The Kelso Flyer was a chartered Amtrak train that ran from Los Angeles to Barstow, California on Saturday October 16, 2010, then onto Kelso before returning to Los Angeles the next day. I decided not to ride but to chase it, so I awoke to a wet morning on October 16 and after doing my morning duties, drove out to Weir Canyon Road off California Highway 91, then took that across the Santa Ana River and turned right onto La Palma Avenue. I then turned left on Via Loma De Yorba West and went under the tracks to Copper Canyon Road before turning around and parked on Via Loma then walked up the horse trail to my vantage point.
BNSF 7565 East on a piggyback train. I called Chris Parker to make sure the train departed Los Angeles on time.
BNSF 7696 West on a stack train. Chris called me back to let me know the train was still in the yard with mechanical problems and would call back after leaving LAUPT. With some time to spare, I called the Let's Talk Trains Internet radio show and gave my reort.
Metrolink 859 was on its way to Oceanside this Saturday. Chris then called back to saying they were passing Hobart Yard and were over an hour late.
BNSF 7425 East on a combination stack and piggyback train.
BNSF 5231 West on a stack train. I talked to Chris Parker again and learned they had passed through Fullerton and on their way to my location.
BNSF 7555 West went around Horseshoe Bend but stopped at CP Esperanza. Next I saw a headlight and here came the Kelso Flyer.
The Kelso Flyer rounded Horseshoe Bend which had Amtrak B32-8WH's 510 and 509 for its motive power.
Amfleet coach 82630, nee Amtrak 44243 built by Budd Company in 1977.
Southern Pacific club-lounge car 2981 "Overland Trail" built by Pullman-Standard in 1949. PPCX 800633.
Union Pacific sleeper "Pacific Sands" built by Budd Company in 1950. The early fifties was the high point of the showdown between the train, automobile and airplane, and Union Pacific, Pullman and other railroads were coming out fighting! Half of the Pacific fleet was delivered in the famous two-tone gray Overland paint scheme, the other half in Union Pacific's Armor Yellow, Gray and red Streamliner colors. By 1953, all of the cars had been repainted to yellow.
"Pacific Sands" was first operated by the Pullman Company until the late 1960's, when Pullman was dissolved and operation of the cars was taken over by the Union Pacific Railroad. It was a regular on all of the "City" trains - the City of Portland, City of Los Angeles and City of San Francisco among others, and provided classic Pullman service in its 6 double bedrooms and 10 single roomettes until Amtrak's formation on April 1, 1971.
The Pacific car fleet was one of Amtrak's best sleeper fleets in the 1970's and 1980's, mostly due the excellent maintenance provided by its previous owner. "Pacific Sands" lived through the purple and orange interior decor of the 1970's and was redecorated to its current interior in the late 1980's. During the 25 years of Amtrak service, all of the Pacific cars were scattered through out the country in various Amtrak trains, but most, including this car, finished their service with Amtrak on the East coast routes, including Autotrain, as the West Coast routes were re-equipped with Superliners. A few Pacific cars served Amtrak as crew dorm cars until 2007 when the last one was taken out of service.
"Pacific Sands" was rescued into private ownership in 1996, after 46 years of railroad service. The exterior has been beautifully restored and polished to a partial Pullman/Union Pacific paint scheme by Pacific Sands' first private owner. It has also been mechanically upgraded to all current Amtrak and FRA safety standards. LA Rail acquired the car in 2003, and has restored the interior of the car to its glory days of the 1950’s while adding modern travel conveniences such as a shower.
LA Rail Vista-Dome lounge-dining car "Silver Splendor", nee Chicago, Burlington and Quinicy 4735 "Silver Buckle" built by Budd Company in 1956. It was part of the last two complete conventional train sets to be ordered new in the pre-Amtrak era and traveled over 4.5 million miles on a daily basis between Chicago and Denver until 1980.
With standard coach seating for 50 and 24 seats up in the dome, "Silver Buckle" provided fast and comfortable service for budget-minded patrons until Amtrak's bi-level Superliners arrived. Officially retired in 1981, the car spent time in storage at Oakland, California and Beech Grove, Indiana before being auctioned off by Amtrak to a railcar shop owner in 1993. In 1997, the current owners, Heidi and John Caestecker, purchased the car in the Midwest and moved it to Fullerton with the intent of restoring it to operating condition as a luxurious dome-diner-lounge. Dining capacity will be 24 at tables upstairs and another 24 in the long end of the lower level. A cocktail lounge seating 10-12 will be featured in the short end, with kitchen and restrooms under the dome.
The stylishly appointed Vista Dome Lounge-Dining Car is the ultimate in land cruising excellence. The graceful glass-enclosed rooftop observation room provides unparalleled views in all directions. With day trip and dining capacity for up to 74 guests you travel elegantly while gliding along immersed in breath-taking landscapes. Attentive onboard staff will pamper you with respectful and lavish personal service of a long gone era in railway history.
Amfleet coach 82570, nee Amtrak 21200 built by Budd Company in 1976.
Canadian National Railway platform-observation car 93 "Tioga Pass" built by the railway in 1959. The car was part of an order for 12 similar cars designed for railroad executives. Originally number 23, and later number 93, "Tioga Pass" spent most of its life in Edmonton, Alberta. There it served the Vice President of the Mountain Region. Records show the car travelled all over Canada, providing some 30 years of faithful service. By the early 1990s, though, the car was largely redundant and seldom used. Like the passenger trains on which it used to hitch a ride, the automobile and airplane offered quicker and more convenient transportation in today’s fast-paced corporate world.
In 1992 Canadian National decided to sell the car, and a local businessman in Barstow, California named Rutherford P. "Rudy" Hayes bought it sight unseen because, as he put it, "I always just wanted one". In an epic trip, the car travelled from Edmonton to Barstow in January 1993. Through fierce cold and driving blizzards, the passengers stayed warm inside. Its new owner was like a proud father, pronouncing the car was all he ever thought it would be. Unfortunately, Rudy never got the chance to travel on his new car. He died of a heart attack only months after it was delivered. The car sat, forlorn and neglected in front of the Harvey House train station in Barstow for several years.
Aronco Leasing Company purchased the car in 1997 from the Hayes estate. A victim of benign neglect, numerous repairs and upgrades were needed before the car could be used again. Starting in 2002, the "Tioga Pass" has undergone the most extensive restoration since its construction. An exhaustive examination of all of the major mechanical components of the car was undertaken, including the wheels, suspension, couplers and airbrakes. This thorough examination allowed the car to be considered as good as new. At the same time, a number of upgrades were made to allow the car to operate behind Amtrak trains, such as installation of heavy-duty power cabling and signal and communications wiring.
During the off-season in winter 2005, it saw its first significant redecorating in more than 20 years. The living room was completely redone in oak paneling and new furniture was installed. New carpeting and flooring was accompanied by fresh paint and a host of other interior decor changes. A new high-capacity diesel generator was installed, along with miles of new wiring. Almost every trace of the original electrical system was removed in preparation for new equipment. A completely new air conditioning system, and upgrades to the heating, ventilation, lighting and plumbing rounded out the vast array of improvements.
I then returned home to listen to the rest of Let's Talk Trains then watched USC beat California in college football. Tomorrow, Bill Compton and I would head to Afton Canyon for my next encounter with the Kelso Flyer.
