posted
Hi guys! I haven't ridden the Pacific Surfliners recently (not since they were still caled San Diegans) -- at one time in the past, the trains backed out of LAUPT to Mission Tower, then reversed and traveled "forward" the remainder of the trip to SAN. I will be riding the Surfliners on my trip later this month, and obviously would like to sit on the "ocean side" of the train for best viewing and videotaping -- with the new "push-pull" power on the Surfliners, do the trains still back out of LAUPT, or do they go forward and then negotiate what I know is a very very sharp turn at Mission Tower?
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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The Surliners now pull into LAUPT engine first & leave cab car first no matter whether going north or south. There is no wying.
Posts: 249 | From: Downey CA USA | Registered: Jul 2000
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Remember, while the curves at LAUPT are tight, there WERE 83 foot heavyweights (most notably business cars) pre-Streamliner era. Also, by the time LAUPT was on the drawing boards, the 85 foot streamliner passenger car was part of the equation.
John
quote:Originally posted by cajon: The Surliners now pull into LAUPT engine first & leave cab car first no matter whether going north or south. There is no wying.
------------------ The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations
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Which direction are you going: north or south? I went to SD this weekend on Pacific Surfliner. I don't remember if we passed a tower but I do know that I sat on the right side of the train to get the ocean view. I sat in business class & that was the last car. Coming back from SD, it was the first car and I sat on the left side of the train. Don't know if the above helps any but I just wanted to add my 2 cents.
Posts: 9 | From: USA | Registered: May 2002
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the San Diegans cars really single-level, and not the double-deck Surfliners...? Also, IIRC, the single-level cars did operate push-pull, using old Metroliner MUs as cab cars.
Posts: 566 | Registered: Mar 2002
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"Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the San Diegan's cars really single-level, and not the double-deck Surfliners...?"
Although the San Diegans mostly used single-level Heritage and Amfleet Is and IIs, they would sometimes run with Superliners or AmtrakCalifornia double-deckers. Per PullmanCo's post, I think the original Santa Fe RR San Diegans might have even been run with the double-deckers in the late '60s.
Posts: 553 | From: Flagstaff, AZ USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
Some of the old San Diegans were double deckers. About 4 or 5 years prior to the delivery of the 1st Surfliner Set, the then still termed San Diegans, used some California Fleet cars (Similar to what's used on the Capitols and San Joaquins). When the first California Cars arrived in LAUPT, they were placed on the then termed San Diegans. There were two sets-both placed on an express service. One express served between Goleta and San Diego, the other express between LAX and SAN. There were actually several of these sets delivered for service on the San Diegan before the Surfliner name and rolling stock came into play. There is only one single level set left in service on the Surfliner (last I checked). Occasionally they mix and match California Cars with Surfliner Cars and even an extra Superliner Car (usually a coach baggage or sightseer lounge). Superliner cars are customarily used when California Cars or Surfliner Cars are in the shop.
To clarify on the push-pull question, they pull into LAX from the north loco-front, and continue on to San Diego in push mode. It's the opposite going NB. The Surfliner is pulled from San Diego into LAX and pushed out of LAX towards Santa Barbara and/or SLO. There is no wyeing. This just makes for ease of opperation and save time. I too remember when they used to wye it at Mission Jct. Now, all of the sets on the Surfliner are cab car equipt, so its just not neccesary.
Remember, to get the oceans view out of LAX GOING TO SAN--sit on the RT hand side, or facing the EAST.
P.S-the squeeling of the Surfliners out of LAX testifies to just how tight of a curve it is!
Posts: 12 | From: Bakersfield, Ca. 93308 | Registered: May 2002
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AT&SF's two experimental Hi-level coaches (Budd, 1954 as I recall) ran regularly on the San Diegan.
Some other handkerchief-head consist-aholic is going to have to weigh in on San Diegan operations 1965-1971.
Also note: Amtrak bought every car the ATSF would sell to them (ATSF held back some Regal series 4-4-2 sleepers and at least one Great Dome). The inventory of Hi-Levels bought by Amtrak once equipped the El Capitan, the Texas Chief, AND the San Francisco Chief.
John
quote:Originally posted by Eric: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the San Diegan's cars really single-level, and not the double-deck Surfliners...?"
------------------ The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations
quote:Originally posted by BTrain: There is only one single level set left in service on the Surfliner (last I checked). Occasionally they mix and match California Cars with Surfliner Cars and even an extra Superliner Car (usually a coach baggage or sightseer lounge). Superliner cars are customarily used when California Cars or Surfliner Cars are in the shop.
I've seen a couple different single-level sets used on Pacific Surfliners in the past couple of months. One that I rode on in March was all-Amfleet, and then this past Sunday, my southbound Surfliner met a northbound Surfliner that was almost all Horizon fleet cars, but there was a full-length dome car in the consist, too. It looked like it was in use as a regular passenger car, but it went by too fast for me to figure out whether it was in service as the business class car, or the cafe car, or what.
The southbound Surfliner I was on had a Superliner coach/baggage car in the middle of an otherwise all-Surfliner consist.
[This message has been edited by trainman1 (edited 06-18-2002).]
Posts: 112 | From: North Hollywood, California | Registered: Mar 2002
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This is half the train set from the Key Holiday Vegas trip (5/7-5/9)-Amfeet cab car,5 Horizons, dome & bag car. It's being used to replace a surfliner set sent Vegas for run times. Supposedly Amtrak's Vegas service to start 1/1/03.
Posts: 249 | From: Downey CA USA | Registered: Jul 2000
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