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The Coast Starlight is scheduled to run from Los Angeles, California to Sacramento, California on Sunday, April 27th, 2008. This is due to track work on the Union Pacific line.
There will be three (3) private railroad cars attached to the rear of the train: The Colonial Crafts, the Silver Lariat, and the Silver Solarium. You can buy a ticket to ride in these cars through Trains Unlimited Tours. Their website is located at:
As of the time of this posting, this trip is not listed on their website, but it will be within a day or two.
Since this trip is more than a month away, and since this is the railroad business, anything can happen and plans may change. But as of now, this trip is a "Go" per Trains Unlimited Tours. I have already purchased my ticket and will be on-board for the entire length of the trip, including from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, California the day before (Saturday, Apirl 26th, 2008) as two of the private cars make a positioning move to Los Angeles.
See you on-board!
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Smitty these work projects can CHANGE dates this far in advance. What is your source for this info Smitty?? Remember it is now about 40 days before this is rumored to happen. TUT has a less than stellar record as far as past trips promised. As far as I know TUT is the ONLY source for this info currently. I would DEARLY like to hear from another source before buying tickets + hotels for Train 14 of April 27th.
That is what I am worried about a last minute change of dates for the Santa Barbara work. This track work will probably happen but is it NAILED down for April 27th??? That is the core and key question about this whole deal. I would dearly LOVE to make another Tehachapi trip without burning money on a last minute change of plans. Thank you so very very much for any info you or anyone else can provide!
Nothing is nailed down in the railroad business. As you know, things can change at any time. If you would really like to go, then book your reservation now before it is sold out. If it cancels out, then you will get your money back. Problem solved.
Andy (PS: My source is listed in my post above. I gave the website address. I also said in my original post that things may change, and you also answered your own question about the date possibly changing.)
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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As of Tuesday morning (March 18) TUT office advises that the cars will be attached to Capitol Corridor #553, leaving Sacramento at 9:10 pm and arriving Oakland at 11:08 pm. Knowing where we'll end up makes a big difference to those of us who would have to travel some distance t ride this trip.
Posts: 87 | From: Snowmass, CO USA | Registered: Jun 2003
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Thank you for that update! I was wondering what they had up their sleeve to accomplish this. Now we need to keep our fingers crossed that not only the trip happens, but that #14 on the 27th does not hit any cars, people, or run into any other incidents that would make us miss the train heading back to Oakland. Then, there will be several of us with no place to go until the next morning's first Capitol Corridor departure.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Funny you should mention hitting a car. The last time I rode this route (On the San Joaquin Daylight) we did hit a truck. It made us just late enough that they bussed us from the Oakland Mole to San Francisco instead of taking the ferry. What year would that have been? I think it would have been the last year the ferries ran.
Frank in gorgeous SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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I'm trying to remember, but I was in Berzerkeley for my cousin's wedding that summer. We went over to the City and visited the California Maritime Museum. As I recall, they were very proud of their newly acquired vessel, a SP ferry that had run from the Mole to the Ferry Building.
If anyone wants to see a great movie with good Mole and Ferry scenes, Frank Sinatra's Pal Joey is it. Gs-4 4443 (in extra service ), a Common Standard RPO, and a Common Standard Chair Car (with a Porter no less!)
Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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I am very sorry to report the following news item: The Trainorders dot com webmaster reported this morning (3-31) that this Tehachapi Amtrak trip is CANCELLED--CANCELLED. This would have been for Amtrak train 14 of April 27, 2008. The latest news is that the Santa Barbara work window will be shortened to allow train 14 to pass as usual on 4-27-08. The only good news is that the UP Railroad is apparently getting close to OPENING up the Oregon Cascades connecting Eugene to Chemult and Klamath Falls.
The state of California still very badly needs to CLOSE this GAP in schedule PASSENGER RAIL service. This needs to be done with a NEW and MODERN Trans--Tehachapi railroad mountain pass.
The dire need for alternetives for Tehachapi was demonstrated last October 12 of 2007 when several big rig trucks crashed inside the major truck tunnel UNDER this route. This came so VERY CLOSE to a LONG TERM CLOSURE of the 5 Grapevine freeway system. To detour the ONLY POSSIBLE routes would have been the 101 Coast Highway OR way east on the 15 Cajon Pass freeway in the Victorville, California area. That would have been a truly major nightmare for statewide transportation around California. Here is the Wikipedia summary of this crash and fire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newhall_Pass_interchange
There needs to be a federal--state "Grapevine Rail Authority" formed similar to how the ALameda Corridor Transportation Agency built the modern Alameda Corridor rail trench connecting Los Angeles with Long Beach. ---Daniel
============================================= http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,1639440 Date: March 31, 2008 11:07 Tehachapi Detour canceled Author: webmaster I learned today that the Coast Starlight detour has been canceled over Tehachapi. In addition the Cascade line will reopen next week with 12 hour operation windows during the day and continued work in the evening.
Amtrak will not immediately be operating over the Cascades as they need to ramp up service and scheduling. From what I understand this is not because of limitations placed on Amtrak by Union Pacific.
Todd Clark Canyon Country, CA Trainorders.com
Posts: 283 | From: Palo Alto,CA | Registered: Jul 2000
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Well, there is another post that was just added from the owner of Trains Unlimited Tours. He says he spoke directly to Amtrak management less than an hour ago, and Amtrak is telling him that they know nothing about the Tehachapi detour being cancelled. As far as they know, it's still on.
So who knows??? Two completely different stories are coming from two sources now. Hmmmmmm.....
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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), a Common Standard RPO, and a Common Standard Chair Car (with a Porter no less!)
