Nostalgia & History > Amtrak & Southern Pacific - Santa Barbara 1986

Back in the early to mid 80's we stayed at the MiraMar in Montecito many times . . they have finally rebuit the site so plan to stay there again but this time will probably only afford one night due to the much much higher rates but the location brings back many memories . . second location in this clip is north of Goleta in the cut next to the Sandpiper Golf course.   Re: concerns about safety and our kids putting coins on the track . . was right next to the crossing to get from the main hotel to our rooms on the beach . . had warning bells and gates just so you know I wasn't an irresponsible parent.
Craig
mcmrailvidoes.com

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/19 16:55 by spdaylight.

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Thank you- really enjoyed this look back at a great SP/ Amtk  era, on the Coast Division.

Thanks for sharing your video!!!

Absolute. Classic! - Video of the day please. I didn't know double stacks could go coast route??

Looks like the "infamous" 132 lb headfree rail.

Ha! Now THAT hits close to home! I bussed tables at the Miramar Hotel when I was about 16- my first job.
Fast forward to the time of your film and I was with Amtrak OBS (there are 10 crews in the Starlight rotation, so I guess that means a 10% chance I was on that very train). You got my entire career, start to finish, in a few seconds of video!
SR

BoilingMan Wrote:
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. You got my
> entire career, start to finish, in a few seconds
> of video!
> SR

Got lots more of video I shot staying there . .  going back to 1980 . .  will dig some more out . . .  that was a great story how Bill Gaunther 9sp?) got SP to place the Amtrak diner and teh UP slieeper on his property.

Craig

Yes, the sleeper came first, in about 1979, and then the diner later.  Both were delivered on the main by the SP's Elwood Local and then "air lifted" by cranes into position.  I posted photos of the diner delivery- use the search and look for Miramar and Boilingman under "All Dates".  (Sorry- I don't know how to do the link thing)  I also posted a photo of the sleeper in SB just before it's final delivery, but I wasn't able to be there for it's "air lift".
I knew Bill.  He was a nice, very quiet, gentleman.
SR

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SR

Thanks for the background on how the diner and sleeper were put in place . . someone at the Miramar told me they put in a shoe fly but I found that hard to believe. 

Craig

My 11th birthday part (I'm in the middle).  This at the pedestrian crossing a couple hundred feed west of the road crossing in the video.  Thanks for posting the video.  Defiantly brings back memories.

-Eric
 

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That's how the Coast Line will always be remembered by me, scarlett and gray diesels! Thanks for posting. I too was given some coins here and there by my dad because a train was due soon. 

Dave 

Great video!  5 coaches on the Starlight; wow!

That stack train is haulin' and those EMDs sound good too.

Andy

redoveryellow Wrote:
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> My 11th birthday part (I'm in the middle).  This
> at the pedestrian crossing a couple hundred feed
> west of the road crossing in the video.  Thanks
> for posting the video.  Defiantly brings back
> memories.
>
> -Eric
>  

That’s awesome your dad posted this video, Eric— it’s a wonderful look back — for all of us, too!

Actually, 5 or 6 coaches was the “norm” in those days, and all were staffed with bid jobs. (During the various holidays it would even go up to 8 coaches!) Remember- the Coast Starlight in those days was the ONLY train between LA and Portland. No Metrolink, Surfliners, Capitols, or Cascades. The CS was serving the dual rolls of local AND long distance trains.
SR

SCUfoamer Wrote:
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> Absolute. Classic! - Video of the day please. I
> didn't know double stacks could go coast route??

They can, as long as the containers are the shorter marine containers (40's are in the video). As late as the mid 2000s, doublestacks travelled through the Santa Clara Depot on their way to and from the Coast Route, as long as there were no 53' boxes. I'm not commenting as an expert, but I'm sure others can chime in on this.

In 2015, UP sent a doublestack with 53' boxes down the Coast Line. I watched it go by at Santa Clara in the evening. The after effects were photo-documented here on TO thanks to SoCal railfans, and there were signs of scrape marks on the corners of the 53' boxes. Precision Scheduled Tunnel Boring.

Anyway, thanks OP for posting the video!

There's actually SIX (6) coaches in that consist! WOW for sure! Even considering that this was a time before all the California corridor train service and Cascade corridor service - I've always found that to be VERY impressive. Lot of capacity in those Superliner coaches; two Superliner coaches can often cover for a Talgo trainset in Cascade service. Interestingly, the overnight portion of the Coast Starlight continues to be the lightest portion of the Coast Starlight journey. 

AndyBrown Wrote:
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> Great video!  5 coaches on the Starlight; wow!
>
> That stack train is haulin' and those EMDs sound
> good too.
>
> Andy

Wait- no, the overnight portion of the Starlight has traditionally had the highest passenger count. We were given a manifest that showed the on/off/total on board count for every stop. High count was ALWAYS Chico, give or take 1 stop. Has that changed in recent years? It certainly could have- I’m just surprised.
SR

BoilingMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Remember- the Coast Starlight in
> those days was the ONLY train between LA and
> Portland. No Metrolink, Surfliners, Capitols, or
> Cascades. 

Yes, good point that's easy to forget.  There are now a lot more options.

Andy

Right. The additional options allowed the Starlight to go “up scale” with the Pacific Parlor Car and things like wine tasting etc. Those passengers wanting more basic (reduced cost) transportation were taken care of by the multitude of state supported trains.
SR

Great video. When I ran Amtrak on the Coast route can't remember having a freight unit on the point westbound but many times had a freight unit eastbound.

Please post more videos!

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