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Tentative plans call for transferring between the southbound CS and eastbound CZ at SAC on a Sunday morning. We'll be looking for a Roman Catholic church within walking distance, similar to Old St. Pat's in CHI to attend mass. Are there facilities to leave baggage or will we have to "schlepp" them back and forth to church.
Appreciate your help. Best regards, Rodger
Posts: 83 | From: MERRIMAC,MA | Registered: Feb 2005
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When would your planned trip be?? I just checked the Amtrak status for the arrival of several Amtrak Coast Starlight train 11 runs. ONLY ONE train 11 arrived in Sacramento before 10am (8:12am arrival). On One day Train 11 arrived Sacramento at 4:22 PM (YES 4 PM in the AFTERNOON!! OUCH!!!) Unless there is some radical improvement in the timekeeping of Coast Starlight train 11 you will likely be running many HOURS late. It will be all you can do to make a same day connection (platform to platform) from the Starlight to the Zephyr. I imagine Amtrak MAY try to bus you from Sacramento to the Reno / Sparks NV area for a same day transfer to train 6. Sadly I do not see how you would have enough layover time to attend church in Sacramento and have a same day departure eastward. I recommend planning a layover day in Sacramento. I hope my info helps you!! Good luck with your trip! --- Daniel
Posts: 283 | From: Palo Alto,CA | Registered: Jul 2000
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The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (newly refurbished and quite beautiful) is located at 11th and K Streets...a bit of a walk, but still doable if you arrive in time for mass.
Posts: 33 | From: Fair Oaks, CA US | Registered: Jul 2003
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I agree with Daniel and would recommend planning an overnight stopover in Sacramento if time allows. Better to do that then risk the entire trip on a broken connection. More on that in a second.
There is a decent (and reasonably priced) hotel across the parking lot and a city street from the Sacramento station. It's called the Vagabond Inn and it's where the Amtrak crews layover. They offer a hot breakfast (if you like do it yourself waffles) with the room and there is a Denny's next door too. Lot's to see in Old Town Sacramento (the California Railroad Museum for instance) which is just two short blocks away. There is also light rail to help explore the area.
As for connection concerns, I have caught the eastbound California Zephyr out of Sacramento twice in the last three years. I've also spent three or four days 'touristing' Sacramento from the Vagabond Inn. In about 6 live look-ins at the station, I have witnessed the southbound Coast Starlight within four hours of on-time once. On one of the others, I had boarded the eastbound CZ at Sacramento and we held for 30 minutes waiting for a late Coast Starlight to arrive with connecting passengers. Not a real reliable same day connection I'm afraid!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Sacramento station had baggage check when I was there this summer. It was $2 a bag--it might be free to sleeper passengers, but I was traveling coach in that instance, so I don't know. You ask at the main desk and they open it up for you. The station is nice, as is Old Town.
My own Coast Starlight northbound was only an hour late, due in midnight, got in at one. We had a lucky day (or night), I was told!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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My office overlooks the train station, and while I'm not always gazing out the window, the Coast usually arrives around 10:30 am. The eastbound Zephyr, on the other hand, almost always leaves on time. There are many hotel options nearby.
Posts: 33 | From: Fair Oaks, CA US | Registered: Jul 2003
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I know they tell you it helps reduce stress by having pictures of places you like to get away to in your office, but overlooking a real train station is just plain unfair to the rest of us. Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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quote:Originally posted by daniel3197: When would your planned trip be?? I just checked the Amtrak status for the arrival of several Amtrak Coast Starlight train 11 runs. ONLY ONE train 11 arrived in Sacramento before 10am (8:12am arrival). On One day Train 11 arrived Sacramento at 4:22 PM (YES 4 PM in the AFTERNOON!! OUCH!!!) Unless there is some radical improvement in the timekeeping of Coast Starlight train 11 you will likely be running many HOURS late. It will be all you can do to make a same day connection (platform to platform) from the Starlight to the Zephyr.
Except for the one exceptionally late train at 4:22pm, Train 11 has been into Sacramento in plenty of time to make the 11:14am connection to Train 6 this week, with at least an hour to spare. There is a five hour window between the scheduled arrival of 11 and the scheduled departure of 6. Late as the Starlight can be, it is rare for it to be more than five hours late. Three hours is more typical. I think you'll make the connection OK. But if you want to catch a church service, plan on spending the night.
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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Thanks for all your suggestions and help. We're convinced. We've reswizzled the itinerary to allow for an overnight in SAC. It will allow us to attend church AND do a weeks worth of laundry before embarking on the second half of our trip. Currently the plan is: BOS/WAS/CHI: Acela/Capitol with an O/N in CHI CHI/SEA: EB with 2 O/Ns in SEA SEA/SAC: CS with O/N in SAC SAC/CHI/WAS: CZ/Cardinal with 3 O/Ns in WAS WAS/BOS: Acela There are buses between Newburyport and South Station to meet or schedule...maybe this year we'll get to use the second half of our rt tickets. In the past two years the LSL has gotten us back to BOS well after the last bus north...actually pretty close to the first bus north the next day. Hotels still need to be ironed out, especially in CHI where prices appear at first blush to be extraordinarily expensive; and we're toying with the idea of renting a car in SAC for the day. Thanks again for your invaluable help. Best regards, Rodger
Posts: 83 | From: MERRIMAC,MA | Registered: Feb 2005
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In Sacramento that's going to be the 'Vagabond Inn'. It's a regional chain and you can book online. Just make sure you get the Executive Old Towne or something like that. The cheaper Vagabond in SAC is out by the interstate.
Time permitting, the California Railroad Museum is a must for about anyone who likes trains enough to post on this forum!
Have a great trip!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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