OMG! Going on the train to PORTLAND for our Honeymoon! First time on train And in OREGON!

[catchnrelease]

30. Seconding this comment!

First I have to say I loved riding on the train--also the Coast Starlight, from LA to Seattle and back.

But omg, the delays were unbelievable! I was supposed to arrive and have friends pick me up in Seattle at 6 in the evening. We didn't arrive until almost midnight!! I had to keep calling my friend to say I would be later and later. Things like waiting in Oakland until they added a new car to the train and I don't recall what else.

Then on the way back it was similar--going through the CA central valley it was really hot and they said the train couldn't go over 10mph because the rails were overheated. I don't know if that was bs, but it was one excuse we got. Then one of the freight trains that have the right of way lost a wheel and we sat for hours while they got repaired because they were on the line ahead of us!

There was a group of people on our train that were supposed to be connecting to another in SoCal to go on to New Orleans and we were so far behind schedule that they would have never made the connection. So they took all of those people off of the train in Santa Barbara, put them on a bus to head to Ontario to try to meet the other train!!! That got even more crazy when my train continued on and stopped at Oxnard, where a family was waiting at the station to pick up their grandpa. He was nowhere to be found!!! So we sat and waited and waited while they searched for him. In the end they guessed that he had gotten onto the bus at Santa Barbara and was now on his way to New Orleans, lol!!! (If that was the case I'm sure they called ahead and caught him in Ontario) I was 6hrs late getting back to LA.

It was all entertaining for sure but if you get stressed by being late, be prepared and be patient! As someone that had to commute on the SoCal freeways 5 days a week back then, the train was heaven, the dome car wonderful when going through Oregon, food decent, and I would ride it again.