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T O P I C     R E V I E W
JONATHON
Member # 2899
 - posted
My Trip Report, By Jonathon D. Ortiz -The Coast Starlight-


-August 11th-
(5:00 AM) I wake up early, and get my Baggage, make shure all the windows are closed, turn off the fan, and go down stairs to the garrage, Me and my dad go to the Truck, put the stuff in and head for Anahiem.

When we get to Anahiem, we park, watch a few Metrolink Trains go by, then get the Tickets from the glove compartment and enter the Station. When we go in, I see that the Anahiem Station
now has new seats, after a few minutes, we go to the platform to wait, I watch a Metrolink come and go, then They make a boarding call for a South-Bound Pacific Surfliner, a few minutes later the South-Bound Train Pulls in, while the Head lights of The Train I'm about to board are visible in the distance. The year before, on a simalar trip, the Surfliner going the other way had had an odd consist, and this year it happend again, The South-Bound Surfliner was lead by an F59PHI Pulling 8 Horizon Cars!, behind all the Horizon Cars was a Baggage Car, then, behind that,, A Genisis!!
talk about an odd Surfliner Consist!, when this Train begins to pull out, My Train Pulls in, blocking a chance at a photo of the South-Bound Train, as the North-Bound Surfliner stops, I was bearly able to get a shot of the Genisis at the end of the other Train. I boarded the North-Bound Train with a few shots of the odd South-Bounder, the Train Pulls out and we head for Fullerton, when we get into L.A. we sit and wait for awhile, then, when the first Bording Call is maid, we go to the Platform (Platform 9b) when I get there, I see that we have a Private Coach at the end, once we board, there is a small wait as alway, then, we Take off!!!

While making a curve out of the Station, I see that we have 4 Locomotives!, 2 F59PHI Locos, and 2 Genisis!,, Later, I go down to the Sight Seer Lounge to see whats going on down there, nothing much, I stay and watch out the window for a few hours then return to my seat.


-----------------


-Pulling into Salinas-
After being on the Train for some time, we Finaly get into Salinas, I think were runing about 90 Minutes late, at this stop, I'm to meet Mr.Toy!, when we come to a stop, Me, my Dad, and about a dozen poeple are down stairs, waiting for the Conductor to open the door, but no Conductor, we all waited, wondering if they were gonna open up, so then a Passenger opens the door themself, right as he dose this, the Conductor steps right infront of the door, shes not happy, tells him to Never do that, then she ask for the stool to be passed forward, and then we all De-Train, while other Passengers pull out there cigaretes and lighters, Me and my Dad meet a person walking towards our Coach, Guess who... Thats right, its Mr.Toy!, we shook hands, said Hello,an all, took photos, some of the Train, but the conversation was cut short, since we were running late, they desided to cut the smoking break short, so Me and my Dad re boarded and we were off again!

----------------

-Pulling into Portland-
After a few Delays from UP frieghters with the right-of-way, a few of the people behind me have desided to make a few choice coments out-loud, kinda got anoying, espeacialy when they got there kids to join in, then, when pulling into Portland, going over some low Class Track, the Train was realy rocking back and forth, after Portland, the anoying tourist family behind me has gone from out-loud complaining to Vandelism, one of them took off the seat cover, actualy cut holes into it, and drew on it, the whore it on his head and runing threw the Train, amaizingly, he didnt get caught doing this, I've seen a Conductor through an entire pack of Boy Scouts off for just drawing on a seat cover, this guy cut hole in it, and was wearing it, with his tongue threw one of the holes, more along the way they kept getting more anoying, so, I went back to the Lounge Car,, once in the Lounge, I got some diner and watched a movie, Shrek 2, later, they also showed the movie, Jersy Girl.

Later, in Martinez, our lead Locomotive, an F59PHI, lost power, HEP I guess, then only a few stops from Sacramento, where I am schedualed to meet JKchubbes,, so after SAC, I wait in the Lounge, then, a half hour later I begin to watch who comes into the Lounge-

-August 12th-
(4:00 AM) Have been in the Lounge since SAC, no Chubbes, oh-well, I'm shure he had a good reson not to show, I find out later in the trip why.
After going back to my seat, I sleep for a bit, When I wake, I notice we are still late, when we get to Klamath Falls, I look around for Chubbes, didnt see him, this was his stop, pulling out, I look out the Lounge Car windows, didnt see any one of intrest, so, guess I would simply IM him after the trip, we continue through the trip, listening to the Scanner, watching the movie in the Lounge,ect.

-August 13th-
(4:00 AM) Pulling into Seattle, We get off the Train to find Amtrak Staff pulling the lever to uncouple the Train while people are still De-Training, not to mention the Switcher waiting in the Station to take the Train apart, once I get a few photos, we get a cab to the hotel, at the room, I unpack and watch TV, then sleep.

(10:00 AM) I wake up, and first thought I think when I get up, is to go to see the MonoRail, My Dad, wasnt exactly jumping at the thought of getting up to see a MonoRail, espeacialy after getting there only hours before, so, we go to eat first, then straight from there, go to the MonoRail, I take a few photos of the curve where the Train burned, then to the Train itself...

-Seattle Center-
The damage wasnt as bad as I thought the window on the right side facing Seattle Center is melted, 2 hallowed out seat frame are all that remains of a midle sections of seats, only burned wiring is left of some lights directly above that, the (metal -or- fiberglass???) covering that covers the section where the 2 car-end meet is ether burned off completly, or has been removed, I could see right through from one side of the Train and out the other, the section of floor that was burned was compleatly eaten through by flames and I could see from the Train's left side into and through the floor to its track and maintnance area, the rest of the Fire Abused Train looked unharmed, I am glad the city has desided to save it, the hotel clerk said one of Seattle's old Trains ( I dont know if its a MonoRail he was talking about or not) called the "Bubleatore" ended up being save from the junk yard and is in someones backyard, he said that evan when he rode it he notice that there was Duct Tape everywhere and that its been on it's last leg for a while
The burned section is in bad shape, I'd say the floor (where all mecanical and electonic hardware is) would most be hard to repair, they would need to find something to fill in that missing section of floor, plus, replacing/repairing burned hardware
----(You might notice that I've "Copy&Pasted" this from the report I gave you from Seattle)----

After a Day or 2, I was wondering witch day to Take The Cascades to Canada, but My Dad got a bad tooth ek, so we didnt do much for 2 days.

After renting a car, one that was not what we had exspected, since the dealer was out and only had 1 car left, we ended up with a Land Rover Discovery 2, it was not the best one to drive, my Dad said the pedals were to close together, and sometimes when stoping, he would hit the gas and the brake at the same time, plus it had blind spots everywhere.

While visiting all the neat places, like the Air and Space Museum, the mall, ect. I got some realy good photos, including a Cascades Train set that was still in the Talgo Paint Sheme, plus, some good shots that will make good Animations for Amtrak Pages, and some other neat things you'll see when the pictures come out.


-August 18th-
Its early in the morning, I get up and get my stuff to put in the car, to head for King Street Station, the night before, I had bought a Sub-Woofer, and it needed a handle, so I punched a few holes in the box it was in, took some plastic bags, tied em together, and made a handle!, so I put it all in the car, and we went to turn the car other to EnterPrize.

-King Street Station-
I'm at The Station, I've been waiting an hour and theres about 10 minutes to Boarding, My Dad nuges me and pionts, I look to see our Train Backing in, so I go out side, then, I notice that this Train look like an
Empire Builder Consist, only 1 Loco, and no Parlour Car, I was wondering what was going on, then, About 5 minutes till Boarding, an anouncement is made: TO ALL PASSNEGERS ON TRAIN 11, THE COAST STARLIGHT, A TUNNEL FIRE HAS CLOSED THE LINE, TRAIN 11 WILL GO AS FAR AS EUGENE AND TERMINATE, PLEASE GO TO THE TICKET COUNTER FOR A REFUND, THEN YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.


Thats how they said it, just like that, so we get a Refund, and we Take The Train to Eugene,Org, when we board, I find out a tour group has reserved the full rear half of the Coach, and were very rude about it, when I moved to the rear to let some poeple up the stiars, they told me to get out of there end of the car, I told them I was leting people through, they just said to hury up, so after a few minutes of sitting in the Coach, I went to The Lounge Car, to find that it is 1 of Amtrak's Un-refurbisched Coaches!, It was realy cool!, I went down stairs to find out that it was huge down stairs!, bigger than all the other Lounges, atleast 6 to 7 tables with seat, and more bathrooms, it looked so much better Un-refurbished, I wish there were more like it.

-Pulling into Eugene-
We pulled into Eugene, it was hot there, my Dad's tooth was hurting worse, I had told the lady in the snack car and thanked her for the ice she gave my Dad for his tooth, so she got a big bag and filled it with Ice! before the last stop, right before she closed!, while my Dad stayed with our stuff on the platform, I went down the Train colecting the Car numbers, and getting a photo, on the way back, another Amtrak RailFan asked me if I had got the Locomotive's number, and I told him, I told him about my web site, and about Rail Forum, he said he'd herd of it, and he might check back on it.

-Our Consist-

Genisis-120

Baggage Car-1705

Transition Sleeper-39031

Sigh Seer Lounge-33005

Coach-34098

Coach-34049

Coach-34106

--------------------------------------------------------------
-That is the Seattle-to-Eugene Consist, in order from top to bottom-

We went to a Hotel across from Grey-Hound Bus station, I went to an internet Cafe, but it was closed, so, I went to the room, and went to sleep.

The next morning, My Dad wakes me up, saying his tooth dosnt hurt any more and that we can make the 10:00 AM Bus to SAC, so we got on, but since a Box isnt considerd a sealed package, grey hound wouldnt let me check it as Baggage, so from Eugene to SAC, I had to cary it on my lap, in SAC we had to change Buses, to an old bus, that was hot, and I could smell Fumes of Deisel fuel every time we stoped, it was the worst bus ride every, so when we finaly arrived in L.A., we took a cab to Union, then took, an 8 Car Surfliner to Anahiem, then, The F250 ( My Dads Truck) home. The End.


That was My Trip, photos will come soon, My Dad has seen a dentist and his tooth is not hurting him any more!.

Soviners: Mini-Pal, Amtrak Pins, Sub-Woofer, A Trip To Remember

------------------
JONATHON D. ORTIZ
 

Gilbert B Norman
Member # 1541
 - posted
JONATHON--

This is a family entertainment site (or so I thought):

Jonathon wrote--

"actualy cut holes into it, and drew on it, the whore it on his head and runing threw the Train".

All told, I would say you had a "smooth" passage on #14(11); whenever a group of people are confined within a "commune' of a Coach, "little things' like you describe are simply going to happen.

Be assured I am sorry to learn that your father had to suffer from a dental problem while on the trip. Encountering any kind of medical malaise while traveling is "not exactly' fun.

[This message has been edited by Gilbert B Norman (edited 08-26-2004).]
 

chubbes
Member # 3250
 - posted
Thats Awsomme, and again im msorry i couldnt ne on the train. You just cant keep promises when on the RR.

[This message has been edited by chubbes (edited 08-26-2004).]
 

CoastStarlight99
Member # 2734
 - posted
Nice Report

Look forward to the photos.

------------------
--Anton L.
pillsbury09@excite.com
AIM: pillsburyMN
 

Mr. Toy
Member # 311
 - posted
Interesting story, J.

Random comments:
I'm surprised nobody reported the vandals.

And did you go through a wormhole of some sort? Somehow you arrived in Portland before you got to Martinez!

Does Seattle only have one monorail train? If so, something was bound to put it out of service sooner or later. Redundancy is vital to any service operation.

My sympathies to your dad with his toothache. Been there myself. This helps: http://www.anbesol.com/index.asp

Too bad about the return problems. I take it you were not able to get a train from Sacramento.

In all, a good story.

------------------
Sing to the tune of Humoresque:
Passengers will please refrain,
From flushing toilets while the train,
Is standing in the station,
I love you.

The Del Monte Club Car
 

Mr. Toy
Member # 311
 - posted
Interesting story, J.

Random comments:
I'm surprised nobody reported the vandals.

And did you go through a wormhole of some sort? Somehow you arrived in Portland before you got to Martinez!

Does Seattle only have one monorail train? If so, something was bound to put it out of service sooner or later. Redundancy is vital to any service operation.

My sympathies to your dad with his toothache. Been there myself. This helps: http://www.anbesol.com/index.asp

Too bad about the return problems. I take it you were not able to get a train from Sacramento.

In all, a good story (and not just because I had a cameo appearance).

------------------
Sing to the tune of Humoresque:
Passengers will please refrain,
From flushing toilets while the train,
Is standing in the station,
I love you.

The Del Monte Club Car
 

JONATHON
Member # 2899
 - posted
Looks like RailForum did that double-posting thing again, Thank you for the link, I will show it to my Dad,


Good News, I got 3 of 4 rolls of film Developed, the MonoRail pictures came out in Super-High Quality!!!

they show VERY High detail of the Damage, and no glare!!

let me Scan them, See in post below
.l
.l
\/

------------------
JONATHON D. ORTIZ

[This message has been edited by JONATHON (edited 08-26-2004).]
 

RRRICH
Member # 1418
 - posted
OK, boyish and Jonathon -- cut out your quibbling!!!!!!

Actually, I was interested in the Monorail story -- I posted this before, but what happened to the Seattle Monorail? I take it there was some kind of fire there -- when did it happen? How did it happen?
 

boyishcolt
Member # 3001
 - posted
RRICH:
you can find this information about the Monorail in the online addition of the Seattle Times
quibbling? lol!
 
CoastStarlight99
Member # 2734
 - posted
where are the photos?
 
JONATHON
Member # 2899
 - posted
The Photo are posted at my site, all 4 shots of the MonoRail

Amtrak Pages!!!

------------------
JONATHON D. ORTIZ

[This message has been edited by JONATHON (edited 08-31-2004).]
 

JONATHON
Member # 2899
 - posted
The Coast Starlight photos get developed to day, Last Roll!

------------------
JONATHON D. ORTIZ
 

boyishcolt
Member # 3001
 - posted
you just found and downloaded them off the net?
 
JONATHON
Member # 2899
 - posted
No, I took those Pictures Myself you idiot.

------------------
JONATHON D. ORTIZ
 

polarbearucla
Member # 2723
 - posted
I dont want to give boyishcults comments any credence....but I think you should update the date stamp on your camera...its says '03. Just a friendly tip!
 
CoastStarlight99
Member # 2734
 - posted
Just an FYI..

You cant just write COPYRIGHT 2004 and by away its COPY-RIGHT (1 word) you cant just right that you have to actually have to obtain a copyright.

just to let ya know.

------------------
--Anton L.
pillsbury09@excite.com
AIM: pillsburyMN

[This message has been edited by CoastStarlight99 (edited 09-02-2004).]
 

boyishcolt
Member # 3001
 - posted
And you can't copyright pics that you found on the net that belong to someone else.The Monorail cars have been INSIDE the car barn since about 1 week after the the fire.i saw those very same pics on another website long ago
 
chubbes
Member # 3250
 - posted
Boyishcult i know your pissed at jonothan but he took the da*n pics, you are just jealous you couldnt see the dang thing in real life like jonothan did so just get over it. My God!!!!!!
 
Mr. Toy
Member # 311
 - posted
quote:
Originally posted by CoastStarlight99:
You cant just write COPYRIGHT 2004.....you cant just right that you have to actually have to obtain a copyright.

Actually, you can. A photographer (or a writer or an artist, for that matter) automatically owns copyright to his or her own work. It used to be that you had to register each piece with the US Copyright office, but that is no longer the case. For more info see: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html


------------------
Sing to the tune of Humoresque:
Passengers will please refrain,
From flushing toilets while the train,
Is standing in the station,
I love you.

The Del Monte Club Car

[This message has been edited by Mr. Toy (edited 09-02-2004).]
 

boyishcolt
Member # 3001
 - posted
yeah i did see the thing in real life
the day after the fire and about 1 month after and i did see the very same pics on another website
 
Big Merl
Member # 3251
 - posted
Nice shooting Jonathan, how long do we have to wait for the rest of your pics (The Amtrak portion) to show up?
 
Geoff Mayo
Member # 153
 - posted
Mr Toy is right - and in fact the same copyright law applies to most countries in the world.

Geoff M.
 

CoastStarlight99
Member # 2734
 - posted
Wow i didnt know that.

I thought you had to get a patent or thats an invention. LOL

srry guys

------------------
--Anton L.
pillsbury09@excite.com
AIM: pillsburyMN
 

CoastStarlight99
Member # 2734
 - posted
I like the slank chubbes
 
JONATHON
Member # 2899
 - posted
I already told you, I TOOK THOSE PHOTOs MYSELF YOU IDIOT

and if you think you seen them some were before, then send a link to this so-cald site you imagined, and also I have every right to say there myn and take credit for them because they ARE MYN

------------------
JONATHON D. ORTIZ
 

JONATHON
Member # 2899
 - posted
and, thanks Chubbes and CS99,

------------------
JONATHON D. ORTIZ
 

Kairho
Member # 1567
 - posted

"Suffer the Children" ... is beginning to take on a whole new meaning.
 
CoastStarlight99
Member # 2734
 - posted
Maybe we would believe you if you had 1 simple link I wont one URL not a paragraph about how "retarded" another member is.

------------------
--Anton L.
pillsbury09@excite.com
AIM: pillsburyMN
 

Mr. Toy
Member # 311
 - posted
MODERATOR!!!
 
CoastStarlight99
Member # 2734
 - posted
I agree.
The moderators are not moderating this forum!!
 
JONATHON
Member # 2899
 - posted
Because of a certain "someone", I no longer have a computer, so I can only access the net through friend's PCs or libary, so I will not be able to respond very quikly, see my New Topic for details

------------------
JONATHON D. ORTIZ
 




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