Passenger Trains > Santa Barbara Sub

Any one have info on work windows on the Santa Barbara Sub this week? I hear #774 and 799 cancelled. 774's train set running later in the day as 798? Anyone have better info?

I know a steel gang is working around Gaviota, but no confirmation on Amtrak schedules.

Josiah
MP 363

Text of Amtrak announcement re: UP trackwork on Surfliner route:

> The UPRR is performing track work between MP 297 & MP 305 on the Santa
> Barbara Subdivision, beginning 62 miles north of Santa Barbara CA. This
> work will be performed from April 1, 2007 through and including April 7,
> 2007, and again April 16, 2007 through and including April 20, 2007. As a
> result, Train 799 will terminate at Goleta (GTA) on each of the days
> listed above. Passengers for Lompoc-Surf; (LPS), Guadalupe (GUA), Grover
> Beach (GVB), and San Luis Obispo (SLO) will transfer to a bus at Santa
> Barbara (SBA). Due to the highway configuration, the bus will not stop at
> the Lompoc rail station (LPS) but will stop at the Lompoc Bus station
> (LOM) instead. Bus 3799 will show in Arrow availability for the connection
> at SBA. The equipment from Train 799 will hold at GTA and deadhead north
> behind Train 14 to SLO where it will make its regular turn to Train 798.
> No adjustments will be made to either Trains 14 or 798.


First-day track gang follies: It didn't work out that way.

Track gang worked beyond scheduled work window on their first day, 01APR2007. Equipment from Train 799(01), planned to deadhead to San Luis Obispo for Train 798(01), was held at Gaviota along with Coast Starlight, Train 14(01). Gang finally released their track & time three hours late at 4pm. Trains 799 and 14 proceeded. The delay caused initial terminal delay to Train 798, waiting for equipment; it departed San Luis Obispo 1 hr 45 min late. Passengers out of San Luis Obispo were handled on Coast Starlight, Train 11(31) if they were destined to stops made by that train. Passengers destined south of Los Angeles were taken to LAX by bus.

In addition, Train 775(01) was delayed by congestion, it held 2 1/2 hours at Sudden, to meet Trains 11 and 798.

Ok, so what's going on? Is UP replacing all the jointed rail between Conception and Goleta? Thought that was to be done next year...


AM

And did this all just spring up out of thin air yesterday, or was this planned way in advance?

sfericsf Wrote:
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> And did this all just spring up out of thin air
> yesterday, or was this planned way in advance?


Well, I think Amtrak knew it was happening, but as it was originally scheduled things didn't work out (IE: run things like normal and hope everything is on time... 799 kept holding for two hours at Gaviota). Sunday an MGC (Posted above in GP's post) was issued and busses were loaded into the reservation system, and still the trains were delayed two hours.

bradleymckay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ok, so what's going on? Is UP replacing all the
> jointed rail between Conception and Goleta?
> Thought that was to be done next year...
>
>
> AM

Took the Pony Express to SLO and back on March 24th. Most of the jointed rail has been replaced. There were only one or two short stretches that I noticed. Guadalupe was a great, quiet, ride.

px320 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bradleymckay Wrote:

> Took the Pony Express to SLO and back on March
> 24th. Most of the jointed rail has been replaced.
> There were only one or two short stretches that I
> noticed. Guadalupe was a great, quiet, ride.

The stick rail ride at Guadalupe was one of my favorite
rides. There's nothing like the sound of running on stick rail..
whether you're on the train, or video-ing along side.
Try riding the CSSB from Michigan City to South bend
sometime.....several years back (last time I rode) it was 80mph running on stick rail...
a great ride...

Ribbon rail is SO boring

beth

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>The stick rail ride at Guadalupe was one of my
> favorite
> rides. There's nothing like the sound of running
> on stick rail..
> whether you're on the train, or video-ing along
> side.
> Try riding the CSSB from Michigan City to South
> bend
> sometime.....several years back (last time I rode)
> it was 80mph running on stick rail...
> a great ride...
>
> Ribbon rail is SO boring
>
> beth


You know, I kinda hafta agree.

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> px320 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > bradleymckay Wrote:
>
> > Took the Pony Express to SLO and back on March
> > 24th. Most of the jointed rail has been
> replaced.
> > There were only one or two short stretches that
> I
> > noticed. Guadalupe was a great, quiet, ride.
>
> The stick rail ride at Guadalupe was one of my
> favorite
> rides. There's nothing like the sound of running
> on stick rail..
> whether you're on the train, or video-ing along
> side.
> Try riding the CSSB from Michigan City to South
> bend
> sometime.....several years back (last time I rode)
> it was 80mph running on stick rail...
> a great ride...
>
> Ribbon rail is SO boring
>
> beth

Jointed rail in well aintained condition is fine. The stuff up the coast was not well aintained and it ade for a terrible ride.

px320 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> pdt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > px320 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > bradleymckay Wrote:
> >
> > > Took the Pony Express to SLO and back on
> March
> > > 24th. Most of the jointed rail has been
> > replaced.
> > > There were only one or two short stretches
> that
> > I
> > > noticed. Guadalupe was a great, quiet, ride.
> >
> > The stick rail ride at Guadalupe was one of my
> > favorite
> > rides. There's nothing like the sound of
> running
> > on stick rail..
> > whether you're on the train, or video-ing along
> > side.
> > Try riding the CSSB from Michigan City to South
> > bend
> > sometime.....several years back (last time I
> rode)
> > it was 80mph running on stick rail...
> > a great ride...
> >
> > Ribbon rail is SO boring
> >
> > beth
>
> Jointed rail in well aintained condition is fine.
> The stuff up the coast was not well aintained and
> it ade for a terrible ride.


I have to agree with you. I wasn't around durning the Daylight years, but I'd imagine that if I were around during that time, I'd probably prefer jointed rail to welded rail -- since jointed rail just makes the railroad seem more authentic. Instead, I started riding trains 7 years ago, and the jointed rail segments on the coast line are very rough. The welded rail segments, on the other hand, make the train seem like it's effortlessly gliding along. Now, all they need to do is make the whole Coast Route as smooth as glass, CTC the route, and bring the Surfliner to San Francisco.

I have a feeling none of you have ever been on a rough ride
on stick rail, if you're talking about the Coast.

To qualify, you have to ride the LIRR from Ronkonkama
to Greenport. I last rode it years ago, but it was sooooo bad,
the coach springs would bottom out at points...at 40 mph.

I've ridden the coast enough times, and never though of the
stick rail as a rough ride. But then again, I find light turbulence
on airline flights entertaining.

And I vote for no more CTC. And leave the old searchlight
signals alone too. If you want to improve performance,
put a gps transponder on each engine, so the dispatcher can
actually tell where the trains are....AND HIRE SOME COMPETENT
DISPATCHERS!!!

OK, I tell you what...here's my best offer...CTC is OK if they'll
put the north end of the siding back in at Paso Robles,
and put back the east side yard track in Paso, and at least
1 more yard track in SLO.

beth in Paso