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A long IDUOA rolls past Emeryville on October 9, 2001 with
GE's 9176-9528-9766. |
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Right behind the IDUOA is the QRVML with 9345-8802-6030. October
9, 2001. |
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CSX SD70MAC 702 trails UP SD60M 6130 as a light engine move
rolls west past the Emeryville Amtrak depot on May 16, 2000. |
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An auto train headed for Warm Springs rolls on the Niles Subdivision
double track between Melrose and Elmhurst. UP 9670 leads 5722,
4142, and 4673 early on the morning of October 24, 2003. |
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C40-8's 9327 and 9128 urge a ribbon rail train out of Oakland
on a cloudy November 7, 2003. 62 cars, mostly MP and ABDF ribbon
rail cars, have a supply of new rail for the Coast Line. |
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Monday, February 24, 2003 finds the Bowie to Wendel log train,
SBOWD, working its way past Newhall Yard in Santa Clara. Flared
SD70M 5007 leads 9763, 4704, and 4428 plus 60 cars of logs.
Caltrain train number 57 is sprinting up past the logs to make
a stop at Santa Clara. |
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California Northern GP15-1 113 goes on world tour! Splicing
SD60's 6262 and 6043, the 113 rests at Santa Clara Yard on March
18, 2002. The lashup seems to have a MSJRV all ready to go back
to Roseville. |
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UP SD70M's 2002 and 2001 lead the Olympic Torch Special as
it rolls to a stop at Santa Clara. The torch flame isn't actually
on board at this point; the flame left the train at San Luis
Obispo the night before so that the relay could come up the
coastline. The Torch Special stopped at most passenger stations
for short periods of time; it spent 10 minutes at San Jose and
then 10 minutes here at Santa Clara. January 17, 2002. |
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A Union Pacific inspection special rolls through Santa Clara
on June 7th, 2000. |
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An AMLMIX (Miraloma to Milpitas, CA) auto train, with 80 empty
autos for the Nummi plant, waits for a new crew at the Caltrain
station at Blossom Hill, CA on September 25, 2003. CSXT 9 (why
are single digit numbers always weird looking) leads two former
Conrail units, NS SD40-2 3395 and CSXT SD70MAC 780. The following
day, the power returned down the Coast Line with a loaded auto
train. |
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UP AC6000CW 7546 and C44-9W 9776 lead another QRVML through
San Martin, CA on the 19th of October, 2001. |
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Another QRVML rolls past the approach signal for North San
Martin with 9351-9354-8502 in charge on a sunny December 10,
2001. |
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A QRVDO rolls through Luchessa on the single track portion
of the Coast Line between Gilroy and Cornardo. Power is 5727-9512-9054
with 124 cars on February 1, 2002. |
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The Hollister Local has gone on the law at the Highway 25
crossing on July 16, 2004. Rebuilt GP UP 2579 leads HLCX leasor
3811. |
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The ARVWF with 4361 and 4553 passes the Granite Rock plant
at Logan on August 15, 2003. |
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A QRVDO rolls through Aromas with the Logan cement plant in
the background. Power is 5727-9512-9054 with 124 cars on February
1, 2002. |
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A southbound manifest rolls through Elkhorn Slough with a
mixed lashup of former SP C44-9W's 9596 and 9622 bracketing
former CNW SD60 5958 and brand new SD90MAC 8505 on the Wednesday
before Thanksgiving, 2000. |
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The Monday after Thanksgiving 2004, a QRVDO pulls into the
siding at Salinas and comes to a stop across from the classic
depot. Power is 5773-2218-4664. The crowd is waiting for a late
Amtrak number 11. November 29, 2004. |
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The winter of 2004/2005 caused a significant amount of
damage on the Coast Line between San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles.
The UP threw all sorts of equipment and resources at the slip-outs,
sink-holes, and flooding along the line. On February 18th,
2005, the Coast Line has re-opened, but work still continues.
Here, a southbound loaded ballast train makes track speed
between Salinas and Gonzalez with CEFX 3162, a former UP SD40-2,
and UP 3041, a former C&NW SD40-2 have the train well
in hand in the flat Salinas Valley. |
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On October 29, 2004, the ILCOA is pumping up its air at Gonzalez,
CA after picking up an engine that was set out in the siding.
Engines 9268-6174-CSXT8579-9783 have this long train well in
order. |
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Gonzalez, CA is woken up by the QRVML on January 24, 2003.
Having a non-wide cab on the Coast is getting rather unusual.
UP 9281-9480-9789 lead 61 cars. |
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On October 24, 2003, the MWCPD is departing Soledad after
picking up lunch across the street. Power for the train is 4175-4708-3991-5742-602
and has 86 cars well in charge. |
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The Santa Margarita Turn treads lightly on the siding at Soledad
on October 7, 2004. GP38-2's 559 and 566 have 7 cars in tow
on their return trip to Watsonville Jct. |
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The QRVML rocks and rolls through the curves north of Harlem
on January 24, 2003. |
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An ILCOA rushes past the furtile fields of the Salinas Valley
and is about to pop into the Harlem tunnel. On July 5th, 2004,
SD70M 4278 is leading GP60 2064 and C40-8 9129. |
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Another ILCOA races along the fields near the Harlem tunnel
on September 24, 2004. Power is 4921-9066-LLPX4403, the trailing
unit being a former UP SD40-2 now owned by EMD's leasing arm. |
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One of the last SBOWD log trains is about to pop into the
tunnel at Harlem, CA on May 2, 2003. Power is 4916-6023-9477-4780
have only 55 cars in tow, down from about 60 cars earlier in
the rush. |
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The same SBOWD as above. |
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Winter rains in the Salinas Valley have already made the hill
sides green and the fields have been plowed and are ready to
receive the next crop. In the midst of this beauty, three UP
GE's get wound up after their engineer receives an extension
on his track warrant south out of King City. UP 9390-9401-9366,
QRVML, December 3, 2001. |
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In the middle of 2002, the QRVDO has not been a train that
has been on the Coast Line in the daylight. However, with bridge
work at Moss Landing, this QRVDO on Friday, October 11, 2002
is rolling through King City with 5705-5760-9632. |
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A QRVML rounds the curve at Welby, CA on February 1, 2002
with three SD's (4390, 6235, and 4597) and is passing over the
old Union Carbide plant crossing. |
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UP SD70M 4200 and two C40-8W's charge a northbound out of
an extended slow-order on the Coast Line at San Lucas. January
11, 2002. |
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This is the only time I've ever seen a lashup made up completely
of EMD SD70M's. September 23, 1999 finds a southbound UP train
at San Lucas, CA with EMD 7011, 7005, and 7013. Actually looks
pretty good. |
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UP 4278-2064-9129 lead an ILCOA at San Lucas on July 5th,
2004. |
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Two "mighty-mice," B40-8 5632 and GP60 1953 roll
a long string of empty stack cars on the Coast Subdivision just
north of San Ardo on May 4, 2001. These two types of engines
are rare now on the Coast Line. |
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A southbound works between Bradley and East Garrison on October
1, 2004 with 5782-9678-4515 in charge. |
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Six SD70M's have the MWCPD in charge as they roll around a
corner between East Garrison and Bradley. Power on this April
9th, 2004 is 5090-4500-4196-4557-4877-4531 and have 102 cars
in trail. |
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UP 4682, 2251, and 4432 have a short but heavy QRVDO in tow
approaching East Garrison in the late afternoon light of January
25, 2002. |
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January 17, 2002 finds a QRVML tip-toeing along the Coast
Line at East Garrison. The piles of new ties are an indication
of the work ahead. In the mean time, freights are limited to
25MPH and passenger trains 30MPH between San Lucas and Paso
Robles. |
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April 30th, 2004 finds the QRVML rolling through Garrison
with SD70M's 5123 and 4956 spliced by CEFX SD40-2 3166. |
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Another shot of the QRVML with UP 5123. |
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Close up shot of CEFX 3166. |
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UP SD70M 5017 waits in the hole at East Garrison with a work
train for the QRVML with 5123 leading to pass. April 30, 2004. |
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UP 4446-9406-9532 charge a QRVML across the Nacimento River
bridge at East Garrison on February 28, 2003. |
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For the first two months of 2005, Amtrak was embargoed from
the Coast Line because of the UP's need to close the line during
the day to make repairs from the winter storms. This allowed
the Oil Cans to get an earlier start out of Wunpost. On February
4, 2005, the Oil Cans are led over the Nacimento River bridge
at East Garrison by 8260-7509-7017, which are making good time
with only two-thirds of the normal consist of tank cars. |
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The Oil Cans blasts through San Miguel on February 4, 2005. |
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Just south of the old siding at Wellsona, the three big units
of the Oil Cans swing into a curve on their way towards the
Cuesta Grade. February 4, 2005. |
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Still on its straight shot from Wunpost to Santa Margarita,
the Oil Cans slam over the south switch of Templeton with 8260-7509-7017
in the lead. February 4, 2005. |
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UP C30-7 472 and SD40-2 3700 hold down work train duty at
McKay siding on the Coast Line. The date is January 29, 2001,
and the 472 has only about a month to go before its retired
at Los Angeles. |
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Another indication of the heavy maintenance on
the Coast Line, SD60 2157 and C40-8W 9093 are rangling about
50 green ballast hoppers in the siding at Templeton. January
17, 2002. |
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UP 9424-4336-9307 lead a QRVML as it passes a
worktrain in the siding at Templeton. January 17, 2002. |
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After entering the siding at Santa Margarita and stopping
to pick up the conductor, who has closed the mainline switch
at the north end, the QRVML of June 4, 2004 digs in to pull
up to the crossovers to meet an ILCOA and exchange helpers for
the run over Cuesta. Power here is 4882-9663-2854. |
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An ILCOA with SD70M 4233 and GE 9513 slows as it approaches
the Santa Margarita crossovers so that this train's midtrain
helpers can be cut out and added to the X4882South. June 4,
2004. |
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In full dynamics, the Cuesta Helper with two former Trona
SD45-2 (6243 and 6244) and an a former SP SD40-2M (2671) comes
to a stop at the Santa Margarita crossovers. June 4, 2004. |
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Having had the head-end of the ILCOA cut off and run down
the hill a little, the Cuesta Helpers cut off the rear part
of the train and head for the crossover switch to hook up to
the tail end of the QRVML, which is in the siding. June 4, 2004. |
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The Cuesta Helpers, HLCX6243-HLCX6244-UP2671, are about to
couple up to the QRVML after helping the ILCOA over the hill.
June 4, 2004. |
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Now with the Cuesta Helper coupled up on the tail-end, the
QRVML comes up the siding at Santa Margarita with a green signal
at the south end of the siding. June 4, 2004. |
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August 8, 2002 finds a QRVML switching at the Santa Margarita
crossovers as it has to drop off 4 cars into the siding to be
picked up by a following train. Power is 5790-4627-8520. |
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A work train comes down into Santa Margarita on May 7, 2004
with SD60M 2321 and SD60 2199. |
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Late on the afternoon of February 22, 2002, the Oil Cans (OWPDO)
blasts out of Santa Margarita with 65 loads with UP 7236-7273-6707
on the point and 9583-3454-2919 just added on the rear-end. |
