Passenger Trains > Amtrak parade at the beach

Jalama Beach in Santa Barbara County is fast becoming one of my favorite train spots. I found myself out there again today.

Jalama Beach is 14 miles west of Highway 1. There is no cell phone service whatsoever. But they do serve a mean burger at the tiny Jalama Beach Cafe.

This line doesn't see a lot of traffic, but if Amtrak is running on time you can catch three trains in a roughly 3-hour window.

The parade starts about 2 p.m. with Amtrak 14, the northbound Coast Starlight. Next up is Amtrak 790, the afternoon Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo. And finally, about 90 minutes later, Amtrak 11, the southbound Coast Starlight, rolls through. I got a bonus train today -- the UP Guadalupe local, which rolled through in the dark about 45 minutes behind #11.

Another thing I like about Jalama Beach is that you have some warning a train is coming, so if you're daydreaming in the surf you get a wake-up call. Northbound trains sound their whistle at the crossing at the south end of the beach. And southbound trains go through a detector up at milepost 390.

There is also a wonderful steel trestle spanning Jalama Creek, but today I was out on the beach shooting cliff shots.

In order of appearance, here are photos of this afternoon's Amtrak parade.

First up in the northbound Starlight, followed by the Pacific Surfliner and finally the southbound Starlight.

The southbound Starlight was running a little late and it rolled by just after the sweet afternoon light ended. I guess I'll just have to go back again and try to catch it in that sweet light.

And no, I did not have a Jalama Burger today. Next time.

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Wow!1 Will they let me ride?

cutboy2 Wrote:
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> Wow!1 Will they let me ride?

Sure - just buy a ticket. On nice days the early Surfliner 774 out of San Luis Obispo at 0645 hrs gives you a spectacular trip along the coast in the early morning. Hang out for a day in Los Angeles and then take 792 or 798 back.

Have fun, be safe,
Bruce "Doc" Jones
Sierra Madre CA