Rerouted up the coast(20+ images)

[smp11512]

A recent derailment around tunnel 7 in Tehachapi caused the normal Tehachapi trains to be rerouted to the coast. One of the trains to be rerouted down the coast was the UP ZBRLC with UP 1996 in the lashup, this caused my railfanning day to also be rerouted to the coast :+

We hit the first known freeway exit of the area properly dubbed Seacliff and managed to catch up with the lowlevel sufliner set that is being used due to increased ridership on the coast. I don't normally get stoked over a lowlevel set of horizon cars but seeing as the setup was a bit different for this set I decided to stop for it. Now at the part of the coast we were at it was still overcast so these shots didn't come out as fantasticly as I would've hoped. Good thing we'd catch up to this set later.

The Phase 4 -8 leading, my first shot at an amtrak 8
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/6928/cmd36ec4.jpg

This was a first for me as well, An amtrak F40-turned-cabbage car
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/4228/cmd37rj4.jpg



We pulled into Santa Maria to meet up with a friend at his house. Our first rail related stop was the guadalupe yard where we got the Surfliner set again as well as some random stuff around the yard.

An old tank
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9361/cmd5td6.jpg

Definately some interesting stuff sitting around Guad.
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/7238/cmd39zf2.jpg

The Amtrak on the depart, (interesting fact, that guy was the only one to get on/off at that station )
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/3410/cmd4ye5.jpg


After a while at Guad waiting for a northbound , we decided that it would probably be better if we headed up to San Luis station to see what else we could find. Upon arriving we found once again the surfliner set and a pair of ACe's waiting for helper service
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/5193/cmd6ee7.jpg

Shooting into the sun :( The -8
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/5312/cmd7jb7.jpg

And shortly before departure, the F40 Cabbage
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/8085/cmd11ln2.jpg

Not long after the Surfliner departed back south did we hear the station announcement saying that the southbound Starlate would be arriving soon, 30 minutes earlier than scheduled.Inbetween the PSL's departure and it's arrival I managed to snag a shot of the ACe's
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/4114/cmd13rd2.jpg

We stepped inside the station to make sure of the arrival time on the starlate.

The Schedule Board
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/7526/cmd12pv5.jpg

I was shocked to see not one but two -8's on the lead and as the sole power of the arriving starlate.I guess Amtrak is putting alot of faith in these units. Here is a shot of the new engineer of the train walking out onto the platform to take a look at unit
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/7813/cmd14aq1.jpg

Crews discussing how the train is handling
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6116/cmd16se4.jpg

These few shots of the train in the station and departing made this trip worth it, as if a beach trip wasn't worth it alredy ;)
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8665/cmd15iv8.jpg

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/8704/cmd18nt2.jpg

From down the tracks a bit, the starlate departs
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/4211/cmd19nr6.jpg

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5971/cmd22rl3.jpg

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/6428/cmd24ax9.jpg


Tracking 1996 at this stage pointed out that it wouldn't be around until atleast 10 P.M. unfortuneately I started work about 5 hours away at 11 so seeing it was impossible for me. I still thought it would be nice to hang around for 14 though.We thought we'd grab a new vantage point before it got there

From the bridge
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/6016/cmd25op4.jpg

The Northbound Starlate arriving into the station.
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/2969/cmd28er6.jpg

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/6112/cmd29kc1.jpg

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2600/cmd30yv6.jpg

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9513/cmd31pk0.jpg

And finally, the last shot of the day before getting back on the road,
The Northbound Starlate climbing Cuesta
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/7830/cmd33bt9.jpg





Shane
http://shanestrains.socalrails.com
"Some Call it Innovation, we call it KAAAAHHNNN!"

[lateagain]

Great Shots.

From a UK perspective.....no wonder Amtrack is in trouble! A dash 8 to haul 4 coaches ????!!!! ....well five if you include the F40, which I assume is also a reverse driving unit?

Nice to see "Railroad" shots rather than purely "Locomotive" pictures too.

[CRQ5508]

>Great Shots.
>
>From a UK perspective.....no wonder Amtrack is in trouble! A
>dash 8 to haul 4 coaches ????!!!! ....well five if you
>include the F40, which I assume is also a reverse driving
>unit?
>
>Nice to see "Railroad" shots rather than purely
>"Locomotive" pictures too.

no, Amtrak has/had plenty of motive power to haul it's trains. It's problems are with lack of funding, and the freight hauling railroads it runs over dicking around with them, and throwing them into sidings, giving freight trains priority over a passenger trains? what happened to the 1950s and earlier when the thought of a freight train having priority over a passenger train was probably one of the greatest sins...

[jac_murphy]

The F40 is an NPCU, or non-powered control unit. Basically an F40 that's had its engine removed (but cab controls kept) and replaced with baggage space. They're essentially cab/baggage cars, hence the unofficial term "cabbage cars."

The Dash-8s are in effect passenger locomotives, with a more appropriate gearing ratio among other modifications. But then again, keep in mind that all Genesis units are essentially Dash-8s and -9s in a streamlined shell...

At any rate, Shane, those are some very nice shots.

Jacques

[Drewster]

knowing you shane, you had too much fun with those ACes and PhaseV P32s! i know i would. that PhaseV sure looks great on those P32s


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a236/Drewster327/UP1996/spsigsmall.jpg

my Railpictures.net photos
http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=2885