Full throttle for Coast StarlightAmtrak’s Coast Starlight...

Full throttle for Coast Starlight

Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train is back on track after a mudslide in January buried tracks in Oregon. After first shutting down, the train had run only parts of its scenic route between Los Angeles and Seattle. Last week, it chugged out of Los Angeles for its first full run in more than three months after Union Pacific cleared the tracks. Next stop: upgrades. Starting later this month, Amtrak will replace the train’s Kiddie Car with an arcade space, equipped with video games and open to all ages. It will also refurbish its parlor cars, adding flat-screen TVs, and offer seat-side meal service in coach. (Coach passengers can still use the dining car too.)

-- Jane Engle

Thrill meter

Snowboarders, mountain bikers and skateboarders used to compete by measuring their speed, distance and the difficulty of their maneuvers. Now, thanks to a Seattle-based start-up, X Games enthusiasts can also measure hang time. The Hangtimer, sold by DropZone, is a multifunction, water-resistant watch and accelerometer that straps to your pants and measures the time you spend off the ground, down to a hundredth of a second. We asked some baggy-pants teens at a Culver City skate park to test the Hangtimer. The skateboarders began to argue over who got to use it next. We’ll take that as a resounding endorsement ($75, available at [800] 640-3892, www.hangtimer.com).

-- Hugo Martin

Virtual workout

Want to have a Wii bit of fun? Try Westin Hotels & Resorts, which is equipping some of its fitness centers with the sports-simulation consoles by Nintendo. So, instead of just hopping on an exercise bicycle or hoisting a weight or two, you can pretend you’re tennis star Venus Williams, Yankee great Derek Jeter or any other of your athlete idols. Among 10 hotels adding the game this month in a pilot program: the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco and the Westin New York at Times Square.

-- J.E.

Secret agent man

For your eyes only -- well, and those of thousands of other visitors -- at London’s Imperial War Museum is a new exhibit on Ian Fleming and his most famous secret agent, James Bond. The exhibit, “For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond,” marks the 100th anniversary of Fleming’s birth and includes such objects as the author’s desk and chair from the Jamaica home where he wrote the Bond novels, as well as clothes and gadgets from the films. You’ll find props and costumes from the movies too. Admission is about $16 for adults. The exhibit runs until March. Lambeth North and Waterloo are the closest Tube stations. Info: london.iwm.org.uk.

-- Vani Rangachar