Hang Ten (on the Surfliner)

Hi All,

Probably my favorite Amtrak trip these days is the trip from LATC (LAUS) to San Diego. The best part is the run down the coast line from Dana Point towards San Clemente. The Surfers abound, both male and female. Nice to watch the girls on their surfboards almost wearing bathing suits, bikinis. You can get comfortable and just watch their expertise on their boards. Most of the time you can see the entire ride, or lack of a ride. Some of the wipe outs are rather notable.

You can also be witness to the Surfline, the west coast's equivalent of the NEC. Here the speeds exceed 90 mph, and, I am told, frequently approach and exceed 100 mph. Some time ago, I heard that the trackage is to be upgraded to allow speeds well above those figures.

Definitely a neat ride. Took it a few times back in the early 1980s when my Amtrak pass was actually worth something. Rode LAUPT (as I will always know it....dating back to WW II) to San Juan Capistrano. Detrained in the early evening and, looking through the window of the restaurant in the station, one could see very elegant table settings. Had traveled from rural northeastern CO and thought:"I sure am in California, alright".

Hi,

The LA station has gone through many names over the years. It started out as Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal. LAUPT, Then it went to Los Angeles Union Station, LAUS, and fairly recently it went to Los Angeles Transit Center, LATC. It is now busier than ever, with Metrolink, tracks three through ten, Gold line (LRV) tracks one and two, soon to be extended towards Little Tokyo, which will make LATC a through station for it. Then you have Amtrak, tracks eleven and twelve. Track thirteen is strictly freight. Tracks nine and ten are also shared by Amtrak. All the Metrolink tracks are now A and B, and serve two trains apiece. If you take the Red line, the subway, it is downstairs from LATC. Very busy place. All sorts of security there as well, including K-9 dogs. Last time I was there, the area that used to be reserved for ticket sales was being used for a motion picture film shoot. Lots of Lookie Lou's.

Rode the Surfliner from LA to San Diego as well as up to Santa Barbara. Great ride. In fact, I might take it again to San Diego next summer. the scenery just below Oceanside of pretty. Beats sitting in an "can" between NHV and Boston.

pennsy: Thanks for the updates on the name changes for LAUPT. Can recall the place during WW II with a great deal of clarity. Talk about busy. Recall the SP Daylight engines at the platforms and all the noise and people, so many of them in uniform. Good to know that the place is so busy in this day and age.

Hi TB,

You would be amazed today. I have videos of LATC during the WWII time frame and it really was a busy place.

By the way, have you noticed the engine escape tracks between the station tracks ? These were used to allow the steamers and later diesels to escape from the front of the trains and return to their yards. Later on, the train would be pulled out by a switcher etc.

These same escape tracks are still in use by Metrolink. Trains that are cleaned and ready for their next trip are stored on them, awaiting the time when they they will go to their station tracks. Nothing goes to waste, and the tracks are extremely busy these days. To this day, you can just about set your Watch with the train schedule, it is that tight.

Recall when a ATSF F-unit went through the wall and hung over the street until rescued.....this about 1947 or so. Back in 1980 I tried to walk down that street to see if one could still tell where it happened but, alas, the street had been removed and replaced with a freeway so the location was no longer accessable. Remember reading about the accident and seeing the photo in the "LA Daily News". It really made a splash.

Hi TB,

The area is changing once again. The Gold Line, an LRV, is being extended south towards Little Tokyo. It will eventually end at Pomona. So, the LATC will not be a terminal any longer. For the Gold Line it will become a through station. In order to continue south, the Gold Line must go OVER the 101 freeway below, and then continue on elevated for a while. Last time I was there, the overpass was being constructed.

Changes never cease. Can recall seeing the patched area where the ATSF unit came through the wall as we drove past the terminal about 1948-49. This is what I was trying to see in 1980. The movie TRUE CONFESSIONS features LAUPT circa 1947. Amazing that the movie was filmed in the early 1980s and so very little had to be done to the terminal to make it a period location.

Hi TB,

Lots of films made at LATC. Even Pentrex was there when # 4449 came through as well as # 844. Some time ago Santa Fe's # 3759 came through as well. All are Northerns and created quite a stir and crowd of onlookers. Typical Californians seldom pay attention to film crews doing their jobs. After a while you hardly notice them. Went by Olvera St. the other day and in the Gazebo park area they were filming an episode of some soap opera. The Mayor of LA has been very active in trying to keep filming crews IN Los Angeles and is making it very easy for them to do it economically.