The '' was one of the Named Passenger Trains of the Atchison, Topeka And Santa Fe Railway , and a "workhorse" of the railroad. Its 126- Mile (203- Kilometer ) route ran from Los Angeles, California south to San Diego . It was assigned train Nos. 70–79 (Nos. 80–83 were added in 1952 when RDC s began operating on the line).
The Los Angeles-San Diego corridor (popularly known as the " Surf Line " — officially, the of the '''Los Angeles Division''') was to the Santa Fe as the New York – Philadelphia corridor was to the Pennsylvania Railroad . Daily traffic could reach a density of ten trains (each way) during the summer months. The first ''San Diegan'' ran on March 27 , 1938 as one set of equipment making two round trips each way.
A second Trainset delivered in 1941 made possible four Streamlined trains each way. In addition, a third set of Heavyweight equipment made a fifth trip in each direction. During and after the Second World War , furlough business from San Diego's military bases necessitated extra (albeit heavyweight) sections of ''San Diegans'', and racetrack specials to Del Mar added to passenger train miles.
Amtrak continued to operate the ''San Diegan'' when took over operation of the nation's passenger service on May 1 , 1971 , and it retired the name on June 1 , 2001 . Today the route of the ''San Diegan'' (the second busiest rail line in the United States ) is served by Amtrak's '' Pacific Surfliner ''.
" logos such as these often adorned the ends of observation cars on the ''San Diegan''.]]
Motive power consisted of a single 1,800 hp EMD E1A locomotive sporting the familiar ''Warbonnet'' paint scheme. These units would, in time, be replaced by ALCO PA and PB power and EMD F3 and F7 locomotives. Santa Fe's lone trio of Fairbanks-Morse (FM) " Erie-built " locomotives and the odd GE U28CG could also be seen occasionally running the line.
A lone pair of Budd-built 90-seat, self-powered Rail Diesel Cars ( RDC s) were acquired for express service. They operated "back-to-back" as a single train unit from May 1952 until their destruction in January 1956 .
In 1938 , the rolling stock delivered for the ''San Diegan'' consisted of all Lightweight Stainless Steel cars built by the Budd Company . The equipment used was as follows:
locomotives, rolls south along the Pacific Coast through San Clemente .]]
- Baggage –Mail car #3432
- "Chair" car / Coach (52 seats) #3070
- "Chair" car / Coach (52 seats) #3072
- "Chair" car / Coach (52 seats) #3089
- "Chair" car / Coach (52 seats) #3091
- "Chair" car / Coach (52 seats) #3137
- Tavern –Lunch Counter ( Diner ) #1398
- Round-end Parlor– Observation #3240
Three additional coach units were added for weekend traffic. The ''San Diegan'' also enjoyed almost exclusive use of Santa Fe's Pullman -built (PPS) "pendulum-suspension" chair car, #1100.
In June, 1941 the railroad added a second eight-car Trainset , also built by Budd, to handle the high demand for passage aboard the train. Its original consist was similar to the above save for an additional coach. Subsequent consists varied according to the traffic levels.
A typical ''San Diegan'' consist under Amtrak in 1998 :
- is officially organized. Initial plans are made to construct 18 Mile s (29 Km ) of main line track extending north from National City .
- Junction''', just north of Oceanside .
- " run between Los Angeles and San Diego under the auspices of its subsidiary, the California Southern. The line is initially referred to as the Los Angeles — San Diego "Short Line" as it replaces the circuitous inland route through Temecula Canyon .
- -built 4-6-2 ), bound for in Los Angeles , leads the '' Saint '' out of San Diego and derails as it descends the '''Sorrento Grade''' due to excessive speed. The engineer and 21 passengers are killed, and the fireman suffers a broken leg; all of the railroad equipment is essentially destroyed in the mishap. Public pressure is brought upon the railroad to construct a tunnel through the Soledad Mountains in order to guard against similar accidents in the future.
- for approval. Owing to a post– World War I backlog, it takes nearly a year for the Commission to review the request, which is ultimately denied due to fears that the technology did not yet exist to construct a structure that would withstand the effects of an 8.0 magnitude Earthquake .
- April 25 , 1925 : Southbound train No. 76, led by Engine No. 1332 (a Baldwin 4-6-2), leaves the tracks while ascending the Sorrento Grade at virtually the same location that the 1913 derailment took place. As in the 1913 tragedy, most of the railroad equipment is either severely damaged or destroyed outright, though in this instance the only fatal injury is suffered by the engineer; it takes several days to clear the wreckage and reopen the line to traffic.
- specifically for the initiation of ''San Diegan'' service.
- inaugurates the ''San Diegan'' route, operating on a two hour and 45 minute schedule.
on August 1 , 1940 .]]
- type locomotive with a 40-car freight train in tow, jumps the rails while cruising north via the Sorrento Grade and lands in the Pacific Ocean , with much of the rolling stock following suit. No one is killed in the accident, and it is many days before all of the wreckage can be pulled out of the sea.
- June 8 , 1941 : A second lightweight train consisting of six coaches, a baggage-mail car, a tavern lunch-counter car, and a round-end observation car is added to the line. Service is increased to four daily round trips utilizing streamliners and one round trip using conventional equipment.
- '' between Oakland and Bakersfield . The number of daily trains servicing the route increases to 16, on average.
- - Pacific Electric non-electrified Interurban cars, owned by the U.S. Maritime Commission but bearing ATSF markings, are fitted with conventional knuckle Coupler s at each end of the trainset and pressed into service to handle the additional passenger loads.
- . Several passengers receive minor injuries, and rail traffic must be rerouted via Atwood and the until the wreckage is cleared and the tracks repaired. Locomotives #3 and #3A are badly damaged in the incident.
- . Both units are damaged by fire.
- April 1943 : The "over-the-road" time is lengthened to three hours due to ever-increasing military movements.
- and Fullerton to accommodate increased wartime traffic. Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) is installed on the line.
- . "Chair" car #3094 sustains damage in the collision.
, along with its companion unit #353, makes a rare appearance at the head of the northbound ''San Diegan'' in 1968 .]]
- May 's are put into express service. The twin cars make two daily round trips on a two hour and 15 minute schedule.
- pulls the last steam-powered trains (Nos. 72 and 73) on the "Surf Line."
- January 10 , 1954 : The use of round-end observation cars is discontinued in order to eliminate the need to "turn" the trains in San Diego before heading northward.
- .
- .
- and sustains damage in the collision. RDC #DC192 operates solo as train Nos. 80 and 81 until repairs to its companion unit are completed at San Bernardino .
- ), killing 30 and seriously injuring 117. This was the units last run on the "Surf Line."
- ---The radio reports of this accident were one of the first major uses of the Sigalert (known at the time as a "Sigmon Traffic Alert" ).
- March ' '' Aerotrain '' makes a series of experimental runs as a ''San Diegan'' consist. Thoughts of placing it in permanent service are quickly abandoned as the entire trainset has to be turned at each end of the line, and requires helper locomotives on the Sorrento Grade.
- April 28 , 1956 : Heavyweight local trains Nos. 70 and 75 are discontinued due to operational losses.
- '' makes three demonstration runs to San Diego to promote its new "Hi-Level" cars. The railroad begins placing illuminated Drumhead s (formerly mounted on round-end Observation Car s) on the vestibule gate of the trailing cars of the ''San Diegan''. Service on the line is reduced to six daily round trips.
- Summer 1958 : Service is further reduced to five daily round trips and weekend extra trains.
- ; locomotive #340L sustains moderate damage.
Train No. 580 (powered by an EMD F40PH in "push" mode) departs the station in Fullerton, California with the southbound ''San Diegan'' in January, 1998 .]]
- fighter jet overshoots the runway at the Marine Corps Air Station in El Toro and is struck by southbound train No. 74 at 75 miles-per-hour. All three locomotives and cars #3430, #3165, #3144, #1399, #3100, #3094, #3082 derail. No fatalities and only a few injuries result.
- : the unit sustains considerable damage and is "set out."
- August 2 , 1961 : Train No. 76 strikes a gravel truck in Anaheim. Locomotives #339L-A-B and cars #3076, #3119, #3179, #3145, #3100, and #3158 are derailed.
- October 29 , 1962 : Train No. 76 is struck a gravel truck in Anaheim, derailing "chair" cars #3082, #3147, and #3146 on the .
- st and was not renewed).
- 1965 : Service is further reduced to three daily round trips (train Nos. 73–78) on a two hour and 55 minute schedule.
- December 22 , 1965 : Train No. 76 collides with a gravel truck in Anaheim. Locomotives #61L and #51C, and cars #3084, #3156, #3152, #3179, and #3076 all derail.
- is formed and takes over operation of the ''San Diegan''.
- '', which runs between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, California .
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- Joplin, Loren B. (2000). "Bad Night at Redondo Junction." ''The Warbonnet'' (2) 8–10.
- Joplin, Loren P. (1999). "Santa Fe Wrecks 1942–1970." ''The Warbonnet'' (2) 21–22.
- Jordan, Keith. (2004). "Santa Fe's Surf Line, 1940." ''Trains'' (8) 64–69.
- Jordan, Keith. (1996). "The Surf Line 1940–1950." ''The Warbonnet'' (2) 4–24.
- Jordan, Keith. (1996). "The Surf Line Part II: 1950–1965." ''The Warbonnet'' (4) 11–24.
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passenger terminal as it appeared toward the end of the .]]
units, reaches the end of the line at San Diego's Union Station on October 26 , 1963 . The facility, constructed in the Mission Revival Style in support of the Panama-California Exposition , officially opened on March 18 , 1915 .]]
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