From: jbvb@vax.ftp.com  (James B. VanBokkelen)
Subject: Notes from recent transcontinental vacation
Nntp-Software: PC/TCP NNTP
Keywords: trip report AMTRAK VIA
Reply-To: jbvb@ftp.com
Organization: FTP Software, Inc., Wakefield, MA
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 16:23:27

As of 9/4, the only North Philadelphia surface line still using
streetcars was Girard Ave.  The PCCs looked good, and seemed to be
running well.  People said that 9/6 was indeed the last day.

In Pittsburgh, the branch of the trolley that goes to the old Pennsylvania
RR station doesn't run weekends.  The rest of the line does, but the people
I talked to didn't know that...

In Chicago, BN E9s were still running to Aurora on 9/6 (Sunday, even)!!

Budget (at least) will pick you up from Denver Union Station.  There are
few (if any) gas stations in downtown Denver.

There were a number of BN SDP-35s (or SDP-40s, I'm not sure) around
Denver on 9/7.  Based there?

Railfanning the "joint line" between Castle Rock & Colorado Springs is
easy from I-25.  Taking the side road to Palmer Lake is worthwhile.

The Georgetown Loop tourist operation is neat, but the steam power (all
3-truck shays) was under repair and they were using a 44-tonner-like
diesel originally built for the Navy's 3-foot RR at Pearl Harbour.  After
Labour Day they run a reduced schedule into October.

On the D&RGW line west of the Moffat tunnel, near Azure siding there is a
long stretch where the line is high on the North side of a steep canyon,
with no parallel road.  On the South side is what looks like a pack-mule
trail, with some places where it was blasted into the face of the cliff.
Anyone know more about this?  Looks like a neat "railfan hike"...

The Cal State RR Museum is *really* close to Amtrak's Sacramento station.
A late CZ prevented us from seeing anything, though.

The interchange between the CalTrain Peninsula commuters and the Santa
Clara County LRT at Tasman (just south of San Jose) is operational.

Ask the Amtrak agent how long it will take before attempting certain
things.  At Transbay in San Francisco, it took us an hour (by the clock)
to upgrade from an economy bedroom to deluxe, because the agent had to
void out our entire ticket (bought from a travel agent) and reissue it.
Next to us, it took 45 minutes for someone to get a replacement for a
lost ticket (difficulty more justified).  Next time, we'll upgrade on the
train...

The NB Starlight was late but the bus still left Transbay at the normal
time, so we had dinner and took BART to Richmond.  Cost less than the
bus, and no hassle over our being ticketed from Oakland.  I suppose if
the crew had been really on the ball they might have re-sold our space,
but it appears you aren't a no-show until Sacramento or so.

You can see a lot of the RoW of the old CMStP&P Olympic Peninsula
line while driving from the Hood Canal bridge to Port Angeles.

VIA's Vancouver station is near a station on the linear induction rapid
transit line (but I didn't have time to ride it).

The existence of the non-VIA service from Vancouver over the Rockies on
CP Rail means that it is *very* hard to get sleeper space from Vancouver to
Jasper on VIA.  I wish VIA would smarten up and make that segment daily.

CN power in Western Canada is fairly dull - 6-axle EMDs, but gets more
varied as you come east.  I saw (but couldn't photograph) GMD-1s (A1A-A1A
and B-B) around Winnipeg, and several odd switchers at Oakville (near
Toronto).  No MLWs.

You could probably get off the Maple Leaf before the border crossing at
Niagara Falls, see quite a bit, walk or cab across, and re-board.  They
allow 90 minutes for 2 miles due to US Customs.

Amtrak was generally on time east of Chicago, and late west of Chicago.
Amtrak diner staff continues to be uneven, serving good breakfasts, and
reasonable lunches and dinners.  Superliner deluxe bedrooms have a lot
more space than economy bedrooms.  They have crosswise beds, the lower is
marginally big enough for two, but the sink is very cramped.  The shower
is small but useable.

VIA's Canadian lost some time east of Winnipeg, but there was enough
padding so we arrived Toronto a little early.  The food offered coach
passengers in the dome lounges was way above Amtrak's lounge food (i.e.
actually cooked from ingredients on the train), and the diner (open only
to sleeper passengers unless they aren't crowded) was much better.  The
bedrooms in the ex-CP sleepers use a different plan than Amtrak's, so all
beds are crosswise, and there is a good deal more floor space.  The
sections were reasonably well patronized, too.  The one shower per
sleeper is enough bigger than a Superliner's that I prefer it over having
one in the bedroom.

All in all, a lot of fun, with only two bad points (the upgrading hassle,
and not being able to find out that the westbound CZ was two hours late
into Denver *before* we ditched the rentaheap).

James B. VanBokkelen		2 High St., North Andover, MA  01845
FTP Software Inc.		voice: (508) 685-4000  fax: (508) 794-4488