Coast Starlight discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

[sublib]

Just rolled into Oakland on #11.
Pretty late already. Over 2 hours late.
Rained all the way down from SEA. Now, they've terminated the train in Oakland citing tracks washed out up ahead. Anyone know where the washout occurred?

Thanks.

 

[GDRRiley]

its somewhere between SLO and Gilroy, trying to get a firm location from some people I know.

 

[Cal]

If anyone wants to see the process of switching 14 into 11, this railcam has it with full radio chatter.

 

[Cal]

Now, they've terminated the train in Oakland citing tracks washed out up ahead

I understand that Oakland is the base in the BAy, and therefore makes it preferable to turn the train. But I feel like they could've gone the single hour further down to San Jose which is a pretty big stop?

 

[GDRRiley]

I understand that Oakland is the base in the BAy, and therefore makes it preferable to turn the train. But I feel like they could've gone the single hour further down to San Jose which is a pretty big stop?

Yes they could have but crew changes are at Oakland and thats where amtraks full yard is. The only thing SJ has going for it is a wye large enough to turn the whole train.

 

[Cal]

Yes they could have but crew changes are at Oakland and thats where amtraks full yard is. The only thing SJ has going for it is a wye large enough to turn the whole train.

By big stop I meant a lot of passengers, now everyone disembarking or boarding got screwed at San Jose. I think it would’ve been feasible to run the train down to San Jose (the engineer crew change is there anyway). Helps a lot of passengers and isn’t insanely hard to do.

 

[joelkfla]

By big stop I meant a lot of passengers, now everyone disembarking or boarding got screwed at San Jose. I think it would’ve been feasible to run the train down to San Jose (the engineer crew change is there anyway). Helps a lot of passengers and isn’t insanely hard to do.

Seems to me that if the train crew gets off in San Jose, they'd have to bring in a new crew just to take the train back to Oakland for servicing. That could get expensive, especially if the contract requires payment for some minimum number of hours per shift (I don't know whether it does, but I've seen it in other union contracts.)

 

[zephyr17]

Seems to me that if the train crew gets off in San Jose, they'd have to bring in a new crew just to take the train back to Oakland for servicing. That could get expensive, especially if the contract requires payment for some minimum number of hours per shift (I don't know whether it does, but I've seen it in other union contracts.)

Agreed and I am pretty sure there are qualified engineers to SAC in Oakland, since many Capitol Corridor trains originate/terminate there. It may even be the same pool as San Jose. If they had to, they could van the SAC-SJC engineer back to SJC if they had to get the engineer back to SJC. Or deadhead him on a Capitol Corridor train.

They stopped in Oakland because they can service and turn the train at the Oakland Coach Yard. They do not have the facilities to do that in San Jose and would likely have to deadhead it back to Oakland for servicing if they took it down to San Jose to terminate. From a logistical standpoint it makes the most sense to turn it at Oakland.

There are 3 more Capitol Corridor trains that southbound Starlight passengers could continue to SJC on.

 

[caravanman]

A few years ago, the Coast Starlight was due to travel on a slightly different route, but there was a derailment with fatalities on it's first public journey...

Has it continued to use the new route, or reverted to it's original route?

(Maybe it was a Cascades train...? )

 

[trainman74]

A few years ago, the Coast Starlight was due to travel on a slightly different route, but there was a derailment with fatalities on it's first public journey...

Has it continued to use the new route, or reverted to it's original route?

(Maybe it was a Cascades train...? )

You're thinking of the Point Defiance Bypass in the Tacoma, Washington, area. That derailment was in 2017, and trains switched back to the old route, but then they started using the new route for good in 2021. (Correct, the derailment was a Cascades train, but the Coast Starlight uses that trackage as well.)

 

[Maglev]

You're thinking of the Point Defiance Bypass in the Tacoma, Washington, area. That derailment was in 2017, and trains switched back to the old route, but then they started using the new route for good in 2021. (Correct, the derailment was a Cascades train, but the Coast Starlight uses that trackage as well.)

A nice meal in the dining car as the northbound Coast Starlight skirts Puget Sound at sunset was one of the seaside treats of that route.

A couple views out the window from southbound trains in 2019 and 2006:

 

[GDRRiley]

Got the location of the washout confirmed, south of Watsonville.

 

[railiner]

A few years ago, the Coast Starlight was due to travel on a slightly different route, but there was a derailment with fatalities on it's first public journey...

Has it continued to use the new route, or reverted to it's original route?

(Maybe it was a Cascades train...? )

You're thinking of the Point Defiance Bypass in the Tacoma, Washington, area. That derailment was in 2017, and trains switched back to the old route, but then they started using the new route for good in 2021. (Correct, the derailment was a Cascades train, but the Coast Starlight uses that trackage as well.)

Besides that one, the Coast Starlight was rerouted in 1982 from serving Orland, to serving Sacramento, Chico, and Marysville. In 1999, it rerouted on a shorter ex WP route, bypassing Marysville.

 

[Cal]

Got the location of the washout confirmed, south of Watsonville.

Isn't that a place prone to washouts?