It Never Rains in Southern California

[ekeating]

Hi all,

Back again making references to decades-old music (oldies will always be goldies). Anyhow, lets get to the screen shots. First up. Amtrak's northbound Coast Starlight train 14. These screenshots focus on the stretch north of Santa Barbara. In my opinion, the prettiest stretch of Jeff Farquhar's Surfliner 2. Unfortunately, also the least busy.

Residual delays impacted Amtrak 14, departed Santa Barbara 2 minutes late.


Gaviota Trestle, ubiquitous with the Surfline. (Pardon the texture flickers, it must've been due to the zoom distance)


Somewhere out along the remote shoreline.


We had to wait about 45 minutes for 790 at Lompoc. Unfortunately due to sidings out of service we weren't able to meet at a more efficient location. Dispatcher preferred to keep the Surfliner on time.


Arrived into San Luis Obispo about 25 minutes late. The "Pointless Arrow" bench is a nice touch! Amtrak 11 had just left prior to our arrival.


EK

[chilla]

Man what you know about Tony! Toni! Tone lol nice pics.

[ekeating]

Just returned south this evening on Amtrak 11. Once again focusing on north of Santa Barbara.

The train was late coming south from San Jose. We left SLO around 30 minutes late.


Brief street running in Guadalupe.


Vast emptiness has a spectacular beauty to it on the rural California Coast. Not too far from Vandenberg here.


Closer towards Goleta, looks like the old road bridge still stands here.


After a delay meeting 777, we arrived into Santa Barbara about an hour late. But, due to padding in the schedule, most of that time was made up on the run into LAUPT.


EK

[ekeating]

Yesterday I did a round trip to San Diego, went down in the morning on train 562 and came back north on 583.

Heading south out of LA, today's Amtrak 14 is finishing fueling in the coach yards.


San Clemente Pier


Arrived in San Diego, had about a 9 hour layover.


Coming back north, out of Oceanside.


San Clemente Pier again, this time we stopped.


EK

[ekeating]

Came back to Yermo on an Autorack train bound for the LA/LB area.

Coming through the bridge just east of Basin after meeting an eastbound.


The searchlights at Field.


Photographing from inside an abandoned Gas Station near Yermo.


The signal bridge at West Yermo.


Hopping off at Yermo, letting the Long Beach crew take over from here!


EK

[ekeating]

Yesterday's run was southbound on Amtrak 580.

Passing the coach yards just outside of LAUPT.


Between Orange and Santa Ana.


The commuter train layover yard at Stuart Mesa. On weekends this yard is almost full.


EK

[ekeating]

This evening, got "called" for an M-WCNPB to Arden.

Getting ready to pull from Yermo.


Near Field siding, the sun starting to set.


Approaching Afton Canyon, like the sign says!


Meeting one at Joshua siding.


Into Arden under darkness. Time to get some sleep!


EK

[klsc85]

Excellent!

Uncle E

[ekeating]

Last night / this morning, we took the ZNPLA west with one of "Miss Katy's" leading.

Leaving Arden, we had the MNPWC following us out of town.


Stretching out legs out at Balch.


Afton Canyon


Met a grain empty at Toomey, he's waiting on both of us.


Arrived into Yermo in record time! Ready for the outbound to go the rest of the way to LA.


EK

[Shortliner]

This evening, got "called" for an M-WCNPB to Arden.

Getting ready to pull from Yermo.


Near Field siding, the sun starting to set.


Approaching Afton Canyon, like the sign says!


Meeting one at Joshua siding.


Into Arden under darkness. Time to get some sleep!


EK

So I gotta ask, is that distance counter in the locomotive's HUD functional? Because I've been waiting forever for OpenRails to get a functional distance counter.