Passenger Trains > Port of Redwood City and a Caltrain Xmas

The Port of Redwood City has teamed up again with Caltrain in providing a safe and secure location at the port for the setup and decoration of Caltrain's annual Christmas train. This year's train will run down the Peninsula Dec. 2-3. A few details of the Caltrain-P of RC partnership:
http://www.caltrain.com/news_2006_11_06_holiday_train_port_redwood_city.html

There have been a few subtle changes from years' past reflecting the disposition of much of the Golden Gate Railroad Museum's stock. The GGRM's former SP C-40-1 cupola caboose has been replaced by bay window JPBX598. Both of the GGMX flatcars apparently now belong to Caltrain and are freshly renumbered as JPBX 711MW and 712MW. Two galleries round out the consist. Don't count on Port of Redwood City critter #1 charging down the Peninsula leading the train next month--but Caltrain GP9 #500 might be a good choice.......

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The tradition of using a former SP caboose continues, in this case Caltrain bay window JPBX598 replacing the GGRM C-40-1 cupola. Should make a fine sight rolling down the middle of Redwood City's Chestnut St.

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A few shots of the Peninsula's own little black widow. I'm no critter expert but I believe the one spot is a GE 45-tonner--any info on serial number/build date/ownership history?

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Are there still batteries on the gallery cars? I would think they would need HEP to light up the train.

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Sam Reeves Photography
Pacific Grove, California
Website http://www.samreevesphoto.com

I think the 45 tonner was US Army 5407 before we painted it. If I remember when I get to the port tomorrow I will look through the records.

In the past one of the flats contained a generator which powered the stage lights, etc. But a HEP equipped engine was still required to power the coaches in the train, in this case now Caltrain gallery cars, the batteries wouldn't last very long w/o HEP. The JPBX 500 is being used in regular work train service now, along with the MP15DC's, 503 & 504, so what you might see is one of the three towing the train back to San Francisco after it's run down the Peninsula. When I ran the Toys For Tots train in 03', when we got to San Jose the yard job tacked on the 503 and we towed the train back up the Peninusal to San Francisco, making station stops along the way to drop off folks, was different making station stops with a switcher and a mixed consist of cars in the train.

samreeves Wrote:
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> Are there still batteries on the gallery cars? I
> would think they would need HEP to light up the
> train.
>
> —
> Sam Reeves Photography
> Pacific Grove, California
> Website