Eric & Pat’s May 2024 Trip Report: San Diego - Toledo - San Diego

[Traveller]

Yes it is

 

[Eric in East County]

Here's the Pacific Surfliner timetable as of 3-25-24 and some of the southbound PSL trains do originate in Oakland.

https://www.pacificsurfliner.com/gl...ific-surfliner-timetable_3-25-24_padres_a.pdf

We were surprised too, since we never knew that it went that far north.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Just to clarify, those are connecting buses originating in Oakland. For the trip you mentioned, the bus leaves there at 10pm and gets to Santa Barbara at 6:30am. Train 770 starts that morning in Goleta, just 1 stop west, and at Santa Barbara picks up the passengers connecting from the bus. Two other trips per day have this set-up

Additionally there are 2 Surfliner trains a day that originate/terminate in San Luis Obispo, one of which has a bus connection north to Oakland. Finally, there's the Coast Starlight, once a day, the only train that runs between SLO and the Bay Area.

 

[Steve4031]

Exactly two weeks from now I will be finishing breakfast at the Oakland Marriott Downtown before heading to EMY to take the California Zephyr back to Chicago. Once again, your trip report was outstanding.

I am thinking about going home and packing for my trip. LOL.

 

[Traveller]

Add to the above, at least one PSL per day also has a bus connection from SLO directly into SFC Mission St. When in or travelling to or from SF or LA we have used this combination a few times in both directions, the bus ride has lots to see with both scenery and some of the tech companys campuses.
Will use it again in a few months time.

 

[Eric in East County]

Exactly two weeks from now I will be finishing breakfast at the Oakland Marriott Downtown before heading to EMY to take the California Zephyr back to Chicago.
I am thinking about going home and packing for my trip. LOL.

We're already starting to revise our packing lists in preparation for our trip next September

E & P

 

[Eric in East County]

Considering the stabilization efforts, don't you think the bulldozers were doing more than just moving sand around?

Apparently there is some sort of project going on to save the eroding beaches in the San Clemente area:
https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily...ory/2024-02-28/san-clemente-beach-nourishment

 

[railiner]

Just to clarify, those are connecting buses originating in Oakland. For the trip you mentioned, the bus leaves there at 10pm and gets to Santa Barbara at 6:30am. Train 770 starts that morning in Goleta, just 1 stop west, and at Santa Barbara picks up the passengers connecting from the bus. Two other trips per day have this set-up

Additionally there are 2 Surfliner trains a day that originate/terminate in San Luis Obispo, one of which has a bus connection north to Oakland. Finally, there's the Coast Starlight, once a day, the only train that runs between SLO and the Bay Area.

When you think about it, it seems strange that they would terminate 2 trains coming from Los Angeles at San Luis Obispo…it would seem like a good idea to extend at least one, if not both to either San Francisco or Oakland…

 

[zephyr17]

Here's the Pacific Surfliner timetable as of 3-25-24 and some of the southbound PSL trains do originate in Oakland.

https://www.pacificsurfliner.com/gl...ific-surfliner-timetable_3-25-24_padres_a.pdf

We were surprised too, since we never knew that it went that far north.

No Surfliner trains originate at Oakland.

770 originates at Goleta.

You are looking at connecting bus 4770 in the same column that originates in Oakland and connects with train 770 in Santa Barbara.

 

[Palmland]

You trip reports are worthy of a Passenger Trains Journal article. I particularly like your including historical information with your trip report.

We’re now scheduling at least two long-distance train trips a year so that we can get in as many trips as we possibly can while we can still travel.

Keep on traveling!

 

[Eric in East County]

No Surfliner trains originate at Oakland.

770 originates at Goleta.

You are looking at connecting bus 4770 in the same column that originates in Oakland and connects with train 770 in Santa Barbara.

Now we understand. (It seemed like quite a stretch for the Pacific Surfliner to have originated in Oakland. We have revised our trip report accordingly.) If the bus arrives late, would the PSL be held up until it arrives?

 

[Traveller]

You trip reports are worthy of a Passenger Trains Journal article. I particularly like your including historical information with your trip report.



Keep on traveling!

Agree with all of this, very much enjoy your reports

 

[Eric in East County]

You trip reports are worthy of a Passenger Trains Journal article. I particularly like your including historical information with your trip report.



Keep on traveling!

Thank you for your kind comments. Again, we enjoy reading the trip reports submitted by others and this is our way of being able to contribute something in return. As rail history buffs, we enjoy reading about the histories of the famous passenger trains whose former routes we are traveling over, and the train stations we arrive and depart from. Our trip reports provide an opportunity for us to work in bits of historical information that we’ve found to be particularly interesting. (Judging from some of the comments we’ve received, others have found this historical information to be of interest, too.)

Again, thank you for your positive response to our report. (If it helps to inspire someone to choose Amtrak for their next long distance trip, then the effort will have been worth it.)

Eric & Pat

 

[zephyr17]

Now we understand. (It seemed like quite a stretch for the Pacific Surfliner to originate in Oakland.) If the bus arrives late, would the PSL be held up until it arrives?

Probably, it's a dedicated connection. I can't imagine an overnight bus down 101 getting very much delayed though.

 

[Traveller]

If the bus arrives late, would the PSL be held up until it arrives?

Not quite the answer you are looking for but on the LA to SFC route the bus has left SLO 10-15 minutes after the train arrives from LA, not sure if the trains we used were ontime, early or late.
From SFC to SLO the bus has so far always arrived before the due arrival time, sometimes by about 45 mins. There are a couple of good cafes close by if very early.

Personal view. If I were to get marooned in SLO for a night it would be a pleasure to spend time there, a very agreeable town.

 

[trimetbusfan]

Just now stumbled upon this. I enjoyed reading through your trip report! I'd like to get back on the SWC again someday (hopefully within the next year or two).

Also, I wanted to comment on one of the details you highlighted in your trip report

Stage 2: Los Angeles to Chicago (Day 1: May 8th)

When I went to take a shower, I discovered that the bathroom had not been fitted with the plastic shower curtain that snaps in place. While sitting on the commode showering, I had to be careful not to direct the water at the door as it could possibly leak through. I had to also be careful not to cover the floor drain with my foot as that will cause flooding.)

While you did not mention it explicitly, your sleeper on train 4 was a Superliner I (car 32048). From my times in Amtrak bedrooms (at least in recent years), I don't recall ever having a shower curtain in a Superliner I car.

Stage 2: Chicago to Los Angeles (Day 1: May 21st)

When I went to take a shower, I noted that our shower-toilet was fitted with the plastic shower curtain that prevents the water from leaking through the door and onto the carpeting.

However, when you did the return trip on train 3, your sleeper was a Superliner II (32078). I have almost always had a shower curtain in Superliner IIs. Therefore, I believe the addition of the shower curtain might be one of the subtle differences between the I and the II. (Also, forgive me if this is something you know already!)

 

[Eric in East County]

Just now stumbled upon this. I enjoyed reading through your trip report! I'd like to get back on the SWC again someday (hopefully within the next year or two).

Also, I wanted to comment on one of the details you highlighted in your trip report

While you did not mention it explicitly, your sleeper on train 4 was a Superliner I (car 32048). From my times in Amtrak bedrooms (at least in recent years), I don't recall ever having a shower curtain in a Superliner I car.


However, when you did the return trip on train 3, your sleeper was a Superliner II (32078). I have almost always had a shower curtain in Superliner IIs. Therefore, I believe the addition of the shower curtain might be one of the subtle differences between the I and the II. (Also, forgive me if this is something you know already!)

In the past, we've never really paid much attention as to whether we were in a Superliner I or a Superliner II. The missing shower curtain should have tipped us off that we were in the older Superliner I. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.