YVR Cockroach
Nov 30, 04, 1:07 pm
I need to get down to PDX for my CO BF turkey fare to CDG. Was going to do VAC (Amtrak's code for Vancouver, Canada) to PDX (Amtrak's code for Portland Union station) but that would imvolve bus from VAC to SEA (Seattle King Street station - though there appeared to be ample time to transfer onto the Cascades train departing from Bellingham). So anyway, got a ride to SEA and here's my Amtrak Cascades trip report.
22 Nov.
Arrived at King Street (this station is a bit out of the way, and slightly south of downtown Seattle) at 1300 for a 1345 departure. The station's being renovated so there's the atmosphere of a construction site inside. Got to the station to pick up my ticket (purchased through Amtrak.com for some USD24 with an AAA discount - WA DoT subsidises the hell out of this service). 4 positions open but staff seem to be chatting and slow to serve. Having read previous reports, I opted for an upgrade to business class that costed $12. What this gets you is a wider seat with more room, priority boarding, pre-assigned seat, and a $3 coupon good for use in the buffet car.
Boarding starts 1/2 hour prior to departure. BC pax get to board first while the long line for the regular seats have to wait to get their seat assignments before boarding. BC today on the Talgo train is at the rear/north end (handy for SEA but not for PDX as it turned out) and takes the last two "carriages".
Talgo trains are a novel design. The cars are not traditional cars with a double bogey at each end. Apparently designed to ride lower, take freight tracks at higher speed and ride more smoothly, the cars are very short and share a single axle with its the car next to it. It's more like a long continuous snake rather than a series of rail carriages/wagons. This makes it easy to get on and off with track level platforms but you do sit very low which is a bit disconcerting when passing freight trains and conventional pax ones. Ride was fairly comfortable but there's still some occasional violent swaying.
I was assigned a seat at the end of car 2. Not too bad as the seats slide forward as you recline so no recline was lost (not that there was much). Seating was 2-1 though the end seats are solo ones. Seat tables pull up frmt he seat in front of you and then flip down. There's a video entertainment channel but it seems to be information on points along the way (bring your own headphones).
The toilets, due to ADA requirements, are huge. Automatic sliding doors, flush toilets (for us used to dump on tracks type).
Our train's departure was delayed by 6-7 minutes as there was track repair just outside the station and a freight train (internodal/modal which takes a lot of truck traffic off the highways) was heading into SEA and impeding out departure. At 1352, we rolled forward and under the roof for one of the stadiums paid for by taxes imposed car renters ex-SEA (the airport). :mad:
The train takes you by Boeing Field and then into the suburbs. Just one stop near the airport (Tukwila?) before the few stops in Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia, Longview and Vancouver, WA (may have missed out one or two). We were up to 10 minutes delayed but started to make up time.
West side seems to be the side of choice as you get the sea view. Passing under the Tacoma narrows bridge, I see that a new twin span is being built. Weather is too poor to see Mt. St. Helens after passing Centralia.
Eventually went to the buffet car to see what looked good. Assorted drinks and sandwiches which were reasonably priced. I used mine for a cup of coffee and can of pop which used up the whole $3. The buffet car has some tables to seat 2 to 4 pax facing each other. Also some seats in the service area.
Leaving Vancouver and crossing the Columbia, we quickly ground to a halt. Seems its mostly single track here and we had to let one pax train and also the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles pass.
Eventually crawl into PDX some 10 minutes late and then having to walk the length of the train to cross over the tracks and into the station. I think public busses are free to get into the downtown core from here. A light rail system connecting some university and Union station is supposed to be in some stage of planning/implementation.
Note to AS MP FFs, you earn 150 AS miles for sub 200 mile rides. Fill in the card and give it to the conductor.
22 Nov.
Arrived at King Street (this station is a bit out of the way, and slightly south of downtown Seattle) at 1300 for a 1345 departure. The station's being renovated so there's the atmosphere of a construction site inside. Got to the station to pick up my ticket (purchased through Amtrak.com for some USD24 with an AAA discount - WA DoT subsidises the hell out of this service). 4 positions open but staff seem to be chatting and slow to serve. Having read previous reports, I opted for an upgrade to business class that costed $12. What this gets you is a wider seat with more room, priority boarding, pre-assigned seat, and a $3 coupon good for use in the buffet car.
Boarding starts 1/2 hour prior to departure. BC pax get to board first while the long line for the regular seats have to wait to get their seat assignments before boarding. BC today on the Talgo train is at the rear/north end (handy for SEA but not for PDX as it turned out) and takes the last two "carriages".
Talgo trains are a novel design. The cars are not traditional cars with a double bogey at each end. Apparently designed to ride lower, take freight tracks at higher speed and ride more smoothly, the cars are very short and share a single axle with its the car next to it. It's more like a long continuous snake rather than a series of rail carriages/wagons. This makes it easy to get on and off with track level platforms but you do sit very low which is a bit disconcerting when passing freight trains and conventional pax ones. Ride was fairly comfortable but there's still some occasional violent swaying.
I was assigned a seat at the end of car 2. Not too bad as the seats slide forward as you recline so no recline was lost (not that there was much). Seating was 2-1 though the end seats are solo ones. Seat tables pull up frmt he seat in front of you and then flip down. There's a video entertainment channel but it seems to be information on points along the way (bring your own headphones).
The toilets, due to ADA requirements, are huge. Automatic sliding doors, flush toilets (for us used to dump on tracks type).
Our train's departure was delayed by 6-7 minutes as there was track repair just outside the station and a freight train (internodal/modal which takes a lot of truck traffic off the highways) was heading into SEA and impeding out departure. At 1352, we rolled forward and under the roof for one of the stadiums paid for by taxes imposed car renters ex-SEA (the airport). :mad:
The train takes you by Boeing Field and then into the suburbs. Just one stop near the airport (Tukwila?) before the few stops in Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia, Longview and Vancouver, WA (may have missed out one or two). We were up to 10 minutes delayed but started to make up time.
West side seems to be the side of choice as you get the sea view. Passing under the Tacoma narrows bridge, I see that a new twin span is being built. Weather is too poor to see Mt. St. Helens after passing Centralia.
Eventually went to the buffet car to see what looked good. Assorted drinks and sandwiches which were reasonably priced. I used mine for a cup of coffee and can of pop which used up the whole $3. The buffet car has some tables to seat 2 to 4 pax facing each other. Also some seats in the service area.
Leaving Vancouver and crossing the Columbia, we quickly ground to a halt. Seems its mostly single track here and we had to let one pax train and also the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles pass.
Eventually crawl into PDX some 10 minutes late and then having to walk the length of the train to cross over the tracks and into the station. I think public busses are free to get into the downtown core from here. A light rail system connecting some university and Union station is supposed to be in some stage of planning/implementation.
Note to AS MP FFs, you earn 150 AS miles for sub 200 mile rides. Fill in the card and give it to the conductor.