posted
I would like to know if a person was taking the Southbound CS from Seattle to LA and connecting to the EB SL that same night, what would be the chances that the CS will supply the passenger with a sack lunch in the event the CS is running late and it was decided to buss connecting passengers (with the SL) from San Louis Obispo to San bernadino Ca.
RRRICH Member # 1418
posted
Probably slim to none, but I have never been in that situation, so I don't know for sure. BTW, if you are bussed from San Luis Obispo, you would probably be bussed to Palm Springs, not San Bernardino, since the Sunset Ltd does not go through San Bernardino!
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
posted
Depending on just *how* late the CS is running, the SL may be held at Los Angeles. We waited about an hour for it once, a quick transfer of the connecting passengers and we were off (and only 45 minutes late into San Antonio!).
Geoff M.
barrydraper Member # 737
posted
You'd better check you timetable. Southbound CS arrives LAUS at 9:15 pm (on a good night) and Eastbound SL has already left at 6:45 pm, so no connection!
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Barry - has there been a schedule change? The eastbound Sunset Ltd has never left LAX before 10 or 10:30 PM -- the current timetable shows a 10:30 PM departure.... You might be thinking of the Southwest Chief, which is currently scheduled to depart LAX at 6:45 PM
[This message has been edited by RRRICH (edited 10-17-2003).]
CoastStarlight99 Member # 2734
posted
If I fet what you mean...Your taking the Coast Starlight from Seatle to Los Angeles, The Sunset Limited leaves at 10:30 , The coast sarlight is a very slow train, It's a bit faster on the Southbound to LAX than the Northbound to SEA though. The Sunset Limited will wait a certain amount of time.....But I really doubt they would give you a "sack" lunch.
dilly Member # 1427
posted
If your time and budget allow, you'd be wiser to take the Coast Starlight to Los Angeles, spend the night there in a hotel/motel, and then catch the following night's Sunset Limited.
90 minutes between trains is way too tight for comfort. You'll spend half your trip on the Coast Starlight wondering/worrying if you'll make it in time.
And frankly, spending a couple of hours on a bus, trying to catch up with the Sunset Limited in the middle of the night, will turn an otherwise pleasurable trip into a real drag.
[This message has been edited by dilly (edited 10-17-2003).]
Mike Smith Member # 447
posted
I have made that connection 4 times. The Coast Starlight arrived in LA with more than enough time to make the transfer to the Sunset. (and that is a guaranteed Amtrak transfer)
The Sunset does not run every day, so waiting for the next train would be a 2-3 day wait..... in LA...... Who wants that?
dilly Member # 1427
posted
I must have temporarily blacked out. Yes, you're correct about the frequency (or infrequency) of the Sunset Limited.
But it's all down to luck. Whenever I've taken the Coast Starlight, we've arrived anywhere from an hour to seven hours late.
CK Member # 589
posted
Just what is a "guaranteed transfer" ? Let's say the CS is 4 hours late to LAX & the SL has departed on time with no SL scheduled for the next 2 days. How does the Amtrak "guaranteed transfer" work since the SL will not wait beyond a reasonable time period? It seem the only options are: 1. Take you off the CS well before LAX & ride the bus, as mentioned above, in a frantic attempt to catch the SL along it's path. Boy, that must be loads of fun especially if you paid for a sleeper & you missed dinner in the diner! 2. Spend 2 nights in LA at a hotel at Amtrak's expense (?) but perhaps have no "guarantee" that if you had booked a sleeper that it would be available if they had already been reserved by passengers taking that train. Am I missing something or would these really be your 2 options?
Mike Smith Member # 447
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CK: You nailed it.....
Those are the options, besides spending your time in LA on your nickle.
Fortunately, I haven't experienced either one!
pismobum Member # 2628
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Connecting passengers are quite normally pulled off #11 and bused from SLO or Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, Pomona, Ontario or Palm Springs. There is no dinner on #2 out of LA (too late), so the only meals available are on #11. There is time to eat dinner on #11 before being pulled off (it is known well in advance), so there's not much excuse for going hungry. No food is provided on the buses. As far as planning a stay in LA, come down on a day BEFORE #2 is scheduled and you wont have a 2-3 day wait. If train is too late to even make a SLO connection, connecting passengers are normally pulled off at Sacramento and sent south on the San Joaquin connection. Passengers from south of the bay area have a connecting thruway bus from the Bay to Santa Barbara and connecting Surfliner service to #2. It's just as bad for #1 to #14. VERY common for #1 passengers to be bused to Santa Barbara or SLO due to late arrival of #1 into LA. Whole thing is IDIOTIC! You can't connect from Starlight to Builder in Seattle, you can't connect from #11 to #4 in LA, You can't connect from #1 in New Orleans for Atlanta or Chicago, You can't connect in New Orleans from Chicago or Atlanta to #2, so WHY SCREW WITH THE 1/2 - 11/14 CONNECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE? All they accomplish is either VERY ticked off passengers or passengers who spend the latter portion of the trip agitated worrying about if the connection will be made. Just schedule the arrival of #1 LATER and the departure of #2 EARLIER and abort the 'guaranteed' connection altogether. People would then just schedule their trip with an overnight in LA, and the upset passengers AND the costly bus transfers would disappear. Would SOME passengers not travel due to the extra day required? Probably. But most likely not as many as are lost anyway to the "NEVER AGAIN" attitude that is caused by the busing in the first place.
espeefoamer Member # 2815
posted
To be on the safe side,it would be smart to take the starlight to Sacramento or Martinez and transfer to the San Joaquin to L.A.This will get you into L.A.several hours sooner,in plenty of time to catch the Sunset.You may arrive in time to have dinner in town.
------------------ Trust Jesus,Ride Amtrak.
CK Member # 589
posted
espeefoarmer, this might work except for people who don't want to ride any bus (scheduled or non-scheduled). The San Joaquin train ends in Bakersfield. Bakersfield to LA is a two hour bus ride.
dnsommer Member # 2825
posted
In a worst-case scenario, you can de-train at Glendale and catch a flight to Phoenix from nearby Burbank Airport. Aloha SAirlines Flight 462 departs Burbank at 9:55 PM. You'll connect to America West Flight 897 at Las Vegas and arrive Phoenix at 1:57 AM. Depending on the night of the week the air fare will be between $211 and $300. You can also fly from LAX nonstop to Phoenix on United/Skywest Flight 6941. It departs LAX daily at 10:20 PM and arrives at 12:40 AM. Either way, you'll have plenty of time to get from Phoenix to Maricopa, AZ where you can board the Sunset Limited when it arrives at 6:12 AM.
dnsommer Member # 2825
posted
Another option is to fly from LAX to Tucson, AZ. United Express flight 6981 departs LAX at 10:25 PM and arrives Tucson at 12:48 AM. The fare is $103.00. Then you can get a motel room from approximately 2 AM to 7:30 AM. The eastbound Sunset stops at Tucson at 8:40 AM, The Amtrak Station is conveniently located in the middle of the city. This would be a better plan than flying to Phoenix and boarding the Sunset at 6:12 AM at Maricopa. AZ. I've read that Maricopa is far away from Phoenix and that it isn't cheap or easy to reach without a personal car.
amtraxmaniac Member # 2251
posted
You know, the CS to San Joaquin connection is NOT that bad at all. It gets you into LAX at 6:45pm in contrast to 9:15pm on the #11 (again, if your lucky). If I'm not mistaken, the connection would be via train #714 at Martinez. If your running reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaally late, even 716 would get you into Bakersfield at 7:20pm and into LAX by, no later than 9:50p (thruway busses from my experience are more likely to make up time en-route). Via 714, I've never gotten into Los Angeles later than 7:00pm and 716 never later than 9:45pm-with traffic. If your making the connection from Bakersfield to LAX and you have a train connection to make, they usually put you on the first bus out that goes non-stop to LAX: Non-Stop its 2hrs 10min. tops!
Yeah, yea, you miss the coastline, but at least you don't have to worry about yhe headache of making connections. If bussing from SLO or SBA makes 11 to 2 guaranteed connection than the CS to SJ to SL has to be an ULTRA guaranteed connection. You may find as I have, the service on the San Joaquins isn't that bad and the 100 mile bus trip over the grapevine isn't that bad at all. I've NEVER missed a connection from any San Joaquin train.
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