Steam engine at LA

[socalsteve]

I often take Metrolink from LAUS to my home and the train goes right past the Amtrak yard, as some of you know. There was for a long time an old black steam engine at the far end of the yard. Last week, it was actually fired up, and now I think it's gone. Does anyone know what the story on this engine is?

Everytime my Metrolink goes past the Amtrak yard I wish I were on an Amtrak . . . it's been a couple years now and I need my fix!

 

[AlanB]

I'm guessing here, but it is likely that this story might explain it. I'll quote the relevant part below, but IMHO the entire story is a worth while read. The quote is just a small part of a really nice story about the retirement of an Amtrak Surfliner engineer and the steam engine played a small role in that story, while it was busy performing it's other duties at Union Station.

Dinger started his final run Tuesday with a steam-whistle salute from ancient Santa Fe steam locomotive 3751, which hauled passengers between 1929 and 1953 and was at Union Station for a school program. Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, a Silver Lake neighbor, showed up on the passenger platform to praise Dinger for his work "in the busiest area outside of the Northeast rail corridor."

 

[rmgreenesq]

Everytime my Metrolink goes past the Amtrak yard I wish I were on an Amtrak . . . it's been a couple years now and I need my fix!

I used to commute to downtown LA on Metrolink in the mid '90s and used to think the exact same thing. I remember sitting on a bench waiting for the link at Fullerton when the Southwest Chief rolled into the station. I wished I was on that great big Superliner going to Chicago instead of Metrolink going to my really boring law firm job.

Rick

 

[socalsteve]

I'm guessing here, but it is likely that this story might explain it. I'll quote the relevant part below, but IMHO the entire story is a worth while read. The quote is just a small part of a really nice story about the retirement of an Amtrak Surfliner engineer and the steam engine played a small role in that story, while it was busy performing it's other duties at Union Station.

Dinger started his final run Tuesday with a steam-whistle salute from ancient Santa Fe steam locomotive 3751, which hauled passengers between 1929 and 1953 and was at Union Station for a school program. Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, a Silver Lake neighbor, showed up on the passenger platform to praise Dinger for his work "in the busiest area outside of the Northeast rail corridor."

Yeah, I thought about that, having read that story too, but this was last week. Maybe they were just seeing if it worked.

They've got some weird old stock in that yard--you kind of wonder if it's an Amtrak dumping ground of sorts. Tons of the ExpressTrak boxcars, which I haven't seen on a consist in a while.

 

[KcBNSFkid]

The steam engine is ex Santa Fe 3751. It is now owned by the city of San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society. They had fired it up and taken in under steam to LAUPT for a rail safety and education fair on Sunday Feb 11th. For more on the 3751 please visit http://www.sbrhs.org/