Caltrain “baby bullet” commuter train, 2004-present

Fred Klein, 2013

Caltrain took over the San Francisco peninsula commuter service from Southern Pacific in 1985, at which time it replaced the aging SP equipment with new F40PH diesels and Nippon Sharyo gallery commuter cars. In 2004, additional trains were added with the purchase of MPI MP36PH locomotives and Bombardier bi-level commuter cars. Passing tracks were added at two locations between San Francisco and San Jose, allowing express trains to pass those making all the stops. The new “baby bullet” trains using the new, modern trains had the same maximum speed as the gallery commuter trains, but cut a half hour off the travel time by making fewer stops.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrain

 

The line runs from San Francisco to San Jose with an extension to Gilroy, California. Trains are run in push-pull operation with a cab control in the last passenger car. Locomotives are always in the lead when leaving San Francisco. Trains are not turned but simply reverse direction. Trains are only 5 cars long because that is the maximum platform space in many cities. Many platforms such as Menlo Park are also constrained between adjacent streets.

 

Normally the MP36PH locomotives are paired with the Bombardier commuter cars whether they are running in express “baby bullet” service or not. A small number of Bombardier trains are led by the older 1985 F40PH locomotives because the modern MP36PHs are unavailable. I show models of both the MP36PH and F40PH locomotives. The F40PH is a prototypical Kato model. Prototypical models of the Bombardier commuter cars are made by Athern. Kato makes a model of the MP36PH locomotive in Caltrain colors in the Kobo line of special runs. The F59PHI locomotive model made by Athern in Caltrain colors appears similar but is not prototypical to Caltrain.

 

 

 

A 5-car train of Bombardier commuter cars pulled by an EMD F40PH locomotive in a 2009 photo. This combination of locomotive and cars is unique and may indicate that the MP36PH diesel originally bought with the Bombardier cars is out of service. I rarely see this combination as I cross the Caltrain line twice daily on my way to work.  Note the “operation lifesaver” logo on the locomotive side. This is probably an express “baby bullet” train running through the Bayshore station on the inside track after leaving tunnel number 4.

 

Oblique Google satellite map of a Caltrain at the location of the photo above. North and tunnel number 4 are to the right, and the Bayshore station and the pedestrian overpass (from which the photo was taken) are to the left. The train, led by a F40PH diesel, has 5 Nippon Sharyo cars in tow and is on the center track because many trains are express or do not stop at this station. Note the half-locomotive under the signal bridge caused by joining 2 images.

 

A “baby bullet” train with an MP36PH locomotive and 5 Bombardier cars.

 

A Caltrain with the San Francisco skyline behind.

 

Alternative “baby bullet” locomotive

 

A Caltrain F40PH diesel that normally hauls trains of Nippon-Sharyo cars but sometimes pulls baby bullet trains of Bombardier cars.

 

Caltrain commuter “baby bullet” train

 

 

An MP36PH locomotive and five Caltrain Bombardier commuter cars. The last car has a engineer’s control cab for push-pull operation. The locomotive is a Kato-Kobo model and the Bombardier cars are Athern models.

 

 

 

REFERENCES

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrain

http://www.caltrain.com

http://www.bayrailalliance.org/peninsula_commuter_rail_history