Good morning from the Mojave Desert!
It was a decent sleep, except for the point at about 1 am when they had to turn off the Head End Power for 20 minutes, meaning the room was on the backup circuit and I couldn't turn off the overhead light. Also the shower was appreciated, but bracingly cold.
The BNSF Barstow yards and shops are huge #AmtrakWestern2023
The Victorville airliner graveyards #AmtrakWestern2023
Passing a container train on the Cajon Pass #AmtrakWestern2023
Fullerton has a museum with a few preserved historical rail cars. Last stop before LA Union! #AmtrakWestern2023
Catching up, we got in at 11:00 AM (scheduled for 6:30 AM) and I promptly went off and did stuff. #AmtrakWestern2023
Things including riding a lot of LA Metros, seeing a lot of sights. Transferring at the new Little Tokyo station (opened last month), I watched a guy get stuck (and unstuck) in the new elevator. #AmtrakWestern2023
And of course, this absolute beauty.
She'll be taken off display at the end of the year to move to her new display next door.
Back on my #Amtrak nonsense, today going up to the Bay Area on the Coast Starlight in Coach. Though "Coach" in a Superliner puts most domestic airline First Class seats to shame. Also, first time I've been behind a long distance Charger. #AmtrakWestern2023 #UnexpectedPieTrain
Before we left, I managed to get all three operational Metrolink locomotive models, the EMD F125, MPI MP36PH-3C, and (from a distance) EMD F59PH. Metrolink is the only operator of the F125, which lost out to Siemens Chargers in literally every other North American diesel passenger loco bid in recent years.
Didn't take long to reach orange trees north of Simi Valley #AmtrakWestern2023
Didn't move fast enough to get a picture, but saw the Coast Starlight consist that hit a truck last month, now in the Oxnard yard! I would've thought they'd have at least disconnected the coaches, but it's all still together. #AmtrakWestern2023
They don't call it the Coast Starlight for nothing #AmtrakWestern2023
The views on the coast really are stunning #AmtrakWestern2023
The Coast Starlight passed through Vanderberg Space Force Base, the main space launch facility on the west coast. #AmtrakWestern2023
I took the picture to get the Atlas A frame launch gantry, and then saw the paratroopers come out of the C-130!
#AmtrakWestern2023
Finally climbing into the mountains #AmtrakWestern2023
It's all about that terroir d'huile #AmtrakWestern2023
Salinas welcome center has seen better days #AmtrakWestern2023
Quarry in Logan had a large variety of ancient switchers (including at least one center cab) in various states of disrepair #AmtrakWestern2023
Sunset on the South Bay. A trainload of scouts got on the train in San Jose, going to Portland. #AmtrakWestern2023
Made it to Emeryville, only 1 minute late on a 12 hr trip. Not bad #amtrak.
#AmtrakWestern2023
I had a bit of a transit day, starting with taking the entire east bay BART
After that, I took the Caltrain all the way to San Francisco, which I somehow had never done before. And glad I did at least once in the diesel era.
Also managed to see Caltrain's two toasters (EMD AEM-7, license built Swedish Rc4 locomotives), one still in Amtrak colors (but logos removed).
I then played the best San Francisco game, #TransitPokemon! Modern-ish streetcar, overcrowded historic PCC streetcar, cable car that I had to wait an hour for (but was worth it), and combustion bendy bus.
I just missed a trolleybus and was too lazy to wait for another, so went and got yakitori.
Also, if you ever have the chance to stand in the back of a cable car, take it. It's so much fun. #AmtrakWestern2023
And finally, I took the Transbay Tunnel back to Emeryville, completing a circuit of the Bay almost entirely on rails (just one brief bus in San Jose). The new BART trains are way, way nicer than the old ones. #AmtrakWestern2023
And today I'm finally on my last train, the California Zephyr. It will take (at least) 32 hours to cross the Sierras, the Nevada/Utah desert, and the Rockies to bring me home. #AmtrakWestern2023
Oh dear. We've only reached Sacramento and the Head End Power (from the rear loco) is already having issues.
In the meantime, Iget a nice view of this Amtrak California EMD F59PHI, built in 2001.
Decided to be fancy and have some train wine. #AmtrakWestern2023
Got into Colfax, CA an hour late, and now the crew are having to manually switch us over the right track. #AmtrakWestern2023
The Donner Pass is not the worst place for dinner, but maybe don't get the "pork". #AmtrakWestern2023
Some serious @diningcar action. Both the salmon and the lemon cake were great. #AmtrakWestern2023
Finally moving after 1.5 hr delay in Soda Springs due to a Union Pacific freight train breaking down ahead of us. #AmtrakWestern2023
Good morning from the salt plains of Utah. Running about three hours behind, hope to make up some of that. #AmtrakWestern2023
Track maintenance gore at Salt Lake City Union Terminal, look away @ThermiteBeGiants Now at at 4 hr behind and waiting again for a UP freight train.
#AmtrakWestern2023
Passing Soldier Summit, now 5 hours late... #AmtrakWestern2023
Trying the other IPA that Amtrak stocks, Elysian Space Dust. Still 5 hr late, ETA in Denver is 1 am... #AmtrakWestern2023 #BeerOnTrains
The "Ratio" sculpture art in Green River, last stop in Utah. This area is literally the "Desolation Valley Wilderness Study Area". #AmtrakWestern2023
Passed the westbound version of our train at the Colorado border. They were on time, we are still 5ish hours late, and will cross the Rockies entirely at night. Oh well, I'm just glad to be almost home. #AmtrakWestern2023
We ended up getting into Denver at just past 3:00 AM, and I promptly went home and crashed. That was a heck of a trip, but I'm glad I did it. #AmtrakWestern2023, signing off
Adding it all up, I went 4,724 km (2,935 miles) on trains, 4,420 km of that on #Amtrak. Slightly less than 5% of that was on electrified tracks. 98% was on standard (Stevenson) gauge tracks, 1.7% on broad gauge (5'6" BART), and 3 km on meter gauge (the cable car). #AmtrakWestern2023 #trains #transit
And if you found #AmtrakWestern2023 fun, stay tuned for #AllTheShinkansens2023 late in August. It's going to be electrifying. 🚅🇯🇵🚂
