Ep.03 – US Railway Travelogue

Episode 3 of US Railway Travelogue finds Tim Davies taking the first part of the San Francisco to Portland leg of his trip on the first of the iconic Amtrak trains he is taking – ‘The Coast Starlight‘.

The Amtrak logo. Photo credit: Tim Davies.

The episode begins with Tim at the bus stop in San Francisco’s financial district, where he waits to take the bus out to Emeryville Station where the train journey begins.  It gives Tim a chance to set the scene on the journeys ahead, and in particular, ‘The Coast Starlight‘.

Waiting at the bus stop in San Francisco.

The Coast Starlight – the train for this leg of Tim’s journey.

A Coast Starlight train from August 1985.

Emeryville Station. Credit: Tim Davies.

Some of the interior aspects of the train as described by Tim during the Travelogue:

Pacific Parlour Car, Coast Starlight. Credit: Tim Davies.

Inside the Pacific Parlour Car. Credit: Tim Davies.

Cinema, Lower Level, Pacific Parlour Car. Credit: Tim Davies.

Tim documents passing through Martinez, Davis Street, Sacremento, Chico, Redding and Dunsmuir  stations during the night.  While not awake, he takes care not to miss out marking of passing through them.

Martinez Station.

Davis Street Station.

Sacramento Station. Credit: Randwick.

Chico Station. Credit: Greg Bard.

Redding Station: Credit: Oakshade.

Dunsmuir Station. Credit: Kasuga Huang

The following morning, a beautiful sunrise, and a sensational view of wooded hills was awaiting Tim when he awoke.

Hills in the early morning, Dunsmuir-Klamath. Credit: Tim Davies.

Hills in the early morning, Dunsmuir-Klamath. Credit: Tim Davies.

Travelling through the hills at breakfast time. Credit: Tim Davies.

The train departed Klamath Falls around 8.15am. The town was established in 1867, the station built in 1916.

Klamath Falls. Credit: Tim Davies.

Klamath Falls Station: Credit: Steve Wilson.

Klamath Falls back in 1930.

Klamath Lake. Credit: Tim Davies.

Soon after, Tim strikes up a conversation with a fellow traveller, hoping it might be someone local who can tell him something about the USA today, only to discover it is a fellow rail enthusiast doing a ten day tour – from Basingstoke in Hampshire in the UK – not far down the road from Tim’s hometown of Wrecclesham.

Mount Mcloughlin.

Map of the area around Klamath Falls – courtesy of Google Maps.

Part two of this leg of the trip will follow next week in Episode 4 of the US Railway Travelogue.

Tim Davies would like to thank Amtrak with their assistance in making this podcast series possible.

Music credits:

Theme: “Steam Railway”, AK012, Composer: Kimber-McTiffen; Track Number 1, Royalty Free from “The Special Interest Video Selection“; (AKM Music);