Southern Pacific Krauss-Maffei ML 4000 9010 was going to makes its first run and I decided I should cover this. I invited Chris Parker along on this trip but due to his lack of work for his tree cutting business, he just could not make it. I planned a trip so I could ride the BART Extension service from Antioch to the Pittsburg/Bay Point station and return before photographing ACE trains on Altamont Pass. The next day I would cover Southern Pacific 9010 making its first trip then ride the entire Santa Clara light rail system. A two-night in Tracy was planned before returning home.
7/19/2019 I was up at 3:30 AM and after having my usual breakfast, I packed the car then left Santa Ana at 4:10 AM heading straight up Interstate 5 to CA 43 and at Shafter, I stopped when I saw a headlight coming up fast behind me.
San Joaquin 701 at Shafter. I drove a new way into Wasco for my next picture.
Savage GP7 8611 at Wasco, originally Santa Fe 2797. I continued north at this point.
BNSF 7051 East at Pond.
BNSF 7246 West at Sandrini.
BNSF 4114 East south of Corcoran.
BNSF 4330 East north of Corcoran. I then took CA 43 to CA 99 to Road 20 1/2 to the BNSF mainline.
BNSF 4239 West at Planada. From here I took CA 108 to CA 99 to CA 104 to Interstate 5 to CA 4 and went out to the BNSF middle fork bridge of the San Joaquin River.
The scene.
The trees with the loud birds.
A most beautiful setting.
San Joaquin 713 heading west with one of the low level San Joaquin train sets.
San Joaquin 712 heads east with a standard San Joaquin train set. From here I drove to Antioch and parked in the BART paid parking lot.
The BART to Antioch Extension ProjectThe BART to Antioch extension began carrying riders in East Contra Costa County on Saturday, May 26, 2018. To celebrate, BART held a community ribbon-cutting celebration on Friday, May 25, 2018 at the new Antioch Station featuring free preview train rides and local entertainment.
The new service between the Pittsburg/Bay Point Station and Antioch is 9.2 miles long, adds two new stations, and provides much needed congestion relief on State Route 4.
The extension uses a different type of train called a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU). These trains are state-of-the art, clean and comfortable. They are environmentally friendly, meet the US Government's strictest emissions standards, and use renewable diesel, an advanced biofuel produced from bio-based sources such as vegetable oil.
The DMUs run on their own tracks in the median of State Route 4 and connect with the existing BART system at a transfer platform just east of the Pittsburg Bay Point station. At the transfer platform, riders simply exit one train and walk across the platform to board the other train. BART passengers trying to reach the Pittsburg Center Station or the Antioch Station remain in the BART train to reach the transfer platform since the platform is only reachable by train. There are Clipper vending machines at Pittsburg Center station and Antioch station. The vending machines dispense Clipper cards only. There is a one-time $3 acquisition fee for the purchase of new Clipper cards. There is no fee to add value to your Clipper card.
The Pittsburg Center station entrance is located on Railroad Ave above State Route Highway 4. It is served by Tri Delta Transit and 240 BART parking spaces are available minutes away on Bliss Ave.
The Antioch station entrance is located at 1600 Slatten Ranch Road in Antioch. Take SR4 to Hillcrest Ave. and head north then head east on SlattenRanch Road. BART has over 1000 parking spaces at this station and it is well served by Tri-Delta Transit. At its December 6, 2018 meeting, the BART Board of Directors appoved a plan to fund a project that will add 800-plus new parking spaces at the Antioch Station.
Our tripI purchased my Clipper Card, loaded it with a ticket to Pittsburg Centerpoint station and paid three dollars to park.
A one car train at Antioch.
The interior of these new cars.
View along the way to Pittsburg Center station. I detrained there.
My one car train leaves Pittsburg Center.
I boarded a two car train to Pittsburg Centerpoint.
Another view of the inside of these trains.
A view on the way to Pittsburg Centerpoint.
Both ends of the train at Pittsburg Centerpoint.
The BART train arrived and passengers transferred to our two car-train. I returned to Antioch then drove CA 4 East to Vasco Road to Altamont Canyon Road, where I parked just below the Greenville Trestle. I crossed the road then climbed along the fence to my next photo location.
The Greenville Trestle.
Union Pacific 8802 East crosses the Greenville Trestle.
ACE Train 04 crossing the trestle. I fought traffic on Altamont Pass Road then took Midway Road to Patterson Pass Road but found no place to park so I went into Tracy and found the ACE station and parked there.
ACE Train 06. After that it took while to get out of the parking lot then I took Tracy Boulevard to Arby's then went to the Microtel Inn and Suites for my two night stay here.
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