Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Christmas Train's Pasadena Line return, Pt. 2

As a sequel to my teaser thread on Sunday,

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2943515

here's the rest of my pictures from the Holiday Express running on the old Santa Fe Pasadena line. Despite poor weather and little planning on my part, this year was probably my most productive for photographing the train - helped in part by the overall slow speed of the train.

1) Going away westbound in Upland, before loading the kids at Montclair

2-3) It's been a while since I've taken any pictures at the Montclair Metrolink station, and they sure have a lot of fencing there. This was the best I could do for a nose shot of either locomotive. Passengers boarded towards the east end of the consist.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/12 08:20 by PasadenaSub.

---

---

---

4) Boarding of the kids continues, while a trio of chipmunks have spotted me and seem to be headed my way.

5-6) After departing Montclair right on time, the special passes Garey Avenue and the old Santa Fe depot in Pomona.

---

---

---

7) Another shot at Pomona, with the trailing unit passing the nice water tower they've added near the new Metrolink parking lot.

8-9) Coming and going in La Verne. The second picture is one I've wanted to get for a while, with the special passing a mural with a stylized rendering of a Santa Fe warbonnet and a Metrolink train.

---

---

---

10) Another going-away shot at La Verne, just around the corner from San Dimas Canyon Road.

11) Following the tracks along Arrow Highway, I figured I had a chance for one more shot before getting on the 210 freeway for Azusa. I just made it to the grade crossing/intersection at Cataract and Bonita Avenues in San Dimas.

12) The schedule originally called for the special to change ends somewhere in Irwindale. But I could hear them on the radio make a decision to turn around at MP 115 in between Grand and Barranca Avenues in Glendora. After a bit of a wait (probably for the on-board entertainment to put on a show with the train stopped), the train reversed direction and headed east toward Montclair. Here he is approaching Grand Avenue.

---

---

---

13) Another at Grand Avenue, with a crewmember getting ready to flag the grade crossing.

14-15) From one end of Glendora to the other, I easily beat the train to Lone Hill Avenue thanks to the 210 freeway.

---

---

---

16-17) Using the Foothill Freeway again, I set up in Claremont between Cambridge and Indian Hill for the next series. The train had stopped in Pomona across from the Metrolink dispatching center for a gift to be dropped off to the dispatchers (presumably either from Santa or the BNSF).

18) And the last shot of the day, at Campus Ave. in Upland. The train was at track speed and seemed to be doing close to the 79mph that Metrolink trains regularly cruise at here.

If you've stayed to the end, thanks for the views.

And thanks to BNSF for continuing the tradition.

Rich

---

---

---

Thanks, PS, Nice Shots. Do the ticket proceeds go to a charity? - Steve

I still believe that the BNSF can field a better looking train than that, with all of their resources!

TomPlatten Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I still believe that the BNSF can field a better
> looking train than that, with all of their
> resources!

I can't complain because this train couldn't be run for a better cause, but those gallery cars are what ruins the look. Hideous cars.

I agree, its the thought the counts and BNSF management is thinking right. But, wouldn't it be marvelous if one passenger locomotive from each predecessor road could be drawn upon to pull these sorts of trains.

glcaddis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree, its the thought the counts and BNSF
> management is thinking right. But, wouldn't it be
> marvelous if one passenger locomotive from each
> predecessor road could be drawn upon to pull these
> sorts of trains.

And the ONLY people who would care would be a couple of railfans...

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> glcaddis Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I agree, its the thought the counts and BNSF
> > management is thinking right. But, wouldn't it
> be
> > marvelous if one passenger locomotive from each
> > predecessor road could be drawn upon to pull
> these
> > sorts of trains.
>
> And the ONLY people who would care would be a
> couple of railfans...
No, you would see much more interest than that !