After working my job at Heninger Elementary School in Santa Ana in the morning, I went home, had lunch and checked the Internet before driving to the Santa Ana station, parking in the northeast lot. I walked over to Track 1 and waited for my train to Los Angeles to meet Chris Parker and Bob Gordon at Union Station. First came the late-running Metrolink train to San Juan Capistrano.
Metrolink train 811 came and went through Santa Ana.
Pacific Surfliner 573 arrived and I boarded a car with the old-style Surfliner seats and read Trains Magazine on the way to LAUPT. Once there, I walked up the east exit and waited for Chris Parker to arrive. After ten minutes he did, as did Bob, and at 1:53 PM we left the station, heading north on US 101 to CA 2 through the tunnels to Interstate 5, which we took north over the Grapevine to north of Bakersfield. From here, we took 7th Standard Road west to Santa Fe Way towards Shafter. We had a headlight coming up the rails from behind us so pulled over and set up for our first train of the trip.
Amtrak San Joaquin 717 heading south of Shafter on its way to the Bay Area. We continued north but at Wasco, saw another train coming and just made it to the grade crossing.
BNSF 5490 East just south of Wasco. From here we went into Wasco to visit an old friend from years gone by.
Savage GP7 8611, ex. Savage Coal 2156, exx. Santa Fe 2156, nee ATSF 2797 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952. We continued north until we saw a train sitting in a siding ahead of us so parked at Blankenship Avenue and waited.
The tree still had its blossoms after the rain storm we had last weekend.
BNSF 6988 West at Blankenship Avenue north of Wasco.
BNSF 779 East here. We then drove north to Allensworth.
View of Allensworth.
BNSF 5415 East at Allensworth. We headed north towards Corcoran.
Interesting clouds to the east as we left Allensworth.
Sunset after we left Corcoran and on to our next stop of Tulare.
The sunset on the way to Tulare. We made our way back to CA 99 and drove into Tulare, checking in to the Red Roof Inn before going to Apple Annie's Restaurant where I had a steak tonight. Back at the hotel, I worked on the story before calling it a night.
3/7/2014 I met Chris Parker and Bob Gordon at the car at 6:30 AM and we headed north to the first stop of the day in Fresno.
The Fresno Sign on Fulton Street.
The wig wag at Fulton Street.
The BNSF and San Joaquin Railroad crossing here. We then drove north on CA 99 to Shaw Avenue for breakfast and then to Madera for an ATM for me. From here we headed out to the BNSF mainline for a set of pictures I had always wanted to get.
The BNSF bridge across Dutchman Creek.
BNSF 4705 East at Dutchman Creek.
Amtrak San Joaquin 702.
BNSF 4631 East with BNSF 4631, 930 and Canadian Pacific Railway 8562 at Planada.
Mid-train helpers were BNSF 8281, Citirail 1327 and BNSF 727. From here we went to Turlock.
Union Pacific 8823 West at Turlock.
Railfans Chasing Trains!
The Tidewater Southern station built in 1916. We continued toward Modesto.
In Ceres, we found A.L. Gilbert GP10 2004, nee Detroit, Toledo and Ironton GP7 957, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952. From here we went to the Modesto and Empire Traction sShops in Modesto.
The Modesto and Empire Traction shops.
Modesto and Empire Traction RP20BD 2005 built by Railpower in 2011.
Modesto and Empire Traction SW1500 1510, ex. Vancouver Wharves 821:2; nee St. Louis-Southwestern 2491 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1968. The three of us then drove to the Central California Traction shop in Stockton.
Views inside the Central California Traction shop in Stockton with BL21CG 2101 (ex. Central California Traction 259, exx. Brookville Demonstrator 259, nee Maine Central GP38 259 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1966) and and GP18 1790 (nee Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific 1343 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1960).
Central California Traction BL21CG 2101 came down B Street in Stockton to reach the BNSF interchange.
CCT returned down B Street with 14 cars from the BNSF.
Stockton Terminal and Eastern MP15DC 777, ex. Railtex 229, exx. Agrifos 229, exxx. Mobile Mining & Minerals 229, exxxx. Estech 1976, nee Swift & Company 1976 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1976, on Roosevelt Street in Stockton.
The CCT train crossing Waterloo Lane. We took Cherokee Road east to Cherryland Road then turned right on Leonardini Road and set up.
The CCT at the Leonardini Road grade crossing after which we headed back to CA 99 going north to Eight Mile Road and took East Service Road to East Live Oak Road.
The Central California Traction freight at East Live Oak Road. We turned onto Furry Road, taking it to the end then turned left across the tracks on East Hogan Road.
We next caught the CCT freight at East Hogan Road. From here we went to Lodi as I had a station to photograph.
The Lodi Arch with the Golden Bear on top.
The former Southern Pacific Lodi station built in 1907. From here we drove back down to Waterloo Lane and I had KFC for a late lunch. Next we went to the Red Roof Inn and checked in, met Bob Riskie out front then worked on the story until it was time to leave for the Friday Night Pizza Party. Bob Riskie rode with us and we arrived there early for once.
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