Training on Halloween

Halloween Trip

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

Training Manual

(not sure what to call this train travelogue yet)

Holloween, October 31, 1998, 7:48 a.m., sunny

The Plan: Sue was in Houston at a Quilt Market so Matthew and I planned a trip on the train where we'd ride all day. We planned to leave Fullerton CA, for Los Angeles where we'd board the "Coast Starlight: and head north to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. There we'd switch to the southbound Coast Starlight and ride back to Fullerton. That would make it possible to ride the longest ocean view train in the USA TWICE in one Day!

Matthew and I arrived at the Fullerton, CA, station 25 minutes before departure. We were immediately treated to the westbound Southwest Chief arriving from Chicago on it's way to L.A. It looked like the Coast Starlight which we would board in L.A. for the trip up the coast... 9 Superliner II cars: coaches, lounge, diner, parlor car, and sleepers, pulled by 4 Genesis engines. It had 10 freight cars on the end explaining the 4 Genesis engines. When the Southwest Chief pulled out, a San Diegan was sitting on the southbound track and pulled out with a new EMD #451 pushing.

8:10 a.m. we boarded the northbound Amtrak Californian entering the 'San Luis Rey' car, upstairs to a table and 4 seats. The car was pretty full.

We passed La Habra, a Metrolink station stop in Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs, new auto yards, container frieght yards and a rail yard.

9:19 we stepped off the Amtrak California train and at the same platform was train 14...northbound Coast starlight.

9:32 we pulled out, only 2 minutes late. When we boarded I asked for 'ocean view' and were given upstairs seats on the left side as requested. Our seats, however, were adjacent to a wall between 2 windows so we moved to the observation lounge and got 2 good seats. Lounge service didn't start until 10:30 we waited for that and I returned for two pepsi's. Upon my return to the observation car, Matt had moved our stuff a little so 3 traveling grandmothers could sit together.

Beautiful weather as we passed Dodger Stadium, the L.A. River, out into the valley past a Metrolink yard and Union Pacific yard. I returned to our seats out of Burbank when they were called as unoccupied. On the way back there the attendant took our ticket and I returned to the observation lounge.

I asked if it looked promising for us to make the connection with the southbound Coast Startlight in SLO, but the conductor said he'd know better when we got close to Santa Barbara.

Got out the scanner radio and found my previously entered Ch. 10 (161.550) was the Amtrak dispatcher loud and clear between Moorpark and Oxnard. One stop we made I knew about ahead of time and told Matt...sure enough we stopped.

Beautiful farmland before Oxnard, irrigated of course, sunflowers and other various crops...looked newly planted even though tomorrow is November.

11:30 the engineer first announced track defect and had the conductor to "do a visual to see if we were on the iron" which was confirmed, but the engineer said, "No air, set the hand brakes." We were blocking Oxnard Blvd. and traffic was backing up, but the engineer said (over the radio) "no power in engine #1, I'm going to 2nd engine." He got permission from the dispatcher to back up but, "wouldn't move." Power went off in the train. Engineer went to 'pull cables' from Engine #1 and use Engine #2, Make an announcement." He tried and later radioed, "Dead in the water."

11:51 getting hot in the observation car and one passenger said, "We could grow tomatoes in here." Engineer got on the cell phone to L.A. Operations. The passengers were interested as I relayed what was being said on the scanner.

12:16 engineer radios, "Lets get on and get out of here." This all happened at milepost 402.6 which still read 'malfunction' as we passed. They were doing track work here so he sermised that was the problem. He said we had to be going 35 mph for the detetor to work and we "can only go 30 now." (Was that because of only one engine or because of the track repair.)

12:20 we were back parallel to Hwy. 101. The rest of our trip to Santa Barbara was beautiful as we watched the ocean out the large observation car windows.

In the observation car behind us was a nice "Amtrak Couple" who seemed to be enjoying the trip. They reminded me of my folks who used to love to ride passenger trains also.

South of Santa Barbara the track comes very close to the surf, as does HWY 101

We were supposed to be in Santa Barbara at 12:10 and it looked like we'd be at least an hour late. We decided we'd better get off in Santa Barbara and head back home. The diner had been without power also so they were behind in calling numbers so we didn't even put our name in. This would mean we'd not get a meal in the diner on this trip because we'd be returning on California Amtrak which had no diner. Matt was disappointed. It didn't look like we'd have time for lunch in Santa Barbara at an excellent fish restaurant near the train station either.

1:47 we got to Santa Barbara and detrained, went to the temporary station and got a new ticket issued to return and credited my credit card for the lesser fare. The southbound was scheduled for 1:47 so I felt good about getting the switch before the train got there. The San Diegan that was following our Coast Starlight north was delayed (probably because of us) which was no problem for us, there was a freight waiting west of the S.B. station, and our southbound CA Amtrak was due out of Goleta (it's starting point) in 15 minutes. Well, that was more like 45 minutes, but it came after the freight passed through going southbound. Goleta is a new service provided by Amtrak for UCSB students, I read in "Tracking" which I'd picked up at Fullerton Station some weeks ago.

Our CA Amtrak 792 pulled in and we boarded...about the only people on the second floor of our car, and we picked a nice oceanside table, just like we'd had going to L. A. in the morning. The conductor passed quickly, didn't stop for our ticket, but I did ask him where the food was and he pointed forward. We went forward and found an observation car and knew from experience that food would be on the lower level. We ordered roast beef and cheese sandwiches, chips, and soft drinks and went back to our table and ate...not as good as a meal in the diner, but since it was about 3 pm we were hungry enough for lunch to eat anything!

3:00 We enjoyed our lunch while watching the ocean pass south of Santa Barbara. I was glad that we did switch to homebound in S.B. because we would have passed this site in the dark if we'd gone to SLO. In fact, the entire trip would have been in the dark going home as late as we were getting north.

On the way up, in this area near Summerland, we had seen a large school of dolphins.

Radio reported auto. detector said: 31 mph, 28 axels, no defects. At least we hadn't lost a car yet!

At Oxnard, I stepped off for a fast picture of the station through a cyclone fence.

I had time to read a couple of issues of "The Coast Starlight...TOURIST" http://www.cstourist.com which had events in cities along the route. Also read a brochure for the national Association of Railroad passengers, http://www.narprail.org. We plan to go to the Railfair '99 (150 yr. celebration of Calif. gold) in June and they had an ad in the Tourist for the California State Railway Museum which I visited a year ago August, http://www.csrmf.org

California Amtrak trains now have new F59PHI engines by GM which replace the up to 20 yr. old F40s. They will have 21 new EMDs by the year 2000. And they will have $100 million to spend on 8 five-car passenger train sets. Guess that works out at $2.4 million per car explaining our 'million dollar ride.'

I want to remember to write Steve martin (smartin@tcsn.net) and Mark Plotkin (mptourist@tcsn.net) and congratulate them on their Tourist magazine and mention how much better, crisper, the Nov. issue looks compared to the earlier issue.

Radio recited: 434.4 No defects

In the Tourist, there was an ad for "Working on the Coast Starlight," 42 min. video from Pentrex (the same company who made videos loaned to me by friend Don Drummer) for $20 with order code: WC505 from (800) 950-9333

Matt finished his book and opted for a nap west of Simi Valley station 1/8 mile. The sun was setting behind us. Some tables have 110 volt outlets under them for use of a laptop...next time.

4:54 Sunset, milepost 447.8, 71 mph, Northridge

Less radio talk on this train because of less crew than the Coast Starlight. Still have the dispatcher, engineer, and auto detectors to listen to.

If you travel on the trains with a scanner, go to Trainweb.com and print the frequencies for the trip you are going to take. When you enter the station, even if you are traveling by California Amtrak or Coast Starlight, pick up the Tourist magazine which covers the same route and it will help you with future travel plans by giving you the schedule of future events in towns along the coastal route.

I noticed Sea View Park in Ventura is right beside the station so I could go to future events there...like classic car shows or races or festivals.

For my coffee refill of my San Diegan mug, I talked to the attendant and learned that the Saturday night train is the least crowded, "most people are where they're going." Also learned how to recline the seat...pull up on the seat cushion and forward...gives only 1 1/2 inches of recline, but does in fact give more support for my aching back.

5:16 78 mph, still dusk at Burbank east. Radio says "engine switch pulling into L.A." so I got out with my camera and watched the switch of 456 and the hitching of 450.

Lots of single riders on this 'night train' Glad Matt's with me...those single riders look lonely. One teenage girl took her toothbrush out of her backpack and brushed her teeth in the restroom...must be meeting her parents or boyfriend in Fullerton.

A minister riding from S.B. got off in Glendale and was picked up by another minister-looking fellow. Maybe the arriving minister is preaching tomorrow?

I paid full fare, Matt 1/2 fare for a total of $90 for the originally planned Fullerton-San Luis Obispo round trip. With the change and our turning around in Santa Barbara, I was credited about $14 per ticket.

Next time, maybe stay over in Paso, Slo, or Santa Barbara for 24 hours, depending on what's happening in those towns. It would still mean a night train back during "fall-back" time.

5:31 arrive in L.A. Union Station, 40 minutes late. Some crew changed as well as the engines. New chief said, "No getting off the train between stations for a smoke." Would be a bit dangerous wouldn't you think?

Pulled out of L. A. 5:50 (40 minutes late still) Engine 450 pushed us to Fullerton.

Was a nice fall day of training!