TCASII ATC TFC CONFLICT.

Narrative

WE HAD DEPARTED BURBANK FOR SLC ON THE VAN NUYS 7 DEP. WE WERE CLRED UP TO FL190 AND CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE 038 DEG RADIAL OFF PALMDALE. THEN WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE FROM SOCAL DEP TO ZLA. I SWITCHED FREQS AND CALLED RECEIVING NO ANSWER. RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT A TARGET APPEARED ON TCASII AT ABOUT OUR 11 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI AT 17500 FT. WE WERE AT 17000 FT CLBING. I ADVISED MY FO WHO WAS FLYING TO BE READY FOR AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. SURE ENOUGH TCASII SAID CLB CLB. SO WE BEGAN A CLBING R TURN AND I SWITCHED BACK TO SOCAL WHO AT THAT VERY INSTANT WAS SOUNDING VERY STRESSED WHILE SENDING US BACK TO ZLA. SWITCHING BACK TO CTR WE FINALLY GOT HIM. HE STATED HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT; US AND BECAUSE HE COULDN'T; HE HAD TO TURN THE OTHER TFC. HE ASKED IF WE HAD TCASII AND IF WE HAD BEGUN EVASIVE MANEUVERS. HE SEEMED QUITE UPSET. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH TIME ELAPSED FROM THE 1ST FREQ CHANGE UNTIL WE FINALLY TALKED TO ZLA BUT IT SURE SEEMS TO ME THAT IF I'M CLRED UP TO 19000 FT WHY IS HE LETTING SOMEBODY DOWN IN FRONT OF ME UNTIL WE HAVE ESTABLISHED COM. POSSIBLY THE OTHER TFC WAS VFR. TCASII IS A GREAT TOOL.