Passenger Trains > What An Amazing Trip!!!!

I actually got back home last Monday but between the very interesting weather we've had here in Western, NY and just being crazy busy, I can now do a quick little write-up on what this 18 day trip was all about! In 2012, I came up with this hairbrain idea of riding Amtrak to see all 4 space shuttles! Having been a huge fan of the shuttle program, I knew somehow I needed to find a way to see all 4 of the shuttles in their permanent museum homes, using Amtrak to get there! Well, I booked the trip back in February, and it was by far the biggest logistical nightmare of a trip that I've ever put together, but I booked it, and now, I did it!!!

This trip involved riding a total of 9 Amtrak trains, and involved my staying in 5 hotels and renting 4 cars! I rode #49 to visit Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH like I do every year, then drove to Fostoria, OH to check out the new railfan park there, 17 trains in 3 hours, not bad! I then rode #30 in a sleeper to DC, the next day, rode #56 to New York in coach to see Space Shuttle Enterprise at the Intrepid Air, Sea & Space Museum, then the same day, took #129 back to DC. The next morning, I saw Space Shuttle Discovery at the Smithsonian in Chantilly, VA. I then rode #97 in a sleeper down to Orlando, FL. I then drove out to Cape Canaveral to see Space Shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center and also did the Shuttle Launch Experience (closest thing you'll ever experience to an actual shuttle launch!). I then set out on 5 straight days of Amtrak train riding to get to the final shuttle. I boarded #98 in Orlando, took it to DC, and on the way, almost ran out of fuel in Richmond, VA (this was reported here and it wasn't Amtrak's fault that the fuel truck got lost!). I then took #29 to Chicago, funny, the P42 that brought #98 into DC was the same one that took me to Chicago on #29, though we didn't run out of fuel! I then did some railfanning at Roosevelt Road in Chicago, before taking #3 to Los Angeles, having a sleeper on #98, 29, and 3, that's what 35,000 AGR points will get you! I rented another car and drove to the Calfiornia Science Center to see Space Shuttle Endeavour. Some on this board suggested using public transit to do this, but I chose to rent the car because I had 70+ pounds of baggage (stuffing a computer and a tripod in suitcases takes up weight!), and no place to store it since I couldn't check into the hotel until later in the day. Having the car was definitely the right move!

I spent the night in Hawthorne, near LAX where I rented the car, then early the next morning, brought back the car, took the FlyAway Bus to LAUPT (also used it to get to LAX the previous day), then took Surfliner #761 to San Luis Obispo in business class. I then took the "AmBus" to San Jose, then CalTrain to Millbrae, then BART to the San Francisco Airport, rented another car, drove out to my hotel in Vacaville. The next day, did my first of 2 rides on the Napa Valley Wine Train, the first being in the engine one way and in a dining car on the way back, then on the second day, riding both ways in the Vista-Dome!!! I spent part of another day doing scenic photos of the wine train before getting ready to fly home. I flew home on JetBlue from SFO to Boston, then to Buffalo. I was rudely welcomed home with high winds and lake effect snow, and to think the previous day, it was 70 and sunny in Napa!!!

There will be a travelogue on my site, and it will be enormous! I took almost 3000 pictures on this trip and I'm hoping to have the travelogue done by sometime in March 2015. I know that seems like a long time but it will be worth the wait! This has to be the best Amtrak trip I've ever taken. I rode with so many excellent crews who really do care about the railroad they work for! I also had a steak on #97 that I'll remember for a long time, I met the chef on that train and told him it was one of the best steaks I ever had on Amtrak! I participated in "Happy Hour" on #3 which involved having a $3.00 Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer!!! So many great times, so many memories, so much to write about! The initial Microsoft Word Document of the travelogue was over 30 pages long! I wanted to post this here because I wanted to give a "brief" summary of how great this trip was (though I know there was a lot of content here, it was that big of a trip)!

Amtrak288 Wrote:
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I
> participated in "Happy Hour" on #3 which involved
> having a $3.00 Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer!!!

You had a Pabst Blue Ribbon on #3? I'll have to book a trip on the Southwest Limited just so I can enjoy a Pabst on Amtrak!

Seriously, I'm glad you had a great time.

Ditto, sucked I couldn't see you because the 3 you were on was very late and I had to get up for work, can't wait to see your trip report on your site though!

I completely approve of your incorporation of the Ambus service between SLO and SJC.

I don't particularly approve of the Pabst Blue Ribbon, but I'll let that one go.

Thanks for the report.

PBR! I approve, of course I grew up in Milwaukee. It's too bad they don't carry Boulevard Beer from Kansas City on the Southwest Chief.

This ranks right up there with 6 NHL games in 6 different cities all by train (excepting one flight) back in the '80's. Glad you did it while you can. My trip could never be repeated given the vastly reduced frequency of VIA long distance trains.

You missed the shuttle experience at WPAFB in the National Museum of the US Air Force. The Museum received the Crew Compartment Trainer, added the shuttle cargo bay and made it so that one could experience the inside of the shuttle. Something not to miss and you would have been able to add the Cardinal to your travels. Oh and compared to the other museums, the NMUSAF is FREE both for admission AND parking.

reindeerflame Wrote:
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> I completely approve of your incorporation of the
> Ambus service between SLO and SJC.
>
> I don't particularly approve of the Pabst Blue
> Ribbon, but I'll let that one go.
>
> Thanks for the report.


"approve"? No one asked for your approval. You're being hugely judgemental. Disclaimer: I'm not so cool with Pabst either, but only because, to me, it is lousy beer. To the poster....what a great trip report, and I am glad indeed that your trip went so well. AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

That's the kind of Amtrip I can appreciate. I did one in June 1981 when David Stockman (I think he was Pres. Reagan's budget director) wanted to zero-out Amtrak. There were three main objectives: The South Shore with the 1920s interurban cars, the Lackawanna electric suburban service in NJ when it still ran with the 1930-era DC powered train sets, and the Red Arrow lines in Philly before they were modernized. Except for the bus to and from the Pasadena CA Amtrak station, and one bus ride to the Edison Historical Site in W. Orange NJ, it was an all-rail coast-to-coast adventure. And of course Amtrak is still around for the pilgrimage described above.

Side note: The Space Shuttle has a family connection--My brother helped design the landing gear hydraulic system for the Shuttle. It was always a thrill to see landing coverage on TV with "gear down and locked". I've only been to see "Endeavour", because from East Pasadena to Exposition Park it's an easy ride on the LA Metro rail system.