The 2008 American Association of Private Railcar Owners {AAPRCO} convention was planned for San Pedro, California and the group organized for Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 to pull an all-private car train to Old Town San Diego then over to San Pedro by diesels down the Alameda Corridor. Some owners were selling space, so Steve Grande, owner of Trainweb.com, booked me aboard my favorite private car, "Pony Express". The 24-car consist was posted on Trainorders.com and I just had to wait for the day for this trip to start.
The Consist
AT&SF 4-8-4 3751, Amtrak diesel running cab rear P42 DC 63, Amtrak diesel running cab forward P42DC 87, Amtrak diesel running cab rear P42DC 99, "City of Spokane" parlor-buffet-observation formerly Great Northern "Port of Seattle" 800362, "Northern Dreams" sleeper-lounge Union Pacific "North Platte" 800710, "Northern Sky" Dome-Sleeper-Lounge Union Pacific 9003 800588, "Birch Grove" 10-6 sleeper Southern Pacific 9020 800736, Northern Pacific 5558 observatory dome-sleeper-lounge 800290, "Chapel Hill" private car "Hussar" 800043, "Salisbury Beach" 6-4-6 sleeper Boston and Maine "Salisbury Beach" 800257, "Overland Trail" barbershop-lounge Southern Pacific 2981 800633, "City of Angels" sleeper-Lounge New York Central "Laurel Stream" 800180, "Tolani" 48-seat coach Santa Fe 2822 800721, "Colonial Crafts" sleeper-lounge Pennsylvania Railroad "Colonial Crafts" 800061, "Silver Lariat" dome-coach Chicago, Burlington and Quincy "Silver Lariat" 800190, "Pony Express" party car Canadian Pacific Railway 4210 800326, "Caritas" business St. Louis-San Francisco Railway "Pierre La Clede" 800045, "Louis Sockalexis" sleeper-lounge, Pennsylvania Railroad "Frank Thomson" 800110, "Pointe St. Charles" business Canadian National 800516, "Hollywood Beach" sleeper-lounge Seaboard "Hollywood Beach" 800129, "Colorado Pine" 6-4-6 sleeper Louisville and Nashville "Plantation Pine" 800563, "Two Rivers" sleeper-lounge New York Central "River" series 800032, "Burrard" tour car Canadian National "Burrard" 800591, "Virginia City" business Pullman "Crystal Peak" 800313, "Bella Vista" dome-sleeper-lounge Union Pacific 9006 800212, "Palm Leaf" 10-6 sleeper Santa Fe "Palm Leaf" 800237, "Scottish Thistle business Canadian National 800636.
Getting to Santa Fe 3751 9/21/2008I arose at 3:45 AM and prepared for my day with the Santa Fe 3751 aboard "Pony Express". Steve and his wife Barbara picked me up at 4:25 AM and we took freeways to San Pedro, arriving at the Crowne Plaza Hotel where I obtained a parking pass for the day and we parked in the basement and took the elevator to the lobby. Carole Walker of Bella Vista Travel arrived twenty minutes later and after she received her parking permit, I took her down to park her car. Steve and Barbara waited for Tom and Kelly Marshall of the Depot Inn & Suites in La Plata, Missouri while Carole and I decided to ride the first bus to Amtrak's 8th Street Yard and on an early Sunday morning, there was no traffic. After a few minutes we were allowed off and I boarded "Salisbury Beach" and walked through "Overland Trail", "City of Angels", "Tolani", "Colonial Crafts" and "Silver Lariat" before I reached "Pony Express" where I was greeted by owner Stan Garner.
Santa Fe 3751 AAPRCO Excursion to San Diego 9/21/2008
The view from the large baggage car doors of "Pony Express".
Pacific Surfliner 564 passed 8th Street Yard and we would follow him south on our way to San Diego. Then the Southwest Chief was seen on its early arrival at Los Angeles Union Station.
At 7:32 AM, Santa Fe 3751 started reversing the train up so it could reach the switch out to the mainline currently located under the train.
It reversed about 16 car lengths before stopping to throw that switch to leave the yard.
The spsecial train then made its way out of the yard.
We passed the Amtrak yard switchers.
We made our way onto Metrolink's River Subdivision at CP Olympic.
Running along the Los Angeles River, after which we crossed the Redondo flyover across the Alameda Corridor and the Los Angeles River.
Our train had crossed the flyover and at CP Soto, entered BNSF's San Bernardino Subdivision for the trip to Fullerton.
Crossing the Union Pacific Railroad at Hobart Tower.
Santa Fe 3751 passed BNSF's Hobart Yard.
A BNSF power set on its way from the Commerce Engine Facility to the yard.
The BNSF Commerce Engine Shop.
We met a westbound freight train east of Interstate 5.
The yard tower at Pico Rivera.
Santa Fe 3751 smoked it up on a curve east of Pico Rivera.
Approaching the San Gabriel River and DT Junction.
BNSF was planning to add a third track in the future along most of the San Bernardino Subdivision between CP Soto and Fullerton.
About to cross the former Pacific Electric Whittier line.
Rounding the large at Los Nietos on the way to Santa Fe Springs.
Passing through Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Metrolink station.
A future third track being added at La Mirada.
We entered Orange County at Buena Park.
The rear of our train.
Passing through the Buena Park Metrolink station.
Santa Fe 3751 and train rounded the curve at Basta en route to Fullerton and I called Santa Ana station to let the agents know we were on our way.
Our passage through the Fullerton station.
At Fullerton Jct, we left the BNSF mainline for Metrolink's San Diego Subdivision.
At Orangethorpe Avenue, I spotted my friend Bob Riskie videotaping our special steam run to San Diego.
Santa Fe 3751 entered Anaheim and was about to run through CP La Palma.
In South Anaheim, we rounded the curve before crossing Lewis Street.
At CP College, the train crossed the former Southern Pacific Tustin Branch with Anaheim Stadium in the background.
Rounding took the curve to cross State College Boulevard.
Approaching Anaheim station then underneath the Orange Freeway, State Route 57.
Our crossing of the Santa Ana River.
A few minutes later, after seeing Roy Wojahn and Cliff Prather of the Orange County Railway Historical Society, we passed through the Metrolink station at Orange.
Crossing La Veta Avenue before passing beneath the Garden Grove Freeway, State Route 22.
The front of the train traversed Santiago Creek and entered Santa Ana.
While the rear was still in Orange passing under the Garden Grove Freeway.
A few minutes later, we sped through the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, my home station, which I would not be visiting today.
We took the curve south of there and passed the location of the former Santa Ana Santa Fe station.
Rounding the curve to reach the long straight-away to Irvine and beyond.
One of the blimp hangars in Tustin, the world's largest wooden structure.
Santa Fe 3751 ran through the Tustin Metrolink station.
The grade separation project at Jeffrey Road in Irvine.
Coming off the Jeffrey Road shoofly.
Bob Riskie continued to capture this excursion on videotape, this time at Sand Canyon Road.
The big orange balloon at the former El Toro Marine Base, home of the future Great Park.
Running through Irvine station.
Near El Toro Road in El Toro, Santa Fe 3751 met Pacific Surfliner 565 on the fly.
About to cross Oso Creek.
Our train was nearing the highest point on the former Santa Fe Surfline.
We reached and crossed that point.
A look back as the we entered Mission Viejo.
Santa Fe 3751 crossed under La Paz Road followed by Interstate 5.
We rolled down the grade from the top of the El Toro Hill.
A few minutes later, the train went under Crown Valley Parkway in Laguna Niguel.
We passed through Mission Viego/Laguna Niguel Metrolink station then entered single track at CP Avery.
A few of the many photographers along our route today.
Santa Fe 3751 passed through San Juan Capistrano.
We crossed San Juan Creek and took the turn to reach the shore of the Pacific Ocean.
Our train on the "S" curves at CP Capistrano.
Rounding the curve in the middle of Serra siding.
