The Four Consists and More:

Train #14 (Thursday)

2051 - LAX-OKJ ONLY

115/118

1194

39019 - New to the Coast Starlight, normal Sunset Spare

32085 - Kentucky

32075 - Connecticut - Last Seen on Westbound California Zephyr at Reno, NV 10/18/00)

32072 - Arkansas

39972

38050

33042

34101

34512
34116

34090 - New - Last I saw this car on Train #8 earler this year when they were annulling at MSP.

31021 - Subbing for regular coach, normal Biz. Class extra for Surfliner Consists.

In SLO at 3:28P and Out at 3:48P delayed due to meeting inbound I-OALB-R at SLO.

Met 11 at Chorro due to Southbond I-OALB-E and I-OALB-X trains sitting on El Camino Block south of the main crossing. We had a San Simeon-ized day. #11 met at Chorro Siding (north of SLO-POLY).

The IOALB on track #1 with end car BRAN 5221B was still there on Thursday, and is still there today to my knowledge.

Deadhead Coach #34078 ran north to Emeryville for Friday's #6. Also behind it, CBQ Silver Lariat and UP 150-Sunset Private Varnish and Caltrain Baggage Coach #3815 making its first run north on the Starlight.

This train had unit AMTC #2051 as the helper, so it must have gone into the Black Hole to drop off an engine, the deadheading coach and it had to stop to drop the last car off at SJC, so it was probably late. This is the same consist that arrived SLO at 6:30P departing 6:59P on Sunday.

118 after a long hiatus and a wide range of alternative power has returned to the pool, welcome home #118.

Train #11 (Thursday)

2012 - New to the Coast Line - New CDTX "Thong" paint unit, OKJ-LAX.

181 - New/Shamu Paint Scheme

510 - New to the Coast, welcome back to the West Coast, last I saw this one 7/6/95 on #4 LAX-CHI.

1159

39009 - New to the Coast Starlight, normally seen on the Southwest Chief or Zephyr.

32098 - New Jersey - New to the Coast Starlight Pool

32081 - Illinois - New - last I saw it was on Train #8 (26APR) as the 830 Car)

32095 - Nebraska

39970

38068 - First timer on the Starlight, last seen on the final Pioneer Trip circa 5/1/97.

33027

34106

34515

34117

34065 - New to the Coast Starlight - Regular spare to the Southwest Chief or Zephyr routes.

34038 - Welcome Home

Arrived SLO at 410P departed at 426P. Both trains only boarded about 75 passengers.

After a long hiatus, #34038 has returned back to the Starlight pool.

Train #775 (21)

461

6804

31047 - Back in Phase 4 Paint Colors, no "Yellow" car paint scheme - First time on #775

35003 - Normal Sunset Limited Extra, first timer on the SLO Surfliner Section.

6305

6410

34105 - Number Box labeled as #784 rather than #775.

6951 - Point Loma - New to SLO Section, first I've seen Surfliner II cab cars up this far.

6952 - Point Vicente - New to SLO Section, also a first timer to SLO.

Last time I saw the #35003 was 10SEP at ORL on #1 running as the #114 car.

Due to "ACOT" train operations (ACOT means Against the Current of Traffic), on the San Simeon Block, train #11 stopped short, placing the last three cars on the lower portion of the northern end of the platform, requiring the 13, 14, and 15 car doors to be accompanied by a step-box.

Freights on Thursday:

Helpers: St. Louis Southwestern & Cotton Belt 9708/Union Pacific 3696/3803. SSW 9708 only a four Axle SD35-2, very tacky and grungy looking pile of junk. The #2243 bad ordered with blown traction motor starter solenoid, dead voltage regulator, and thrashed alternator awaiting a northbound train to "take it to the doctors" .. First time for an SSW unit in SLO.

Also, a first time train, the Z-LCSE came thru on Turkey day with a full load, the last car and a half at the rear of the train were empty. I thought at first it was the "LCOA" (or LAX-OKJ) but it was an LCSE (LAX-SEA) train. LCSE Arrived SLO 6:30A and out at 8:43A, departing with Maresk Sealand Refrigerated Container MWCU # 661199 on FEC trailer car #3410. I have no power numbers for that train, since the engines were out of sight around the bend near the Mill Street Bridge area.

I don't know if this train was the QRVML or the QRVDO but it came into SLO with U-9509/2247/9325/9339 at 11:19P and departed at 12:17A on Friday morning. 18 grain loads and 12 Hazard loads (#1075- LP Gas) in the middle of the consist. The rear of one of the IOALB trains on the El Camino Block that was visible from the station was the end well car SFLC #254315. Train #775 had extremely heavy baggage loads on Wednesday, two blue carts full of luggage, both cab/bags full and a third baggage car at the rear of the consist in Custom #31047. The EOT monitor on the rear of the SFLC consist was turned on at 4:40P after the departure of #11 on Thursday.

Bus Connection off Train #783 at SBA was nearly two hours late, arrived at 2:18A departing at 2:33A, 1 hour, 48 minutes late, Star 14/Star 6. (First time in many moons that I have seen two #4783 buses.)

San Jose Bus #6237 ran in two sections, bus #35848 arrived in SLO at 10:37P, the official arrival, however, was the scheduled regular #74607, which arrived at 11:07P departing at 11:22P, 3 hours, 17 minutes late due to heavy traffic and passenger loads out of San Jose. Bus #3913 from Train #713 at Stockton was also about 20 minutes late.

First bus, fully loaded (do not know the load capacity of a Setra, but its probably somewhere around 60.)

The Second bus had 37 for SLO and the rest for all of the other stops south of SLO.

Three Buses south of station: Silverado Tours #471 was awaiting inbound train #14, Sunrise Plaza #87 was awiting #11, to take Paxs. to Hearst Castle. The Hanford bus (#4903) boarded 15 to the connection for train #703 at Sacramento, and train #794's connector had 10 board for SBA.

My projected arrival for the ZLCSE22 in PRB was at 9:55A based on its 8:43A SLO departure.

IOALB arrived in SLO at 2:51P and departed at 2:58P with UP SD40-2 #3328 and (not sure whether this one is an 8-40C or a 9-44C) #9395. 14 was originally projected to arrive in SLO at 3:10P, actually arrived at 3:28P. 14 did arrive right at the time it was estimated to arrive at 4:10P. Train #775, Ontime Oxnard/Santa Barbara reports. (See consist line for Thursday for arrival) ... Bus to Paso Robles had Six Passengers (first time I have seen that many), w/ 3/ATA 3/PRB.

Train #775's projected arrival was 8:10P based on actual running time from GVB to SLO.

Wednesday's #776

465

1213

44839 - First time since earlier in the month when it ran as a sub for 44837.

44837

43040

44846 - Custom Class Car - but running in Coach Service, behind cafe car.

44218

54532

9635

Coach Seat Capacity 349, Bus. 120.

(This was train #775 (20) at SLO) ... I have no arrival status of this consist.

Train #775 - Thursday Night:

454

6806

6301

6411

6412

6302 - First time I have seen two cafe cars on the "SLO" consist.

6908 - Newbie to SLO, this was the replacement for original cab car #6900.

Train #776 on Friday morning was Standing Room Only at OXN only having two cars.

Arrived SLO at 8:13P, 23 minutes early.

Biz. Class/77 Seats ... Coach/410 seats.

Train #14 - Saturday:

120/119

1164 - Newbie - Former Surfliner assignment

39028

32091 - (not sure what this one's name is)

32112 - Utah

32118 - Wyoming

39973

38058 - Welcome Home, last I saw it on the Cardinal at Indianapolis on 9/15 with Panic Box #35001 running as both a fourth coach and a lounge car.

33045

34050 - Newbie - Normal #14 car on one of the five Empire Builder trains.

34512

34111

34067 - New - Regular #4 assignment

34041 - New - Empire Builder Assignment:

Train Arrived SLO at 3:49P and left at 4:04P, held at Paso Robles and met #11 at Bradley.

Originally, I projected #11 would meet #775 at SLO, but #775 beat #11 there on Saturday night, and the YOU PEE had eighteen plus freights on the lineup for Saturday night and Sunday morning. (This is probably all of the pre-holiday train annullments and the trains which were trapped behind the Monterey County Track service disruption on Saturday.

Train #775 (the first consist only ran SAN-SIM and was terminated at MPK to replace #84), [The second train was train #784's consist at OXN.] The reason why two consists were used for trains #784 and #775 was because of Friday's accident with #771 at CML.

Consist #1 (originally assigned set)

(see also train #775 (20))

Consist #2 (Orignal #84, nixed at OXN)

462

6802

6800

6307

6409

6413

6901

6906

Arrived SLO at 11:35P (with train #784's crew, 3 hours late). Train #776 had to have a "*** -catch" at Santa Barbara due to short rested crew.

Friday's #11 replaced #794 Goleta-Los Angeles making all of #794's stops, arrived LAX at 11:30P, 2HR 25MI LATE. #2 HELD FOR #11/#794 SPECIAL.

The original crew of #775 worked #84 to San Diego and layed over there, and worked back on #573 the following AM.

Train #775 (24)

454

6807

6851 - Balboa Park - Newbie to SLO

6303

6414

31046

6404

6903

Arrived 9:27P and departed 9:32P for tie-up in SLO pocket.

4775 boarded 10 paxs.

MWCEU24 arrived at 9:58P and departed at 2:02A (a circus in SLO, and a very tacky railroading operation. A crew which was to deadhead to somewhere unknown to pick up an MWCRV that was annulled for the holiday was ready to proceed with the EU as no Renzenberger vans were in sight. All the available units were assisting other trains. #58 told crew to stick to plan A, #73 told crew they could take EU, #50 did not tell EU inbound crew there was an outbound crew slated, and to annul train in SLO until further notice. As per DS 50, train was respotted and six cars were tied down. The train was not the full consist, about half of the cars were left off south of Orcutt Road so the crossing gates would not block.

It would be nice if all three DSes got on the same page for once in their collective lives.

Power was the 9314/9082/9386.

Late #11 (the Late Show)

114 - Welcome Home - Shamu Paint Scheme

113

1707

39022

32115 - Washington

32097 - New Hampshire

32106 - Pennsylvania - Newbie to the Coast Starlight Pool - Normally on #6 as extra DEN-CHI.

39975

38059

33040

34102

34508 - After a long time of being in hibernation, and being replaced by the #34504, welcome back to service.

34113

34114

34081 - Welcome Home

In at 11:16P out at 11:33P, 8hr 23mi late. This obviated a 3hr late 14 the following day.

Helpers chugged up the hill to fetch QRVDO. On the way up, they stopped in Chorro siding to meet the southbound ML train.

Helperes stirred their motors at 11:40P shortly after #11 had cleared the station.

QRVML:

Arrived 12:05A departed at 12:27A.

Powered by 4689/9126/4497 and end car LW #74109 w/ 29 loads and no empties.

#4783 on Saturday (early SUN AM) arrived 12:38A and departed at 12:42A.

I parted the station at 12:45A.

QRVDO arrived Marsh Street at 1:43A departed at 2:04A. Most likely chugged to a stop in SLO around 2:20A.

quote:

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Originally posted by cajon:
yawn

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If it was boring to you, why did you bother to respond? I found it interesting, even if I didn't understand everything.

Is there any info on the Net about the regular pools of cars that you mention? Or which cars are assigned to which trains normally?

Thanks