Maglev
Conductor
There were several options considered when I started planning a fall trip, but all depended on when my job finished for the season as well as the price and availability of rooms on Amtrak and at hotels. I thought of attending the Gathering and traveling Business Class on the Coast Starlight, but I was not sure about committing to sitting up in a seat for that long (there would be several nights of hotels involved too, and the hotel in San Diego where I wanted to stay was sold-out). Another option was flying to Chicago and traveling to Emeryville on the California Zephyr, and then either flying or getting the train back to Seattle. Or I could just take a Cascade to Portland and visit my sister.
Then, in mid-September, the shellfish farm where I work experienced a shutdown due to toxic bacteria in the water. Rooms were either sky-high or sold-out on many trains, but I quickly planned a round-trip from Seattle to Shelby and back, returning the day I arrived (seven hours between trains seemed safe), with coach on the way out and Room H for $700 coming back. A few days before the trip, the ferry system I use to get to Seattle experienced a crew-shortage meltdown, and I decided to travel to Seattle a day before my trip for safety, and planned to visit the Museum of Flight.
I had previously visited the Museum of Flight, but the Concorde was closed and that was one of the main things I wanted to see. Also, I did not bring my bulky camera on my previous visit, but this time was using a new iPhone camera. There are some photos posted below. I noticed a little trouble with focus, especially in telephoto mode.
I was trying to travel light on this trip, using a 41 liter pack. It weighed 21 pounds. Most of the space was taken up with a pillow and blanket, which made the night in coach much more comfortable. Part of the reasoning for this trip was to see if I could bear a two-night journey in coach to visit my brother in Minnesota, since sleeper rooms are always sky-high these days.
The train from Seattle to Shelby was listed at 80% full, but the sleeper was sold out. When I boarded, the attendant told me to choose any seat in the first half of the car (the second half was for couples and groups), and to keep the seat next to me clear because it would be occupied later. It turned out that I had someone sitting next to me only from Everett to Leavenworth, and most other ongoing single riders had two seats after Wenatchee. I drank a bunch of coffee and didn’t sleep at all, but was fairly comfortable. We had a re-upholstered Superliner I coach, and the bathrooms were worn and grimy in the corners but tolerable. The train was more or less on-time, although there seemed to be speed restrictions over Stevens Pass due to the Bolt Creek fire. I actually saw some flames quite close to the tracks, and there was lots of smoke.
Shelby was forecast 86˚ F and sunny the afternoon I was there, so I packed shorts and a short-sleeve shirt. The station agent was very helpful, and held my pack for me while I went to lunch. She found transportation for a European tourist, who thought he could get a taxi to Canada (there are no taxis in Shelby).
The train back was a little early getting to Shelby. My attendant had made a dinner reservation for me, and I had the chicken seated with a retired Amtrak conductor and his wife. I was surprised that in all their travels, they had never been in a Bedroom (only Roomettes). Room H was fine for me, but it is a little awkward in having no storage space. The step to the upper berth is narrow (because the hallway outside is wider) so there’s no putting a suitcase on the step, and there is no closet (the coat hangers were put on a hand rail). There is a 5-inch-wide shelf on top of the heater which extends the width of the room, but there is a warning label that it gets hot. Also, I did not see a ladder—that narrow step would be hard to navigate. The sheets and blanket felt horribly synthetic (with a great light-show of static electricity), and I threw them off and slept under my cotton, down-filled blanket. One other thing about room H: when the power goes out (as at Spokane on the Builder), a very bright light in the center of the room comes on. I forget what comes on in the Roomettes, and in the Bedrooms it’s the bathroom light, but nothing as obnoxious as room H.
I deduced that I would be able to endure two nights in coach if I had two seats to myself. Also, access to the dining car would probably be necessary. I got a nice sandwich at 13 Coins outside the Seattle station for my first-night’s dinner, but the Cafe fare is pretty sad for a couple days. All in all, it was a good trip!
Inside Concorde
A little blurry
Inside 707 Air Force One
Whitefish, Montana
New platform at Shelby
Downtown Shelby
Smoke from Bolt Creek Fire
Closure of US Rt 2 due to Bolt Creek Fire
Then, in mid-September, the shellfish farm where I work experienced a shutdown due to toxic bacteria in the water. Rooms were either sky-high or sold-out on many trains, but I quickly planned a round-trip from Seattle to Shelby and back, returning the day I arrived (seven hours between trains seemed safe), with coach on the way out and Room H for $700 coming back. A few days before the trip, the ferry system I use to get to Seattle experienced a crew-shortage meltdown, and I decided to travel to Seattle a day before my trip for safety, and planned to visit the Museum of Flight.
I had previously visited the Museum of Flight, but the Concorde was closed and that was one of the main things I wanted to see. Also, I did not bring my bulky camera on my previous visit, but this time was using a new iPhone camera. There are some photos posted below. I noticed a little trouble with focus, especially in telephoto mode.
I was trying to travel light on this trip, using a 41 liter pack. It weighed 21 pounds. Most of the space was taken up with a pillow and blanket, which made the night in coach much more comfortable. Part of the reasoning for this trip was to see if I could bear a two-night journey in coach to visit my brother in Minnesota, since sleeper rooms are always sky-high these days.
The train from Seattle to Shelby was listed at 80% full, but the sleeper was sold out. When I boarded, the attendant told me to choose any seat in the first half of the car (the second half was for couples and groups), and to keep the seat next to me clear because it would be occupied later. It turned out that I had someone sitting next to me only from Everett to Leavenworth, and most other ongoing single riders had two seats after Wenatchee. I drank a bunch of coffee and didn’t sleep at all, but was fairly comfortable. We had a re-upholstered Superliner I coach, and the bathrooms were worn and grimy in the corners but tolerable. The train was more or less on-time, although there seemed to be speed restrictions over Stevens Pass due to the Bolt Creek fire. I actually saw some flames quite close to the tracks, and there was lots of smoke.
Shelby was forecast 86˚ F and sunny the afternoon I was there, so I packed shorts and a short-sleeve shirt. The station agent was very helpful, and held my pack for me while I went to lunch. She found transportation for a European tourist, who thought he could get a taxi to Canada (there are no taxis in Shelby).
The train back was a little early getting to Shelby. My attendant had made a dinner reservation for me, and I had the chicken seated with a retired Amtrak conductor and his wife. I was surprised that in all their travels, they had never been in a Bedroom (only Roomettes). Room H was fine for me, but it is a little awkward in having no storage space. The step to the upper berth is narrow (because the hallway outside is wider) so there’s no putting a suitcase on the step, and there is no closet (the coat hangers were put on a hand rail). There is a 5-inch-wide shelf on top of the heater which extends the width of the room, but there is a warning label that it gets hot. Also, I did not see a ladder—that narrow step would be hard to navigate. The sheets and blanket felt horribly synthetic (with a great light-show of static electricity), and I threw them off and slept under my cotton, down-filled blanket. One other thing about room H: when the power goes out (as at Spokane on the Builder), a very bright light in the center of the room comes on. I forget what comes on in the Roomettes, and in the Bedrooms it’s the bathroom light, but nothing as obnoxious as room H.
I deduced that I would be able to endure two nights in coach if I had two seats to myself. Also, access to the dining car would probably be necessary. I got a nice sandwich at 13 Coins outside the Seattle station for my first-night’s dinner, but the Cafe fare is pretty sad for a couple days. All in all, it was a good trip!
Inside Concorde
A little blurry
Inside 707 Air Force One
Whitefish, Montana
New platform at Shelby
Downtown Shelby
Smoke from Bolt Creek Fire
Closure of US Rt 2 due to Bolt Creek Fire
