Passenger Trains > Very late 3(13) screen grabs

VR screen grabs, a few minutes ago.

1:  3(13) leaves the main line for the station track at Barstow.

2:  3(13) arrives Barstow station, nearly 13 hours late.  Made up about an hour from Needles.

Dwell time only eight minutes...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/25 16:56 by GenePoon.

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What are the concrete platforms in picture #2? Almost seem to be where umbrella sheds were. But Barstow doesn’t get enough rain to warrant a cover does it? I have wondered before but have never seen it mentioned.

Posted from iPhone

So many have forgotten or never knew what a busy station Barstow was in Santa Fe days.

ATSF ran three LA-Chicago (in peak season four, when El Capitan and Super Chief ran separately) and one Richmond-Chicago trains using different lines enroute, each with twenty cars or more. Trains to/from diverse origins and taking different routes would switch out and exchange cars there. Engines were serviced at the Barstow shops, not at Los Angeles, and power was exchanged there.

This happened in both directions.

Union Pacific ran two trains in each direction daily.

In comparison, one forlorn eight-car Amtrak train in each direction daily is a pretty sad and sparse operation.

In summer especially, Barstow got thunderstorms, often of such intensity as to feel like a giant garden hose was turned onto you.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/25 23:48 by GenePoon.

I think the UP had a couple of LA bound Passenger Trains.
Along with the Santa Fe. That once served Barstow back in the day.

I think the Santa Fe also had a Bay Area bound train or two.
That also served Barstow.

I'm sure a few Santa Fe and UP people. Who have more knowledge will say more.

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

Yet another railroad tragedy.  All those platform tracks that are no longer there.

GP25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the UP had a couple of LA bound Passenger
> Trains.
> Along with the Santa Fe. That once served Barstow
> back in the day.
>
> I think the Santa Fe also had a Bay Area bound
> train or two.
> That also served Barstow.
>
> I'm sure a few Santa Fe and UP people. Who have
> more knowledge will say more.
====================================================
Generally, in the early 1960s or so:

ATSF:

Super Chief/El Capitan, operated separately in peak season, LA-Chicago via Raton Pass
Chief, LA-Chicago via Raton Pass
San Francisco Chief, Richmond-Chicago via Amarillo
Grand Canyon, LA-Chicago via Raton Pass

Chief, San Francisco Chief and Grand Canyon exchanged cars at Barstow to serve alternate routes and provide connection to other Santa Fe trains

Union Pacific:

City of Los Angeles/Challenger, LA-Chicago
Fast Mail, LA-Chicago



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/25 23:51 by GenePoon.

NPRocky Wrote:
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> Yet another railroad tragedy.  All those platform
> tracks that are no longer there.

That haven't been needed since 1968.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GP25 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think the UP had a couple of LA bound
> Passenger
> > Trains.
> > Along with the Santa Fe. That once served
> Barstow
> > back in the day.
> >
> > I think the Santa Fe also had a Bay Area bound
> > train or two.
> > That also served Barstow.
> >
> > I'm sure a few Santa Fe and UP people. Who have
> > more knowledge will say more.
> ==================================================
> ==
> Generally, in the early 1960s or so:
>
> ATSF:
>
> Super Chief/El Capitan, operated separately in
> peak season, LA-Chicago via Raton Pass
> Chief, LA-Chicago via Raton Pass
> San Francisco Chief, Richmond-Chicago via
> Amarillo
> Grand Canyon, LA-Chicago via Raton Pass
>
> Chief, San Francisco Chief and Grand Canyon
> exchanged cars at Barstow to serve alternate
> routes and provide connection to other Santa Fe
> trains
>
> Union Pacific:
>
> City of Los Angeles/Challenger, LA-Chicago
> Fast Mail, LA-Chicago


The Fast Mail was a Santa Fe train. 

UP numbers 5 and 6 were also known as the Fast Mail.

Hakk