I awoke at 5:30 AM as the train was paralleling the Salton Sea in the dark. After getting dressed, I proceeded to the lounge car to wait for breakfast to be served then as we neared Thermal at 6:00 AM, I went into the dining car and discovered that there was no French toast nor Bob Evans breakfast aboard this train. I cannot eat eggs, so I had to settle for a modified continental breakfast of a bowl of Rice Krispies, sausage patties and a croissant. After breakfast, it was back to my car to be ready for the fresh air stop at Palm Springs.
Approaching our Palm Springs station stop.
Some windmills to the south.
During the fresh air break.
An eastbound Union Pacific freight went through while we were here.
After leaving Palm Springs, we passed through the windmill fields.
The train ran through the windmill fields.
Sunrise took place below Cabazon.
Our train arrived at Cabazon.
Passed a westbound Union Pacific freight as we went through Banning.
The Sunset Limited then descended through San Timiteo Canyon on a really clear morning.
It was possible to see the San Gabriel Mountains through the morning haze.
It became clearer as we dropped into the San Bernardino Valley.
The arrowhead on the San Bernardino Mountains was clearly visible.
We crossed the Santa Ana River and Lyle Creek after passed underneath Interstate 215.
Another westbound Union Pacific train, this time at Colton.
The former Southern Pacific Colton station.
Crossing the BNSF at Colton.
The Relco switcher was out just east of West Colton Yard.
Going by the departure track at the east end of the yard.
The bowl at West Colton Yard with some tank cars having been crested.
The crest and yard tower.
A line of cars waiting to be crested.
We proceeded to Ontario and after stopping at the station, we departed.
We left Pomona on time and continued west towards our final stop at Los Angeles Union Station.
Just as the crew was celebrating an early arrival at Los Angeles, we came to Bassett at 8:47 AM, where we were stopped by red signals. An eastbound Union Pacific freight was blocking our path to the west where there is a crossover to the Metrolink line we could take into LAUPT.
First, Metrolink 317 from San Bernardino to Union Station came by at 9:12 AM. We continued to sit and wait with everyone wondering why?
At 9:37 AM, here came Metrolink 302 from Union Station to San Bernardino.
At 9:43 AM, the Sunset Limited finally started moving west once more.
We crossed over from the Sunset Route to the Metrolink San Bernardino line.
As we climbed over the San Gabriel Flyover, we passed that Union Pacific freight that was blocking our path.
The end of that eastbound UP freight.
Next we detoured around a bridge under construction in El Monte.
We curved away from the Sunset Route heading toward the middle of Interstate 10.
We were high in the air and paralleled Rio Honda.
It was a beautiful morning as we approached the middle of the San Bernardino Freeway.
The bus express lanes join our route.
Curving through a tunnel to reach the middle of the freeway before we raced down it at 60 miles an hour.
Another bus express lane entered and exited the freeway.
The siding in the middle of the freeway.
The traffic slowed but we did not!
Our train curved off the middle of the freeway, but ran next to the busway by Metrolink's Cal State Los Angeles station.
Curving through the hills running along the north side of the San Bernardino Freeway.
We reached Yuma Junction where we crossed the Los Angeles River.
The south side of Mission Tower as we approached Los Angeles Union Station, arriving there at 10:18 AM, twelve minutes early and I detrained, but still had one more thing to do.
I took a paper towel and in large letters, wrote "Wash Me!" on the dirtiest car I had ever ridden.
An early Sunset Limited and a slightly tardy Southwest Chief. After that, I walked around to Track 9 to wait for Pacific Surfliner 572.
Pacific Surfliner 572 1/3/2007This train had F59PHI 463, Pacific Business Class 6807, coach/café 6306 and coaches 6412 and 6400 with cab car 6905. We boarded at 11:00 AM and departed on time ten minutes later, stopping at Fullerton and Anaheim before arriving at Santa Ana, ending another fantastic Amtrak adventure and a great trip to Texas.
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