For a moment I thought I had entered the Twilight Zone! Amtrak 14, The Coast Starlight running 3 hours behind the advertised passes through Coyote, CA on the Coast Line made popular by Southern Pacific passenger trains of yesteryear. As Engineer M. Rounds provides passengers with a smooth ride, the train heads to the next crew change point at San Luis Obispo. The lead Amtrak P42 (unknown) developed a catastrophic traction motor failure in San Jose. At the kindness of the host railroad, this honest to goodness ‘heritage’ unit, UP 8632 (built as SP 8307) takes lead in a sense of “Friendly” pride on its home turf. A rarity indeed for 2007!
