greatcats
Engineer
This past weekend I attended a conference of the National Association for Interpretation at Liberty Station, on Point Loma in San Diego. The decision was made to take Amtrak; while the distance could have been driven in much shorter time, one thing I dislike is driving in Southern California. Originally the reservation was all coach, but I changed it to sleepers, when I found that the fares were more acceptable. Departure from Flagstaff last Thursday night was about 40 minutes late, nothing to worry about. We knew we were in for the detour around Cajon Pass, as the major Blue Cut fire was raging and over 80,000 residents had been evacuated from their homes.
I awoke sometime after 5 am and we were moving along west of Barstow, along California Highway 58, which I've driven several times, one of my least favorite parts of auto trips. This detour required three sets of pilots, and while it caused some more delays, the matter was well handled. Not being familiar with the railroad layout around the town of Mojave, my sense of direction became confused as the train was wyed to reverse direction. Then we headed south to Lancaster, which is the beginning of Metrolink Commuter rail territory. This is a far flung commuter line that starts out in a rural area and then ascends the mountains by making a sharp turn to the west up what I believe is called the Vincent Grade. It then descends through sparsely populated canyons and mountains on a single track, twisting line, definitely not high speed rail. We were held briefly for at least two commuter trains, but otherwise made our way via Burbank and into Union Station, arriving at 10:02 am. I heard the conductor say that he wanted to be on the train to San Diego that was scheduled to leave at 9:55 to go home. I suggested that he use his clout and make a phone call, as a number of passengers were ticketed on that unreserved train. Train 768 was held for us and we departed at 10:20, with the coaches almost standing room only.
The trip to San Diego was uneventful except for us coming to a halt a few miles north of our destination, because of another fire. We could see cloud of smoke near the tracks just ahead of us and helicopters hovering overhead, who were quenching the fire! We were delayed about 20 minutes, which wasn't bad. ( the prices in the snack bar are certainly no bargain. ) As far as the service on these trains, I had a lovely sleeper attendant on Train 3, a young lady named Darlin. Breakfast of French Toast was passable, but I take offense at being given a paper coffee cup in a sit down restaurant setting. So there!
The weather all weekend in San Diego was very pleasant and my conference worthwhile. I am praising the merits of Uber, on which I made four local trips. The service was outstanding.
Returning mid afternoon yesterday from San Diego, the trip was less crowded and on time. This trip was booked via Fullerton, a few dollars cheaper and not a bad place at all for a transfer. Our train left LA on time, but then became late, and my SCA, the very capable Cynthia, explained that a private car had been attached. Departure from Fullerton was about 45" late, with additional little holdups. I had expected a really abbreviated menu of two choices, but it was more than that, except that the fish dish was not available. But the steak was available that night, but no baked potato. Since I hate instant mashed potatoes, I opted for the Pad Thai noodles with vegetables, which was pretty good, and a half bottle of white wine. The chocolate mousse, which I did not need but had anyway, was fairly tasty. So, while this is pre-prepared food or whatever and not high class cuisine, which isn't necessary, I found the meal reasonably satisfying. I do wish it could become better again, but at least on this train it certainly was not awful.
I thought I did not sleep that well, but apparently did so, as I have no recollection of stops at Victorville, Barstow, Needles, or Kingman. About 5:30 I awoke and was treated west of Williams to a fabulous distant sunrise over the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff. We were delayed further at Williams Junction, as the private car was uncoupled, probably destined for the Grand Canyon Railway. There were two vehicles there to expedite this move, a BNSF truck and an Amtrak van. I am curious as to where the Amtrak van came from in these parts. Arrival in Flagstaff was about two and a half hours late, which was not a problem for me. I see this train is now over four hours late in New Mexico - don't know what else went wrong. Overall, my journey by Amtrak was quite pleasant. The onboard service crews were very professional, as well as one of the conductors I spoke with from Albuquerque. The equipment, while not perfect, was for the most part in good condition. On Train 4 Cynthia explained my assigned roomette, #2, had broken seats, so she put me in #10, which was quite bumpy at times over the wheels. While there is room for improvement, I am pleased to report that the Southwest Chief is not a decrepit hulk on its last legs, and provides good service. It was certainly well patronized.
I awoke sometime after 5 am and we were moving along west of Barstow, along California Highway 58, which I've driven several times, one of my least favorite parts of auto trips. This detour required three sets of pilots, and while it caused some more delays, the matter was well handled. Not being familiar with the railroad layout around the town of Mojave, my sense of direction became confused as the train was wyed to reverse direction. Then we headed south to Lancaster, which is the beginning of Metrolink Commuter rail territory. This is a far flung commuter line that starts out in a rural area and then ascends the mountains by making a sharp turn to the west up what I believe is called the Vincent Grade. It then descends through sparsely populated canyons and mountains on a single track, twisting line, definitely not high speed rail. We were held briefly for at least two commuter trains, but otherwise made our way via Burbank and into Union Station, arriving at 10:02 am. I heard the conductor say that he wanted to be on the train to San Diego that was scheduled to leave at 9:55 to go home. I suggested that he use his clout and make a phone call, as a number of passengers were ticketed on that unreserved train. Train 768 was held for us and we departed at 10:20, with the coaches almost standing room only.
The trip to San Diego was uneventful except for us coming to a halt a few miles north of our destination, because of another fire. We could see cloud of smoke near the tracks just ahead of us and helicopters hovering overhead, who were quenching the fire! We were delayed about 20 minutes, which wasn't bad. ( the prices in the snack bar are certainly no bargain. ) As far as the service on these trains, I had a lovely sleeper attendant on Train 3, a young lady named Darlin. Breakfast of French Toast was passable, but I take offense at being given a paper coffee cup in a sit down restaurant setting. So there!
The weather all weekend in San Diego was very pleasant and my conference worthwhile. I am praising the merits of Uber, on which I made four local trips. The service was outstanding.
Returning mid afternoon yesterday from San Diego, the trip was less crowded and on time. This trip was booked via Fullerton, a few dollars cheaper and not a bad place at all for a transfer. Our train left LA on time, but then became late, and my SCA, the very capable Cynthia, explained that a private car had been attached. Departure from Fullerton was about 45" late, with additional little holdups. I had expected a really abbreviated menu of two choices, but it was more than that, except that the fish dish was not available. But the steak was available that night, but no baked potato. Since I hate instant mashed potatoes, I opted for the Pad Thai noodles with vegetables, which was pretty good, and a half bottle of white wine. The chocolate mousse, which I did not need but had anyway, was fairly tasty. So, while this is pre-prepared food or whatever and not high class cuisine, which isn't necessary, I found the meal reasonably satisfying. I do wish it could become better again, but at least on this train it certainly was not awful.
I thought I did not sleep that well, but apparently did so, as I have no recollection of stops at Victorville, Barstow, Needles, or Kingman. About 5:30 I awoke and was treated west of Williams to a fabulous distant sunrise over the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff. We were delayed further at Williams Junction, as the private car was uncoupled, probably destined for the Grand Canyon Railway. There were two vehicles there to expedite this move, a BNSF truck and an Amtrak van. I am curious as to where the Amtrak van came from in these parts. Arrival in Flagstaff was about two and a half hours late, which was not a problem for me. I see this train is now over four hours late in New Mexico - don't know what else went wrong. Overall, my journey by Amtrak was quite pleasant. The onboard service crews were very professional, as well as one of the conductors I spoke with from Albuquerque. The equipment, while not perfect, was for the most part in good condition. On Train 4 Cynthia explained my assigned roomette, #2, had broken seats, so she put me in #10, which was quite bumpy at times over the wheels. While there is room for improvement, I am pleased to report that the Southwest Chief is not a decrepit hulk on its last legs, and provides good service. It was certainly well patronized.
