chuljin
Lead Service Attendant
Over this past long weekend, I did the third of what I have come to call my 'Pilgrimages' to the bay area.
The first, in May 2008, was up the central valley and down the coast; the second, in September 2008, was both up and down the central valley.
This trip had a few goals:
These were mostly accomplished.
Part 1: January 21
Pacific Surfliner's 'Coast Daylight Stub', SLO, and Coast Starlight
Pictures (and a few videos) from this day are here.
Like all four days of this trip, began quite early. I was up at 6:20 to shower and put a last few items into my suitcase, and at 7:15 we were off to GDL. We'd almost gotten there when I realized I'd forgotten the two bottles of Diet Coke I'd bought the night before so as not to spend $2.25 a can on this first leg. Mr. chuljin swore a little, but duly took me back to get them. Back at GDL, we were only at the platform for 2-3 minutes before 799 pulled up. Instead of its usual NPCU at the south end of the train (IME always 90208), it had an actual powered locomotive and standard baggage car. I bid Mr. chuljin farewell and was met by the door by BC attendant Deborah, whom I frequently meet coming back from my lazy-Sunday 45-minute turns to OXN. One nice thing she does, and can because of the limited seating, is to use the manifests to carefully plan seating. So she was able to invite me to sit in the 1-side of row 5. And we were off.
The trip as far as OXN, then GTA was the same unremarkable one I've done many many, and several, times respectively. Of course, soon after we left GDL I went and got chuljin's famous cheese and crackers, and had them with the coffee supplied by Deborah (unlike Surfliner BC, this car has no dedicated coffeemaker area). Fortunately, she'd put me on the coast side of the train, since the views along the coast between VEC or so and a little while before SLO were breathtaking (the first ~20 in the album above). For about half an hour during the trip, I alternated between that and every once in a while looking out the right side of the train when the guy across from me would point out to the people in front of him every little feature of Vandenberg AFB. Promptly at noon, Deborah answered a question I'd been silently asking myself for a long time, 'what happens when it becomes noon when a Surfliner is in motion?' by asking everyone what I wanted to drink. I got chuljin's less-famous Surfliner Zinfandel (Woodbridge, actually) and had that together with the snack packs that also immediately appeared at noon. For reasons I can no longer remember, we lost a little time and arrived at SLO about half an hour late. After the station agents finished their ticket sales, checked luggage, etc. for 798 and various thruways, I checked my bag to SJC.
I soon headed towards SLO proper. On the way I discovered 'LC YC Cheng Park', an attractive small park with a Chinese theme. Arriving at Higuera St, I took a couple pictures and then looked for lunch. Being in a new city, I naturally wanted something special, so I ate at Chipotle as I always do here in LA ;p, followed by Coldstone. Then more wandering. I visited SLO's (in)famous Bubble Gum Alley, recently touted by Amtrak California on their Facebook page...at the same time both revolting and a must-see. The Mission and the nice little creekside park before it, then back to the station. Along the way, at Mitchell Park (I think), I took a short video of a guy who'd stretched a rope between two trees and was trying in vain to tightrope across it.
Back at the station, I'd started to wear out, starting with my feet, so I decided to just sit quietly for the 45 minutes or so until my next train. As I waited, I heard a train approaching from the north and, not familiar with either the regular or temporary timetables, thought it was a UP freight. I stood to take a little video, and, to my delight, it was actually the southbound Coast Starlight; I'd gotten back to the station just in time to see it arrive, a nice little treat. It actually dwelled for quite a while, so I sat trainside and chatted for a while with one of the sleeper attendants. Soon after it left, my own northbound arrived.
I'd been wondering if, due to the adjusted schedule, it would still be possible to have dinner after boarding. I was met at the door by my excellent sleeper attendant, Cynthia, and the first thing she told me was that she'd made a reservation for me for 6pm. We left right on time at about 5:45, and I cleaned up a little before going to the dining car. While I was exploring SLO, my cell phone battery had almost died, so I left it charging in the room while I went to dinner. Because it's my only portable source of the time of day, I didn't realized that I'd gotten to the dining car a little early, but the host said 'that's OK, we'll seat you anyways!'
I thought about waiting for table mates, but decided to go ahead and order. I had the steak. They're back to cooking to order (like the first time I took the CS...on the SWC the 'steak' was precooked and more pot-roast-like). Soon my tablemates arrived: a charming older lady on her way to Eugene (actually, a small town south thereof, whose name I unfortunately forgot) from visiting her daughter in San Diego, an amiable-enough but quiet older gentlemen who I at first thought was her husband (I was mistaken; they just happened to be of about the same age and to arrive and be seated together), and an unfriendly young woman who wore her iPhone earbuds the whole time, hurried through dinner, and had her dessert to go. The lady had the spinach lasagna, and the gentleman and girl had salmon. When my steak arrived, on top there was a round thing that looked like a mushroom cap, which turned out to be a pat of 'bleu cheese'. I usually don't care for bleu cheese, but it was actually quite good. Soon enough, the gentleman and girl had left, and I stayed chatting with the lady while we had dessert. We spent a while talking on a variety of subjects: her dogs, her part-time job as a curator for her town's local history museum, and CA HSR. She mentioned that she'd been born in Canada to Swedish parents, so naturally we talked about Solvang. She was interested when I told her that it was reachable by Amtrak (though including a bus) and she said she'd definitely consider it the next time she visited her daughter.
After dinner, I went back to my room for a few minutes, then to the PPC, where I'd spend most of the rest of this 5-hour trip, wanting to take advantage of finally having a PPC that was moving. I went to the attendant, Veronica, to get a drink, and the first thing she said was 'I remember you!' from almost three years before at a wine tasting. She said it was because of my Coast Starlight polo (that I'd worn on that earlier trip, having bought it a few weeks before at LAUS on National Train Day). Interesting prodigious memory and great service. We chatted for a while, then I went and sat in one of the lounge chairs with my drink and watched...nothing (it was after dark by this time). One more drink and a few chats later, we passed Gilroy, so I went back to my room to pack up and get ready to detrain.
We actually arrived at SJC almost half an hour early, so I stood trainside and chatted with Cynthia for a while. The most interesting thing I learned: OBS on LD trains do not always live in their crew base city, and sometimes commute from surprising distances. In her case, she lives in Modesto and commutes on the San Joaquins (and bus). I watched/filmed it leave, then went to get my checked bag. There was almost a disaster. As I approached the door, I saw a sign [paraphrasing] 'until April, new station hours [5:30am or something] until 10:40 pm'. It was 10:39, and they were starting to lock up, so I started in, and was met by a station agent who told me 'Sorry, Sir, the station is now closed.' I explained how I'd lost track of time chatting with Veronica and apologized profusely, and she was kind enough to let me have my bag by the side door.
I walked the few blocks over to my hotel, the Arena, around the corner from the station on The Alameda, and went right to sleep; the next day was going to start early, and be a long one.
The first, in May 2008, was up the central valley and down the coast; the second, in September 2008, was both up and down the central valley.
This trip had a few goals:
- Go up the coast and down the central valley
- Take the Surfliner up to SLO (until now, I'd never been past GTA) and
- Explore SLO, which I'd never visited
- Finally sit in a rolling PPC
- Have a look at Stanford and get my 'All Right Now' foursquare badge
- 'Conquer' BART and get my 'Trainspotter' foursquare badge
- Ride the whole CC
- Ride the whole SAC branch of the SJ
These were mostly accomplished.
Part 1: January 21
Pacific Surfliner's 'Coast Daylight Stub', SLO, and Coast Starlight
Pictures (and a few videos) from this day are here.
Like all four days of this trip, began quite early. I was up at 6:20 to shower and put a last few items into my suitcase, and at 7:15 we were off to GDL. We'd almost gotten there when I realized I'd forgotten the two bottles of Diet Coke I'd bought the night before so as not to spend $2.25 a can on this first leg. Mr. chuljin swore a little, but duly took me back to get them. Back at GDL, we were only at the platform for 2-3 minutes before 799 pulled up. Instead of its usual NPCU at the south end of the train (IME always 90208), it had an actual powered locomotive and standard baggage car. I bid Mr. chuljin farewell and was met by the door by BC attendant Deborah, whom I frequently meet coming back from my lazy-Sunday 45-minute turns to OXN. One nice thing she does, and can because of the limited seating, is to use the manifests to carefully plan seating. So she was able to invite me to sit in the 1-side of row 5. And we were off.
The trip as far as OXN, then GTA was the same unremarkable one I've done many many, and several, times respectively. Of course, soon after we left GDL I went and got chuljin's famous cheese and crackers, and had them with the coffee supplied by Deborah (unlike Surfliner BC, this car has no dedicated coffeemaker area). Fortunately, she'd put me on the coast side of the train, since the views along the coast between VEC or so and a little while before SLO were breathtaking (the first ~20 in the album above). For about half an hour during the trip, I alternated between that and every once in a while looking out the right side of the train when the guy across from me would point out to the people in front of him every little feature of Vandenberg AFB. Promptly at noon, Deborah answered a question I'd been silently asking myself for a long time, 'what happens when it becomes noon when a Surfliner is in motion?' by asking everyone what I wanted to drink. I got chuljin's less-famous Surfliner Zinfandel (Woodbridge, actually) and had that together with the snack packs that also immediately appeared at noon. For reasons I can no longer remember, we lost a little time and arrived at SLO about half an hour late. After the station agents finished their ticket sales, checked luggage, etc. for 798 and various thruways, I checked my bag to SJC.
I soon headed towards SLO proper. On the way I discovered 'LC YC Cheng Park', an attractive small park with a Chinese theme. Arriving at Higuera St, I took a couple pictures and then looked for lunch. Being in a new city, I naturally wanted something special, so I ate at Chipotle as I always do here in LA ;p, followed by Coldstone. Then more wandering. I visited SLO's (in)famous Bubble Gum Alley, recently touted by Amtrak California on their Facebook page...at the same time both revolting and a must-see. The Mission and the nice little creekside park before it, then back to the station. Along the way, at Mitchell Park (I think), I took a short video of a guy who'd stretched a rope between two trees and was trying in vain to tightrope across it.
Back at the station, I'd started to wear out, starting with my feet, so I decided to just sit quietly for the 45 minutes or so until my next train. As I waited, I heard a train approaching from the north and, not familiar with either the regular or temporary timetables, thought it was a UP freight. I stood to take a little video, and, to my delight, it was actually the southbound Coast Starlight; I'd gotten back to the station just in time to see it arrive, a nice little treat. It actually dwelled for quite a while, so I sat trainside and chatted for a while with one of the sleeper attendants. Soon after it left, my own northbound arrived.
I'd been wondering if, due to the adjusted schedule, it would still be possible to have dinner after boarding. I was met at the door by my excellent sleeper attendant, Cynthia, and the first thing she told me was that she'd made a reservation for me for 6pm. We left right on time at about 5:45, and I cleaned up a little before going to the dining car. While I was exploring SLO, my cell phone battery had almost died, so I left it charging in the room while I went to dinner. Because it's my only portable source of the time of day, I didn't realized that I'd gotten to the dining car a little early, but the host said 'that's OK, we'll seat you anyways!'
I thought about waiting for table mates, but decided to go ahead and order. I had the steak. They're back to cooking to order (like the first time I took the CS...on the SWC the 'steak' was precooked and more pot-roast-like). Soon my tablemates arrived: a charming older lady on her way to Eugene (actually, a small town south thereof, whose name I unfortunately forgot) from visiting her daughter in San Diego, an amiable-enough but quiet older gentlemen who I at first thought was her husband (I was mistaken; they just happened to be of about the same age and to arrive and be seated together), and an unfriendly young woman who wore her iPhone earbuds the whole time, hurried through dinner, and had her dessert to go. The lady had the spinach lasagna, and the gentleman and girl had salmon. When my steak arrived, on top there was a round thing that looked like a mushroom cap, which turned out to be a pat of 'bleu cheese'. I usually don't care for bleu cheese, but it was actually quite good. Soon enough, the gentleman and girl had left, and I stayed chatting with the lady while we had dessert. We spent a while talking on a variety of subjects: her dogs, her part-time job as a curator for her town's local history museum, and CA HSR. She mentioned that she'd been born in Canada to Swedish parents, so naturally we talked about Solvang. She was interested when I told her that it was reachable by Amtrak (though including a bus) and she said she'd definitely consider it the next time she visited her daughter.After dinner, I went back to my room for a few minutes, then to the PPC, where I'd spend most of the rest of this 5-hour trip, wanting to take advantage of finally having a PPC that was moving. I went to the attendant, Veronica, to get a drink, and the first thing she said was 'I remember you!' from almost three years before at a wine tasting. She said it was because of my Coast Starlight polo (that I'd worn on that earlier trip, having bought it a few weeks before at LAUS on National Train Day). Interesting prodigious memory and great service. We chatted for a while, then I went and sat in one of the lounge chairs with my drink and watched...nothing (it was after dark by this time). One more drink and a few chats later, we passed Gilroy, so I went back to my room to pack up and get ready to detrain.
We actually arrived at SJC almost half an hour early, so I stood trainside and chatted with Cynthia for a while. The most interesting thing I learned: OBS on LD trains do not always live in their crew base city, and sometimes commute from surprising distances. In her case, she lives in Modesto and commutes on the San Joaquins (and bus). I watched/filmed it leave, then went to get my checked bag. There was almost a disaster. As I approached the door, I saw a sign [paraphrasing] 'until April, new station hours [5:30am or something] until 10:40 pm'. It was 10:39, and they were starting to lock up, so I started in, and was met by a station agent who told me 'Sorry, Sir, the station is now closed.' I explained how I'd lost track of time chatting with Veronica and apologized profusely, and she was kind enough to let me have my bag by the side door.
I walked the few blocks over to my hotel, the Arena, around the corner from the station on The Alameda, and went right to sleep; the next day was going to start early, and be a long one.
Last edited by a moderator:
