RAILforum: Amtrak Cascades-Seattle to Vancouver Trip Report

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Posted by Kostroma (Member # 2243) on :

This is the first trip report that I've ever done, so please forgive me if it's kind of choppy.

On September 8th, my mother and I took the northbound Cascades out of Seattle to Vancouver BC to begin our 6 day foray of BC and Alberta.

My mom and I took the bus from our suburban city to the downtown Seattle bus tunnel and arrived at King Street Station around 7 AM. There was already a lineup for seating at the Cascades kiosk, which was a surprise because when I've taken this train in the past, they've never called for seating that early. Granted, the last trip I took on this train was 2 years ago.

Since my mom and I were Business Class passengers, we were able to check our luggage immediately despite the long line and were also among the first Business Class passengers checked in. We got seats on the left side of the train, which is my preference since that's the Puget Sound side going northbound.

By the time we'd gotten our carry-on luggage situated and the conductor(?) came around to check our seating passes, the dining car was full. On the upside, we were first to sign on to the waiting list and we went back to our seats to wait. Meanwhile, the train's 7:45 AM departure time came and went. We sat and sat and sat and finally at around 8:30, there was an announcement that the brakes were having a problem and that we'd be departing in 10 minutes. We finally pulled out of KSS around 8:38, I believe.

I don't remember what time we were called for breakfast, but I do know it was when we pulled into Everett station, so I believe it was about an hour after we put our name on the list. My mom had the pancakes and I had the "Orchard Stuffed French Toast", which was actually two thick slices of French toast with a thin layer of cream cheese in between them. It was tasty, but too rich for me. The dining car attendant was cheerful and helpful.

The film that was shown was Harry Potter 3. While I like the HP books and movies, I'd just seen this one in August, so I got a nice nap.

We didn't make up much time and promptly lost several minutes on the approach to Vancouver when we sat in the yard outside of the station. We arrived in Vancouver around 1PM, approximately an hour and 20 minutes late. I'm not complaining though, because the train had mechanical problems and this is the first time that I've ridden a Cascades that arrived in Vancouver late.

The only complaint that I had was the amount of time it took to announce what was going on with the train at King Street Station. Sitting on the platform for 45 minutes after departure without explanation was a tad annoying to say the least. However, reading this board has made me somewhat Amtrak saavy and reading about the hours long delays of some routes, I think we got off easy.

Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :

Thanks for the report. For a trip of only 156 miles, the travel time seems rather lengthy. Hopefully someday they can get these trains up to 125MPH and make them competitive with driving times.

Having never ridden the Talgos myself, I'd be interested in your opinion on the ride quality.

Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Mr. Toy:
Thanks for the report. For a trip of only 156 miles, the travel time seems rather lengthy. Hopefully someday they can get these trains up to 125MPH and make them competitive with driving times.
Having never ridden the Talgos myself, I'd be interested in your opinion on the ride quality.

I was on the Talgo Seattle-Vancouver in April. The ride was far smoother and quieter than conventional amfleet equipment used here in the southeast. I particularly liked the huge windows although the lower seating was a bit of an adjustment......and the stuffed french toast was incredibly rich....why can't service of this quality (as in both quality of the food AND ambiance of the service) be duplicated throughout the Amtrak system?

------------------
David Pressley

[This message has been edited by notelvis (edited 09-27-2004).]

Posted by dmwnc1959 (Member # 2803) on :

Wonderful report...
I too have ridden the 'Cascades' Talgo from Seattle-Vancouver and also SEA-Portland several times and they are by far my FAVORITE in the entire Amtrak fleet. What beautiful trains on the inside. And the Bistro car beats what I have seen even on the Acela. Business-class is worth the upgrade on the 'Cascades'. I wish we could get the Talgo set on the east coast on the run from NYC-Charlotte 'Carolinian'.

Posted by Kostroma (Member # 2243) on :

The ride is very smooth and almost feels effortless. There are a couple of rough sections of tracks where the train rocks somewhat violently, but that's hardly the train's fault. My mother has problems with equillibrium and she was able to walk while the train was in motion with no problem.

Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :

I've traveled on the Cascades between Portland and Seattle. Apart from the scenery outside the window, I can't say I was blown away by the experience.

The coaches felt oddly insubstantial and flimsy to me -- more like something you'd find at an amusement park or world's fair than on an intercity train. A bit too "Euro." And while I'm still as slim as I was in high school (it's true), I imagine the average "super-sized" passenger would have a rough time squeezing into the less-than-spacious seats.

I did enjoy the "Pee Wee's Playhouse as designed by IKEA" look of the bistro car, though. In fact, that's where I ended up spending most of my trip. The coaches were simply too cramped.

[This message has been edited by dilly (edited 09-30-2004).]

Posted by Kostroma (Member # 2243) on :

dilly, did you go coach or business class? The first time I ever took that train, I went coach and it was a "never again" experience. However, the last couple of times have been Business Class and it's well worth the upgrade. I'm 5'11" and my mom is not small weight-wise, but we were able to sit side by side and move around without coming close to bumping each other.