Amtrak Coast Starlight - 34 HOURS Up the West Coast!

[Music] hello and welcome to Los Angeles Union Station today we're climbing the west coast of the United States riding 34 hours from here to Seattle onboard Amtrak's Coast Starlight Amtrak's Coast Starlight runs along the west coast of the United States connecting Los Angeles with Seattle our northward journey on the Starlight Begins by following the coast past Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo the tracks then Ascend to the mountains mirroring route 101 to Salinas in San Jose The Starlight hugs the east coast of the San Francisco Bay arriving in Oakland just past Sunset our ride moves farther Inland towards Sacramento the sun meeting us in Mount Shasta in Northern California the Cascade Range fills the windows as we cross into Oregon our train stopping at Eugene and eventually Portland on the other side Washington is the third and final State through which the Starlight passes Vancouver and Tacoma are two major stops ahead of our final destination of Seattle at the end of the line we'll cover a total of 1 377 miles on our ride today with a travel time of 34 hours [Music] constructed in the 1930s Los Angeles Union Station is the largest passenger terminal in the Western United States with a total of 14 tracks Union Station serves almost 110 000 daily passengers the vast majority of passengers are commuters using LA's Metrolink rail service to get to and from downtown though many still use Amtrak's inner city and long distance services La Union Station is truly a masterpiece encapsulating that Golden Era of rail travel in the U.S the station Hall features High ceilings and chandeliers gold accents and a gorgeous tiled floor Union Station serves as the main hub for all but one of Metrolink Services as well as Amtrak specific surfliner Southwest Chief Sunset limited Texas eagle and of course the coast Starlight the departure board in the main hall displays our train Amtrak Coast Starlight number 14 as on time although no track number is shown for the time being fortunately we don't have to worry about finding a place to wait ahead of departure because our sleeper ticket grants us access to La's Metropolitan Lounge the lounge is rather difficult to find if you don't know where to look there are no signs for it out in the main hall but if you head past the Amtrak ticketing desk towards the rental car services and then hang a left you'll see what I believe is the only sign for the lounge taking the stairs up we reach the front door the lounge is quite small but quiet with a good mix of tables and lounge chairs for waiting passengers in addition to being a quiet place to relax the lounge also offers complimentary snacks and drinks the drink selection includes coffee juice water and plenty of sodas Amtrak provides a selection of chips cookies pre-packaged pastries and a few other small options for snacks I of course chose a cup of coffee to begin the morning paired with a coffee cake and a Stroop waffle one thing to mention here is that although meals are complimentary for sleeper passengers snacks and drinks outside of meal times are not so I highly recommend stocking up on the lounge selection or grabbing something from the store in the main Concourse our weight in the lounge would have been quite Pleasant at the station staff decided not to test the emergency alert system the alarm blaring out from the speakers around the station fortunately boarding begins soon after our arrival a member of Staff escorting the crowd of waiting passengers out to track 10. waiting for us out in the California morning is uh nothing it turns out that our train was still being moved from the depot so we've got a few minutes before our actual departure time passing the time is easy as La Union Station is never quiet a Pacific surfliner pulling in as if to prove my point thank you all lies turn towards the end of the platform as a set of super liner coaches begin to back their way down track 10. the coast Starlight is finally here our train today includes three sleepers one dining car one observation car two coach cars and a single baggage car leading the Starlight are two of Amtrak's brand new Siemens ALC 42 locomotives numbers 306 and 320. our room is in car 1432 the rearmost sleeper on today's train and after checking in with our sleeper attendant we can climb aboard heading upstairs and down the corridor we find room number eight our home for the next 34 hours boarding is incredibly efficient and we barely have enough time to get comfortable before the Starlight rolls out of La beginning our 1400 mile Adventure 36 hours of travel oh as we head out of Los Angeles I just want to take a moment to say thank you for 10 000 subscribers when I first started this channel two years ago I never thought I would see anything close to that kind of following it's been a long road to get here and I couldn't have done it without each and every one of you seriously from the bottom of my heart thank you by far the best aspect of being in the last car on a train is the incredible rear window for you although it's a gray day the rear window still provides a great view of downtown LA and the network of tracks leading in and out of Union Station our train heads up the LA River passing Burbank Airport as we pick up speed through Simi Valley our train is forced to a crawl the single track ahead occupied by a southbound surfliner from San Luis Obispo surfliner cleared our tree resumes track speed twisting away between the fields of Camarillo foreign despite our morning departure lunch is the first meal served on board both lunch and dinner on the Starlight and all long-distance trains require reservations which are made through the dining car attendant I chose an early dining slot to give us the best chance of being Seated on the ocean side of the train as our room was unfortunately on the Mountainside for a ride North just as I had hoped the attendant seats us at a table on the coast side of the train right as the ocean comes into view seating in the dining car is set up in tables of four Amtrak staff will seat you with other groups to fill said tables so get ready to make some friends along the way Amtrak's Western Long Distance routes serve the traditional dining menu which includes fresh cooked options for breakfast and lunch plus a three course meal for dinner for our first lunch I went with the Monte Cristo grilled sandwich paired with a side of kettle chips though not the most visually appealing the sandwich was delicious the Savory meat and cheese complimented by this sweet egg battered toast was great and the kettle chips rounded out the meal quite well as we dined the coast of California continues to roll past the waves of the Pacific crashing against the shore lunch comes to a close with a small dessert selection offered our brownie or a butter cake of which I chose the former as we would later learn dessert is supposed to be plated with a selection of syrups on top but a regular packaged brownie still tastes great the morning events concluded and we can finally take some time to check out our accommodations Amtrak's roomet is the smallest and cheapest sleeping accommodation offered on board the six and a half by three and a half foot room includes two bunks with enough space for two adults stepping inside we can close the door in blinds for some extra privacy in their daytime configuration roommates feature two comfortable seats the upper bunk stored away in the ceiling for one passenger there's more than enough space though things get quite cramped with two people the bar beneath each seat reclines the seat back into a comfortable lounging position although with two passengers and both seats reclined there really isn't enough space for both people to sit comfortably see it comes with a single pillow which is pretty comfortable though I think you can ask for more if need be between the two seats are two complementary water bottles the tray table safety information card menu for our journey and a nice welcome message from Amtrak's vice president of customer services Robert Jordan the tray table lifts up and folds out across the space between each seat it's large enough to hold two smaller laptops and was quite clean the rearward seat includes a reading light the room's temperature controls the dial for which had long since departed and the room's singular outlet for two passengers who likely have one or more devices having a single outlet is not nearly enough fortunately I planned ahead and brought a power strip a must-have item for long distance Amtrak travels the forward seat includes its own reading light the volume controls for PA announcements and Music Plus the attendant call button and master light controls to the side of the forward-facing seat are the stairs up to the second bunk below these is the trash can while on top since a set of shampoo conditioner and body wash opposite the staircase is the only official storage space with a deep but narrow hold for personal belongings above the storage space are two coat hangers with complementary towels in the Cubbies below the room's light fixture the AC is controlled via the ceiling vent and Associated flow lever to the side above the seating area is the top bunk which folds down when needed the top bunk holds the bedding for the lower bunk and the blankets for both passengers we'll have a look at the beds themselves once night falls but for now it's back to enjoying Coastal California [Music] foreign if you're enjoying the video so far why not hit that subscribe button it's totally free and it really helps support the channel if you want to go the extra mile with your support then feel free to check out the Channel's patreon or become a channel member patrons and members get their names in the video access to exclusive weekly posts and even the opportunity to vote on future videos if those perks pique your interest then click the links in the top right or in the description below to learn more it's unfortunate that today ended up being rather gray but it doesn't matter much as the views don't need sun to be pretty and moving to the rear makes the coast just that much more stunning The Tracks winding away behind us mere feet from the Pacific [Music] [Music] all good things must come to an end artango with the ocean wrapped up as the track's head inland the coast starlight's route wraps around Vandenberg space Force Base the launch point for SpaceX on the West Coast the Sun finally breaks through the cloud cover as we approach San Luis Obispo the blue skies complementing the surrounding Greenery as we wind our way through the valleys [Music] oh the foothills of the mountains greeted us upon arrival to San Luis Obispo our first fresh air stop for our ride stepping out into the California heat we can admire the coast Starlight in all her glory the Sleek steel of our superliner stretches far into the distance their uniform bodies merging into one single unit super liners may be pretty but it's what's at the front that really takes the cake leading train 14 today are two of Amtrak's practically brand new ALC 42 locomotives 306 and 320 have the honors today the four are painted in Amtrak's phase six delivery while the latter wears the new phase 7 colors I have loved these locomotives since day one and seeing them in person just reaffirms my initial assessment the alc 42 is a huge step forward in terms of looks from the sc-44s dawn is the flat angular front end in favor of a rounded nose and streamlined facial features plus those headlight covers give each locomotive an aggressive and Powerful demeanor I'm torn between the two liveries for which one is my favorite as a standalone locomotive I think that phase six delivery just barely edges out the phase seven the rear portion of callback to the old Amtrak logo in a full set of painted coaches though the phase 7 wins easily and we'll see that in the near future with the Siemens Aero train sets the overboard call is made as we return to the rear of the Train the remaining passengers making their way back on board before we head on North the next segment of The Starlights route takes us up into the mountains and to do that we need to Traverse the quest to pass the pass runs 11 miles through the Southern Santa Lucia range ascending 1 000 feet over the course of the climb Cuesta pass is a well-known railfanic spot with its two Horseshoe curves making for some fantastic photography the beginning of our Ascent is marked by the crossing of the San Antonio Creek Bridge a site soon eclipsed by the Fantastic views around the horseshoe curve it starts off with a few sharp curves before the land Falls away revealing our alc-42s charging away at the front of our train there comes a point once the train enters the curve where it appears as though we are not moving relative to the ground but instead the ground moves relative to us like a record gliding under the playhead of a turntable yeah clearing the Horseshoe southbound Starlight number 11 passes Us by led by ALC 42's 314 and 322. the curves continue as we climb into the mountains the landscape Rising along with us for some truly spectacular scenery thank you coming down the other side of the pass the land levels back out our locomotives picking up speed as we powered north towards San Jose Amtrak offers two main types of sleeping accommodations on long distance trains roomets and bedrooms Amtrak's bedrooms are over double the size of roomets at 48.75 square feet with two full-size beds and an armchair there's space for two adults with an option for a third if needed in their daytime configuration bedrooms include one full-width sofa with an armchair on the opposite wall allowing for three passengers to sit comfortably the sofa seating is quite similar to our roomette but because the bed sits width-wise instead of lengthwise the bottom bunk is much wider than the roomets when converted to its sleeping configuration the second bunk is stowed away during the day folding down from the ceiling using the lever in the center and the latch towards the window storage space is still limited but much better than the roomette there's easily enough space next to in beneath the armchair for a suitcase or two plus the small closet next to the door can hold a few smaller bags [Music] thank you bedrooms also include a sink and more importantly an ensuite bathroom and shower the sink is fine it's a little tired but not bad all in all plus two of the three Outlets can be found next to the lighting controls below the countertop are two doors the left opens to reveal extra cups toiletries and toilet paper while the right holds extra hand and face towels behind the vanity is the combination bathroom and shower the shower is virtually identical to the one downstairs which we'll take a look at later just with a toilet off to one side it's small for sure but it's much nicer than the shared facility for the rest of the car Amtrak's bedroom is certainly a huge step up from the room at but the main reason I chose not to stay in one was the price difference at Double the cost for a roommate there's a serious question to be asked if you really need the extra space the hills pick back up as we approach San Jose and the best place to enjoy the sights is from the sightseer Lounge Amtrak's observation Lounge car is laid out with a combination of sideways facing swivel seats on one half with tables on the other the windows are much larger here too with sections that wrap up onto the ceiling for optimal viewing angles from any seat plus with cocktail tables between the seats and foot rests along the walls it's a great place to relax and enjoy the ride the lounge car also serves as the cafe car for Coach passengers the bar located downstairs Gilroy marks the beginning of our brief stint in Caltrain territory our train pausing here to let a southbound service clear the single track ahead fortunately the commuter service is running on time and it's only a few minutes before we're back on the move for the first time on our travels our Engineers able to open the Taps on our two ALC 42s our locomotives released their combined 8 400 horsepower as our train rips through commuter stations at 80 miles an hour our dinner reservation is called just south of San Jose dinner is a bit classier than breakfast or lunch with white tablecloths and a full three-course selection on the menu our dining experience begins with an appetizer Amtrak starters include a Caprese skewer coconut crusted shrimp and a mixed green salad for entrees Amtrak offers their signature flat iron steak a pan roasted chicken breast Atlantic salmon or rigatoni Bolognese for our first dinner I chose the caprese skewers to start with the flat iron steak as a Mane a bread roll is delivered by our waiter as an appetizer to the appetizer while we wait for our first course something new appears over the tracks outside catenary wires Caltrain's electrified territory begins here just south of San Jose and runs north into San Francisco the first overhead segment was energized in August of 2022 and only a few weeks ago Caltrain ran one of its new Stadler emu's under its own power for the first time a huge achievement and step forward in progress of Caltrain's work towards an electrified corridor speaking of those new emu's we get our first in-person look at these new train sets as we pull into San Jose and oh boy do they look amazing the Sleek aerodynamic front ends combined with a stunning paint job are a killer combination and if the Interiors are as nice as anything else Stadler makes there's sure to be a hit once they enter service I'll do my best to be among the first passengers on board these new trains once service begins so stick around if that's something you want to see our departure from San Jose is matched by a Northbound Caltrain service F40 ph-2c number 920 pushing the consist of Bombardier by levels towards San Francisco as we pull out of San Jose our appetizer is served the skewers came plated nicely with a drizzle of balsamic reduction over top the fresh mozzarella and roasted tomato paired with the sweet and sharp balsamic was a great way to start out the dining experience Caltrain's maintenance facility passages by on the left-hand side as we enjoy our appetizers the facility recently upgraded to host their new emu's the sun begins to kiss the Horizon across the San Francisco Bay and as it disappears our main course is served and we just kind of Amtrak's flat iron steak comes laid on a bed of mashed potatoes with a port wine sauce and caramelized onions on top plus a side of green beans and carrots the steak was actually pretty tasty All Things Considered unfortunately it had been under seasoned before it was cooked with the port wine sauce doing its job to make up for that after the fact it actually did a pretty good job of that mine came a bit overcooked but that wasn't really an issue as the meat was soft enough to cut and eat easily though it was quite dry the mashed potatoes had an interesting flavor but they paired nicely with the steak though the same can't be said about the veggies that felt too waxy for my liking all in all it was a pretty good entree not bad for a train steak but it wouldn't be hard to find a better one at a regular Steakhouse now dinner is a three-course meal which means dessert is next there are three options offered for dessert a white chocolate blueberry cheesecake lemon cake and the option will be having a chocolate toffee mousse I don't know what I was expecting but the dessert was huge it looked great doused in a helping of chocolate and caramel syrup with a massive cross section of toffee running down the center of the slice it tasted incredible the moose was super rich and chocolatey and the crunch of the toffee added a nice texture to the dish the caramel sauce had quite a bit of salt in it adding yet another note to an already amazing dessert unfortunately I couldn't finish it it was just too much even for me E I think if there wasn't an appetizer or a bread roll I would have been okay but it's nice to know that Amtrak really doesn't skimp on the portions all in all the dinner experience was excellent it started off well with a refreshing appetizer stayed strong with a delicious main course and ended off with a dessert that could rival those found in some high-end restaurants definitely a 9 out of 10. as dinner wraps up night sets in and our train comes to a stop at Oakland's Jack London Station what did you draw day or night the alc 42s look great 306's Central headlights punching holes in the darkness ahead we've got a few more minutes then scheduled as we arrived a bit early the station left in an eerie silence once the last of the passengers boarded what had been an early arrival here in Oakland soon turned sour as our departure time came and went it turns out that one of the doors between the diner and the sleeper cars was stuck in the open position requiring a repair crew to come out and fix it the crew took their sweet time getting to us and by the time we pulled out of Oakland we were an hour behind schedule before we're off to bed it's shower time the shower for room at passengers is located on the bottom floor next to the accessible bedroom the shower room is divided into two spaces a changing area and a shower stall the shower is basic but functional with a detachable shower head and temperature controls the water pressure was surprisingly High especially for a train with both the warm and cold adjustment working well enough to get it to a comfortable temperature in the changing area passengers will find complementary towels soap shampoo conditioner and body wash all in all it's not perfect but it's certainly welcome after a long day of travel returning to a room the seats have been folded down into their sleeping configuration the bedding laid out on top climbing under the sheets we can turn out the lights for a good night's rest the Morning Light greets us through Northern California and opening the blinds were greeted by none other than Mount Shasta Mount Shasta stands at an impressive 14 179 feet tall the second highest in the Cascade Range in the fifth highest in California a potentially active volcano Mount Shasta has erupted every 600 years for the past 4500 though not recently active the USGS still regularly monitors Mount Shasta and rates it as a very high threat volcano now normally the Northbound Coast Starlight passes Mount Shasta in the wee hours of the morning but thanks to our door debacle last night we were far enough behind schedule to really enjoy this amazing sight coffee is a must-have this early in the morning unfortunately there's a freshly brewed pot at the drink station by the stairwell compliments of our wonderful sleeping attendant foreign views of Mount Shasta continue as the tracks head Northwest around the mountain the two peaks of Mount Shasta and its satellite cone Shastina clearly visible from the north side of the mountains Mount Shasta leaves our field of view as the Starlight turns back North prompting us to head to the dining car for breakfast is the only meal that doesn't require a reservation to be seated service opens at 6 30 a.m and lasts until 9 30. Amtrak's breakfast selection is larger than I had expected with five options in total I decided to try the breakfast quesadilla which comes paired with a side of roasted potatoes again I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food the eggs in the quesadilla were fluffy and the tortilla was very crispy the potatoes were seasoned with a flavorful blend of spices though the salsa could have done with a little more heat as far as breakfasts go I was quite happy with what I got foreign the landscape rosenfell as we enjoyed our breakfast our train finally Crossing into Oregon about an hour and a half behind schedule Klamath Falls is our first stop in Oregon and the first Smoke Stop of day two despite its small population there are still plenty of people getting on and off the train Klamath Falls is also a crew change point for the Starlight the new engineer taking over in lead locomotive 306. oh we've got a green signal so it's back to the rear of the train ahead of the All Aboard call in our eventual departure towards Seattle north of Klamath Falls the coast Starlight runs along the east coast of upper Klamath Lake the Marshland gives way to deeper waters Mount Shasta visible in the distance behind us halfway up the lake Mount McLaughlin Rises up over the hills on the far Bank its snow-covered Peak reaching 9493 feet above sea level Mother Nature also makes her appearance on the lake a Bald Eagle Landing among the Reeds along the shore the morning of day two is slow and relaxing and soon it's time for lunch the lunch today I went with the Angus burger which was a great choice the burger patty was well seasoned and the Fresh Veggies added some nice crunch unfortunately our Burger doesn't come with fries as all of Amtrak's sandwich options come with kettle chips instead of course lunch also comes with the helping of fantastic views and the Cascade Range did not disappoint though a filling meal there's always room for dessert I opted for the butter cake instead of the brownie which this time came on a plate with a topping of raspberry syrup We Begin our descent through the Cascades our trained winding back and forth through the switchbacks past Diamond Peak the coast Starlight splits the gap between Lookout Point Lake and Highway 58. the reservoir is a part of the headwaters that the Willamette River which will follow North into Portland Eugene is our next scheduled stop and is the southern term it is for Amtrak's Cascade service our fresh air brake here has been cut short in an attempt to make up the hour and a half deficit accrued over the past 24 hours leaving Eugene we pass a Union Pacific local train and later awaiting Cascade service leaving his cabbage F40 pH 9250 followed by four Horizon coaches with sc-441401 bringing up the rear I only realized this in post but just behind the Cascade service are three freshly painted Bombardier bi-level coaches these three are waiting to be delivered to their final destination on the Altamont Corridor Express the miles fly by as our train makes up time passing freight trains as we go our train pulls up alongside the Willamette River Crossing the West Bank via the Steel Bridge ahead of our stop in Portland is the longest stop on the Northbound Coast Starlight here the train performs a full crew change not just the engineer while also dumping the Linens towels and trash from the previous day and a half's travels you probably the longer procedures here give us extra time to head inside and check out the station and more importantly the station Lounge tucked inside gate 5 is the Metropolitan Lounge the lounge is only accessible to business class passengers on Amtrak Cascades and sleeper passengers on the coast Starlight or Empire Builder [Music] the lounge is small but appears to have been recently renovated there is plenty of space for probably one Train's worth of passengers but should two be departing at the same time it would definitely get overcrowded quickly Amtrak offers a similar Suite of complementary snacks and beverages as we saw in La though the coffee machine was out of order so no afternoon pick-me-up for us boarding really reboarding begins and we joined the line of passengers heading out to track five in between us and our train is yet another Cascade service this train is led by cabbage F40 pH number 9253 in the iconic Cascades green and brown livery our time in Portland comes to an end as we climb back aboard the coast Starlight rolling on towards Seattle departing Portland our train must cross back over the Willamette River due to some Freight Traffic Ahead we slow to a crawl letting southbound Cascades train 505 passes by train 505 has operated today by one of Amtrak's talgo train sets the Spanish manufactured sets owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation are the only two operating in the U.S today and are the only train sets currently operated by Amtrak outside of the Northeast Corridor of course we'll have a look at the talgo sets in a future video or maybe even two but we're back on the Move crossing the Willamette and Columbia Rivers [Music] our 34 hours on board concludes with one final meal dinner for dinner today I opted for the caprese skewers again with the rigatoni as a main I was skeptical of the rigatoni and its plant-based meat sauce but it was actually really good the pasta was well cooked and the sauce was a nice blend of sweet and savory balancing the tomatoes with the plant-based meat again the Mane was paired with a side of veggies which left the same impression as last night overcooked and waxy but with a bit of salt and pepper they weren't half bad as with all meals dinner comes served with a plentiful helping of beautiful views Mother Nature treating us to some spectacular shots at the Columbia River as we powered northward main finished dessert is served a slice of blueberry cheesecake again the dessert was fantastic the cheesecake was a perfect blend of sour tang and sugary sweet with the blueberries adding a fresh note on top served with a side of whipped cream and topped with some white chocolate shards Amtrak has created yet another fantastic dessert we part ways with the Columbia River Meandering through the Cascade Wilderness before entering Sounders commuter rail territory Tacoma is the coast Starlights penultimate stop only a few passengers board is most disembark and our train Carries On as we Savor our last few minutes on board our attendant comes through and informs us of something interesting we were the only passengers remaining in our sleeper it just so happened that everyone else had disembarked in Tacoma leaving us as the only occupants for this entire coach our final miles turned from rural to Suburban and eventually Urban Seattle's Boeing field the final Landmark as we approach the city center with the sun in its final stage of its descent toward the Horizon our train slows to a crawl and almost 36 hours after leaving Los Angeles we arrived at Seattle's King Street Station thank you with a final goodbye to our roommate we head downstairs in out into Seattle Adventure now over it's time to bring today's video to a close if you've stuck around this far I just want to say thank you I know this video was a long one but I thoroughly enjoyed the co-star light experience and I wanted to do my best to share it all with you and of course I want to say thank you again for 10 000 subscribers 10K has been a long time coming and I really could not have done it without each and every one of you next week we'll actually be back in Los Angeles to take a look at metrolink's Aero the newest commuter service in California thank you if you're new around here I would really appreciate it if you hit that subscribe button down below it's totally free and it really helps support the channel there's a lot more incredible content on the way so stick around if you want to see more if you want to go the extra mile with your support then check out the Channel's patreon or become a channel member if you two want your name in the video access to exclusive weekly posts and even the opportunity to vote on future videos then click the links in the top right or the description below to learn more but anyways that's all I have for today thanks for riding with me and I'll see you in the next one

Channel: Lonestar Trip Reports

Views: 73,419

Keywords: Coast Starlight, Amtrak Overnight, Amtrak Bedroom, Amtrak Coast Starlight, Amtrak California, West Coast Amtrak, amtrak coast starlight, amtrak train, amtrak sleeper car tour, train travel, amtrak review, train review, dining car, amtrak guide, long distance train travel, long distance train ride, long distance train journey, amtrak sleeper train, amtrak sleeper bedroom, amtrak coast starlight review, amtrak coast starlight roomette, amtrak, amtrak coast starlight tour

Id: 0ihuuIusfLk

Length: 41min 28sec (2488 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 08 2023