8/4/2014 After I went and saw the circus this year at the Honda Center in Anaheim, all I would have to do is to wait for the day when the train left Anaheim for San Diego. {There is a story about going to the circus on my current trip page} That morning I did a train ride to Solana Beach, watched some TV and had lunch before I drove down to the Winston Walker's home where Christy and I walked to the Yale Ave Bridge over the Metrolink San Diego Sub. Once we got there we had a headlight coming our way.
Pacific Surfliner 774 came flying down the rail heading to its next stop at Irvine 45 minutes late today. Now some information about the Blue Unit Circus Train.
BLUE UNIT 2014 Circus Train(The FIRST half of their 2-year tour with the 144th Edition of RBBB Circus: "LEGEND") TOTALS: 61 cars -- 4,490 tons -- 5,409 feet
UP 7249 and UP 6956
RBBX 40006 Coach 172; UP 5459
RBBX 40010 Coach 187; UP Alpine Camp
RBBX 40011 Coach 180; UP Alpine Pass
RBBX 40013 Coach 193; UP American General
RBBX 40014 Coach 199; UP American View
RBBX 40016 Coach 166; UP 5461
RBBX 41301 Coach 167; PRR 8242 Anderson Inn
RBBX 41304 Coach 184; PRR 8257 Elmira Inn
RBBX 41305 Coach 169; PRR 8263 Jeanette Inn
RBBX 41307 Coach 186; PRR 8267 Lewistown Inn
RBBX 41308 Coach 174; PRR 8268 Lima Inn
RBBX 41309 Coach 175; N&W Duke University
RBBX 41312 Coach 191; UP 5513
RBBX 41316 Coach 188; PRR 8260 Greensburg Inn
RBBX 41317 Coach 185; PRR 8288 Uniontown Inn
RBBX 41402 Coach 194; B&O 7103 Kingfisher
RBBX 41404 Coach 190; SAL 52 Pinehurst
RBBX 41405 Coach 170; SAL 55 Cedartown
RBBX 42001 Coach 183; UP 5401
RBBX 42005 Coach 198; Center Vestibule; UP 5407
RBBX 42006 Coach 196; Center Vestibule; UP 5410
RBBX 42009 Coach 197; Center Vestibule; UP 5418
RBBX 42010 Coach 176; UP 5419
RBBX 42011 Coach 195; UP 5421
RBBX 42013 Coach 189; UP 5425
RBBX 42014 Coach 168; UP 5431
RBBX 42015 Coach 179; UP 5432
RBBX 42016 Coach 178; UP 5433
RBBX 43003 Coach 177; UP 5507
RBBX 43007 Coach 171; UP 5540
RBBX 43009 Coach 173; UP 5488
RBBX 43012 Coach 192; UP 5541
RBBX 60001 SHOP 165 (Circus Train Crew); UP 5749 [Postal/Storage; original floor remains in office]
RBBX 60006 STOCK 2; UP 6312 [Baggage/Messenger]
RBBX 60010 STOCK 3; UP 6318 [Baggage/Messenger]
RBBX 60017 STOCK 4; UP 6304 [Baggage/Messenger]
RBBX 63005 SHOP 200 (Circus Porter crew); UP 5758 [Postal/Storage]
RBBX 63009 STOCK 1; UP 5762 [Postal/Storage]
RBBX 63010 PIE CAR 181; UP 5770 [Postal/Storage]
RBBX 63013 Generator/480V[Car 44]; UP 5770 [Postal/Storage] (borrowed from RED UNIT 2014)
RBBX 80702 Flat-89'; SHPX 9500
RBBX 80703 Flat-89'; ACF 4 (prototype ACF piggyback flat, fourth of the first 10)
RBBX 80704 Flat-89'; GTW 303063
RBBX 80705 Flat-89'; GTW 303068
RBBX 80707 Flat-89'; GTW 303461
RBBX 80708 Flat-89'; SHPX 99503 [former Red Unit Bi-level "RBX 27"]
RBBX 80710 Flat-89'; ACF 2 (prototype ACF piggyback flat; of the first 10)
RBBX 80713 Flat-89'; ACF ? (prototype ACF piggyback flat; of the first 10)
RBBX 80714 Flat-89'; ACF ? (prototype ACF piggyback flat; of the first 10)
RBBX 80715 Flat-89'; ACF ? (prototype ACF piggyback flat; of the first 10)
RBBX 80718 Flat-89'; FEC 4039
RBBX 84704 Flat-89'; GTW 303076
RBBX 84706 Flat-89'; TTGX 961763 [a former TTX Corp. Bi-level] (961793?)
RBBX 84707 Flat-89'; GTW 303010 [later, WC 5903]
RBBX 84713 Flat-89'; BTTX 910675[a former Bi-level flatcar; later: JTTX 910675]*
RBBX 84717 Flat-89'; BTTX 930349 [a former Bi-level flatcar; later: JTTX 930349]*
RBBX 84718 Flat-89'; CREX 351
RBBX 84719 Flat-89'; CREX 352
RBBX 84801 COFC-89'; GTW 304235
RBBX 84802 COFC-89'; TTX 151227 [for TOFC loading; later became JTTX 151227]
RBBX 85702 Flat-89'; GTW 303142
*These former BTTX Bi-level flatcars were acquired by RBBB with "JTTX" reporting marks - and with the same number.
This list shows the train's consist in ALPHA-NUMERIC order.(The train never travels in this order.)
Now we waited with Winston and AC Adam calling with updates from Trainorders.com. First one was "According to the radio conversation I just heard, they are ready to go and awaiting a light". That meant he was following Pacific Surfliner 774. Next "They just squealed around the curve at CP Maple in Orange at 2:17 PM, with UP units". The final one was "Update 2:20 about to roll through Tustin, lined in at El Toro to wait for 7 according to the DS". Now we next saw the headlight and got ready to take my series of pictures of it passing my location.
I called AC Adam and he posted "According to Mudrock RBB&B Circus Train past at Yale Ave in Irvine at 2:32PM." We returned to the Walker house very satisfied and then I went home to relax before tonight's Orange County Railroad Historical Society meeting. I was a very good day in my life. Next Monday we will catch the circus train coming northbound.
8/11/2014 I got up early and left the house at 6:00 AM and drove to Califia Beach in San Clemente. I paid to park for three hours and walked towards my usual photo spot here. As I was walking I heard a train coming up behind me. I turned to shot my first two pictures of the day.
Metrolink 803 at Califia Beach. I then walked south to my usual photo spot at Califia Beach.
Metrolink 607 at Califia Beach. From here I hiked up to the top of the bluff above the tracks.
My views from my photo location above Califia Beach.
Pacific Surfliner 763 from above Califia Beach. From here I hiked back down to my usual Califia Beach photo location.
Pacific Surfliner 763 at Califia Beach.
Metrolink 850 at Califia Beach.
Pacific Surfliner 565 at Califia Beach. From here I walked back to my car and then drove over to the Trestles pay lot and paid for my car to park there. I started my hike to San Mateo Bluff down the old US 101 highway and called Carl Morrison to tell him where to park.
On my hike Pacific Surfliner 564 at Trestles Beach. I arrived at my photo location on San Matoe Bluff and give Carl directions to find me.
I enjoyed watching the surfers as I waited for the trains to roll by below me here.
Metrolink 600 at Trestles Beach.
Pacific Surfliner 567 at Trestles Beach. Carl joined me at my photo location here.
Pacific Surfliner 566 at Trestles Beach. AC Adam and Christy Walker kept us updated on any progress of the Circus Train plus we had Mark Johnson down on Miramar Hill.
Pacific Surfliner 769 at Trestles Beach. Someone posted on Trainorders.com "Just heard from SD Dispatcher and it sounds like a 7pm departure like the M-SDGBAR out of SD. Bummer. I was hoping to go out on the pier to get it. Maybe things will change I will keep everyone posted if I hear anymore. I see it now picking up more cars out of SD and it has 2 UP units that it came down with and 2 BNSF units. So it will be lead by a BNSF engine". A few minutes later, I called AC Adam who was watching the train being made up from a San Diego web cam.
The view from San Mateo Bluff.
Pacific Surfliner 768 at Trestles Beach. AC Adam posted "On his way as of 11:20"!
Pacific Surfliner 573 crossed San Onofre Creek at Trestles Beach. Mark called said it went by him on Miramar Hill.
Metrolink 851 at Trestles Beach.
Pacific Surfliner 572 at Trestles Beach. Later it was posted "Stopped at Carlsbad, issues with 3rd car from the rear". Mark went by it stopping at Stuart Mesa on his way to Las Pulgas Road.
Pacific Surfliner 777 at Trestles Beach.
Pacific Surfliner 774 at Trestles Beach. Carl walked back to our cars to pay for more parking and I would use his camera to video the circus train when it arrived.
Pacific Surfliner 579 crossed San Onofre Creek at Trestles Beach. Mark called me to tell me the circus train went by him at Las Pulgas Road. I knew he would pull into San Onofre to let Metrolink 641 get by him.
Metrolink 641 crossed San Onofre Creek at Trestles Beach. Now would the Circus train be our next train? Only time will tell.
| Click here for Part 2 |