O/T—Trains in California (business travel with MordEth)

[MordEth]

I am finally getting up some of the photos that I took while on business travel during the time that this board was moved to its new home. Since John is a huge train fan (and used to drive the Red Line trains in Boston), and I understand that at least one other member is a fan of trains, I thought that you guys might like to see these pictures.

The first set are from the CalTrain Santa Clara Station, and were taken by me on 6 January, 2009.

I do not claim to be a photographer, but as far as my photography is concerned, I think that these actually look to be fairly competently done. I still think I’m better with Photoshop.

(Click on any of the images below for the full-size version taken from my digital camera.)

I boarded the train in the last photo, hence this is the end of this segment. Expect more pictures to follow in a few more posts in this thread.

— MordEth

[Henry]

Nice shots, David! It must be good for those fortunate enough to live where there is decent pasenger train service. At least they have a non-automotive option to meet their transportation needs.

BTW, that string of green flat cars with the strange-looking racks at each end are specialized cars for carrying rail---specifically, long strings of welded rail, which are fed off the cars and directly onto the crossties, where machines then come along and spike them to the ties. Railroad right-of-way maintenance today is highly mechanized---no more John Henry swinging a big hammer to drive in the spikes.

Thanks again for these views of railroading "on the other side" (of the country, that is).

[Schmaltz]

Wow - you were there three weeks after my wife and I took the train into the Bay Area to visit relatives. Same station, even.

We got some snow pictures out the train window on our way back home (you can see some below). They were taken using a cell-phone, so they're small, but the pictures are pretty decent for all that:









Since both of us are train-people, we make up excuses to take a train someplace if we can.

[MordEth]

Nice shots, David! It must be good for those fortunate enough to live where there is decent passenger train service. At least they have a non-automotive option to meet their transportation needs.

Henry,

I find it very spoiling, after growing up in Florida (where you have to drive everywhere).

BTW, that string of green flat cars with the strange-looking racks at each end are specialized cars for carrying rail—specifically, long strings of welded rail, which are fed off the cars and directly onto the crossties, where machines then come along and spike them to the ties. Railroad right-of-way maintenance today is highly mechanized—no more John Henry swinging a big hammer to drive in the spikes.

I think that the older gentleman shown in the 11th photograph may have explained that to me (he was very informative and was telling me about the trains going past), but my memory of his explanations is not all that concrete.

I really am not knowledgeable about trains (apart from being able to tell a Red Line car from a Blue Line car or a Green Line trolley—all MBTA lines); John can attest to this.

Thanks again for these views of railroading "on the other side" (of the country, that is).

You’re very welcome, although I think that my best photographs (some of shots taken in San Francisco) are still forthcoming. I opted to post images sequentially based on when I took them.

Here are more photographs from inside the CalTrain, although for most of the trip I was busy checking things online on my phone.

(Click on any of the images below for the full-size version taken from my digital camera.)

...and I see that Schmaltz posted photos while I was hitting preview on this—very nice. I think it looks better with snow. I do definitely prefer to travel by train than to have to drive, though. And the train was far more comfortable than my flights out there.

Next we’ll have some photos from the transfer to the BART.

— MordEth

[larryh]

David,

My mom and I traveled by train from Illinois through Chicago and on to San Francisco, down to Los Angeles, and back to Chicago in spring. In the fall we made the Washington D C and New York, Buffalo and return to Chicago and home. The year before we went to Seattle. I previously had made many long distance rail trips over the years and one of my links is to a Rail Passenger group. Maybe I can manage to put up a few photos?

[MordEth]

Maybe I can manage to put up a few photos?

Larry,

Sure, by all means add your train photos to this thread (maybe I should have made the subject more general)...

It certainly seems that more people are fans of trains than I might have suspected.

— MordEth

[Fredrik]

The Danish state railways arrange veteran train excursions every now and then. Just before Christmas I and a couple of friends went by steam train from Copenhagen to Roskilde, and here's a couple of (rather low-resolution due to being captured from Facebook) photos from that event.

The steam engine itself (sorry, I don't know the name of the model; I'm more into enjoying the "time travel" than into the technical details).

My friend Johan - record collector and steam train enthusiast - having a few words with the driver (or is "engineer" a more proper term?) inside the engine.

Me, trying to look as "contemporary" as possible in the train compartment.

Fredrik

[MordEth]

Fredrick,

Very nice photos! I imagine that our train enthusiasts will enjoy those.

...which reminds me, I have more photos to post!

— MordEth

[MordEth]

Here’s the next set, and some of the ones that I really want to get up (towards the end). [Note: Click on any of the images below for the full-size version from my camera.]

The first set are from Millbrae Station:

And on the train:

Finally I arrive at Millbrae Station:

And on my way to the hotel:

And I’ll bet you never knew that John owned a grill with live jazz:

Stay tuned for more later.

— MordEth

[Edisonfan]

Nice Pics, MordEdth.

I was on a replica of a BART Train at Universal Studios Florida, as part of the EARTHQUAKE Ride. Where visitors get to expeirnece being in and Earthquake.

Paul