Over the years, there have been many changes to Amtrak motive power on the old Santa Fe Surfline. I will now take you back in time to the events of the past.
Santa Fe F units were standard power for the Surfline from May 1, 1971 until new power showed up to replace them.
The first change came when Amtrak ordered SDP40Fs and they replaced the Santa Fe F units in early 1974.
Amtrak F7B 150 was assigned to San Diegan service but was renumbered 398 in 1974.
Amtrak E9A 417, as well as 416, along with E9B's 451 and 452, were assigned to San Diegan service for over a year in 1975/1976.
Amtrak E9A 416 on the point of San Diegan 775 at Santa Ana in early 1976.
A night shot of E9A 416 at Santa Ana in early 1976.
The first run of the Amfleet cars and new F40PH's with SDP-40F 525 leading 224 and 223 in May 1976. 525 was on the point as the F40's had not had their Automatic Train Stop shoes added yet.
The next day found the first pure trainset which would be used here for years to come. My brother Bruce, the Amtrak agent, is working baggage.
The Tumbleweed Connection arrived in Santa Ana in 1976.
An all-private car train near the location of the future Tustin Metrolink station on 1/31/1989.
B-328WH's were tried on our fast San Diegan trains on the Surfline. They could not maintain the schedules and were transferred elsewhere on the Amtrak system. Here two train are passing in Santa Ana station on 2/28/1993.
The Talgo in San Diegan service at Irvine on 3/18/1996.
The IC3 on San Diegan 578 at the Santa Margarita River bridge on 7/7/1996.
F40PH 231 was repainted in an Operation Lifesaver Scheme at Santa Ana on 8/7/1996. The motive power at this time was just F40PHs with Amfleet and Horizon passengr cars. As the name "San Diegan" no longer reflected the extent of the route, it was renamed "Pacific Surfliner" in May 2000 when the line received Pacific Surfliner trainsets. It would remain like this until 2018.
Surfliner 568 pulled in Fullerton on 1/5/2002.
An Amtrak Super Bowl train headed for San Diego through Santa Ana on 1/31/2001.
Surfliner 568 waited in Santa Ana on 4/27/2003.
Surfliner 763 at Fullerton on 2/29/2004.
Surfliner 768 arrived into San Diego along side a Coaster as I went down to America's Finest City to be a guest on the Internet Radio Show called "Let's Talk Trains".
Surfliner 785 meets Surfliner 595 on 5/24/2008.
Surfliner 799 at Chatsworth on 10/10/2009.
Surfliner 578 pulled into San Juan Capistrano on 7/5/2011.
The new Operation Lifesaver Unit 457 on the Pacific Surfliner Route at Irvine on 9/25/2011.
Surfliner 583 had the Cascade Cabbage car leading and Amtrak Heritage Unit 184 pushing our low-level trainset at the 17th Street Crossing in my hometown of Santa Ana on 9/24/2012.
Pacific Surfliner 562 to San Diego in Rose Canyon on 6/16/2013.
Pacific Surfliner 566 to San Diego below us at Del Mar on 6/16/2013.
Pacific Surfliner 566 was heading to San Diego at Del Mar on 8/13/2013.
Pacific Surfliner 774 with Amtrak 42 leading heads south to San Diego through Orange on 12/2/2013.
Pacific Surfliner 572 left Solana Beach on the final lap into San Diego on 12/8/2013.
Pacific Surfliner 562 left Anaheim as the first train to stop at the new ARTIC station on 12/5/2014.
Pacific Surfliner 763 leaves Fullerton for Goleta on 12/5/2014.
Amtrak P42DC 42, the Veterans engine, pushing Pacific Surfliner 583 at Santa Ana on 4/18/2016.
Metrolink F125 905 on Metrolink train 609 in Oceanside on 10/25/2018.
Metrolink MP36PH-3C 896 on Metrolink train 641 in Oceanside on 10/26/2018.
Amtrak P42DC 183 on Pacific Surfliner 562 at Oceanside on 10/27/2018.
BNSF freight plus Metrolink 663 at Santa Ana on 10/27/2018.
Metrolink F59PHI 873 on Metrolink train 665 at San Juan Capistrano on 10/27/2018.
Metrolink F59PHI 873 on Metrolink train 665 at Santa Ana on 10/27/2018.
Coaster F59PHI 3002 on Coaster 680 at Solana Beach on 10/28/2018.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner 1767 with Amtrak F59PHI 462 at Solana Beach on 10/28/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 564 with Chargers 2109 and 2110 at Solana Beach on 10/28/2018.
Coaster F59PHI 3002 on Coaster 681 at Solana Beach on 10/28/2018.
Metrolink F125 908 on Metrolink train 665 at Santa Ana on 10/28/2018.
Metrolink F125 905 on Metrolink train 641 at Santa Ana on 10/29/2018.
Metrolink F125 909 on Metrolink train 684 at Irvine on 10/30/2018.
Metrolink F125 922 on Metrolink train 609 at Oceanside on 10/31/2018.
Metrolink F125 922 on Metrolink train 609 at Santa Ana on 10/31/2018.
Metrolink MP36PH-3C 902 on Metrolink train 858 at CP Lincoln, Santa Ana on 11/4/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 573 with Chargers 2111 and 2109 at Santa Ana on 11/7/2018.
Pacific Surfliner Charger 2109 on Pacific Surfliner 774 at Oceanside on 11/16/2018.
New Charger 2109 on Pacific Surfliner 774 at Oceanside on 11/16/2018.
Amtrak F59PHI 464 on Pacific Surfliner 562 at Oceanside on 11/18/201.
Two Metrolink trains, 682 and 607, meet F59PHI 875 and F59PH 868 at Santa Ana on 11/19/2018.
Pacific Surfliner Charger 2111 on Pacific Surfliner 564 at Santa Ana on 11/19/2018.
Two more trains meet in Santa Ana, Pacific Surfliner 566 with Amtrak F59PHI 464 and Metrolink 635 with Rotem cab car 660 on 11/19/2018.
Metrolink 802 with Metrolink F59PHI 883 pulled into Santa Ana and I went to downtown San Bernardino on 11/19/2018.
Pacific Surfliner Charger 2117 on Pacific Surfliner train 564 at Laguna Niguel on 11/21/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 768 with Amtrak F59PHI 464 at Santa Ana on 11/21/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 573 with Charger 2117 at Fullerton. This was my first ride behind a Charger locomotive, an SC-44, on 11/21/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 562 with Charger 2116 at Solana Beach on 11/22/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 774 with Amtrak F59PHI 458 at Santa Ana on 11/23/2018.
Metrolink 645 was a two-car train due to the other coaches being used on Mission Inn Light train, seen at Fullerton on 11/23/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 1565 at San Juan Capistrano on 11/24/2018.
Pacific Surfliner Charger 2110 at LAUPT on 11/24/2018.
Metrolink F40PH 800 at Keller Yard in Los Angeles on 11/24/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 777 with Charger 2113 at Oceanside on 11/24/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 777 with Charger 2111 at Oceanside on 11/24/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 562 with Charger 2116 at Oceanside 11/25/2018.
Metrolink train 661 with F125 915 and F59PHI 874 at Oceanside on 11/25/2018.
The Funky Train Metrolink 665 with Metrolink F59PHI 880 at Laguna Niguel on 11/25/2018.
Metrolink train 664 with Metrolink MP36PH-3C 894 at Laguna Niguel on 11/25/2018.
Metrolink train 860 with Metrolink F125 911 at Oceanside on 11/25/2018.
Pacific Surfliner 573 and 774 Santa Ana with old Amtrak P42DC 20 and new Charger 2113 at Santa Ana on 11/19/2018.
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