Early Amtrak in Southern California

[@stephenheath8465]

the former ATSF Surf Line ROW between San Clemente and Delmar is being threatened by Sea erosion

[@rottenroads1982]

I wish Amtrak had the Time to Replace the Water Tanks in the SDP40F’s with HEP. Also, If only they could have overhauled the EMD E & F units. It would be cool if vintage locomotives were around, doing what they were meant to do.

[@danielboone3770]

I love the early Amtrak trains! I heard of early Amtrak across Wisconsin but here in Southern California? This is awesome! These trains are so wonderful! I'm starting to get more inspiration!

[@krutherfurd]

Thank you very much! I was just a teenager using my Dad's old Kodak 8mm windup movie camera. We spent a week camping in San Clemente and caught as many run buys with the E units as possible - I knew at the time they were something special. Soon they would be replaced by the first of the F40's. The SDP40Fs on the surf line were filmed the summer before in 1974 when they were new. A few times they teamed up with an E unit the following year but did not come back in big numbers. The E units and heritage equipment were replaced by new F40's and Amfleet consists.

[@LoydChampion]

All of these cars look to be former Santa Fe equipment..

[@MrJuvefrank]

There sure are a lot of old and beautiful trains in this video.

[@krutherfurd]

The Amtrak Las Vegas Special only ran one "season" and only from about late spring through summer of 1976. The train operated 2 days per week. The eastbound train left Los Angeles for Las Vegas on Friday afternoons and returned late afternoon on Sundays with presumably wiped-out gamblers or those with pockets full of winnings. The first run was the most memorable with the A-B-B-A matched E units and matched cars. However, the consist and motive power varied and was always interesting.

[@FreihEitner]

I would personally love to take the train to Las Vegas now (well now NOW now in mid-2020).

[@krutherfurd]

At the time these trains were filmed, the first Superliners were still several years away. The car in question is in fact an ex-Santa Fe Railway "hi-level" chair car. These cars were built in the mid-1950's and were put in service in July 1956 for the all coach hi-level El Capitan between LA - Chicago. There were also hi-level lounge cars and diners. Additional hi-level chair cars were produced in 1964 and some of the first produced coaches went to other trains. Amtrak acquired the entire fleet in 1971. Some of the coaches were "step-down" and these had stairs at one end that allowed a connection and travel between cars of conventional height. The cars did have two levels (although all revenue coach seats were on the upper level/restrooms downstairs) and were true bi-levels. The hi-level cars were the inspiration for the Amtrak Superliner fleet that first entered service in 1979. The hi-levels and Superliners did operate together on some trains and the hi-levels are a little smaller in height. Its a tribute to the visionary and progressive former Santa Fe Railway that these cars conceived in the 1950's are the basis of design for long distance chair cars in use almost 70 years later.

[@amtrakinoscale9811]

Last 5 Hi-Level Lounges in service retired 2/5/18. Most will be scrapped if any are sold.

[@xanadujohn79]

I wonder why their was "hi-level" sleepers???

[@FreihEitner]

@@xanadujohn79 The Santa Fe maintained their all-sleeper trains such as the Super Chief with traditional single-level equipment, possibly due to the expense of getting all-new hi-level equipment at the time when passenger service was in decline. The hi-level cars for coach service made more sense since they could fit more passengers in fewer cars. But by the time of Amtrak's Superliners in the mid 1970s, the old sleepers were in very poor condition and so the need for double-level sleepers and diners was sufficient to warrant their purchase.

[@FreihEitner]

@@amtrakinoscale9811 I was sad to hear about that. I rode the Coast Starlight 3 times and enjoyed sitting in the hi-level Pacific Parlor Cars (the hi-level lounges).

[@amtrakinoscale9811]

@@FreihEitner Good news is The Steam Railroading Institute bought two of them and some other Hi-Levels, so we do have three confirmed survivors. One has been in private ownership since the early 2000s, other two now owned by Steam Railroading Institute. Unclear on others.

[@ACLTony]

Although I'm an east coast guy, these vids stir up some enjoyable memories as I often saw SDP40fs hauling the Champion, Silver Star, Floridian and Silver Meteor. Seems like yesterday.

[@ACLTony]

Still enjoy seeing the SDP40Fs in action on this clip.

[@mdamttc199]

How do I contact you about obtaining permission to use some of these clips officially?

[@jay11j]

@lexmarks567 Lot of the old home videos had no sound back then.

[@THEFINALHAZARD]

That's interesitng, I had no idea Amtrak got ahold of the ex-ATSF Super Chief Dome Cars, or the ex-SP 3/4 Domes.

[@vientheimpostorandtrainfan8508]

why no audio

[@krutherfurd]

These scenes were filmed with an 8 mm silent movie camera in 1975. I don’t have the rights to good quality prototypical sound recordings for dubbing. I could have added music but it’s hard to satisfy all the individual tastes. This way people can wear headphones and enjoy what ever music they like.

[@bryanpiedramartel3742]

Nice shots of the SP 3/4 dome, I actually saw one for sale on Ozark mountain railcar, if you sign on at any given month you could be quite surprised like the SP triple articulated Kitchen/Table/Parlor that was also sold recently, supposedly it was the one that ran on the SP Lark. I feel bad for Amtrak though about the turn out on the Las Vegas Special, but the A-B-B-A E unit set, first time I have ever view a set like that assembled.

[@360Nomad]

I would've loved to ride the Coast Starlight with an EMD FP7 in Phase I and dome cars...

[@MrJuvefrank]

I love both the E units and the F units.

[@kae4466]

sniff. many of these named trains shown here are long gone . le sigh.

[@1011176a]

No cab cars back in the day, how did they turn the train around on the San Diagan line?

[@krutherfurd]

According to Wikipedia a wye was located about 3 miles north of the station at Washington Street. This is near the runway side of the airport and near the Marine Recruit Depot.

[@ploopy5235]

they switched the locomotive out

[@krutherfurd]

They used a wye in San Diego and there must have been something like a wye in LA because when I first road the train I clearly remember a back up move out of LA Union Station before the train went forward.

[@amtrakinoscale9811]

The lines into LAUS from either direction form a wye.

[@JuiceJackNut]

When did the Las Vegas Special run? Was it daily?

[@lexmarks567]

no sound?

[@McMinn1981]

First train what's with zuperliner at end

[@amtrakfan2785]

Nice

[@DolphinLegend-bg8ph]

1:55 Superliners in Phase 1????

[@sadams12345678]

No, former ATSF hi levels

[@jeffreymcfadden9403]

I expected to see some crappy black painted ex PC rust buckets.