With a plethora of equipment issues plaguing Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, including multiple cab-cars and engines, SC-44 "Chargers," out of service, the saving grace was with AMTK #503. It's almost impossible to have seen one of these units used on the mainline in SoCal over the last six years, but I guess the saying 'never say never' is still valid today. AMTK 503 had made an appearance a few days prior to this photo on a late evening A591. Lighting conditions did not allow for this shot you see before you. I'd been planning a photo for this location for a while, and with 503 removed from A591 that night I thought all hope was lost. A few short days later it was put back on and was set to lead A587 on the northbound end again. I parked off of Cristianitos Road, about 1.5 miles, which meant a little hike each direction. The location was well worth it. Especially when you watch the surfers between each train that passes. It's also nice to get a shot with the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant, otherwise known as "The Boobs" for all the locals that pass it. Next time I would just love that perfect sunset, golden hour light instead of the coastal marine layer. You win some, you lose some, and sometimes it's a compromise.
Stretching from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, the Surf Line has become Amtrak's second busiest route. See the Pacific Surfliner and San Diegan in action along with trains from predecessors Santa Fe and Southern Pacific.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)
