Traveling aboard Amtrak’s fleet of long
distance passenger trains is one of the best ways to see the country. Of all the routes Amtrak has to offer, perhaps
none are more spectacular than the Coast Starlight, traveling nearly the entire length of the
west coast of America from Los Angeles, California to Seattle, Washington. This journey of 1,377 miles takes just under thirty five hours. From Los Angeles, this train travels northward
along the beautiful Pacific Ocean Coast, through the agricultural Salinas Valley, into the
San Francisco Bay Area, along the base of Mount Shasta, up and over Oregon’s Cascade
Mountain Range, across the lush Willamette River Valley to Portland, and finally into
Seattle. The train consists of a baggage car, coach
and business class cars, sleeping cars with three different sleeping compartment options,
a full service dining car, and a lounge car featuring large windows, reclining seats,
and a snack bar. Also on the train is the special Pacific Parlor
Car, unique to the Coast Starlight. This car is open to sleeping car and business
class passengers and includes a full bar and seating area with tables as well as a movie
theater on the lower level. Wine tastings and light meals are also offered
in this car. Two locomotives pull the train, usually Amtrak’s
P42DC “Genesis” locomotives built by General Electric. Electric. Amtrak chose the name Coast Starlight, combining
the names of two trains that were previously operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad
over a portion of the route: The “Coast Daylight” and the “Starlight”. The train is numbered 14 traveling northbound
to Seattle. The southbound is numbered as train 11, a
number borrowed from Southern Pacific’s Cascade train between Portland
and Oakland. The Coast Starlight began service in May of
1971 when Amtrak took over most passenger train operation in the United States. Initially, the train only ran three days a
week between Los Angeles and Seattle with a “Coast Daylight” train running between
Los Angeles and Oakland the other four days. Just two years later, in June of 1973, the
Coast Starlight became a daily train and the Coast Daylight was eliminated from the schedule. The Coast Starlight is one of Amtrak’s most
popular long distance trains, averaging about 450,000 riders a year over the last half
decade. Let’s follow the Coast Starlight on its
full 1,377 mile long journey from Los Angeles to Seattle through some of the most beautiful
landscapes in the western United States. Come along as we experience Amtrak’s Coast
Starlight! We begin our journey at Union Station in downtown
Los Angeles. Built in 1939 for the Southern Pacific, Union
Pacific, and Santa Fe Railroads, this magnificent Art Deco building is as busy as ever with
Amtrak, Metrolink commuter trains, and Los Angeles Metro all utilizing the terminal. Passengers are greeted by a spacious waiting
room followed by ticket counters and machines. The Coast Starlight is scheduled to depart
the station at 10:10 AM. Following an on time departure from Union
Station, the Coast Starlight follows the LA River north toward Burbank. These tracks are owned by Metrolink as far
north as Moorpark. From the Broadway bridge, we see the Los Angeles
city skyline in the background as the train continues to roll along. At Burbank, the train will turn to the west,
continuing on what was once the Southern Pacific Railroad's Coast Line. Passing westbound through the San Fernando
Valley, train 14 is moving along at a decent clip. The train has already made its first two stops
at Burbank Airport and Van Nuys. The next stop is Simi Valley. The Coast Starlight exits a tunnel, shortly
after passing through Chatsworth. We are beginning to climb through the Santa
Suzana Pass as we continue our journey west toward the Pacific Ocean. Racing through Moorpark, the train passes
through some of the last undeveloped farmland in Southern California. The next station stop is Oxnard, about another
20 minutes ahead. From Moorpark to Portland, Oregon, the rail
line is owned by the Union Pacific. At Ventura, passengers get their first views
of the Pacific Ocean. Train 14 crosses a bridge over the Ventura
river and then follows the coast to the northwest. For the next 110 miles, the train will be
traveling right along the Pacific Ocean. The views of the Pacific are spectacular any
time of year. The Coast Starlight rounds the curve on the
north side of Emma Wood State beach as it continues toward Santa Barbara. Just after 12:30 PM, the train pulls into
the seaside resort community of Santa Barbara. This beautiful mission revival station was
built in 1905 and completely refurbished in the late 1990s. Our train pauses here for about 10 minutes
before continuing north. From Santa Barbara, the tracks continue along
the shores of the Pacific. The Coast Starlight passes several state beaches
including El Capitan, Refugio, and Gaviota. At Gaviota, the Starlight passes over one
of the most spectacular trestles on the entire line. Built in 1900, the 811 foot long, 80 foot
high Gaviota Trestle crosses over Gaviota Creek and the state beach. Following Gaviota, the tracks turn to the
north and eventually leave the coast as they pass through Guadalupe, Santa Maria, Grover
Beach, and Pismo Beach. California’s Central Coast is rich with
agriculture. Near Guadalupe, the Coast Starlight is seen
winding through some open farmland. Just before 3:30 in the afternoon, the Coast
Starlight rolls into the little town of San Luis Obispo, the next scheduled stop. The train will make its first crew change
here before continuing north. Looming ahead is California’s Coastal Mountain
range. We leave San Luis Obispo behind as the Starlight
rolls out of town and heads for the Cuesta Grade over the coastal mountains. In days gone by, it was quite common for helper
locomotives stationed at San Luis Obispo to assist passenger trains with the long climb
over Cuesta. Today, however, it is only the occasional
freight train that requires a helper locomotive. Grades through the mountains are as high as
2.2%. This means that for every one hundred feet
a train travels forward, it also travels two and two tenths of a foot upward. To keep this climb to a minimum, the rail
line snakes its way through the mountains, looping back on itself in some places and
passing through several tunnels. Train 14 leaves the mountains behind at Santa
Margarita as it exits the pass and heads for the next station stop at Paso Robles. After leaving Paso Robles, the rail line takes
a relatively straight shot up the Salinas River Valley. Nearing the town of Bradley, the Starlight
crosses the only bridge over the Salinas River. North of King City, train 14 enters a tunnel
about a half hour from the next station stop in Salinas. From here, passengers choosing to visit the
coastal resort town of Monterey can disembark from the train for a short, 35 minute trip
aboard a connecting Amtrak Thruway bus. Amtrak’s wide variety of bus connections
to the Coast Starlight greatly enhance the service, giving travelers a more convenient
way to complete their journeys to destinations not directly served by the train. A full moon illuminates the landscape as the
Starlight heads out of Salinas. With the sun quickly disappearing in the west,
the Coast Starlight heads for the next station stop and crew change point in San Jose. During the summer months, the northbound Coast
Starlight usually makes it all the way to San Jose before sunset. Here, we see the train in early August as
it heads through Gilroy, about 30 minutes south of San Jose. Gilroy is known as the Garlic capital of America. The train continues through the night. Passengers who wish to travel to San Francisco
can either leave the Starlight in San Jose and take the commuter service CalTrain the
rest of the way, or they have the option of boarding a connecting Amtrak bus in Oakland. Travelers coming from San Francisco by bus
meet up with the train in Emeryville. From the San Francisco Bay Area, the train
turns east, making stops in Martinez, Davis, and the California state capital, Sacramento. After another crew change in Sacramento, the
train turns north once again and heads through the Sacramento River Valley stopping at Chico
and Redding. We begin the second day of our Coast Starlight
trip at the base of Mount Shasta, near the town of Weed, California. After leaving Redding, the train begins its
climb into the Klamath Mountains and passes through the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Making another stop in Dunsmuir, for local
passengers as well as leisure travelers wishing to visit Mount Shasta, the train begins to
wind through the Mount Shasta Wilderness area and the southernmost portion of the Cascade
Mountain Range. In the light of dawn, the Coast Starlight
passes over another spectacular bridge, the Dry Creek Trestle. Passengers aboard the train who wake up early
enough are treated to fantastic views of Mount Shasta as the sun rises in the east. Leaving volcanic Mount Shasta behind, the
Starlight races along near Dorris as it approaches the California-Oregon border. Directly to the east is Lava Beds National
Monument. One of the most interesting features of the
monument are the many lava tube caves, several of which are open to self guided tours. With Shasta directly behind the train in the
distance, the Starlight has now crossed into the State of Oregon. The next station stop in Klamath Falls is
just 20 minutes away. Klamath Falls is a small industrial town,
located in the south central portion of the state. Timber is still the largest industry in the
region, and the railroad continues to play a significant role in the transport of lumber
here. After making another crew change in Klamath
Falls, the Coast Starlight will push on as it heads for the Oregon Cascades. We are located on a hillside next to the Upper
Klamath Lake. Mount Shasta can be seen in the distance. The rail line runs right alongside highway
97 here. You don’t have to look too hard to spot
wildlife in this area. The lake brings in a number of Bald Eagles
on the hunt for some fish. The Starlight climbs a slight grade along
the Williamson River in the Winema National Forest. As the train disappears around the next bend,
we catch a glimpse of Mount Scott. Not too far to the west is Crater Lake National
Park. The train makes another stop in Chemult and
then turns to the west as it begins to pass through the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Winding through the Cascade Mountain Range
and the Willamette National Forest, the Coast Starlight begins its descent toward the Willamette
River Valley. Tall evergreen trees are in abundance here. To maintain a low grade of less than two percent,
the railroad zig zags back and forth through the mountains. Several of the mountains in the Cascades are
volcanic and make up a portion of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Looping around one last time, the tracks cross
over highway 58 on the specular Salt Creek Trestle. The town of Oakridge, at the bottom of the
grade, is still about 15 miles away. After passing through Oakridge, the train
enters the small community of Westfir, Oregon and crosses over the Willamette River for
the first time. Old covered bridges, such as this, can still
be found in several places throughout Oregon. We continue our journey out of the mountains
and toward the next stop in Eugene. The Coast Starlight passes by a lumber mill
as it enters the college town of Eugene, located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley. Making a brief station stop in Eugene, the
Starlight continues its northbound journey. Leaving Eugene, the tracks turn to the north,
heading straight up the valley toward Portland. The Willamette Valley is one of the most highly
productive agricultural regions in the United States. All kinds of produce can be found growing
here, but one of the most common agricultural products from the Willamette Valley is lawn
grass. Continuing through the valley, the Starlight
heads for the next station stop at Albany. After Albany, the Coast Starlight makes another
station stop at Oregon’s capital city of Salem. Once the train departs Salem, it resumes its
journey through the lush farmland of the Willamette Valley with Portland just 50 miles away. On a clear day, the volcanic peaks of Mount
Hood, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens can all be seen from this part of the valley. Portland’s Union Station was built in 1896
and serves Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, Empire Builder, and Cascades trains as well as Trimet
buses and light rail. The station is located on the north side of
Portland’s downtown area along the west bank of the Willamette River. This is the last operating crew change point
before Seattle. There is an extended half hour long scheduled
stop for the train in Portland, giving passengers a chance to step off for a few minutes and
stretch their legs. Shortly after 4 PM, the Coast Starlight pulls
out of Portland. In just a few minutes, the train will cross
over the mighty Columbia River and into Washington State. On the other side, the train will make another
stop in Vancouver. The rest of the journey to Seattle will be
over the rails of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. Following another station stop, Amtrak’s
Coast Starlight rolls out of Kelso, Washington and through the neighborhood of Rocky Point. Train 14 disappears into a tunnel, heading
for the next two stops at Centralia and Olympia, Washington’s state capital. North of Olympia, the tracks follow interstate
5 into Tacoma. However, prior to the end of 2017, the Coast
Starlight and all other Amtrak trains traveled on the BNSF rail line along the shores of
Puget Sound and around Point Defiance. While the new line saves time and reduces
delays, it eliminates what was once the most scenic part of the trip through Washington
State. Let’s go back in time and see the Starlight
once more as it travels along Puget Sound. We get a glimpse of the famed Tacoma Narrows
Suspension Bridge as the train disappears in the distance. Downtown Tacoma is just ahead. It is just before 8 in the evening as the
Coast Starlight arrives in Seattle. All passengers will disembark here. Some have completed their journey to the City
of Goodwill while others may choose to continue on other Amtrak trains and connecting services
to destinations such as Chicago, Illinois, Vancouver, Canada or points beyond. Thank you for coming along for this journey
aboard the Coast Starlight. To book your trip on the Coast Starlight or
to find out more, please visit the Amtrak website www.amtrak.com or call 800-872-7245. Until next time, I’m Mike Armstrong. I’ll see you down the line! Thanks for watching.
