Slice of life - Train time.

[pinto]

As many of you know I live mid-way between LA and SF. The Union Pacific rail line runs through the town. It's one of AMTRAK's busiest routes. LA -> Seattle. Seattle -> LA.

When both Coast Starlights are relatively on time, they meet at the station here. Head to head on adjoining tracks. The southbound on the outer track, northbound on the inner track next to the station.

Long trains in passenger rail terms. 10 - 12 cars besides the engineer's locomotive.

I walk up to the station sometimes, especially when I hear the engineers' horns echoing from both ends of town. One is coming down the grade from the north. The other is coming into town, from the south, through a valley that runs in from the coast.

It's really fun to watch. The southbound usually gets first call on all the stuff that has to happen. Passengers on and off, water refill, baggage handling, some crew changes, etc. Then the northbound pulls up to the station. Same routine.

Both engineers give a horn and a wave to each other as they switch places.

Our "Railroad District" has had a real renaissance. The city, the state, the feds and AMTRAK have all collaborated on it all. And the "Establishment" apartment house remains as is. Jack Kerouac was a resident at one time, did some writing there. He was a rail fan.

[gopiscrap]

1. that's cool

being from Europe, I love the trains

[riqster]

2. I love Amtrak.

Glad the rails are doing well where you are!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Nice piece of writing, my dear pinto!

You make it come to life.

Thanks!



I love the trains too...it was how my family and I came west from Chicago when I was a child...

[pinto]

4. Thanks. Chicago and rail lines are almost synonymous.

Even now most cross country trains, AMTRAK as well as freight, go through Chicago. I've done the West Coast / Boston ride a number of times. After the long single rail run through the midwest you start to see multiple tracks. By the time you get to Chicago it's ~ 12 or 15 heading into the city.

AMTRAK changes train cars there. The double decker cars they run in the west can't fit in the the older eastern tunnels.

[monmouth3]

5. I remember as a small child in the crib, crying when the train whistle would blow at night and wake

me up. This was war time (early '40s) and these trains would be coming down to Atlantic City from Philadelphia. I knew there was a war going on because I would listen to the radio with the family and Roosevelt was as revered a name as Jesus Christ in this Irish Catholic family. Anyway, my father told me that those trains were carrying soldiers, food and other equipment for the war and all was safe. Of course none of that was true but it did make me feel good. From then on I absolutely loved the trains. I would commute from the Jersey Shore into Manhattan for a long time and did not regret one minute of it.

[TeamPooka]

6. Gotta take some video of those trains. That would be great.

[pinto]

7. Can't do video, but I'll walk up and take some still shots.

Agree, it would be a neat snapshot. The station staff knows me as do some of the train staff, so I might be able to pull off a series of pics that work.

[Piedras]

8. Hi neighbor

Pinto, I can picture everything you describe. Back in my college days we liked to go to a tiny cafe, now long gone, across the street from the train station for burgers and hot fudge sundaes. Last spring my niece took the train from San Diego to SLO and back. It was fun to meet her at the station. I probably should have gone to train days recently to see the new museum.

[pinto]

9. Remember Scrubby and LLoyd's ?

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[Piedras]

10. Sure do

Scrubby and Lloyd's was kind of a good cheap greasy hamburger place. I think they ground their own hamburger. It was not unusual to have a line in front there was so little seating inside. Usually ordered burgers to-go. The tradition still lives on, a little, at Frank's Hot Dogs...another local favorite.

SLO has many good non chain places to grab a meal. Stood in line at Firestone recently and ate my Pig sandwich and
fries outside in the, sunny in November, patio. One reason I like the town. Though a slice of Costco pizza is a nice treat too.

I've got See Canyon apples from Gopher Glen in the fridge and had a really good tri-tip sandwich at the Avila Beach Grocery a few sunny beach front weekends ago.

Need to pick up some things from Miner's Hardware. Their big lumber barn was originally part of the old train yard workshop. Or maybe part of the SP mill yard. To bring my thoughts back to trains and train yards.