Jump to content
 

Some random west coast pics


Recommended Posts

Some pics of my trip along the west coast over the last week.

 

post-6959-0-62077900-1401671920_thumb.jpg

Surfliner shortly after arriving at San Diego.

 

post-6959-0-33825900-1401670863_thumb.jpg

Heritage trolley at Imperial in San Diego.

 

post-6959-0-19275200-1401670906_thumb.jpg

Metrolink and Coaster services at Oceanside.

 

post-6959-0-71619100-1401670974_thumb.jpg

Sprinter at Oceanside. Despite being classed as "light rail" in the US, it's a Siemens Desiro.

 

post-6959-0-68101900-1401670992.jpg

Coast Starlight at Los Angeles Union Station.

 

post-6959-0-60998000-1401671006.jpg

On the famous Horseshoe Curve.

 

post-6959-0-55684000-1401671016.jpg

VTA light rail at Alum Rock.

 

post-6959-0-90597300-1401671026.jpg

Capitol Corridor at Oakland Jack London Square.

 

post-6959-0-56439800-1401671032.jpg

Southbound Coast Starlight arriving at Oakland.

 

post-6959-0-16724700-1401671043.jpg

Millbrae BART station. With the decor and lettering I felt like I had stepped back into 1972.

 

post-6959-0-60095000-1401671050.jpg

Caltrain 4th & King station, San Francisco.

 

post-6959-0-64309800-1401671057.jpg

Coast Starlight at Klamath Falls, Oregon.

 

post-6959-0-77280100-1401672180.jpg

SP 4449 undergoing its 15 year overhaul at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

 

post-6959-0-94888900-1401671087.jpg

MAX light rail at Hillsboro.

 

post-6959-0-82253600-1401671110.jpg

Cascades at Seattle. On the right is one of the two new Talgo sets with cab cars.

 

Cheers

David

 

 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

The "Horseshoe Curve" is the rather complex set of forward and reverse loops (and tunnels/cuttings) needed to climb the 1000ft or so rise out of San Luis Obispo, heading North, and is normally referred to as the "Cuesta Grade". There is even a full length passing siding half way up. And helper facilities at both ends. Worth looking at Google maps for the big picture.

 

The true horseshoe part is at the bottom where it loops around by the California Men's Colony (Prison).

 

Andy

Link to post
Share on other sites

did you clock the second loco in the UP freight?  CNW lightning stripe!  CNW has been gone since 1995!

 

According to the Union Pacific Locomotive Directory 2007-2013, two C44-9Ws are in CNW paint. Plus there is the SD70ACe heritage unit.

 

Adrian

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

did you clock the second loco in the UP freight?  CNW lightning stripe!  CNW has been gone since 1995!

 

It caught my eye straight away. Quite a few photos on the DSLR as these were taken on the iPad for easy posting. A great coincidence as we got the Two CNW locos together at Rochelle a few days earlier.

 

Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites

It caught my eye straight away. Quite a few photos on the DSLR as these were taken on the iPad for easy posting. A great coincidence as we got the Two CNW locos together at Rochelle a few days earlier.

 

Ian

 

You got 8646 & 8701 together?  wow, lucky man!  I've not seen any - not even patched lightning stripes - since 2006 :(

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

In the past few years Seattle's King Street Station has been superbly restored. The horrible suspended ceiling has gone revealing the high ornate ceiling.

 

Some photos taken just before we boarded the Amtrak Thruway bus to Bellingham.

post-1557-0-99827100-1401917028_thumb.jpg

post-1557-0-68274000-1401917055_thumb.jpg

post-1557-0-60879700-1401917095_thumb.jpg

post-1557-0-83427700-1401917124_thumb.jpg

post-1557-0-40905300-1401917150_thumb.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Bellingham, Washington.

 

The hotel that we are in is in this video with bay windows with cushions in it, looking onto the tracks. I fell asleep there last night and only woke up when another train went past!

 

This video was taken from a pier come walkway that is linked at both ends to the shore.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

According to the Union Pacific Locomotive Directory 2007-2013, two C44-9Ws are in CNW paint. Plus there is the SD70ACe heritage unit.

 

The pictured one is a patched one, so will have a UP number, the ones Ian referenced are unpatched, they seem to "live" on old CNW territory, and often seem to run paired up.

 

(And long may that continue!) ;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Bellingham, Washington.

 

The hotel that we are in is in this video with bay windows with cushions in it, looking onto the tracks. I fell asleep there last night and only woke up when another train went past!

 

This video was taken from a pier ###### walkway that is linked at both ends to the shore.

 

What word got censored there?

In the past few years Seattle's King Street Station has been superbly restored. The horrible suspended ceiling has gone revealing the high ornate ceiling.

 

Some photos taken just before we boarded the Amtrak Thruway bus to Bellingham.

The past is a strange place. Why would you ever want to hide that ceiling?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Bellingham, Washington.

The hotel that we are in is in this video with bay windows with cushions in it, looking onto the tracks. I fell asleep there last night and only woke up when another train went past!

This video was taken from a pier come walkway that is linked at both ends to the shore.

That walkway is on the line of an old Northern Pacific branch that served a cannery right in front of the Chrysalis (I presume you've seen the "lump"?) When I first saw that area, in the mid 1980s, the pilings of the branch (and nothing else) were still in place. Do they still have the warning about train sounds at the checkin desk?

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Didn't notice the signs.
They give you ear plugs on the room but we even has the Window open so we could here the trains coming!

I thought that there must have been a cannery or similar there.



We walked the pld track bed into downtown as it was such a nice day. There is even some trackers in downtown between so e of the buildings.

Which is the best hobby shop in Vancouver these days accessible by public transport?

Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Thanks

 

I  have that one on my list. which i think we did some years back.

 

I know that there used to be some at Westminster but couldnt find them when searching the internet this morning.

 

Regards

Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites

Which is the best hobby shop in Vancouver these days accessible by public transport?

Ian

Floatplane to Victoria for BC Shaver & Hobby, then the MV Coho to Port Angeles for Pacific Rim Hobbies ...?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Which is the best hobby shop in Vancouver these days accessible by public transport?

Ian

Ian, the only hobby shop I know of that's still open is Central Hobbies, on Grandview Highway, very close to the Renfrew Skytrain station. Fortunately, I always thought it was the best in Greater Vancouver. It's in the same building as it was, but has moved a couple of shopfronts west. The two shops in New Westminster have both closed - one owner died and his wife sold up, I got the feeling there was dissent within the group that ran the other and it closed too.

 

Bellingham/Fairhaven has a lot of railroad history - there were Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Milwaukee Road tracks there, plus an interurban (the Bellingham and Skagit) which had a 4 mile trestle along the shoreline south of Fairhaven. I think the tracks between buildings in Bellingham you refer to were NP, and connected to the branch below your hotel.

 

If you're staying another night in the Chrysalis, and haven't found it already, I'd recommend a visit to the Archer Ale House, downstairs at Harris and 10th in Fairhaven.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

We walked past the Archer Ale House this morning on the way way to Amtrak. We did want to try it but there were too many brew pubs and bars to do in downtown Bellingham including the very new Aslan Brewery.

We are in Vancouver now and have been to Central Hobbies. It does seem bigger in its new location with a great range of stock.

Picked up some detailing bits and a great caravan that would make Stubby 47 jealous!!!

Link to post
Share on other sites

There is also the Model Train Museum on Granville Island that is worth a look if you're in the area. Unfortunately the Interurban line wasn't running when we went, and has now closed completely.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...