as suggested by Jim is definitely needed. My wife also says she needs a rest after a long Amtrak voyage, but usually she is ready to go again in a couple months.. Hope your experience is similar.

Nice trip report. I must say that there's definitely an attitude/cultural problem in Amtrak service in California. Now that I have tasted what train experience is like in California, I'd consider alternatives next time I visit the State.