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AMTRAK-P42

Conductor
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
1,181
Location
Redlands, CA
Well, first off let me say that I know I have been merely a "floater" on the board this year. I have been real busy with my freshmen year of college, which I just completed at University of Redlands in Southern California. Im back in ATL for the summer, working and traveling, just the usual.

Anyways, as has been the norm for the past 4 or so years, I have been planning another long summer rail trip. This year it looks like BWI-WAS-CHI-EMY-SJC-SEA-Bellingham, WA.

Here are the details:

Depart June 12th, 2007 from ATL non-stop flight to BWI.

1.Transfer to Regional Train, southbound to DC-Coach

2. Capital Limited DC-CHI-Sleeper

-One night in Chicago

3. Zephyr CHI-EMY-Sleeper

-2 Nights in EMY

4. Capital EMY-SJC-Coach

5. Caltrain into SF

6. Coast Starlight SJC-SEA-Sleeper

-1 Night in Seattle

7. Cascades SEA-Bellingham, WA-Business Class. My friend from school will pick me up on the ferry from Orcas Island, and we will spend a week crab fishing, kayaking, etc. Should be a blast.

-5 Nights on Orcas

8. Cascades Bellingham, WA-SEA-Business Class.

-1 Night in Seattle

Return home non-stop flight SEA-ATL, June 26th.

The one thing I am fairly excited about is finally being able to take a new route I have never taken before, in this case that would be the Capital Limited. I was looking for was a recommendation for a reasonably priced hotel in Seattle BESIDES the pioneer square best-western, which I have stayed at before on last years trip and was not overly-impressed. Any recommendations would be great.

Good to be back!
 
sounds like a great trip. you will like it in bellingham. you might try to make it to vancouver,bc on the cascades for a day. in seattle, we often stay at "the travelodge by the space needle". it is on the north end of downtown(by seattle center)and king st station is on the south end. the fareless transit area, which starts across the street from king st station, will get you within three or fours blocks of the travelodge. as you get into summer the rates on everything downtown seem high. i don't know of anything near the station other than the best western and i always thought it looked pricey for what you get.
 
The Days Inn Downtown on 7th is reasonably priced. It's a couple of blocks to the bus stop, where you can get a free bus to anywhere downtown. It will even take you to a block or two of Pike Place Market.

Also, it's within walking distance of the downtown shopping district, where you can get on the monorail to the space needle.

It's certainly nothing luxurious, but it's affordable and convenient. Also, Greyline Tours picks up there.
 
Bill Haithcoat said:
Welcome back to Hotlanta.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Yea, seriously. It has been incredibly hot this past week! Just FYI Bill, I was going to leave out of ATL to start the trip, but #20 is completely sold out, not only sleepers, but every single seat is sold out for the next 2 days. Its great for Amtrak, but bad for me! I think a big group of people is traveling however, since when I was planning this trip, I checked one day and a whole bunch of sleepers were available, and the next day, they were all sold.
 
The Moore Hotel in Seattle is a real "throw back" to cheaper hotels and no frills. It is located right by the Pike Place Business District and a 20 minute walk from Safeco Field. Check it out on Trip Advisor. It got good reviews and rooms are under $100 in downtown Seattle. Thats a steal and you don't have to bunk with somebody such as a hostel.
 
Ok, so here is the update so far. Its gonna be real fast for right now.

Capital Limited only 10 minutes late into CHI due to "Beech Grove" and David Lane (Chair of Amtrak) on board. Treated like royalty.

Train #5 within an hour of schedule all the way until after SLC (of course), but, once again, because of "Beech Grove" (which I swear is following me) and David Lane, we were only 2 1/2 hours late into Reno, and all because of slow orders (no waits for UP, only a 10 minute hit for #6). #5 made it to EMY UNDER 2 hours late today, for the first time in a long while.

So, I got bored and added another leg. Today, I got off in Reno instead of EMY and flew (using mileage) back to SLC to catch #5 all over again from SLC-EMY, as I had a few days and sky miles to kill. This train arrived Denver 3 hours down off the BNSF due to a chemical spill near Princeton, IL that shut down the railroad until 1900 hours. I'm writing this on a (for now) 3 hour late #5 sitting at SLC, 3am on the dot.

Just a little FYI, the last train to depart SLC over 2 hours late, arrived EMY almost 7 hours late...so we will see.

P.S. oh and as for David Lane, very nice guy!

Photos will come later. For only the second time in my life (first for her to be leading), I have my fav. loco #207 on the train, and she is leading us west.
 
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Well, haha, I guess having #207 on the head wasnt so good this trip.

We departed SLC about 3 hours and 15 minutes down, and with the usual slow orders, left Win., NV about 5 hours down. Just prior to departure, lead unit, AMTK #207, broke her fuel pump and was dead. We could still make it to Reno, but certainly not over donner without assistance from a UP motor. Heavy heavy trackwork outside of Sparks, and waiting 20 minutes for a UP to clear the trench, plus 50 minutes for the UP C44-9W #5005 to be attatched, showed in our 7 hours and 20 minute late departure from Reno.

Arrived EMY almost 7 hours late at around 1130pm last night.

Pictures will come after the trip. Tonight im back on-board the starlight.
 
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