Happy National Train Day!
I’m out riding the trains today — San Diego Trolley, Amtrak, and Los Angeles Metro.
I’ll be starting at San Diego Trolley’s 70th Street Station, then to San Diego’s historic Santa Fe Depot, then to the even more historic Union Station in Los Angeles, and finally Metro’s Red Line to Hollywood. To end the day, simply reverse the trip.
I also plan on finally getting to ride the Angel’s Flight Railway after all these years. Seems every time I’ve gone in the past it was either out of service or decommissioned. Unless it breaks in the next 12 hours, it’s up and running.
If you can’t get out to ride the trains today, then at least sit back and watch a few of my train videos.
San Diego Trolley arriving at Santa Fe Depot in San Diego
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner leaving Santa Fe Depot in San Diego
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner arriving at Old Town Station in San Diego
Coaster arriving at Santa Fe Depot in San Diego
Union Pacific Steam Engine #844 near Indio, California, November 2011
Union Pacific Steam Engine #844 at 70 miles per hour
near Indio, California, November 2011
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Russel Ray Photos 
I want a shiny red trolley in my city!
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Trains are fascinating. Forgive my vanity for referring you to one of my poems? I don’t contribute often here on WordPress but when I do, it’s a poem straight from my soul: http://poeticlicensee.wordpress.com/?s=Rail+Wail
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I love riding on trains. Went from San Antonio, Texas to Mexico on the train a few times when I was a kid. Great fun!
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2 Thumbs UP
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Have you ridden the trains in Europe like the TGV in France? TGV direct translation = very big speed.
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I have not, and I suspect I won’t live long enough to the the high speed train built in California from San Diego to Los Angeles to San Francisco to Sacramento. There are just too many naysayers and not enough money to fight them and still build the train.
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I love trains, as a boy in the UK trainspotting was a widespread pastime. I’d spend many an hour sitting on the brick wall next to the lines and watch the steam trains go by. One day I saw this one, The Flying Scotsman, beautiful.
Great vids Russel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Scotsman_(train)
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This is like a birthday to you if I’m right, you love trains don’t you?
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Ha! Far better than any birthday!………..lol
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My favorite train trip was going from LA all the way to PA! It was during Christmas and it was just beautiful seeing all the decorations from the viewing car! If you every have a chance to go cross country, go first class because everything from a sleeping car to your meals is taken care of. They even put your bed down at night and deliver a newspaper in the morning.
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The last time I went cross country, Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida, they gave us chocolate on our pillow each night, too! That was back in 1986.
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Hi Russel Ray,
I’m on a train right now on the way home from SF. Unfortunately wi-fi isn’t good enough to download any of your videos. We were going to try to watch Vertigo on the way home because we took an Alfred Hitchcock tour in SF, but again, that didn’t work. I guess the internet is too slow! Anyway, it was wonderful I’ll do a post about it later this week. It was so much easier than driving! 🙂
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Those are some pretty cool videos! I’ve been on a train a few times. They’re pretty comfy and that rocking puts me right to sleep.
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