CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: TOURING SO CAL BY
RAIL
By Jack M. Turner
Following an overnight in Albuquerque I enjoyed a morning walk around
the convention center, where my son John competed in the International
Science and Engineering Fair in 2007, and the surrounding area.
The Southwest Chief rolled in on schedule and I settled into roomette 4
in sleeping car 32019 which was located right in front of the dining
car. With 45 minutes until departure, I was able to browse at
some of the handicrafts sold by Navajo Indians on the platform and
watch the washing of some of the train’s windows by a ground crew.
Inside the Albuquerque train station
The westbound Southwest Chief storms into Albuquerque on Setember 16,
2015
A worker washes coach windows during the stop in Albuquerque
A Rail Runner Express train loads in Albuquerque
Rail Runner engines in the yard at Albuquerque as seen from Amtrak # 3
The curved roof windows of the Sightseer lounge car easily can be seen
in this photo
Engines 78 and 114 led the 9 car train westbound toward the colorful
but mostly barren desert following our 4:48pm departure. After
passing through the Isleta Pueblo, we passed the point where the Rail
Runner Express line to Belen branched off. About 12 minutes later
the BNSF mainline from Chicago via Amarillo and Belen joined at Dalies,
clearly visible from my window on the train’s left side. About
this time I was summoned to the dining car, 30 minutes before my 5:30
dinner reservation and I enjoyed a delicious steak while observing
several passing BNSF freight trains against a backdrop of interesting
desert scenery.
Scenery between Albuquerque and Dalies
Western New Mexico offers many interesting formations
East of Gallup, NM the Southwest Chief passes desolate but scenic
terrain
The Gallup station
Looking toward the head end of the Southwest Chief at Gallup
The brick platform at Gallup is a throwback to years past
A brilliant sunset west of Gallup
Interesting landforms near the New Mexico-Arizona border
Nocturnal views of Flagstaff evoked memories of family visits to the
area with side trips to the spectacular Grand Canyon and Painted Desert
National Parks, Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments,
and the scenic town of Sedona. All are excellent destinations and
Flagstaff is a great jumping off point with ample rental car and hotel
options close to the railway station. Fond memories of a March
2011 Southwest Chief trip when we encountered snow at the Grand Canyon
reminded me of a special visit with my son as chronicled in my story
“Spring break on Amtrak (Part 2): 5 Days on the Southwest Chief” (see
link below). Forty minutes later we paused at Williams Jct. where
passengers bound for the Grand Canyon Railway and its convenient hotel
would be picked up by a hotel shuttle van. Again there were
reminders of past trips in which we rode the Grand Canyon Railway and a
pleasant stay in Williams in 2004.
Sleep was a valuable commodity this night but once obtained, it was
deep and satisfying. Knowing that we would likely arrive in Los
Angeles early, my body seemed to go on autopilot as I awoke at 5:15am
and promptly retreated to the dining car for an early breakfast,
We had just traversed Cajon Pass in the dark but a day of watching
trains there many years ago plus daylight crossings on the erstwhile
Desert Wind long ago, had satisfied my curiosity. Train # 3 was
only 7 minutes late at San Bernardino and Riverside both of which I
would visit the next day. The stop in Fullerton delayed us due to
a snafu by the on board crew. As we pulled away from a seemingly
smooth station stop, a car attendant frantically advised the conductor
via the PA system to stop the train. When the train continued to
move, he raised his voice and demanded: “Conductor, stop the
train. I have a wheelchair passenger to put off. The ramp
is still on the platform.” At this point the train stopped but
the result was a delay of several minutes. Obviously someone was
at fault and since the train originally stopped at Fullerton for 5
minutes, the car attendant would seem culpable for not having his
passenger ready to detrain. Nonetheless we arrived in Los Angeles
Union Station early and my plans for the day were intact.
The primary objective of my three days in Los Angeles was to ride some
commuter rail lines around southern California (So Cal) that I had
never traversed and also attend three football games. Thus about
45 minutes after arriving in LA, I was aboard Pacific Surfliner # 566
bound for Oceanside. Having ridden to San Diego a few times in
the past, I was excited to again enjoy the beachfront journey but the
day’s main prize was a chance to ride the Sprinter line between
Oceanside and Escondido.
A window seat was secured in the business class coach “Franklin Park”
located right behind Amtrak California engine # 462. Shortly
after our 8:30am departure we passed Amtrak’s Redondo yard and climbed
the Redondo Flyover en route to our first stop in Fullerton at
9:03am. My friend, TrainWeb author/photographer Carl Morrison,
joined me at Fullerton which would have been hard to arrange without
the modern convenience of texting since I originally had planned to be
on the next train 85 minutes later. At Anaheim, the Angels major
league baseball stadium stood adjacent to the station then we barreled
onward to our next stop in Santa Ana. The modern transportation
center amazed me as I recalled a much smaller depot where my wife and I
detrained back in the mid-1980s.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner # 566 at Los Angeles
Passing a Metrolink F59PI and other equipment departing LA Union Station
Unusual Metrolink equipment consist with an F59PI and a Hyundai Rotem
cab control car
A Metrolink train branches north near Mission Tower
An Amtrak Surfliner car at the Amtrak yard at Redondo
Amtrak power at the Redondo engine shop
A variety of engines near the turntable at Redondo
Anaheim Stadium, home of the Angels, is adjacent to an Amtrak/Metrolink
station
Near San Juan Capistrano we joined the Pacific coast at Dana Point and
the views of the beaches were beautiful. Despite a fairly benign
surf, there was the usual cadre of surfers near the San Clemente Pier,
Doheny, San Onofre, and various other popular spots. A tsunami
warning had been issued the night before due to an earthquake in Chile
but luckily nothing had resulted. Beyond Camp Pendleton my GPS
noted we were at 155 feet elevation and traveling 82 mph. Arrival
in Oceanside at 10:28am allowed just enough time to catch an eastbound
North Coast Transportation District Sprinter to Escondido just 5
minutes later. The Sprinter platform is only a few steps from the
Amtrak platform though unfamiliar Sprinter ticket vending machines can
make close connections somewhat dicey.
Beachgoers camp at Dana Point where the Pacific Surfliner route joins
the ocean
Surfers look for swells at Doheny
The tracks are only a few feet from the surf near Doheny
Approaching the San Clemente Pier on the Pacific Surfliner
The beach south of San Clemente Pier offers a scenic setting
A beachgoer watches surfers at San Clemente
Surfing is popular all along the California coast
A typical Pacific beach scene
San Onofre is another favorite surfing location
The two car articulated train displayed good ridership as it traveled
over the 22 mile former San Diego Northern line. Along the way
the Sprinter made 13 intermediate stops between Oceanside and Escondido
with stops approximately 2 to 5 minutes apart. Train sets have a
226 passenger capacity and the trains are capable of traveling up to 55
mph. A steep grade east of Rancho Del Oro led the train to an
elevation of 358 feet after being just above sea level at
Oceanside. After cresting this hill the line descended beyond
Melrose. The Vista Transit Center displayed an attractive Spanish
motif and we noted ample new development around the Palomar College
stop, no doubt spurred on by this convenient transit option.
Beyond the San Marcos Civic Center stop we met the third westbound
Sprinter of our 52 minute journey as trains depart end points on
weekdays every 30 minutes on an excellent memory schedule.
Looking from one articulated car to another on Sprinter between
Oceanside and Escondido
Sprinter crosses a freeway en route to Escondido
Peering through a Sprinter window at another train set in the yard at
Escondido
TrainWeb correspondent/photographer Carl Morrison beside the Sprinter
at Escondido
The 8 minute layover in Escondido between our 11:25am arrival and 11:33
departure (using the same equipment) gave just enough time to sprint
across the adjoining plaza to a restroom as there are no facilities on
board Sprinter trains. The return trip retraced the same route
back to Oceanside and once again the train was quite crowded with
several passengers off and on at each station. Riding with Carl
allowed time to catch up on our various travel experiences as regular
TrainWeb correspondents and his knowledge of southern California rail
lines was interesting to this visitor.
Sprinter after arrival back at Oceanside
Our layover in Oceanside was just over 20 minutes and northbound
Pacific Surfliner # 777 en route to San Luis Obispo rolled in right on
the money at 12:53pm. This had allowed enough time for a quick
visit to the Burger King restaurant located in the Oceanside
station. That station is fully staffed by Amtrak and also is
served by Metrolink commuter trains from the north and Coaster commuter
trains from the south.
Oceanside Transit Center
An historical railway display at Oceanside
Pacific Surfliner # 777 arrives in Oceanside
One of the drawbacks of boarding a busy train like the Surfliner beyond
its origin station is the possibility of having a limited seat
selection upon boarding. Such was the case as we stepped aboard
the same business class car that we had ridden southbound. The
train was filled with business travelers but soon I found myself
engaged in interesting conversation about rail travel with a banker
from San Diego. Carl also found his seatmate to be interested in
the same subject and we both had a chance to share our views of the
enjoyment that long distance train travel offers. The return trip
seemed to fly by and soon Carl detrained in Fullerton at 2:10pm while I
continued on another 32 minutes to Los Angeles.
Before long I was headed toward suburban Arcadia in a car rented at
Union Station. Though it was only 3:00pm, traffic on the freeways
was relatively heavy and I wished I could have taken the Gold Line
light rail, however, I needed the car to reach some of my planned
activities the next two days. Once I reached Arcadia, I found the
Embassy Suites to be the perfect lodging choice as it is conveniently
located in a nice shopping and dining area in downtown Arcadia with
easy access to area freeways. My suite was quiet, clean, and very
comfortable and the staff was attentive and pleasant. Another
plus soon will be the extension of the Gold Line linking the area to
Union Station; in fact, the line passes right across the street from
the hotel though the nearest station will be a few blocks away.
Embassy Suites, Arcadia-Pasadena is a
terrific hotel with courtesy transportation to the Gold Line light rail
After a couple of hours at the hotel I set out for Burbank to attend
that night’s Canyon High School Cowboys vs. Burbank High Bulldogs
football game. As a fan of high school football, the prospect of
attending games in California on Thursday and Friday nights was a major
factor in the precise scheduling of my trip. The drive to Burbank
reminded me that freeways in LA are to be avoided whenever possible and
I was surprised to make it to the stadium just in time for opening
kickoff. The setting was classic southern California with
mountains peaking out beyond the visitor’s side of the stadium and a
cool evening after sunset. The home team fired on all cylinders
as Burbank won by a convincing 35-6 margin in my introduction to
California football.
Canyon High School takes on Burbank High in a scenic setting
The Burbank Bulldogs defeat the Canyon Cowboys
Friday, September 18, 2015 promised a very busy day starting off with
an hour long venture over the LA freeways to Riverside for rides on two
Metrolink lines. I originally planned to ride the Gold Line to
Union Station and head to Riverside via a circuitous routing via Santa
Ana but decided to make the drive as I could leave the hotel an hour
later and return an hour earlier by avoiding backtracking over a couple
of the rail lines.
The spacious parking lot at the Riverside Downtown stop still had a few
spaces left when I drove up and I was pleased to find there to be no
parking charge. A friendly security guard directed me to the far
platform which was accessed by a catwalk above the multi-track BNSF
mainline shared by freight trains, Metrolink commuter trains, and
Amtrak’s Southwest Chief. With almost an hour until my Metrolink
train’s scheduled departure, I settled in for some excellent train
watching. First up was a westbound Union Pacific auto rack train
at 9:35am on a center track. An eastbound Metrolink train arrived
at 9:48 terminating on a track on the station’s north side.
Eleven minutes later a 2 car westbound BNSF track inspection train
snuck by on the south platform track with a BNSF freight engine leading
a passenger car and a BNSF theater/inspection car. A westbound
BNSF stack train glided in and stopped at the south platform at 10:12
which indicated that my Metrolink train would be somewhat tardy.
An eastbound Metrolink train seen from the catwalk at the Riverside
station
The same Metrolink train viewed from platform level
A westbound BNSF inspection train sneaks by the Riverside platform
A westbound BNSF freight breezes through Riverside
Double stack cars stretch as far as the eye can see
Eastbound Metrolink train # 802 pulled in at 10:30 and I climbed aboard
coach # 209 for the short ride to San Bernardino along the route
traversed the prior day on the Southwest Chief. Train # 802 was
coming up from Oceanside via a cutoff through Anaheim Canyon. It
was interesting to view the line in the daylight as most passages
aboard Amtrak had been at night. The 28 minute trip to San
Bernardino ended at 10:50am but the journey was just beginning as
# 802 is scheduled to reverse directions then travel to Los Angeles via
Upland as train # 321. I had caught this anomaly when examining
Metrolink schedules and was surprised to see that a number of my fellow
passengers who had boarded at Riverside were doing the same
thing. This is the only train on this line that operates in this
fashion.
Metrolink train # 802 arrives in Riverside en route to San Bernardino
Train # 321 boards at San Bernardino en route to LA via Upland
As soon as a westbound BNSF stack train passed, we departed San
Bernardino at 11:00am and shortly we passed over a flyover above a busy
BNSF rail yard where trains traveling to and from the Riverside line
could be seen. After the first couple of stops, we called upon
Rancho Cucamonga, one of my favorite place names, at 11:24. This
evoked childhood memories of watching a skit on The Jack Benny Show
about a station agent announcing a train traveling to Anaheim, Azusa,
and Cucamonga while Benny waits to board Santa Fe’s Super Chief.
The next stop, the ex-ATSF Upland station, was situated adjacent to an
upscale area along downtown streets. We stopped at a nice old
station in Claremont at 11:39 then branched to the left beyond Pomona
North onto a former SP/Pacific Electric line. Beyond El Monte the
rails entered the median of I-10 for a few minutes before stopping at
Cal State LA and then arriving at Union Station at 12:29pm.
Freight yard seen from a flyover just west of San Bernardino
The station at Rialto
The Upland station dates to Santa Fe days
With 45 minutes until my next train, there was time to stroll around
the beautiful station which has been my favorite railway station since
I first set foot inside it in 1976. The terminal’s high waiting
room ceiling and high backed chairs and the elegant designs of its
interior and exterior architecture were magnificently captured by
Valerie Bertinelli in the 1982 movie “I Was A Mail Order Bride” when
she pondered how many soldiers passed through the magnificent station
on the way to World War II and how many lives were about to be changed
after they went off to war. Anyone traveling through LA should
take time to examine these features as well as the peaceful garden area
beyond the doors from the waiting room’s south side.
The garden plaza on LA Union Station’s south side is a peaceful spot to
visit
The Union Station clock tower is visible from the garden area
The former ticket window area once served Santa Fe, Southern Pacific,
and Union Pacific trains. Today this area is generally reserved
for group rentals and movie productions.
After picking up lunch at a fast food restaurant in the station, it was
time to board Metrolink train # 402, a 5 car train pulled by F59PH #
864. I secured a seat in rear cab control car # 674 and viewed
our 1:15pm departure from Track 6. A small private car yard
housed Pennsylvania RR sleeper “Colonial Crafts”, sleeper “Tioga
Pass”, and a vista dome car whose glass topped section was under a
tarp. Passing Mission Tower, we crossed the LA River and turned
southward passing Amtrak’s Redondo yards on the opposite side of the
concrete river. A minute later we turned eastward and immediately
met a westbound UP stack train then overtook an eastbound UP intermodal
before the stop for Montebello/Commerce. A Union Pacific
container yard passed on our right then we paused for our second stop,
City of Industry. The May 1966 Official Guide of the Railways
shows that we were following the route used by UP’s City of Los
Angeles/City of St. Louis/Challenger streamliner all the way to
Riverside.
The concrete Los Angeles River with the coach yards beyond the bridge
Another double track rail line appeared from the west-northwest and
paralleled the Metrolink line on to Pomona. As we stopped at
Metrolink’s downtown Pomona stop I spotted Amtrak’s Pomona station on
the left beside the parallel double track line. This revealed the
identity of that line as the former Southern Pacific route of the
Sunset Limited which still plies those rails. Stops in East
Ontario and Pedley followed before arrival back at Riverside Downtown
at 2:43pm. Train # 402 pulled into the north platform track to
wait for its next assignment while I drove back to Arcadia having
fulfilled my objective of riding two Metrolink lines I had missed on
previous visits. That evening I drove east to Upland to attend
yet another high school football game, this one between nationally
ranked Mater Dei from Santa Ana and Upland High School. The host
Upland Highlanders kept it close for a half but succumbed to the
powerful Mater Dei Monarchs 43-14. Once again, the setting was
beautiful with a mountain backdrop visible behind the visitor’s side
prior to sunset.
Amtrak’s Pomona station on tracks parallel to the Metrolink line
Head end of Metrolink train # 402 at Riverside
The Upland Highlanders tackle the Mater Dei Monarchs in high school football
Friday Night Lights: The scenic locale of Upland High School’s stadium
is a great place to watch a football game
Saturday was a day to wash laundry and enjoy the Embassy Suites as well
as drive around Arcadia and nearby Pasadena. I was joined in the
evening by Carl Morrison for the BYU vs. UCLA football game in the
legendary Rose Bowl. Attending a game at the Rose Bowl was a
bucket list experience for me especially since I missed following my
favorite team, the Florida State Seminoles, there for the national
championship game in January 2014 and the college football playoffs the
following January. This game matched a pair of nationally ranked
teams and we were rewarded with a classic as UCLA pulled out a 24-23
win. Traveling to the game was simple as we drove to a Gold Line
station then rode the train into Pasadena where shuttle busses
connected to the stadium. The Gold Line ticket vending machines
were far from user friendly and signage to the free shuttle busses was
nonexistent but we managed to make it to the stadium along with several
other fans.
The author is excited to visit the Rose Bowl
The UCLA Bruins take the field
UCLA defeats BYU 24-23
Halftime is colorful with LA area high school bands taking to the Rose
Bowl turf
A Gold Line train arrives at a Pasadena area stop following the BYU vs UCLA game
The Gold Line is a great way to travel to the Rose Bowl
There are enough rail and sightseeing activities in the Los Angeles
area to occupy a visitor for several days. The Metrolink line to
Palmdale is especially scenic and a day trip to San Diego on the line
via Oceanside described above is one of Amtrak’s best. Light rail
connects many LA points with the Gold Line and the line to Long Beach
probably is the most interesting. The Los Angeles Dodgers and
Anaheim Angels as well as several universities offer baseball games in
spring and summer while those with an automobile will find the drives
to Ventura, Hollywood, and multiple other points most
interesting. Finally, rail fans should experience a day of
watching trains at nearby Cajon Pass, one of the nation’s great
railroading hot spots.
