Nostalgia & History > Coast Starlight departs LAUPT

Southern Pacific B39-8 #8025 assists the departure of Amtrak's Coast Starlight #14 across the LA River bridge from LAUPT in Los Angeles in 1988.

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Very nice Herb.

Sam Reeves
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http://www.samreevesphoto.com

samreeves Wrote:
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> Very nice Herb.
>
> Sam Reeves
> —
>


Thank you Sam. I always appreciate your comments!

HUSKERHERB Wrote:
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> Southern Pacific B39-8 #8025 assists the departure
> of Amtrak's Coast Starlight #14 across the LA
> River bridge from LAUPT in Los Angeles in 1988.

And the UP just got the train to Seattle... ;-)

- gb -

Yes, Very Nice.

I don't remember the B39's ever helping out Amtrak. Usually SP gave them junk for power.

That might have been a one time shot. Thanks for sharing.

Top Cat

sweet shot Herb! Just like I run my Amtrak Phase III long distance trains around the Free-Mo set-up layouts, SP B39-8E on point for some added horsepower help and added pizazz! See:

http://www.pbase.com/espeeboy/image/23442006

Actually, in your shot, look closely at the rear of this #14 train departing LAUPT and you will see a private car, probably an SP biz car trailing. Standard practice for SP through the 80's was to always supply their own locomotive on point of an Amtrak train when hot s#%t company brass were riding on a company car on the rear. Seeing the 8025 was only several months old in the photo after being delivered from GE in September 1987, it would be the obvious choice for a locomotive to lead such a train north (as was done with the other new B39-8E's and SDP45's at the time).



TopCat Wrote:
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> Yes, Very Nice.
>
> I don't remember the B39's ever helping out
> Amtrak. Usually SP gave them junk for power.
>
> That might have been a one time shot. Thanks for
> sharing.
>
> Top Cat

Thanks Ryan for your comments and explanation. It's obvious now that the #8025 was more than just added headend power for this particular trainset. As many times as I caught #14 on film on the possum belly curve, this was probably the only time with an SP Loco on the point.

Very nice indeed. My, how the LA skyline has changed in 18 years. We now have the Library Tower, MTA building and other new structures.

The Starlight no longer crossed the river here it goes up the west side of the river and crosses the river under the Pasadena Freeway (Arroyo Seco Parkway to us old geezers.)

... probably an SP biz car trailing.
> Standard practice for SP through the 80's was to
> always supply their own locomotive on point of an
> Amtrak train when hot s#%t company brass were
> riding on a company car on the rear.



D'oh, the microphone is live!! Careful what you say about the Starlight dinners Blair!!