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Let us go back in time to look at Amtrak from the early days to the present. We will see what Amtrak looked like when it started and how it changed. From the days of my Kodak Instamatic camera and my days of just watching trains to riding them and then completing the Amtrak system and all the new service since. Join me for a wonderful look back in time at Amtrak.
The first Amtrak unit I ever saw was on the Broadway Limited in Harrisburg in 7/11/1971. Here is E8A 4316 in fresh paint.
The UA Turbo Train toured the country in 1971. Here it rests at Los Angeles Union Station on 8/24/1971.
Amtrak 74 in the Yellow Bonnet colors the Santa Fe painted a few of the lease units in for Amtrak service at Santa Ana on 2/12/1972.
Amtrak 75 waiting at Santa Ana with a CB&Q combine and SP articulated coaches on 4/5/1973.
Amtrak 74 again, this time at Orange with Santa Fe F-units and Hi-level cars on 8/10/1973.
BN E8A 9942 coming off the San Francisco Zephyr in Denver during the power swap that took place every day taken in 7/12/1973.
Amtrak SDP-40F 552 leads the southbound through Chehalis, Washington in 7/27/1973.
The Coast Starlight at Los Angeles with Great Western cars behind the SP SDP-45's on 8/25/1973.
SP FP-7A 6453 at Bakersfield waiting to depart on the northbound San Joaquin in 7/1/1974.
The Amtrak Expo 74 Train coming into Ephrata, Washington in 7/6/1974.
Amtrak's F7A 106 on the Expo 74 at Ephrata in 7/6/1974.
Amtrak's F7B 151 at Ephrata in 7/6/1974.
The Amtrak F7B 150 was assigned to San Diegan Service but was renumbered 398 on 11/16/1974.
The SDP-40F 526 leads the Southwest Limited through Devore in 12/13/1974.
Amtrak SDP-40F 527 at Santa Ana in 12/31/1974.
Amtrak E9A 417 as well as 416 along with E9B's 451 and 452 were assigned to San Diegan service for over a year on 3/12/1976
Amtrak 416 on the point of San Diegan 775 at Santa Ana on 4/18/1976.
A night shot of the 416 at Santa Ana on 4/19/1976.
The first run of the Amfleet cars and new F-40PH's with SDP-40F 525 leading 224 and 223 in 5/12/1976. The 525 was on the point as the F-40's had not had their Automatic Train Stop shoes added yet.
The next day found the first pure trainset that would be used here for years to come. My brother Bruce was working baggage on 5/13/1976.
The first Rohr Turbo crests Cajon Pass at Summit in 5/29/1976.
SDP-40F's 627 and 626 led the San Francisco Zephyr east through Yuba Gap in 7/2/1976.
Another SF Zephyr with 625 on the point heads east near Reno in 7/3/1976
The third Turbo heads east through Santa Ana in 9/1/1976.
The Tumbleweed Connection arrived in Santa Ana in 10/12/1976.
The short lived weekend Las Vegas Limited arrived in Pomona in 10/19/1976.
The Southwest Limited on a bad day at Blu Cut in Cajon Pass. A little mishap at Victorville caused the freight power to be added for the trip to Los Angeles in 2/22/1978
The El Camino trainset also known as Baxter Ward's Choo Choo was assigned to regular San Diegan service in 6/23/1978.
The Sunset Limited at Summit on the Santa Fe due to a SP wreck at Niland on 2/18/1979
The now usual Amfleet San Diegan rolled north through Santa Ana on 3/30/1980.
The Desert Wind heads up Cajon Pass at Devore in 7/5/1980.
The SF Zephyr with a UP high speed SD-40-2 on the point at Taggett, Utah in 8/12/1980.
The San Joaquin rolling down the valley of the same name in 3/12/1982.
Southern Pacific ran a short-lived Oxnard to Los Angeles commuter train for four months. Seen here at Los Angeles in 6/11/1982.
The Coast Starlight leaving Los Angeles in 6/11/1982.
Four railroads did not join Amtrak in 1971. They were the Rock Island, Southern, Georgia and the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande Zephyr was the last independent service in the lower 48 States. Here it is leaving Salt Lake City for Denver in 6/22/1982.
The Pioneer was a normal night time event in Pocatello, Idaho in 6/23/1982.
Once I was visiting there and caught a late running westbound at the East Inkom Hold in 6/24/1982.
The Pacific International enters Seattle near the end of its run from Vancouver, BC. in 8/21/1982
Amtrak's 26, the Pioneer, rolls through Auburn, Washington in 8/22/1982.
San Francisco Zephyr at Ogden, Utah on a cold morning in 3/27/1983.
The very last northbound Spirit of California which I rode had completed the final run at Sacramento 10/1/1983.
Amtrak operated the Mojave Limited for the Pacific Railroad Society {PRS} on 10/23/1983 at Mojave,CA.
The Sunset Limited arrives at Pomona on a foggy Southern California morning in 2/19/1984.
Amtrak operated the PRS Cushenbury Caravan on 5/4/1985 at Cushenbury,CA.
The Desert Wind now a Superliner train nears Frost,Ca in 11/8/1986.
Amtrak San Joaquin 708 runs down the street at Fresno in 3/12/1987.
The Empire Builder rolled passed the old Essex,MT depot on 7/12/1987.
The Portland section of the Empire Builder about to cross the Columbia River into Oregon from Vancouver, Washington in 7/15/1988.
An all private car train near the location of the future Tustin, CA Metrolink station on 1/31/1989.
The Empire Builder descending the east face of Marias Pass in 4/3/1989.
The combined California Zephyr/Desert Wind rolled through Ruby Canyon on 7/13/1990.
The Broadway Limited rounded the famed Horseshoe Curve on 7/15/1990.
The Night Owl had arrived at Boston South Station on 7/16/1990.
From the Sears Tower a look at the Amtrak Chicago facility on 7/17/1990.
The westbound train 29, Capitol Limited, arrived into Harpers Ferry, West Virginia on 7/18/1990.
One of the prototpye Viewliner sleepers brought up the markers on the Capitol Limited on 7/18/1990.
E60 600 rested at Washington Union Station on 7/19/1990.
Slumbercoach Loch Arkaig at Winter Park on 7/20/1990.
The Silver Star arrived in Miami on 7/20/1990.
An eastbound Super Bowl all private car train heading to Indio to pick up the passengers for the trip to Glendale and a bus for the game on 1/31/1993.
B-328WH's were tried on our fast San Diegan trains on the famous Surfline in California. They could not maintain the schedules and were transferred elsewhere on the Amtrak system. Here two paused in Santa Ana station on 2/28/1993.
The Texas Eagle arrived into Joilet on 4/21/1993.
Amtrak tested the Swedish X-2000 in the Northeast Corridor before it toured the United States. Here it was in Los Angeles on 7/15/1993.
The German ICE Train was also tested in the Northeast Corridor but toured the USA before going into testing. Here it was passing through Santa Ana on 10/10/1993. The film was damaged but the image was too important not to include.
The Texas Eagle 22 waited in the snow at Fort Worth on 11/25/1993.
The Southwest Chief rolled through La Sierra on 11/27/1993.
The Illinois Zephyr passed through Aurora,IL on 12/20/1993.
Amtrak westbound Empire Builder being refueled at Minot,ND on 12/21/1993.
The Coast Starlight received help from a SSW unit at Oakland on 12/23/1993.
The Talgo Train started in service between Seattle and Portland in 1994. Here is a Talgo at Vancouver,WA on 8/28/1994. After that trip, I became sober on January 18th, 1995 and my train riding truly took off.
The Talgo in San Diegan Service at Irvine on 3/18/1996.
Northeast Direct Train 84 waits at Washington Union Station on 4/2/1996.
Train 80, the Carolinian, waits in Raleigh on 4/5/1996.
The IC3 on San Diegan 578 at the Santa Margarita River Bridge 7/31/1996.
F-40PH 231 was repainted in an Operation Lifesaver scheme at Santa Ana on 8/7/1996.
The full Desert Wind climbed Cajon Pass on 8/8/1996.
The Capitol Corridor started in California and here is a train at Martinez on 12/21/1996.
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