In a late change of family holiday plans, me and my mom rode the Coast Starlight, Train 14, from Oxnard (OXN) to San Luis Obispo (SLO) on 12-24 to spend the holiday with my niece and her fiancee.
About the time the 14 shoulda been arriving at OXN, there was instead a UP unit tank train passing northbound. My mom (she's 80) wondered what the holdup was. Told her there was no holdup if she wanted to ride the tank train. She declined. I explained that the tank train was why our train was late, and that we would probably be stuck behind it and run even later unless the tank train went into the hole at either Ventura or Santa Barbara to let the Starlight pass.
We - Train 14 - departed OXN about 30 minutes behind. I'm guessing that the siding at Ventura is not long enough to have accommodated the UP unit tank train ahead of us; as it passed OXN I could see it was L-O-N-G. So we crawled north to Santa Barbara (SBA), made the stop, and by the time we departed Train 14 was running 45 minutes late. On departure from SBA I called the niece to inform her of our tardiness. Just north of Goleta (GTA) we did pass the UP unit tank train - waiting in the hole - and began to make up time.
With a 2 p.m. diner reservation, me and my mom were seated with two guys. One was nice enough; an army veteran disabled by a construction mishap. The other was a loony. Did I say loony? That's putting it mildly. Serious wacko. My mom - again, she's 80 - later told me that she thought the guy had a speech impediment. Her hearing is not so good. Fact is, the dude had a BRAIN impediment. As an example, as we passed through Vandenberg AFB I pointed out the never-used space shuttle launch complex. The wacko started talking about how our earth spawn could be used to infuse the mother ship - the launch complex - with the brains of crows who he had trained to reach out to the stars.
I ordered the turkey special for me and my mom. A turkey version of SOS. For those who don't know, that's creamed chipped beef on toast. It's known in the military as shirt (!) on a shingle - SOS. The turkey and gravy were okay, but the biscuits - shingles - were obviously stale.
Also stale was the rant from the wacko. He claimed that the multicolored iceplant beside the rails - which is really pretty - was the result of his close relationship with the local crows, who he had trained to deposit their droppings in certain patterns to achieve different colors.
Ex-squeeze me??
Made up about 15 minutes between SBA and SLO, and arrived about 30 minutes late. Niece had been instructed on how to track train progress online, so that worked out well.
Now the return: Pacific Surfliner, Train 798.
Following a fine family Christmas it was time to return home.
Train 798, a Pacific Surfliner, was quite possibly the worst Amtrak train I've ever experienced. Those who read my rants know well that I'm an Amtrak supporter, though somewhat cynical. This train, from SLO to VEC, was hideous. A lash-up of F-40PH cabbage leading, Horizon cars, and P-32 pushing. Multiple problems. Arrived at the station too late to check baggage, and I can't blame Amtrak for that. And it wasn't the southbound Starlight, so I knew there would be no diner. Made sandwiches to eat along the way.
When I went to the cafe car (Business Class in a section up front) to buy a bottle of water to wash down the peanut butter and jelly I was overwhelmed with the stench of old vomit. The Horizon car windows - the slits - were filthy, scratched, and water spotted. I understand the need to shift equipment around to take care of the peak holiday loads, but this? I mean, if this train revolted even ME, what impression did it make on first-time passengers?
Arriving an hour late didn't help.
About the time the 14 shoulda been arriving at OXN, there was instead a UP unit tank train passing northbound. My mom (she's 80) wondered what the holdup was. Told her there was no holdup if she wanted to ride the tank train. She declined. I explained that the tank train was why our train was late, and that we would probably be stuck behind it and run even later unless the tank train went into the hole at either Ventura or Santa Barbara to let the Starlight pass.
We - Train 14 - departed OXN about 30 minutes behind. I'm guessing that the siding at Ventura is not long enough to have accommodated the UP unit tank train ahead of us; as it passed OXN I could see it was L-O-N-G. So we crawled north to Santa Barbara (SBA), made the stop, and by the time we departed Train 14 was running 45 minutes late. On departure from SBA I called the niece to inform her of our tardiness. Just north of Goleta (GTA) we did pass the UP unit tank train - waiting in the hole - and began to make up time.
With a 2 p.m. diner reservation, me and my mom were seated with two guys. One was nice enough; an army veteran disabled by a construction mishap. The other was a loony. Did I say loony? That's putting it mildly. Serious wacko. My mom - again, she's 80 - later told me that she thought the guy had a speech impediment. Her hearing is not so good. Fact is, the dude had a BRAIN impediment. As an example, as we passed through Vandenberg AFB I pointed out the never-used space shuttle launch complex. The wacko started talking about how our earth spawn could be used to infuse the mother ship - the launch complex - with the brains of crows who he had trained to reach out to the stars.
I ordered the turkey special for me and my mom. A turkey version of SOS. For those who don't know, that's creamed chipped beef on toast. It's known in the military as shirt (!) on a shingle - SOS. The turkey and gravy were okay, but the biscuits - shingles - were obviously stale.
Also stale was the rant from the wacko. He claimed that the multicolored iceplant beside the rails - which is really pretty - was the result of his close relationship with the local crows, who he had trained to deposit their droppings in certain patterns to achieve different colors.
Ex-squeeze me??
Made up about 15 minutes between SBA and SLO, and arrived about 30 minutes late. Niece had been instructed on how to track train progress online, so that worked out well.
Now the return: Pacific Surfliner, Train 798.
Following a fine family Christmas it was time to return home.
Train 798, a Pacific Surfliner, was quite possibly the worst Amtrak train I've ever experienced. Those who read my rants know well that I'm an Amtrak supporter, though somewhat cynical. This train, from SLO to VEC, was hideous. A lash-up of F-40PH cabbage leading, Horizon cars, and P-32 pushing. Multiple problems. Arrived at the station too late to check baggage, and I can't blame Amtrak for that. And it wasn't the southbound Starlight, so I knew there would be no diner. Made sandwiches to eat along the way.
When I went to the cafe car (Business Class in a section up front) to buy a bottle of water to wash down the peanut butter and jelly I was overwhelmed with the stench of old vomit. The Horizon car windows - the slits - were filthy, scratched, and water spotted. I understand the need to shift equipment around to take care of the peak holiday loads, but this? I mean, if this train revolted even ME, what impression did it make on first-time passengers?
Arriving an hour late didn't help.
