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From: chris@leadsv.UUCP (Chris Salander)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Re: Trains in California?
Message-ID: <746@leadsv.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-Jan-86 15:43:38 EST
Article-I.D.: leadsv.746
Posted: Mon Jan  6 15:43:38 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Jan-86 20:17:39 EST
References: <5900018@uokvax.UUCP> <869@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: LMSC-LEADS, Sunnyvale, Ca.
Lines: 50


	There is one train, The Pacific Coast Sarlighter.

	There are two schedules, one running south and one
	running north each day.

	The trains do not run across the Bay Bridges, so if
	you want to connect to San Francisco, you have to 
	detrain or entrain at two points along the east side
	of the bay.  There is a bus that runs from the train
	station in Oakland and there is a passenger train
	(run by Southern Pacific for commuters) from the 
	San Jose station.

	    Also, the train does not run directly through the
	capital, Sacramento, but instead goes through a small
	town 10 miles to the west called Davis (Cal Aggies!).
	There is a regional transit bus from that train station
	to Sacramento.

	    When last I rode this train the schedules were like
	this (approximate):

	Southbound: Davis ~6 am; Oakland ~8 am; San Jose ~9 am;
			Los Angeles - that evening.

	Northbound: San Jose - late afternoon
	   	    Oakland - early evening
	  	    Davis - evening

		The line runs all the way from Vancouver to
	Los Angeles.  It stops in some semi-significant towns
	like San Luis Obispo.  North of Davis the track follows
	Highway 5.  South of San Jose the track follows Highway
	101 (the old Mission trail).

		In Seattle, you can change to another passenger
	train that goes through Montana.  In Los Angeles you
	can change to a train that goes to Arizona.  There use
	to be a train from Sacramento to Reno and points east,	
	but it may be discontinued.

		The food is snack bar quality. (I almost starved)
	So bag lunches might help.  Restrooms were excellent.
	They have about the only chairs I have ever ridden in that
	are big enough and flexible enough that I could sleep in
	them.  Sleep over your bags (theft).  This was coach
	class.

			- Chris Salander