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Santa Fe 3751 San Diego Steam Special 6/1/2008

Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 was the final Santa Fe steam locomotive to pull the last steam passenger train between Los Angeles and San Diego on August 23rd, 1953. In 1926, the Santa Fe Railway, in cooperation with Baldwin Locomotive Works, designed Santa Fe's first 4-8-4 3751 as a coal burner. In May 1927, 3751 emerged from the erecting hall with builder's number 60004. In 1936, it was converted to burn oil at the San Bernardino Shops then on May 7th, 1939, 3751 hauled the first named passenger train, "The Scout", into the new Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal on opening day. In 1957, Santa Fe 3751 was officially retired from the railroad's roster and donated to the City of San Bernardino. It was placed in Viaduct Park as a static display on May 14, 1958. In 1976, steam returned to the Surf Line when Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 pulled the American Freedom Train with its first stop on the line at Anaheim Stadium.

I photographed Southern Pacific 4449 resting at night with the Big A standing guard behind on January 9th, 1976. The train departed Anaheim the night of January 13th, 1976 for display in San Diego. The Freedom Train then went back north on the Surf Line to San Juan Capistrano on the night of January 18th, 1976. After display there, the train continued north to Orange and a run up the Olive District to Atwood, then east to Colton and the Southern Pacific on the night of January 21, 1976.

I first saw Santa Fe 3751 sitting on display in Viaduct Park in San Bernardino. Little did I know at that time that one day in the future I would see it run under its own steam. My fondest memory was after one major rainstorm, seeing 3751 standing surrounded by rain water that had flooded the park. The San Bernardino Historical Railroad Society was formed to restore 3751, which started its restoration in June 1981 with an initial evaluation. Over the next few years, minor work was done in the park then in 1986, the engine was removed and taken to California Steel Industries in Fontana where the engine was rebuilt to be returned to service.

On August 13, 1991, the engine moved under its own power for the first time since August 25, 1953. Here is my first picture of Santa Fe 3751 under steam at Fontana.

The California Limited from Los Angeles to Bakersfield and return, the first public excursion passing through Fullerton on December 27, 1991. I rode from Barstow to Bakersfield for a trip around the Tehachapi Loop.

The 1992 Santa Fe 3751 Employee Recognition Special travcelled from Los Angeles to Chicago and return and was the next trip for the steam engine. Here it is westbound through Lavic on September 16, 1992.

Santa Fe 3751 was then displayed at the Riverside Orange Blossom Festival on April 23, 1995.

Santa Fe 3751 Railfair 1999 excursion passed through Horseshoe Curve in Santa Ana Canyon on June 16, 1999.

Santa Fe 3751's next journey was to the 2002 National Railway Historical Society's convention named "Canyon Rails" in Williams, Arizona. It made a two-day trip from Los Angeles to Williams and once there, on August 24, 2002, after pulling an excursion to the Grand Canyon, three steam engines were posed in front of the Grand Canyon station.

A photo runby was performed by both Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4960 and Santa Fe 3751 on the return trip to Williams.

Santa Fe 3751 West down the Peavine on the Arizona and California Railroad on August 25, 2002. A triple photo runby was held at MP 100, just east of Parker, Arizona in the 117 degree heat. The two-day journey back to Los Angeles was fantastic.

Santa Fe 3751 steamed through El Monte on Saturday June 12th, 2004 on its way to the restored San Bernardino station celebration.

San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society Community Outreach Program train at San Pedro on October 30, 2004.

The steam engine was on display on June 23rd, 2005 on Track 12 at Los Angeles Union Station.

Santa Fe 3751 has visited Fullerton Railroad Days several times; its latest visit was in 2008.

On Trainorders.com, it was announced that Santa Fe 3751 would be pulling a trip from Los Angeles to San Diego on June 1, 2008 and that tickets would be available in a few days. On Sunday morning, March 16th, I saw another post and went to the Central Coast Railway Club website and bought my ticket. I then spread the word to my friends to get tickets as soon as possible. Tom Anderson rode down to San Diego with me and once there, we purchased his ticket. Chris Parker then bought a ticket as did Winston Walker. Joe Harper, that wonderful videographer from Washington State, asked me for locations and someone to ride with him as he wanted to videotape the journey. That person became Bob Riskie. Joe had an extra ticket which I offered to Jeff Hartmann and once all that was complete, we all lived the days until the excursion.

I thought that before Joe chased Santa Fe 3751 to and from San Diego, he should ride the line to get acquainted with it and I could point out good photo locations. We met in Fullerton and took Pacific Surfliner 564 to San Diego, with the train in about the same lighting as the steam train would be tomorrow. The train ran on time and Joe appreciated the assistance. After laying over, we returned north to Los Angeles on Pacific Surfliner 571, which gave him the entire route.

Santa Fe 3751 being polished before we arrived at Los Angeles Union Station where I took Joe to Philippe's for lunch so he could experience that unique restaurant then we returned to Fullerton aboard Pacific Surfliner 578.

We passsed a now steamed-up Santa Fe 3751 on the return trip to Fullerton then detrained and I told Joe that I would see him on the platform at Union Station in the morning before we drove home for the rest of the day.

6/1/2008

Santa Fe 3751 and train reversing into Los Angeles Union Station.

3751 in all of its glory. I then walked the train to record the consist.

Pacific Surfliner 798 waiting to depart for San Luis Obispo.

Non-Powered Control Unit 90208 in the newest Amtrak paint scheme.

Amtrak's Great Dome was put on that train instead of our steam special because of a group of 300 who had booked Pacific Surfliner 798 over four months ago. The Café car from that set was used on our steam special today.

Winston, Tom and I boarded Car 1 and were assigned ocean-side seats for the southbound trip to San Diego. The train consisted of Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751, Amtrak P42DC 117, Amfleet coaches 82540, 82500, 82620, 82580, Horizon Café 58107, 82710, 82630, 82560, 82720 and California Zephyr "Silver Lariat" 800190. I walked back through the train to see who was else on board and also bought a trip T-shirt.

Departure time came and went then we departed Los Angeles late at 8:15 AM because the track bulletin for the trip omitted the special instructions for this excursion. The Amtrak supervisor and conductor worked as quickly as they could to get that track bulletin corrected and once done, they had to get it from the office to the train. Our first delay of the trip was not the fault of Amtrak or Santa Fe 3751. The train slowly pulled out of Los Angeles Union Station with a helicopter hovering out by the Los Angeles River. As we made made the first turn, I could see the steam engine working and later, as we neared Mission Tower, had a longer view of it curving along the Los Angeles River.

At the Caesar Chavez overpass, I spotted Bob and Joe getting their first pictures of the day. We then steamed south along the Los Angeles River by the MTA subway shops and onto Amtrak's 8th Street coach yard where crew members and workers were out to salute us. We next climbed the Redondo flyover across the Alameda Corridor and Los Angeles River. Once off the flyover, Santa Fe 3751 entered the BNSF San Bernardino Subdvision at CP Soto and steamed by Hobart Tower then along the south side of Hobart Yard. The BNSF engine facility at Commerce was passed before we crossed the Santa Ana Freeway. There were people all over the place taking pictures of our train and Santa Fe 3751 making its first public excursion to San Diego.

We steamed through the industries before crossing the Rio Honda, passed through Pico Rivera then crossed the San Gabriel River before running through Los Nietos and Santa Fe Springs. We continued through Metrolink's Norwalk station as we turned southeast through La Mirada and soon entered Orange County as we crossed Coyote Creek then ran through Metrolink's Buena Park station. Minutes later, we met the westbound Southwest Chief while passing Fullerton Airport to Basta before turning east to our first stop for passengers at Fullerton.

The steam train was met with a large crowd and Amtrak passengers who mistakenly were trying to board our train. We departed Fullerton at 9:02 AM and entered Metrolink's San Diego Subdivision at Fullerton Junction then at Orangethorpe Avenue, I spotted Bob and Joe again. We passed beneath California Highway 91 and entered Anaheim, putting on a fantastic show using its whistle at the many grade crossings in that city. At CP College, we crossed the former Southern Pacific Tustin Branch then ran by Anaheim Stadium, under California Highway 57 and crossed the Santa Ana River into the City of Orange. At CP Maple, we turned south, went by Metrolink's Orange station and minutes later, went under California Highway 22 and across Santiago Creek into Santa Ana.

Along Lincoln Avenue, the public was out in force and Ruth Keller, one of our Special Education teachers at McFadden Intermediate was spotted as the steam excursion rolled through my neighbourhood. It then steamed over Interstate 5 and through the Santa Ana Amtrak station with my morning agent out enjoying our train. After rounding the two curves and steaming southeast out of Santa Ana, we passed under California Highway 55 and into Tustin. At Red Hill Avenue, I spotted Tony Espinosa, a wonderful eighth grade math teacher at McFadden Intermediate with Maureen Angle and her husband Dana watching our train steam by. Maureen was that fantastic science teacher at McFadden Intermediate who conducted an experiment which led me to get sober. So here, on my Day 4,883 of my Sobriety, I was aboard the 3751 steam train on its way to San Diego.

As we made our way towards Metrolink's Tustin station, we spotted a van with the side door open and someone filming the train as we passed the blimp hangers. Santa Fe 3751 steamed through Irvine and took the shoofly at Jeffrey Road then at Sand Canyon Road, I spotted Joe and Bob again. We passed beneath Interstate 5 and on into Amtrak's Irvine station, our last passenger stop of the morning. While we were there, southbound Pacific Surfliner 566 arrived on Track 1 and departed. Our special excursion left at 9:42 AM but went only as far as CP Bake, where we stopped

A few minutes later, Metrolink 654 passed us then crossed over and ran in front of us to CP Capistrano, where we would ran around him through the siding. Bob and Joe were spotted again on the Bake Parkway bridge as we resumed our journey. Mr. Covey, another eighth grade math teacher at McFadden Intermediate, also saw the train there. Being in Car 1, I enjoyed the barking of Santa Fe 3751 as it climbed the rest of El Toro Hill. Once over the top, the train started the long descent towards San Juan Creek then passed beneath Interstate 5 again and continued south through Laguna Niguel, where a crowd was at the Metrolink station before we ran beneath the Toll Road. Santa Fe 3751 passed through the last orange grove along our route before crossing Trabuco Creek into San Juan Capistrano where we went through the station and crossed San Juan Creek, running around Metrolink 654 at CP Capistrano. The train continued to CP Serra and turned south, crossing Coast Highway to start our surf-running.

The train steamed by Doheny State Beach and beneath the bluffs as we made our way to North Beach.

There, Santa Fe 3751 started its beach-running, passing San Clemente Pier and onto San Clemente State Beach.

We were being filmed by this helicopter.

Santa Fe 3751 passed County Line, crossed San Mateo Creek at Trestles, then a few minutes later crossed San Onofre Creek before curving onto the San Onofre Bluff, passing the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and San Onofre State Beach. At CP San Onofre, we waited just a few minutes for northbound Pacific Surfliner 571 as a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer stopped the public from stopping along the freeway. Taking off again, we spotted a motorcyclist filming as he drove along. The train steamed under Interstate 5 with Bob and Joe at the viewpoint just south of there then continued to cross Camp Pendleton with a large group of chasers at Las Pulgas Road before crossing Las Pulgas Creek and everyone saw the chasers on Interstate 5.

That California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer keeping everyone in line.

Many interesting chasers were spotted.

Video chasers. Santa Fe 3751 steamed through Stuart Mesa, passing the Coaster facility then steamed slowly across the Santa Margarita River bridge as the traffic slowed along with us.

The video chasers were out once again as we ran by Fallbrook Junction and passed a parked Metrolink train. We crossed the San Luis Rey River and made our way to Oceanside but did not stop. No Sprinter trains were spotted as we steamed through Escondido Junction, crossed the small Loma lagoon and creek before the neighbourhoods of homes and the crossing the Buena Vista Lagoon. We rolled through Carlsbad with ts Santa Fe station still standing then crossed the Agua Herronda Lagoon and ran to CP Farr and took the east main to the Carlsbad Poinsettia station, where we stopped for a water stop and a photo runby at 11:12 AM. We would be here for about an hour and those passengers who wanted to get off, including me, could.

Santa Fe 3751 at Poinsettia.

Santa Fe 3751 and train.

Pacific Surfliner 571 passed the excursion train on its way north, and later, Pacific Surfliner 768 went south.

Santa Fe 3751 taking on water.

The photo line, which included Bob and Joe.

The reverse move.

The photo Runby.

Santa Fe 3751 reversed to the station platform to pick us all up then departed Poinsettia at 12:16 PM, passed by Ponto and crossed the Batiquitos Lagoon with Bob and Joe, along with maybe another hundred photographers. We steamed south through Leucadia, Encinitas and Cardiff-by-the-Sea, crossed the San Eilijo Lagoon and steamed through the Solana Beach station trench to reach the crossing of the San Dieguritos River and by the world-famous Del Mar race track before passed the former Del Mar station.

From there, we crossed the Coast Highway and ran along the edge of the bluffs with the homes to the east and a cliff to the west. We curved under the Coast Highway and started running up the Sorrento Valley, crossing the wetlands first then ran by Sorrento siding and started the climb, twisting and turning up the grade of Miramar Hill before ducking under Interstate 5, ascending the grade and looking out the window, one could see the steam engine on the numerous curves working and barking hard. It was a short, but steep 2.2 percent grade, as the tracks climb steadily away from the creek below.

We rounded the last curve then went under Miramar Road and at CP Cumbres, passed the wye where Santa Fe 3751 would be turned and started down Rose Canyon. The canyon was still wild in places but residential construction has closed in on it. We took the straight tracks of the canyon until the curves and the end of the double track at Elvira. We twisted our way down the rest of the canyon until it opened up and San Diego was down the hill before us. We continued on straight tracks with Mission Bay off to the west before crossing the San Diego River then gained double track again at Old Town, before ducking underneath Interstate 5 one last time, passing the old Consolidated Aircraft plant and running to the east of San Diego International Airport before arriving at the Santa Fe depot at 1:14 PM.

We all detrained but were told to be back aboard by 3:30 PM for a 3:45 PM departure.

Santa Fe 3751 at rest at San Diego.

A different viewpoint of the steam engine and crowds.

Fans surrounded the steam engine. Winston, Jeff, Bob McMillan and I then took the San Diego Trolley to E Street in Chula Vista where we went to the Black Angus for lunch.

After lunch, we took the trolley back to the Santa Fe station, arriving at 3:35 PM and found no engines for our train. So much for a 3:45 PM departure. Santa Fe 3751 was at the Miramar wye and caught in the passing of Pacific Surfliners 578 and 785, which departed San Diego at 4:00 PM. Pacific Surfliner 578 arrived at the station and by that time, the passengers were allowed to board. I enjoyed an ice cream cone then visited with the crew members as we waited for the steam engine to return.

The San Diego Santa Fe station built in a Mission Revival style in 1915. Santa Fe 3751 finally returned, followed by Pacific Surfliner 580. We all wondered when we would be departing; an Amtrak carman finally gave me a thumbs up and soon we heard over the radio that the steam train wanted the line up out of San Diego.

At 6:05 PM, Santa Fe 3751 highballed out of the station. The reason for the late return time was that Amtrak gave their crew a four-hour break at San Diego so they would not go dead on the law {hours of service} on the return trip Los Angeles.

We left Pacific Surfliner 591 behind as Santa Fe 3751 steamed north through Old Town and across the San Diego River. The grade started with the steam engine climbing at a good speed, twisted and turned up to Elvira before climbing Rose Canyon. At CP Cumbres, we stopped briefly to wait for Pacific Surfliner 582 then on the move again, Santa Fe 3751 really barked as it pulled the train over the summit of Miramar Hill. The train descended down the hill with the steam engine holding the train back with no problem. At the bottom of the hill, we started to increase speed and soon were crossing the wetlands and going under the Coast Highway. Along the Del Mar Bluffs, many photographers were out in force and all the passengers enjoyed the view of the Pacific Ocean.

The train then ran through Del Mar before going through the trench at Solana Beach and steaming north through Cardiff-by-the-Sea and Encinitas. At CP Ponto, we took the east main in order to meet Pacific Surfliner 784, which ran late, so our train paused at CP Farr. Once on the move again, we continued north through Carlsbad and on through Oceanside then at the San Luis Rey River bridge, I saw Bob and Joe for the penultimate time as we proceeded through Fallbrook Junction. We slowed for the crossing of the Santa Margarita River before stopping for water at the Stuart Mesa Coaster Facility at 7:27 PM, where we were again watered by a hose from a fire truck. While this was occuring, Pacific Surfliner 591 passed on its way north.

We departed Stuart Mesa at 7:55 PM and at the rest area, I spotted Bob and Joe for the last time today. The train then suddenly went into emergency but it was only a slight air problem and the crew made fast work of it and we were on the move again at 8:09 PM. I was on the rear platform with Ron Hyatt of Amtrak as we slowed to let a southbound BNSF freight pass us during that last delay. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed riding the rear platform of the Amfleet cars. We lost the last light of day before passing the San Onofre Power Plant and started our beach-running. Ron cracked the side door and it was neat to hear the Santa Fe 3751 engine sounds bouncing off the bluff.

At CP Serra, we met Pacific Surfliner 590 and I joined Ron sitting on the floor with the door propped open. As soon as Santa Fe 3751 crossed San Juan Creek, it started climbing El Toro Hill and we just sat there, listening to Santa Fe 3751 barking up the grade with great echoing effects. It made easy work of El Toro Hill and once up into Mission Viejo, we wondered what the homeowners thought as the steam engine finished the climb. The train descended through El Toro to a smooth stop at Irvine, departing there at 9:07 PM and running through Tustin and Santa Ana.

Along Lincoln Avenue, the locals were out in force to watch the steam train pass through and we made made quick time to Orange and Anaheim. I said goodbye to my friends before Winston and I detrained at Fullerton, ending a fantastic trip aboard Santa Fe 3751. The train departed at 9:46 PM before tying up at Los Angeles Union Station at 10:33 PM. Steve Grande of Trainweb.com met us to drive Winston and I back to our cars at Santa Ana station and I drove home, one tired but satisfied train rider after a fantastic trip.