Car Rental in Emeryville

[n***@msn.com]

My wife and I are getting ready to take the California Zephyr to San
Francisco to see our grandsons. The last time I took this train was in
1953 when my family moved to Denver. I imagine that a LOT of things
have changed on the train by now. We have planned to rent a car in
Emeryville so we can drive to the apartment that we're staying in for
the week, and so we can ferry the kids around during the day. We were
surprised to find that though the California Zephyr is scheduled to
arrive in Emeryville at 6:10 pm, and does so every day, absolutely
NONE of the car rental companies stay open past 6:00 pm. I was able to
reach the owner of Avis at the Emeryville station and she promised to
stay open for us, but I am amazed that there are no late services for
car rental.

How have any other of you who have taken this train dealt with this
problem? Do you just have people meet you at the train and then rent a
car the next day? That seems so wasteful. Are there any good
suggestions for dealing with this?

Thanks,
noldo

[n***@msn.com]

To answer my own question, and to help anyone who happens to stumble
across this thread (since I doubt that anyone is actually reading this
group): the secret is Sacramento.

Turns out that veterans of the rails going to SF only book to
Sacramento, rent the car there since it's earlier in the day, and
drive into the city that way. A couple whom we talked to on the train
told us that they had been doing that for a few years and had no
problems. It actually gets you into the city much earlier than the
train.

Though the ladies at Emeryville Avis were very helpful, patient and
pleasant, the difficulties encountered by a train that arrives an hour
and a half late and needs to board 15 minutes before the rental office
opens in the morning, make this option an extremely iffy and tense
proposition. If we go this route again we will get off in Sacramento
and we will do the drive. Even leaving SF by 6:00 am on the highway
gets us back in plenty of time to meet the train for the trip East.

[Trader Bob]

Post by n***@msn.com
To answer my own question, and to help anyone who happens to stumble
across this thread (since I doubt that anyone is actually reading this
group): the secret is Sacramento.
Turns out that veterans of the rails going to SF only book to
Sacramento, rent the car there since it's earlier in the day, and
drive into the city that way. A couple whom we talked to on the train
told us that they had been doing that for a few years and had no
problems. It actually gets you into the city much earlier than the
train.
Though the ladies at Emeryville Avis were very helpful, patient and
pleasant, the difficulties encountered by a train that arrives an hour
and a half late and needs to board 15 minutes before the rental office
opens in the morning, make this option an extremely iffy and tense
proposition. If we go this route again we will get off in Sacramento
and we will do the drive. Even leaving SF by 6:00 am on the highway
gets us back in plenty of time to meet the train for the trip East.

What was the reason for them to make Emeryville the transfer point
instead of Oakland?

[Mayer Samuels]

Post by Trader Bob

Post by n***@msn.com
To answer my own question, and to help anyone who happens to stumble
across this thread (since I doubt that anyone is actually reading this
group): the secret is Sacramento.
Turns out that veterans of the rails going to SF only book to
Sacramento, rent the car there since it's earlier in the day, and
drive into the city that way. A couple whom we talked to on the train
told us that they had been doing that for a few years and had no
problems. It actually gets you into the city much earlier than the
train.
Though the ladies at Emeryville Avis were very helpful, patient and
pleasant, the difficulties encountered by a train that arrives an hour
and a half late and needs to board 15 minutes before the rental office
opens in the morning, make this option an extremely iffy and tense
proposition. If we go this route again we will get off in Sacramento
and we will do the drive. Even leaving SF by 6:00 am on the highway
gets us back in plenty of time to meet the train for the trip East.

What was the reason for them to make Emeryville the transfer point
instead of Oakland?- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Emeryville station is closer to the Bay Bridge then Oakland station.
Amtrak Thruway buses will spend less time on the roads if they embark
from Emeryville.

[Merritt Mullen]

In article

Post by Mayer Samuels
Emeryville station is closer to the Bay Bridge then Oakland station.
Amtrak Thruway buses will spend less time on the roads if they embark
from Emeryville.

And, of course, the passenger spends about 10 minutes less time on the
train, as well.

Merritt

[spsffan]

Post by Mayer Samuels

Post by Trader Bob

Post by n***@msn.com
To answer my own question, and to help anyone who happens to stumble
across this thread (since I doubt that anyone is actually reading this
group): the secret is Sacramento.
Turns out that veterans of the rails going to SF only book to
Sacramento, rent the car there since it's earlier in the day, and
drive into the city that way. A couple whom we talked to on the train
told us that they had been doing that for a few years and had no
problems. It actually gets you into the city much earlier than the
train.
Though the ladies at Emeryville Avis were very helpful, patient and
pleasant, the difficulties encountered by a train that arrives an hour
and a half late and needs to board 15 minutes before the rental office
opens in the morning, make this option an extremely iffy and tense
proposition. If we go this route again we will get off in Sacramento
and we will do the drive. Even leaving SF by 6:00 am on the highway
gets us back in plenty of time to meet the train for the trip East.

What was the reason for them to make Emeryville the transfer point
instead of Oakland?- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Emeryville station is closer to the Bay Bridge then Oakland station.
Amtrak Thruway buses will spend less time on the roads if they embark
from Emeryville.

There's a bit more to it, actually. Years ago the Oakland station was
the old SP 16th Street station. But this was damaged in the earthquake
in 1989 and was (IIRC) condemned. Amtrak subsequently built Emeryville
Station, with its location close to the freeways and bridge, but far
from most everything else.

For a while, trains like the Coast Starlight still stopped on the tracks
opposite 16th Street for a crew change, but the passenger stop was moved
to Emeryville. There was no where near the amount of Capital Corridor
traffic in those days (perhaps none?). Just the Starlight, Zephyr and a
few (3-4?) San Joaquins.

Later, the Jack London Square station was built close to downtown
Oakland, mostly to serve the Capital Corridor trains, but also a stop
for the Starlight, which ran through from San Jose just like the Capital
trains. Keep in mind that the car servicing yards are in West Oakland
(more or less) between Jack London and Emeryville. It made sense not to
have to do a backup move with the San Joaquins and Zephyr, so they
retained Emeryville as their origin/destination stop, while the through
trains stop at both.

If you are going to have a number of buses meeting the trains (which you
DO, to serve San Francisco), there is a lot more room for parking,
staging, etc. at Emeryville than at Jack London Square.

Does the Zephyr still stop in Richmond? The connection to BART in
Richmond was always my preferred way to get into San Francisco, as the
buses always take a long time to get underway. Of course it depends on
how much baggage you have....lots of it makes BART not a good option.

Regards,

DAve

[Merritt Mullen]

Post by spsffan
Does the Zephyr still stop in Richmond?

No, the last stop before Emeryville is Martinez.

Merritt

[David Nebenzahl]

Post by Merritt Mullen

Post by spsffan
Does the Zephyr still stop in Richmond?

No, the last stop before Emeryville is Martinez.

As Johnny Carson used to say, "I did not know that". And it's
disappointing: seems to make that "intermodal" station seem less ...
intermodal.

I've used Richmond to xfer between BART and Amtrak (Capitols) when I
used to live on the Peninsula. Too bad one can't board the long-distance
train there.

[Laurence Sheldon]

Post by David Nebenzahl
I've used Richmond to xfer between BART and Amtrak (Capitols) when I
used to live on the Peninsula. Too bad one can't board the long-distance
train there.

That sort of summarizes the problem doesn't? We need a long distance
train that stops at the stations we want it ti stop at. (Can't be
stopping at them all--wouldn't be a long distance train anymore, would it?

Daughter called from her Long-distance train a few minutes ago--wanted
an opinion about which bridge to take so hubby can see the mothball fleet.

Neat deal--left North Omaha the other morning as soon as she had parked
the big truck, gotten home, finished packing and was ready to go.

Will end up in Big Basin in a total of 30 hours or so.

[David Nebenzahl]

Post by Laurence Sheldon

Post by David Nebenzahl
I've used Richmond to xfer between BART and Amtrak (Capitols) when I
used to live on the Peninsula. Too bad one can't board the long-distance
train there.

That sort of summarizes the problem doesn't? We need a long distance
train that stops at the stations we want it ti stop at. (Can't be
stopping at them all--wouldn't be a long distance train anymore, would it?

Not really. It's all about *connections*, not people wanting the train
to stop at every podunk town along the way. *One* stop at a major
connection point isn't the same as, say, arguing over whether Caltrain
should stop at Paul Ave., Atherton, Bay Meadows, etc., etc.

[Laurence Sheldon]

Post by David Nebenzahl

Post by Laurence Sheldon

Post by David Nebenzahl
I've used Richmond to xfer between BART and Amtrak (Capitols) when I
used to live on the Peninsula. Too bad one can't board the
long-distance train there.

That sort of summarizes the problem doesn't? We need a long distance
train that stops at the stations we want it to stop at. (Can't be
stopping at them all--wouldn't be a long distance train anymore, would it?

Not really. It's all about *connections*, not people wanting the train
to stop at every podunk town along the way. *One* stop at a major
connection point isn't the same as, say, arguing over whether Caltrain
should stop at Paul Ave., Atherton, Bay Meadows, etc., etc.

Oh, it is a lot simpler than that.

If they want to increase ridership, _ALL_ they have to do is stop at the
stops I need, on the days and trips that I need them, and skip all ther
rest.

Transfers? Bad idea.

[George Grapman]

Post by David Nebenzahl

Post by Laurence Sheldon

Post by David Nebenzahl
I've used Richmond to xfer between BART and Amtrak (Capitols) when I
used to live on the Peninsula. Too bad one can't board the
long-distance train there.

That sort of summarizes the problem doesn't? We need a long distance
train that stops at the stations we want it ti stop at. (Can't be
stopping at them all--wouldn't be a long distance train anymore, would it?

Not really. It's all about *connections*, not people wanting the train
to stop at every podunk town along the way. *One* stop at a major
connection point isn't the same as, say, arguing over whether Caltrain
should stop at Paul Ave., Atherton, Bay Meadows, etc., etc.

Speaking of Bay Meadows the station there closed a few years ago,
Passenger now use Hillsdale and the have built a concrete path to the
gate. After the track closes next month there will be a simulcast
facility at the San Mateo Fairgrounds. Because of the longer walk they
are talking about a shuttle bus.

[Steve Pope]

Post by spsffan
There's a bit more to it, actually. Years ago the Oakland station was
the old SP 16th Street station. But this was damaged in the earthquake
in 1989 and was (IIRC) condemned. Amtrak subsequently built Emeryville
Station, with its location close to the freeways and bridge, but far
from most everything else.
For a while, trains like the Coast Starlight still stopped on the tracks
opposite 16th Street for a crew change, but the passenger stop was moved
to Emeryville. There was no where near the amount of Capital Corridor
traffic in those days (perhaps none?). Just the Starlight, Zephyr and a
few (3-4?) San Joaquins.
Later, the Jack London Square station was built close to downtown
Oakland, mostly to serve the Capital Corridor trains, but also a stop
for the Starlight, which ran through from San Jose just like the Capital
trains. Keep in mind that the car servicing yards are in West Oakland
(more or less) between Jack London and Emeryville. It made sense not to
have to do a backup move with the San Joaquins and Zephyr, so they
retained Emeryville as their origin/destination stop, while the through
trains stop at both.

It also seems to me that the current routing from Emeryville to
Jack London is somewhat shorter than the old routing through the
old main station in west Oakland. Is this the case, or am I
imagining it?

Steve

[David Nebenzahl]

[...]

Post by Steve Pope

Post by spsffan
Later, the Jack London Square station was built close to downtown
Oakland, mostly to serve the Capital Corridor trains, but also a stop
for the Starlight, which ran through from San Jose just like the Capital
trains. Keep in mind that the car servicing yards are in West Oakland
(more or less) between Jack London and Emeryville. It made sense not to
have to do a backup move with the San Joaquins and Zephyr, so they
retained Emeryville as their origin/destination stop, while the through
trains stop at both.

It also seems to me that the current routing from Emeryville to
Jack London is somewhat shorter than the old routing through the
old main station in west Oakland. Is this the case, or am I
imagining it?

Not really, since the 16th St. Station is along the way between downtown
(Jack London) and Emeryville, although the line now runs on the other
(west) side of 880. Actually a lot longer, since Jack London is quite a
bit south of the old depot.

[spsffan]

Post by David Nebenzahl
[...]

Post by Steve Pope

Post by spsffan
Later, the Jack London Square station was built close to downtown
Oakland, mostly to serve the Capital Corridor trains, but also a stop
for the Starlight, which ran through from San Jose just like the
Capital trains. Keep in mind that the car servicing yards are in West
Oakland (more or less) between Jack London and Emeryville. It made
sense not to have to do a backup move with the San Joaquins and
Zephyr, so they retained Emeryville as their origin/destination stop,
while the through trains stop at both.

It also seems to me that the current routing from Emeryville to
Jack London is somewhat shorter than the old routing through the
old main station in west Oakland. Is this the case, or am I
imagining it?

Not really, since the 16th St. Station is along the way between downtown
(Jack London) and Emeryville, although the line now runs on the other
(west) side of 880. Actually a lot longer, since Jack London is quite a
bit south of the old depot.

Could it be that track speed is better than in the past? IIRC you used
to just creap along through Oakland and now you get up to say 40mph.
California paid a lot of money for a fair amount of work on the Cal-P
line back when the Capitals were being introduced. Maybe that's it?

DAve

[Steve Pope]

Post by spsffan

Post by David Nebenzahl

Post by Steve Pope
It also seems to me that the current routing from Emeryville to
Jack London is somewhat shorter than the old routing through the
old main station in west Oakland. Is this the case, or am I
imagining it?

Not really, since the 16th St. Station is along the way between downtown
(Jack London) and Emeryville, although the line now runs on the other
(west) side of 880. Actually a lot longer, since Jack London is quite a
bit south of the old depot.

Could it be that track speed is better than in the past? IIRC you used
to just creap along through Oakland and now you get up to say 40mph.
California paid a lot of money for a fair amount of work on the Cal-P
line back when the Capitals were being introduced. Maybe that's it?

That could be it.

Steve