Bernhards Random Ramblings BACKUP

It's still very odd for me to see catenary over Caltrain tracks, even though the first of the new Stadler-built EMUs are scheduled to arrive in 2021.  The catenary physical design seems a bit strange, if not haphazard. The H-profile masts with arms and catenary holders look like they were built using whatever they happened to have available in the yard. I know that is not true, but it certainly doesn't look like a brand-new system. E.g. the mast in the lead photo of this post has two completely different mounting systems for the catenary wires. Maybe it's this weird only around the Palo Alto station, I'll have to check elsewhere. I'm sure there are good reasons for this. Maybe there are space constraints, too much space, or other considerations, ... In either case I'd love to learn more about the reasoning for this design.  Nevertheless, I'm thrilled electrification is happening and I'm very much looking forward to using the new EMUs in passenger service...

There are a bunch of neat details for model railroaders in this photo taken during the morning rush hour at Caltrain's 4th & King station. The red end of track lights. The blue light lanterns. The rolled up power cables and respective switch box in the rear. The differences in ballast before and below the bumpers. The weathering of the bumpers. The pack of bottled water stored on the ground. ... What jumps out at you?

Having fun with Android Camera's Night Sight mode. I started the image capture shortly before Caltrain #268 entered the frame. Capture took about 5 seconds, so the non-moving parts of the image are reasonably sharp, the track ahead of the train is well lit by the headlight, yet only dimly illuminated by the inpsection lights above the trucks.

Train 268 is preparing to leave the Blossom Hill Caltrain station. It's been a long day.

A team dinner ran later than I expected and I got home rather late today with a smooth ride on Caltrain's Bombardier cars.

It's 8:25 on a warm summer evening, just after sunset. Caltrain #288 led by locomotive 915 "South San Francisco" has just pulled into track 1 at San Jose Diridon station. This makes for a nice photo, which would have been nicer if my camera lens had been cleaner. This is also a quite unusual operational situation: Track 1 is the Coast Line through track. Caltrain doesn't normally use this track. You'd rather expect Union Pacific freights, and Amtrak's Coast Starlight here. Speaking off, Amtrak train 14, the northbound Coast Starlight is scheduled to occupy this track from 8:11pm to 8:23pm and it hasn't come through yet, so this Caltrain is really out of place. As I was walking out, Amtrak passengers were at the platform. I didn't pay close attention when #288 left, but I suspect they took the cross-over to track 2 just before Park Avenue, because only a few minutes after #288 had left, the Coast Starlight pulled into track 1 and my ride home arrived a...

Caltrain locomotive  #927, an  MP36PH-3C, approaching the signals at milepost 560 just south of Blossom Hill station.

A meeting ran late, so I took the train home. I was a bit early at the Sunnyvale station, and took train #264 to San Jose Diridon. This time I knew where to go, and directed a northbound passenger to the right platform for her departing train. Plenty of time to experiment with low-angle sun light, too. Trains and planes... #283 on track 3 in the rear, and #385 on track 4 This is photo is probably my favorite: The going away shot of #268 on its way to Gilroy.

A lucky break in traffic allowed me to catch backlit Caltrain #156 along Monterey Rd just south of Bailey.

Due to a late meeting I missed my bus connection tonight and ended up taking Caltrain home. Train #264 arrived in Mountain View 3 minutes late, i.e. basically on time. I had a choice to wait in Mountain View for #268 which would take me down to Blossom Hill, or change trains in San Jose. San Jose has more variety of traffic, so I took #264 down to Diridon station and hung out on the platform until it was time to catch #268 for the ride home. I have not transferred between trains in San Jose for a while and did not expect that south-bound trains are now leaving from the newly built platform 6 that opened several years ago. I ended up asking a conductor who looked at me funny when I said that the Gilroy train normally leaves from track 5, no? "Uh, no sir, it's been leaving from track 6 for quite some time now."  Right. That was 15 years ago, when I was commuting to South San Francisco, before Caltrain introduced the Baby Bullet service ...

I got out of the office a bit later than usual today. Very nice sunset. On the Bernal Road bridge, I see a light in the distance. It's Caltrain 274, almost on time.

After a team dinner tonight, I took Caltrain home for a change. Still the same. Can't wait for electrification. Contrary to most American passenger trains Caltrain is usually on time ( unless it's not ), and while old, the trains are well maintained and clean.

When I drove the kids to school this morning on Monterey Highway, a Caltrain was barreling down the tracks towards Blossom Hill station. "Huh, they are early", I thought. As I'm dropping off the kids, another Caltrain slowly creeps north. I skip ahead, stop at Coyote and catch it at the crossing with morning sun and foggy Coyote Valley in the background. That was 227 running almost 10 minutes behind schedule. Therefore, the train we saw earlier was 221, at least 30 minutes late. I could even have made it to the curve at Metcalf Road, and photograph the train there. However, because I only carried my smart phone, taking a good picture at that location would have likely required to stand in the median of Monterey Highway, which is not really a good spot to hang out. Given Daylight Savings Time has ended, maybe I should try to catch 227 at Metcalf Road with a real camera, long lens, and photograph across the highway. Hmmmmm ...

I worked later than normal today, so decided to take Caltrain and beat the bus home. The idea was for train #274 to pick me up in Mountain View at 6:38, drop me at Blossom Hill at 7:15 and I'd be home shortly after 7:30, vs. some time after 8:00 if taking the bus. That didn't quite work out... At 6:40 the signs at the platform showed a delay of 5 minutes for train #274, and then happily showed "ARRIVING". ... But no train came. There was some light reflecting off the rails in the curve before San Antonio station, has it usually does when a train is about to come around the curve. But no train came. The signs eventually stopped their happy "ARRIVING" dance, and moved on to show that trains #276 (departure at 6:52) is 10 minutes delayed. Hmmmm. Something happened. I checked CaltrainStatus on Twitter, but they only had a notification about non-functioning crossing gates further up the peninsula. #274 finally pulled into Mountain View station at 6:55. Oh well, o...

Caltrain 158 at the new station in San Bruno Today was a reminder how painful the commute in my previous job was when I spent 4 hours each day on the train, on the shuttle bus, or waiting for either one commuting between San Jose and South San Francisco. I changed jobs just before Caltrain introduced the Baby Bullet Service, so while I used the Baby Bullets on occasion since, I never got to experience the express service on a regular basis. I left left the office at 3:30pm. The train left at 3:59pm. Arriving home at 5:50pm (via transfer to VTA Light Rail at Tamien). It's time they electrify Caltrain, retire the diesel engines, and get modern passenger train sets with decent acceleration.

Beautiful sky this morning   This is not a model railroad, but the Menlo Park station in the morning sun

Spiegel Online had a railroad quiz today. The Quiz is in German, and covers geography and locations in Germany. Of course, I had to try it and got Sie haben 9 von 10 Punkten. Abgefahren! Sie kennen sich wirklich verdammt gut aus auf deutschen Schienen zwischen Nord und Süd und Ost und West. Uns würde es nicht wundern, wenn Sie auch ein Faible für Kursbücher hegen und heimlich Fahrpläne auswendig lernen.  Rough translation: You got 9 out of 10 points. Great! You know German rails damn well between North and South and East and West. We wouldn't be surprised, if you'd like studying "Kursbuecher" (the complete schedules of German railways), and secretly memorize train schedules. Hmmm in fact, I do like digging through my 1979 edition of the Kursbuch for Baden-Wuerttemberg, and I do know the schedule of passenger trains (Caltrain and Amtrak) through south San Jose by heart...

Riding in a Caltrain gallery-style car yesterday and today evoked memories from a job I had with a startup in South San Francisco, and the associated 2 hour one-way Caltrain + shuttle bus commute (door to door) between home and the office.

Northbound Caltrain 217 this morning at the Bernal Rd overcrossing.