This trip was booked after I saw an advertisement on Trainorders.com about the former Canadian National Railway private car "Burrard" making a round trip from Los Angeles to San Diego. I contacted them and signed on for the trip and told Chris Parker, who would join me. I bought an Amtrk H-636 ticket online, worked during the week then Sunday morning finally arrived and I drove to the Santa Ana station to take the train to Los Angeles Union Station to board the private car.
I walked over to the east platform and soon the crossing gates at Santa Ana Boulevard went down.
Metrolink 857, a San Bernardino-to-Oceanside weekend train, arrived.
Pacific Surfliner 565 then appeared and I boarded.
The "Burrard" Trip to San Diego
PPCX 800591 "Burrard", ex. VIA 1098 "Burrard" 1978, nee Canadian National sleeper-buffet-observation 1098 built by Pullman-Standard in 1954. It is named after Burrard Inlet, near Canadian National's western terminus of Vancouver, British Columbia. Its sister car, "Bedford", was named for Bedford Basin, at the eastern end of the system. When built, it had an open platform, seven bedrooms, lounge, galley and crew room and was used on a number of special trains.
In 1958, it was in the 11 car consist of the Royal Train carrying Princess Margaret from Malton Airport to Halifax on the eastern Canada portion of her Official Visit. In 1959, it was the car immediately adjacent to Government of Canada Official Cars 1 and 2 on the rear of the 16 car Royal Train carrying Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. It was in the consist of a special train to inaugurate the VIA Rail blue with yellow stripe paint scheme before the car became VIA property in March 1978. The car was retired by VIA in December 1982 and sold to a private buyer in California in 1992.
Repainted in 2007 in original Canadian National colours, "Burrard" is owned by Bob McLean and Private Car Service charters various cars for trips based on our client needs.
The car's drumhead.
The author on the rear platform. I boarded the car and took a photographic journey through it.
The lounge.
The dining area.
The kitchen.
Two of the bedrooms.
A Canadian National poster on the hallway wall.
The shower. I waited for Chris Parker to arrive which he did about ten minutes before our on-time departure from Union Station at 11:10 AM, on the rear of Pacific Surfliner 572, as I was out on the rear platform of "Burrard".
Leaving the platform at LAUPT.
The station platforms were left behind as we passed Terminal Tower.
Next we passed Mission Tower as we paralleled along the Los Angeles River.
The Angels Flight cars were being stored at the Los Angeles Subway shops.
We travelled along the "Scenic Los Angeles River".
Climbing the Redondo Flyover across the Alameda Corridor and Los Angeles River.
Looking down, you could see where the former Santa Fe roundhouse once stood.
One of the benefits of being on the flyover is having this expansive view of the Los Angeles skyline.
Passing Hobart Tower at San Pedro Junction.
Later we ran by the new control point, CP Serapis, as BNSF continues to triple-track the San Bernardino Subdivision.
We ran through the new Buena Park Metrolink station then onto Fullerton, our first stop on Pacific Surfliner 572.
As we departed, a westbound BNSF freight blasted by us on Track 2.
Our train next entered Metrolink's San Diego Subdivision at Fullerton Junction.
After Anaheim, we passed through Orange before crossing Santiago Creek into Santa Ana, our next station stop.
Our train departed on its way to Irvine and San Juan Capistrano then crossed San Juan Creek and proceeded for the Pacific Ocean shore at Capistrano Beach.
Just after Metrolink's San Clemente North Beach station, we started our surfline running.
San Clemente Pier came into view.
The south side of the pier.
Paralleling both the ocean and San Clemente State Beach.
At County Line, we crossed San Mateo Creek.
Next, we crossed San Onofre Creek.
We then passed the fire zone from the Southern California wildfires earlier in the month. The fire crossed Interstate 5, but did not cross the tracks into San Onofre State Beach.
The newest piece of double track on the Surfline south of CP Pulgas.
We paused for Pacific Surfliner 775 before CP Puller.
The Coaster facility at Stuart Mesa.
Crossing Santa Margarita River.
At Fallbrook Junction, we passed the two Inland Empire Metrolink trains laying over.
After crossing the San Luis Rey River, we entered Oceanside, our next station stop.
The future Sprinter station and the extension of the Oceanside siding south towards Carlsbad.
We crossed the Loma Lagoon.
The replacement bridge at the Buena Vista Lagoon before we passing through Carlsbad Poinsettia station and Ponto.
Next we traversed Batiquitos Lagoon.
The former Santa Fe Encinitas station located across Highway 101.
Running above Swami Beach.
Crossing San Eilijo Lagoon.
We stopped at Solana Beach and then continued to San Diego.
Our crossing of the San Dieguritos River.
We went into the siding at CP Crosby to meet Pacific Surfliner 577.
Pacific Surfliner 577 passing our train at Del Mar.
The Santa Fe Del Mar station.
Rolling along the Del Mar bluffs.
Crossing the wetlands south of there.
We climbed Miramar Hill to CP Cumbres then ran down Rose Canyon into the greater San Diego area.
Pacific Surfliner 572 stopped in Old Town as the San Diego Chargers were playing at home today against the Indianapolis Colts.
We arrived at San Diego and I detrained before the "Burrard" was spotted for this picture. Here Chris and I met back up with Tom Anderson and Larry Boerio and decided to ride the Trolley out to Santee. We boarded the first one that said Old Town but it took us to Qualcomm Stadium with all of the football fans, so we detrained from that one and waited for a Green Line Trolley, which we took out to Santee. Hungry, we went to Chili's for an early dinner and just missed a Green Line trolley and had to wait for the next one.
It was raining as we returned to Old Town where the connecting trolley did not wait for us to board so we waited and returned to "Burrard" about fifteen minutes before we were scheduled to depart. I arranged to be dropped off in Santa Ana and rode on the back platform with F59PHI 461 just ahead as far as Solana Beach, then returned inside the lounge for most of the way as we made our way north to San Juan Capistrano. Back outside again for rest of the trip to Santa Ana, where I detrained, ending an excellent excursion on this beautiful private car.
The "Burrard" departed Santa Ana and I drove home.
