 TRAC Board
Members left no doubt where we should catch the Surfliner
to Oceanside.
|
 The Old Town
San Diego Station is also served by the San Diego Trolley.
|
 |
 |
 After leaving
San Diego at 9:30, the
Cab Car of the Surfliner
appeared at Old Town Station.
|
 At Oceanside,
we pilled off the Surfliner
to
photograph the brand-spanking-new Sprinter.
Two double-units were used as a 4-unit Diesel-powered train to take us round trip Oceanside - Escondido. |
 The sign with
the Sprinter
route and 15
stops was held high. When we arrived at our seats, there was
another smaller map of the line for our use.
|
 Richard
Hamilton of Let's Talk Trains
was here as well, this time without his microphone.
|
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 |
 Nearly all
riders were impressed with the large windows.
|
 The ceiling
seemed high enough that it could be a two-level train. The side
windows were from seat level, to far above the luggage racks.
|
 The wood-grain
dividers mark the center of the two-unit section. There is no
movement between the two articulated cars once you board. The
raised seating at each end of the cars is above the motors and fuel
tanks.
Platform for the Sprinter at the Oceanside Station (right) where Metrolink, Coaster, and Amtrak trains stop, as well as Breeze busses. A true intermodal passenger terminal. |
 |
 The Cab looks
like the controls of a space ship. Each two-car unit has a cab on
each end of the set. This unit will look the same going either
way with no need to turn the train at either end of the route.
|
 |
 Conversations
picked up among the riders. This is the moment that Andy Smith learned
the handle of a contributor to Train Orders' chat area.
|
 Most gates are
in place and enough work trains have been on the line that travellers
have quickly learned the purpose of the gates.
|
 Where gates
were
not yet in place, employees flagged the crossings and there were no
incidents.
|
 This station is
set for freight operations with the loading ramps in up position.
During Sprinter-only operations, these platforms will remain
down. Notice the fence the full length of the platform, perhaps
required because of the freight operation on the same line.
|
 Note Andy's
2008 NASCAR shirt with Dale Earnhardt's new number.
|
 Rail Friend,
Andy Smith, talks with Bombardier personnel. They did not build
the cars,
but are involved in operation.
|
 Crossing Hwy.
78, which also runs from Oceanside to Escondido, on the Cal State San
Marcus Loop.
|
 Our first stop,
at a Sprinter only station (no freight takes this loop) was at Cal
State San Marcos, This view is of some university buildings from
the elevated station platform.
|
 We detrained
here as the weather was getting a bit brighter inland.
|
 Since the train
was not on a schedule to pick up anyone else, we had 10
minutes here for a photo opportunity.
|
 Some of us
chose to walk down the stairs to street level for pictures.
|
 The view
northeast of the station showed the whole valley.
|
 |
 Now THIS is a
safe, no-hassel station stop where road traffic in not inconvenienced
in the slightest and passengers have an elevator or stairs to reach the
parking lot.
|
 |
 Note the two
independent two-car. 136-seat units linked for this excursion
with seating capacity for 272 and full capacity, including
standing
room, of nearly 400.
|
 |
 |
 |
 It was time to
reboard so we could continue to Escondido for lunch and restroom stop
at the intermodal train/bus station there.
|
 Cal State San Marcos Platform |
 We crossed back
over Hwy. 78, to the north side and on into Escondido.
|
 |
 The curved
bridge over Hwy. 78 is quite a structure.
|
 Escondido
Station Canopy, clock, and eventual ticket machine.
|
 Richard
Hamilton enjoying a rare moment without a microphone. Looks like
Superman Richard has stopped the train with one hand!
 |
 The loading
gates were up on this freight/passenger platform. Gates must be
up for freight traffic which is wider than the Sprinter. The loop
to Cal State San Marcos is passenger only. Freight has the line
from 9:30 pm to 3:30 a.m.
|
 Escondido
Station is Intermodal with the Breeze
Bus in the foreground and the Sprinter
in the background.
 Our engineer on
the westbound trip back to Oceanside.
|
 Somewhere in
the Sprinter offices there might be a picture of me taking a picture of
this
security camera.
|
 Proof that this is also a freight line.  Cab view. |
 There are glass
doors to the cab, so this young man's video will look like a Cab
Ride. I wonder if it will end up on UTube?
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