Cool Chromes -- The Bay Head Streamliners

Cool Chromes is a semi-regular feature where we look at slides that have recently passed through the scanner.

NJ DOT; Bay Head Junction, N.J.; July 26, 1981

One of the great commuter shows in the country -- especially among the commuter operations run by a state agency and not a classic railroad -- was along the northern New Jersey coast in the early 1980s. The New Jersey Department of Transportation's North Jersey Coast Line (also known by its legacy name of the New York & Long Branch) was operated by Conrail under contract for NJDOT, with the state agency supplying equipment. The NY&LB was shared by two railroads -- the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Central Railroad of New Jersey, both of which became part of Conrail in 1976 -- and into the NJDOT years the trains from the two railroads maintained separate looks. The former CNJ trains were diesel powered from Hoboken, but it was the former PRR trains that stole the show. Coming from Pennsylvania Station in New York, the trains were powered by electric locomotives to South Amboy, N.J., where the electrics were replaced by diesels to continue on to Bay Head. This locomotive change continued for several years into the New Jersey Transit era (which began in 1983) until electrification was extended to Long Branch.

The ex-Pennsy trains were powered by E8 diesels, most of which came out of the PRR merger into Penn Central pained solid black. NJDOT adopted a nice blue scheme with a silver cigar band (see No. 4320 in the photo above), which was a not bad scheme (certainly better than the solid black). But when NJDOT turned that cigar band into a bow wave (the other two locomotives above), then they really had a nice scheme. A later variation of the bow wave had a state outline in a circle added. Bay Head Junction was the end point of the railroad, where a turning loop and yard were located. The evening and weekend lineup of trains there was always worth shooting.

Further up the line at Red Bank we see a southbound train led by a pair of E8s. Note the lack of the state outline on the nose.

NJ DOT; Red Bank, N.J.; August 30, 1980

Needing to bolster its E8 fleet, NJDOT purchased additional units, including a couple from the Southern Railway, When Amtrak was formed in 1971, the Southern opted to stay out of the national passenger carrier and operated its Southern Crescent with E8s between Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, La. Southern eventually joined Amtrak, making its E8s surplus. Though battered by age, the former Crescent units were a nice addition to the NY&LB.

NJ DOT; South Amboy, N.J.; July 1981

At South Amboy the E8s gave way to electrics so the train could finish its run into Penn Station. But these weren't just any electrics -- these were classic GG1 locomotives from the Pennsylvania Railroad. Indeed, the NY&LB would be the last place these veteran locomotives from the 1930s would operate. Weekends at South Amboy would find E8s and GG1s sharing the compact engine terminal.

NJ DOT; South Amboy, N.J.; March 23, 1980

GG1 powered trains coming into South Amboy from New York had to cross Raritan Bay on a long bridge. This bridge became one of the most photographed railroad locations in New Jersey during this time period. The GG1s, much like the E8s, wore black from Penn Central. Unlike the E8s, all the GG1s (save one) never got a new coat of paint.

New Jersey Transit; South Amboy, N.J.; May 13, 1983

At the opposite end of the bridge is Perth Amboy. The shore of Raritan Bay in this town became known by railfans as Bacteria Beach. It was packed with photographers on October 29, 1983, during the last day of GG1 operations. Doing the honor of pulling the last train was GG1 No. 4877, the only repainted electric motor on the New Jersey Transit roster (NJT had taken over rail operations from NJDOT and Conrail on January 1, 1983). But what a paint scheme it was painted! No. 4877 received the classic Tuscan Red and five gold pinstripes of its former owner, the Pennsylvania Railroad.

New Jersey Transit; Perth Amboy, N.J.; October 29, 1983

At Rahway the NY&LB joins Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Amtrak had retired its GG1 fleet a couple of years ahead of NJT, replacing them with modern Swedish-designed AEM7 locomotives. So when a Bay Head-bound train met an Amtrak train, it was definitely a meeting of eras -- the last of the 1950s passenger trains meeting the trains of the 1980s and '90s.

NJ DOT and Amtrak; Rahway, N.J.

The Ruins of Gary Union Station

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

The past grandeur of railroading is often reflected in its great passenger stations. Many of these icons have survived into the 21st Century with varying degrees of preservation. Grand Central Terminal in New York is perhaps the most elegant of the survivors. celebrating its 100th anniversary last year; meanwhile, just a few blocks south in Manhattan, Pennsylvania Station was demolished in 1963. Buffalo Central Terminal has been stabilized and its concourse open for public events, despite limited electricity and no plumbing. Michigan Central Station in Detroit is undergoing stabilization, but remains closed to visitors. And then there is Gary Union Station in Gary, Ind.

The station is only slightly younger than the town it served; Gary was established by U.S. Steel in 1906 and the station was built in 1910. It is situated between the elevated lines of the former New York Central and Baltimore & Ohio, and is now in the shadow of I-90. While it looks like it is built of stone blocks, the station is actually cast concrete. It was designed by architect M.A. Lang in the Beaux Arts design. The last trains served the station in the 1950s.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

The station caught my attention when it was named to the inaugural list of the Eight Most At Risk Railroad Landmarks issued by the National Railway Historical Society in 2013. A trip into Indiana last July put me close enough to the station to check it out. While Gary has the reputation of being perhaps a dangerous town, a quick check of satellite maps showed that it was located on the northernmost edge of the city, with what's left of the steel mill on the opposite side of the railroad tracks. There really wouldn't be any reason for traffic -- by auto or on foot -- to be in the area. And that is pretty much what I discovered when I got there; no one was around. The main entrance is covered with a rotting piece of plywood, but walking to the south side of the building revealed an obvious entrance.

Gary Union Station; July 6, 2013

Gary Union Station

Once inside, it was easy to see how grand the station must have been in its prime -- and how much the elements have affected the structure in the half century since the last trains stopped here. The walls are solid -- the building isn't going to fall over any time soon. But the roof is another matter. You are always looking up, both to admire what must have been magnificent skylights and to make sure none of the ceiling would be falling on your head. I'm not sure what's holding up the big center beam. The front entrance can be seen in the photo on the right.

A set of steps in the back leads up to what's left of the second floor. The steps are blocked with debris, but even without the obstructions it would be unwise to venture up -- there isn't much floor left of the second floor.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

Apparently some artistic philosopher noted that as time progresses, one's mood gets worse. I guess that's what this graph indicates. This is under the rear area where the second floor is located.

Gary Union Station; July 6, 2013

Turning around, we get this view out into the main concourse.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

Other artwork adorns the walls, although by some standards the graffiti isn't as prevalent as you might see in other places.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

Among all the debris that lies around -- tires and trash -- one item stands out. There is a chair that occupies the center of the concourse, and Internet searches of photos others have taken here show that the chair has been there for quite awhile. It has become the unofficial icon of the station.

Gary Union Station; July 6, 2013

There are no plans to restore or stabilize the station. The closest an attempt gas come was back in 2000 when a federal grant was made available to repair the roof, but the city was unable to come up with the matching funds that were required. As I said earlier, the building's walls are strong and should stand forever. But someday the ceiling is going to be occupying the floor more than it already is.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

For more photos of Gary Union Station click here.

First Day of A New Era On Amtrak

Amtrak ACS-64 No. 600; Princeton Junction, N.J.; February 7, 2014

The railroad world is constantly changing, and even though the change is often slow we are sometimes surprised to wake up one day and find something that has always been there to suddenly be gone. On February 7, 2014, the first tiny step in what will ultimately change the entire Northeast Corridor on Amtrak occurred, as a new locomotive made its first revenue run.

First, let's step back one evolutionary step. The Northeast Corridor that we know today was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1930s as a massive upgrading of the main line between New York and Washington. By the 1940s the primary locomotive on the Corridor (it was not known by that name at the time) was the classic GG1 electric locomotive, designed by Raymond Loewy. The first run by a GG1 occurred on January 28, 1935.

In 1967 the Pennsylvania Railroad became part of Penn Central, and in 1976 the bankrupt PC was folded in Conrail. On the passenger train side, Penn Central was able to rid itself of intercity trains with the formation of Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak took over operations on the corridor and had to replace the four-decades-old GG1 fleet. General Electric E60's were purchased to supplement the GG1s, but Amtrak ultimately settled on the Swedish-designed AEM7 locomotive. The first AEM7 entered service in 1979, and by 1982 the GG1 had been vanquished (save for some holdouts on New Jersey Transit, which were gone in late 1983).

So that brings us to today. The AEM7s are now over 30 years old (65 were produced, but time has thinned the fleet somewhat) and in need of replacement. Like the E60 that served as a stopgap during the late GG1 era, a new locomotive was introduced in 1999, the HHP8, and like the E60 these locomotives have been only marginally successful. To replace both the HHP8 fleet (which totals 15 units) and the AEM7s, Amtrak has purchased 70 ACS-64 locomotives from Siemens Mobility.

And that brings us to February 7, 2014. The day was sunny, so I headed down to Princeton Junction, N.J., to watch the parade of trains that pass through. New Jersey Transit had ordered sister locomotives to the AEM7 in the form of very similar ALP44 locomotives; all of these have already been retired. The successor is the ALP46, and a few of these passed through Princeton Junction on this day. The NJT trains operate push-pull, so the locomotive can be on either end. The tower is Nassau Tower, and the photo angle here has just recently been opened up by the removal of trees near the tracks.

New Jersey Transit ALP46; Princeton Junction, N.J.; February 7, 2014

The premier trains on the corridor are Amtrak's Acela Express trains, which have a decidedly European look (about as European as anything you'll find in North America, anyhow), and a few of these sets came speeding through Princeton Junction, kicking up ice chunks from along the right of way.

Amtrak Acela Express; Princeton Junction, N.J.; February 7, 2014

A couple of trains had HHP8 locomotives leading. A few of these locomotives will likely stay on the Amtrak roster into the future, but not as passenger power. They will likely be used in work train service on the corridor.

Amtrak HHP8; Princeton Junction, N.J.; February 7, 2014

And, of course, the workhorse of the Corridor, the AEM7, made multiple appearances. I started photographing trains seriously around 1979, just as the AEM7s were making large inroads into the GG1 fleet. These locomotives have always been a part of my frequent visits to the Northeast Corridor.

So why was this day so important? Amtrak's new ACS-64 locomotives have been testing on the Northeast Corridor for a few months now, but when ACS-64 No. 600 led train No. 171 south from Boston to Washington on this day (see the photo at the top of this post), it marked the first time that an AEM7 had been bumped from pulling a revenue train by the new locomotives. One run on one day may not seem like much, but it was the official beginning of the end for a fleet of locomotives that have served Amtrak for three decades.

Amtrak AEM7; Princeton Junction, N.J.; February 7, 2014

For a complete set of photos from this day click here.

Cool Chromes -- Louisville & Nashville 152

Cool Chromes is a semi-regular feature that looks at slides that have recently passed through the scanner.

Louisville & Nashville No. 152; Marion, Va.; June 6, 1986

Some restored steam locomotives have been elusive for me. While Southern Railway 2-8-2 No. 4501 was one of the most photographed and widely traveled steam locomotives of the 1970s, I only saw it once. With lessons learned from steam locomotives that appeared and quickly vanished before I could see them, when I heard that Louisville & Nashville 4-6-2 No. 152 would be powering trips for Norfolk Southern out of Bristol, Va., I made plans to get down there.

Louisville & Nashville No. 152 is a Jersey girl, built by the Rogers Locomotive Works in Paterson in 1905, one of 45 Pacifics purchased by the L&N from the builder. Among its reported claims to fame is it powered part of the trip that took Al Capone to Alcatraz. It was retired by the L&N in 1953 and donated to the Kentucky Railway Museum. It returned to service for the museum in 1985, and in June 1986 it was tapped by Norfolk Southern to power a set of trips.

My brother Bruce and I headed south from New Jersey on Friday night, June 5, after work. A nearly all-night drive put us in Bristol on the Virginia-Tennessee border at about 4:00 a.m. We found No. 152 in the yard, and the night hostler was nice enough to turn on the headlight for us for a quick round of night shots. We then slept in the car until daybreak.

Louisville & Nashville 152; Bristol, Va.; June 6, 1986

The morning found No. 152 getting ready for the first of two weekend trips. The first one would take it north on the former Norfolk & Western's Shenandoah Line, a stretch of track that was often used by O. Winston Link for his magnificent night photos from the 1950s. Much of the line roughly follows U.S. Route 11, making chasing somewhat intuitive -- a good thing in this day before GPS systems or even decent maps. Near Marion, Va., we got the classic Pacific heading north.

Louisville & Nashville 152; Marion, Va.; June 6, 1986

The trip's destination was Walton, which is a railroad place deep in the woods along the New River near Radford. At Walton is a wye, which would allow the entire train to be turned for the southbound trip back to Bristol. We caught the train approaching the northern end of its trip at Dublin, just outside of Radford.

Louisville & Nashville 152; Dublin, Va.; June 6, 1986

On the return trip we went into the town of Rural Retreat. It was here that O. Winston Link made a classic night shot at the depot on a Christmas Eve, and recorded the sounds of a train passing through town as the church bells played hymns.

Louisville & Nashville 152; Rural Retreat, Va.; June 6, 1986

Signal problems dropped the train's speed to ten miles per hour as it followed a rural road above Marion. This allowed for multiple easy shots, including a pastoral scene at Atkins.

Louisville & Nashville 152; Atkins, Va.; June 6, 1986

From here the train proceeded back into Bristol, unloaded its passengers, and deadheaded to Johnson City, Tenn., for the next day's run to Bull's Gap and Natural Tunnel. The following day's chase was much more challenging (it was done using a state highway map that kind of showed railroads), but we got a handful of shots.

In the years since this trip, No. 152 has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places and was named the Official State Locomotive of Kentucky. It is now the oldest surviving Pacific-type locomotive in the U.S. It was retired from service at the Kentucky Railway Museum in 2011 and faces a future that will largely be determined by the ability to raise a large amount of cash.

Super Saturday Streetcar Special XXI

SEPTA; Drexel Hill, Penn.; February 1, 2014

The Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has traditionally operated a streetcar charter over the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority on the day before the Super Bowl. This year's trip, in keeping with the Super Bowl tradition of Roman numerals, was Super Saturday Streetcar Special XXI. This year's trip was held on SEPTA's Red Arrow Division which includes the light rail/streetcar hybrid lines from Upper Darby, Pa., to Media and Sharon Hill; the previous Super Saturday trips had been held on the City Transit Division which is comprised of the streetcar lines within Philadelphia's city limits. As usual, your writer served as the coordinator for the trip. And as usual, the trip included a number of photo stops. Special for this trip was the use of Kawasaki car No. 101, wrapped for the 100th anniversary of the Philadelphia & West Chester Traction Co., a predecessor of Red Arrow. The first stop was held at Anderson Avenue in Drexel Hill (above).

One of the challenges of any charter is staying out of the way of regular streetcars. The Red Arrow Division consists of three rail lines (and several bus routes). One rail line is the separate Norristown High Speed Line from 69th Street to Norristown; this is more of a modern interurban line, completely grade separated over its entire length. The other two lines are the Media and Sharon Hill lines, which share the track from 69th Street to Drexel Hill Junction. the Sharon Hill line is double track for almost its entire length, save for the final mile or so into Sharon Hill. The Media line is also single track as it is entirely street running in the town of Media, and it also has a stretch of single track through some forested areas in Springfield. Since one of the best photo locations is on the single track, a stop was made at the end of double track to let regular traffic clear.

SEPTA; Springfield, Penn.; February 1, 2014

With regular traffic gone, the trip proceeded to the Paper Mill Road station, where a short walk leads to a road bridge in Smedley Park, conveniently parallel to the rail line. The forecast leading up to the trip had been bad all week, but the sun was out and we got the signature shot out of the way in strong sunlight.

SEPTA; Smedley Park, Springfield, Penn.; February 1, 2014

SEPTA; Media, Penn.

From here the trip went to the end of the line in Media. Just after getting through, State Street was shut down for a Chinese New Year parade (SEPTA was not informed ahead of time that this would be happening. The regular service car behind us was cut off from reaching the end of the line (we could see it poking above the parade up the street), while we were stuck with no place to go. Taking advantage of the closed road, we proceeded towards the parade as far as we could go to get a shot that included the court house.

SEPTA; Media, Penn.; February 1, 2014

SEPTA's wire car was out checking the overhead electric lines, and they knew before heading out from Upper Darby that they might be recruited for a couple of photo opportunities. The first one occurred as our car came off the single track out of Media. The wire car was there waiting to go in, but they had time to wait for us to get a few photos.

SEPTA; Media, Penn.; February 1, 2014

From here we headed back into 69th Street for a rest stop. Once that was done, we came back out and made a left at Drexel Hill Junction to head down the Sharon Hill line. Our first stop was at a bridge over Darby Creek in Drexel Hill, and the wire car (which had run all the way to Sharon Hill and back during our rest stop) was waiting to be included in one more photo.

SEPTA; Darby Creek, Drexel Hill, Penn.; February 1, 2014

The "must get" shot on the Sharon Hill line would be an over-under with a SEPTA regional rail (heavy rail) train where the streetcar goes under the railroad at the Clifton-Aldan station. This required getting some regular service traffic cleared, so we had a meet with a regular car at Darby before reversing direction to follow it back to the railroad.

SEPTA; Darby, Penn.; February 1, 2014

It took some juggling of regular streetcars, a lot of traffic and a late train, but the over-under did come together at the Clifton-Aldan station. Both prime shots -- Smedley Park and here -- had been accomplished.

SEPTA; Clifton Heights, Penn.; February 1, 2014

From here it was on to Sharon Hill. Our car followed a regular service car in, but photographers could get off one stop short at McDade Boulevard in Darby. From here our car could be photographed with the regular service car in the distance in Sharon Hill. The railroad overhead is CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision, the former Baltimore & Ohio main line.

SEPTA; Darby, Penn.; February 1, 2014

The sun was only getting better, so at Drexel Hill Junction we headed back out on the Media line to Pine Ridge Road in Media. A nice set of shots were made here at the rural grade crossing at the station. Once we were done here we made one last photo stop in SPringfield, then headed back to Upper Darby to end the trip. A complete set of photos from the day can be found here.

SEPTA; Media, Penn.; February 1, 2014

Boston & Albany Stations

Amtrak; Springfield, Mass.; January 25, 2014

Each year in late January the Amherst Railway Society holds one of the biggest railroadiana and model train shows and sales in West Springfield, Mass. While the show runs two days, I decided to spend only one day at the show and spend the second day meandering along the former Boston & Albany (now a part of CSX). After the show on Saturday evening I headed over to the Springfield station to drop off a friend who was taking Amtrak home. The gray skies were just beginning to spit snow as darkness moved in (above). The Springfield station still uses the old B&A platforms and canopies, but the station itself is modern and utilitarian. I then went to Palmer, Mass., with another friend for dinner at the Steaming Tender Restaurant, which is located in the town's former B&A station. While I didn't get any photos there, I did get a very good and reasonably priced meal that was a great way to end the day.

Pioneer Valley; Springfield, Mass.

The first stop the next morning was at the former B&A station in Westfield. The large brick structure now houses an insurance agency. Over the years, the railroad has been raised through this area, so now the CSX tracks are substantially higher than the old level of the platform floors. The Pioneer Valley used to cross CSX here on a diamond, but the elevated CSX right of way now covers where the diamond was. The bridge on the Pioneer Valley just south of CSX is now abandoned. Also nearby is what's left of a signal that controlled Pioneer Valley movements over the diamond.

Boston & Albany; Westfield, Mass.; January 26, 2014

Chester Railway Station; Chester, Mass.

Heading west, the next station still in existence on the B&A is at Chester. Now housing a railroad museum, the wood frame depot is a survivor; the date it was built is unknown, but it was likely in the 1840s. It shares a design that was quite common on the B&A, but when the B&A's parent railroad, the New York Central, modernized the line's depots in the 1880s, most of the wood frame depots were demolished. In addition to Chester, one still exists in Hinsdale, but it has been moved away from the tracks. The Chester Railway Station & Museum has several pieces of equipment on display, including an 0-4-0T steam locomotive.

Chester Railway Station; Chester, Mass.; January 26, 2014

CSX; Washington, Mass.

Exploration further west revealed some surprises. A station I had seen at Becket many years ago was gone, with only the remnants of a derelict wooden caboose left at the site. The station in Dalton that was a restaurant the last time I was there is now a private residence. Since the light was not real good for shooting, we decided not to bother the owners to see if we could take a photo. We did see the wooden station in Hinsdale that was moved from the tracks, but once again the light was not favorable. But while we were in Hinsdale, we heard an eastbound CSX freight approaching, and we chased it to near the summit of the Berkshire Mountains in Washington, where the B&A passes through a deep cut. We chased the train eastward, and got it again at Huntington. But our patchy blue skies were giving way to gloomy gray, and with Amtrak still three hours away we decided it was time to head for home.

A few more photos from the day can be found here.

CSX; Huntington, Mass.; January 26, 2014

Cool Chromes -- My First California Trip (Part 4 - North To South)

Amtrak; Norden, California; May 1991

In the last few editions of Cool Chromes we have been looking at scenes from my first trip ever to California in May 1991. In the first part we looked at a few random images; in the second part we focused on the Santa Fe Railway; and in the third part we chased Southern Pacific 4449 from Klamath Falls, Ore., to Sacramento. In this final installment, we'll do a quick tour from north to south in the Golden State. Since this was my first trip to California, I had to see it all and did cover the whole state from the Oregon border to San Diego. We'll start this last tour high in the Sierra Nevada as the California Zephyr emerges from the snowshed at Norden and is about to make its descent down Donner Pass on Southern Pacific tracks. Even this late in the year, the winter snow remains piled high.

Our next stop is in the Central Valley below Sacramento. Stockton is the easternmost port in California that ocean-going ships can reach (it's well inland, but the San Joaquin River is navigable from San Francisco Bay) and as such is a busy rail center. Two short lines serve Stockton, the Central California Traction and the Stockton Terminal & Eastern. During the 1991 visit the ST&E was still powered by diesels from the American Locomotive Company, including S4 No. 564 built in 1951.

Stockton Terminal & Eastern; Stockton, Calif.; May 1991

West of Stockton, the upper Bay Area is full of refineries. We caught Southern Pacific SW1500 No. 2662 hauling tank cars near the passenger station in Martinez. In 1991 only a couple of Amtrak trains served the small station here. However, Amtrak California greatly expanded service in the region, with trains serving Sacramento and Bakersfield from Oakland passing through Martinez. Today Martinez has a brand new station that serves over 30 daily trains.

Southern Pacific; Martinez, Calif.; May 1991

Moving down along the Bay, we are on the south end of the peninsula just north of San Jose to see Caltrain action at Santa Clara. Caltrain is the commuter line that heads south from San Francisco to San Jose, with limited service beyond to Gilroy. The circular ramp made a nice photo prop for F40 No. 902. Note the train number boards sticking out near the cab window indicating that this is train No. 32.

Caltrain; Santa Clara, Calif.; May 1991

Down in Los Angeles, the only passenger trains serving the city were Amtrak trains, coming into recently restored Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal. On the way into the station, trains had to pass by Terminal Tower, which controlled movements through the complex. Here's a somewhat unique Amtrak train with a baggage car and Amfleet cars; double-deck Superliners are more common in the west.

Amtrak; Terminal Tower, Los Angeles, Calif.; May 1991

Up next we head out into the desert east of Los Angeles on the former Southern Pacific. In 1991 Beaumont Hill was not seeing much traffic -- the stack train boom was in its infancy -- but it was still worth a visit. We caught GP60 No. 9707 (lettered for SP subsidiary St. Louis Southwestern -- better known as the Cotton Belt) passing under a cantilever signal bridge in Beaumont.

Southern Pacific; Beaumont, Calif.; May 1991

Next, we find an Amtrak Surfliner heading south (the locomotive is actually pushing the train) as it heads through San Clemente. In 1991 the coastal town was only 17 years removed from its claim to fame as the location of the Western White House, the residence of President Richard Nixon.

Amtrak; San Clemente, Calif.; May 1991

We started our tour on snowy Donner Pass and we'll finish our tour basking in warmth of the Pacific sun. In 1991 Los Angeles had no commuter train service -- Metrolink was still a couple of years away -- but there was one commuter-ish train running down the coast line from Los Angeles to Oceanside. The train had double-deck gallery cars from Caltrain's San Francisco commuter service, with an Amtrak F40 on the south end for power and an Amtrak cab car on the north end for the northbound trips. We see the train at the end of the run as it comes into Oceanside. This concludes our tour of California in 1991 and you can see why the Golden State is almost railfan heaven!

Amtrak; Oceanside, Calif.; May 1991