After a 4-yr suspension in the subway, it's nice to see the L Train back! The new improvements almost make it look like it's a brand new train route but it isn't 😊
It’s hills and turns, what else is new? What would you expect? I’ve been taking this line for my entire time in San Francisco (35 years), much smoother and speedier than what we had before, hopefully the track will last longer than before.
Not sure that any metro except NYC can compare to Muni. It's an incredibly extensive system and more people ride transit in SF than anywhere else in the US . (Again, except only NYC.)
I’m going to be completely honest about this comment. At least Muni has reinvested their money into modern transportation systems, unlike Los Angeles! In the case of Los Angeles, their metro is good and all, but most of the system is a rebuild of the classic Pacific Electric system.
My dad commuted to work on these rails starting in the ‘50s, when they were owned by SP and the traction power was steam. They changed to diesel in the early’60s. When I was commuting on these rails, they were already Caltrain. I live in Sacramento now and I did know about the electrification until I saw this video. I also did know that cab views were possible in American trains until I saw this video. Thanks very much for posting it.
Watching the trains going down the tracks at night is really awesome all lit up thanks you and have a wonderful Saturday afternoon take care everyone.🚂🚃🚃🇺🇲
7:03 ima be brutally honest. I hate the electrics, (not for efficiency that’s good) I hate the bell i hate the looks. It looks like a wanna be European.
I’m not a fan of the term foamer. I am a lifelong rail fan and I don’t foam at the mouth about anything. I like all forms of rail passenger transportation and anything electric in the way of transportation foaming is not something I do.
Keep the F40’s around for tourist trains. Would love to see weekend only trains to Tahoe with F40 double headers chugging through the high Sierras. Those bike cars could also be used for ski racks in the winter. Might also be a good idea to add trains to other tourist spots as well. California’s National parks are overcrowded in summer so adding trains where applicable to cut the car traffic would be much appreciated.
I was at this event (but not one of the people "booing"). It was supposedly the last ever scheduled F40 and there were people out enjoying it. This was the scheduled train to pick up riders going northbound again after the southbound F40/gallery ended its route and dropped everyone off at Tamien. The vibe was definitely all in good fun and the booing was light hearted. I wouldn't read too much into this. Just people having fun.
922 is staying alongside 920 and 921 for the South County Connector as they are MPI F40PHs that were overhauled recently. The F40PH-2s and F40PH-2CATS are the ones that retired and will be missed sorely.
Reminds me of riding the last run of the "Erie Commuter" in January 1977, from Cleveland to Youngstown, Ohio over the former Erie-Lackawanna line between those cities. Operated by Conrail as a holdover under a mandate from the Interstate Commerce Commission for nearly a year after Conrail started. E-8A #833 and four coaches, absolutely packed with NE Ohio fans, some of whom you probably have heard of or seen their photos over the years, like the late Dave McKay, who organized one final night photo session upon arrival in Youngstown in the snow. Not only was it the last run of that train, it was the last intercity passenger train to ever depart from the Terminal Tower. #833 survives in Erie colors in New Jersey. Hopefully a similar fate can be had for CalTrain F40 #922 (I miss the Amtrak "screamers" - the oldest of which would now be nearly 50 y/o!), and a few of the Gallery cars, maybe at CSRM (the state's railroad history didn't end with the SP cab forward)? I'm also hoping that the AEM7s Caltrain bought from Amtrak for testing purposes can be preserved and brought back to the NEC as operational museum pieces, rather than scrapped.
This is truly sad. I may not be from the Bay, but I've been lucky enough to go railfanning on Caltrain a number of times. I often travel to the Bay for my job and I would always try to go railfanning on Caltrain during my freetime. Not to mention one of my uncles I was really close to who's since passed unfortunately lived in the Bay for some years and would always ride these cars from Gilroy to San Francisco to work every day before he moved back here to Chicago more than 15 years ago. So for a number of reasons, Caltrain, the way it used to be, has a special place in my heart, and not many people can say that a railroad outside their home region is special in such a way. I'm really kicking myself because while I was out in the Bay just over a week ago, I probably could have ridden a set of Gallery Cars just so I can at least say I've ridden them, but I didn't because I was worried about making it too late of a night, but I should have said "screw it, I'm going to do this" because some opportunities you'll never get again... I'm greatful that I have gotten a decent amount of footage of the F40's and Gallery Cars considering I live in Chicago and not the Bay, but I'm really regretting not taking the time to ride them while I had the opportunity, just to say that I did... I cannot lie, I do not like those new electric trains, they're hideous, atrocious, and there's absolutely nothing majestic about them.
The electric trains are far more efficient and are able to accelerate faster thus cutting down travel times for commuters. It’s time for American rail to enter the 21st century.
