After a good Friday evening dinner at The Habit, I drove us the short distance to the Santa Clara station where we parked in front and met Steve Ferrari, who would show us around. Steve is the President of the Central Coast Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.
Elizabeth spotted this plaque which we both photographed.
My first train of the evening was Caltrain 313.
The rear platform of the Oregon, Washington and Navigation Company cafe/lounge/observation car 184, built by Pullman in 1912. It is owned by the South Bay Historical Society.
Southern Pacific Santa Clara station built in 1863.
Southern Pacific Santa Clara tower built circa 1926-1927.
Caltrain 312 passes the static car. Now the man with the keys, Jon Porter, arrived and Elizabeth and I took our first steps into this building.
The CTC Board for Cahill Station, other locations and a locomotive bell.
Lantern and a baggage carrier.
Marker lights display case.
Railroad memorabelia.
Pictures and railroad trainorders.
More pictures and conductor lanterns.
A Great Northern semaphore blade and a Pacifc Electric emblem.
Conductor lanterns and pictures.
More railroad memorabelia.
Trolley emblems and more conductor lanterns as well as a most unique safety warning light from the Bayshore racing trains.
Yet more conductor lanterns and a picture of everyone's favorite Daylight engine, Southern Pacific 4449.
Newark Tower name plate and Amtrak Police Crest.
An operable wig-wag crossing signal.
A wig-wag crossing signal, a more modern light signal as well as other station boards.
Various track worker safety signs. Next the waiting room was opened for us.
Dining Car Steward and a collection of places that railroads went.
Railroad cups and saucers plus railroad playing cards.
Step boxes and railroad china.
Railroad conductor plus dining car china.
More railroad memorabelia.
I was rather surprised to see Wabash Railroad china on display in Santa Clara.
Passenger Travel ... Railroading's Showcase.
The Union Pacific Peninsula Local arrived and would follow the next northbound commuter train to do its service. It sat at Santa Clara for a few minutes this evening.
The next train to arrive was Caltrain 128.
Also in the station was Caltrain 131, heading to San Fransisco.
Caltrain 128 left for San Jose.
Caltrain 131 then headed north out of Santa Clara.
Union Pacific SD59MX 9917, originally UP SD60M 2476 and 6322 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1992; and 9926, originally UP 6290 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1991, departed Santa Clara, following Caltrain 131 up the peninsula.
The crossing wig-wag signal on display.
Caltrain 415 was the next train through Santa Clara.
The light on the semaphore was now on, thanks to Steve.
A velocipede. For four weeks in 1949, this particular velocipede operated on the Southern Pacific's Los Altos Branch which ran from Mayfield Junction (California Avenue) in Palo Alto to SP milepost 44 at Azule (near where Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road crosses the tracks in Saratoga). Mr. Elmer Stone had joined Southern Pacific in February 1949 as a maintenance-of-way laborer. It was in August that SP furloughed such workers assigned to the branch. But to ensure continued maintenance support, the SP loaned to the Los Altos Branch a velocipede used on the Colma Branch. Mr. Stone "rescued" this unit from a South San Francisco shed in 1968.
Caltrains 414 then came through Santa Clara.
After helping to affix mailing address labels and stamps to the the chapter's monthly newsletter "The Ferroequinologist", Elizabeth joined her fellow Central Coast Board members in the board meeting, and it was nice for everyone to meet in person, as she has joined by video conference previously.
Caltrain 516 was next through Santa Clara.
That was followed by Caltrain 134.
Each time I heard a train coming, I walked out to the platform to photograph it. Here is Caltrain 130.
The Board meeting would pause during any train's arrival since conversation cannot be heard. Such was the case for Caltrain 132.
Amtrak Coast Starlight 14 came through Santa Clara.
Caltrain 135 was my final train of my evening at Santa Clara station. The meeting ended a little before 9:00 and Elizabeth and I said our goodbyes before we drove back to the Quality Inn for the night.
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