Railfanning Martinez - 11/23/19
Well folks, it has been a long time coming, but after years of culminating railfanning trips, the end is here ! After many trips, many trains caught, and many great crews, this video brings to a close to my railfanning series of Amtrak stations throughout Northern California. More specifically, one of the first stations I ever visited in NorCal was at Martinez back in 2015. Thus, it would only be befitting to complete the series at where it all started it at, here at the Martinez Amtrak Station ! This station is particularly of great interest mainly because it serves as a major hub for all four of the Northern California Amtrak routes; but also because it serves as the main transfer point for passengers making connections, including Amtrak Thruway Buses to cities in the northwesternmost parts of California and throughout the local region as well. The station is especially unique in that the local topography, its layout, and four active tracks immediately adjacent to the station, provides for excellent viewing of railroad operations and plentiful railfanning opportunities. The station is located just east of Union Pacific’s Ozol Yard, is located just south of the Benicia - Martinez Railroad Drawbridge (originally Southern Pacific), and is additionally located at the convergence(westbound) / divergence(eastbound) of UP’s Martinez and Tracy Subdivisions. Furthermore, due to the City of Martinez being situated in a valley / topographical bowl, one can easily hear the horn echoes of approaching trains far beyond the station in both directions. Interestingly enough, it is also possible to hear trains crossing over Suisun Bay from the rumble and clickety clacks as the train moves along the railroad bridge. To add to that, the station area also features the original SP Depot built back in 1876 nearby, as well as a SP 0-6-0 steam locomotive #1258, ATSF boxcar, and caboose on display across the tracks. More recently, the station has also seen the new addition of a pedestrian bridge to accommodate more passengers with the parking lot across the tracks, and now connects with the existing station building. Although there are many other neat railroading features in and around the area, in the end, the Martinez Amtrak Station is an excellent place to railfan ! Whether it is the awesome horn action, meets and races, the plentiful trains, or the many great crews, Martinez serves as an excellent and befitting end to this railfanning series !
Note : Amtrak 711 was annulled (cancelled) on this day due to locomotive bearing problems while en route to Oakland. The train was terminated at Merced where the locomotive was set out north of the station at Fluhr, and where the passenger cars were later picked up by BNSF for transport back to Amtrak’s Oakland Maintenance Facility. Passengers were accommodated on Amtrak 701 and 737 via Sacramento and then on to Martinez.
Train 1 : Amtrak 723 with F59PHI #2011 & CabCar #6962. Right before the break of dawn, the first Amtrak train of the day, 723, arrives into Martinez for its station stop. Nice horn action from the engineer !
Train 2 : Amtrak 11 (Coast Starlight) with P42DC #48 & #79. Friendly engineer on #48 !
Train 3 : Amtrak 710 with NPCU #90215 & F59PHI #2006. Great horn action and echoes from the engineer !
Train 4 : Union Pacific LRJ88-23 (Tolenas Turn) with GP40-2 #1372 & #1450. This local was returning to Ozol Yard from the Fairfield / Vacaville area after dropping off and picking up cars for the local industries. It made for an unexpected but nice surprise catch for sure, with some loud horn action as well !
Train 5 : Amtrak 720 with CabCar #8314 & SC-44 #2107.
Train 6 : Amtrak 727 with SC-44 #2104 & CabCar #8302.
Train 7 : Amtrak 6 (California Zephyr) with P42DC #23 & #33. Note the Edward L. Ullman Superliner I car in the consist. Great crew on this train !
Train 8 : Amtrak 729 with SC-44 #2103, CabCar #8309, & #8306. Another great crew; with some great, loud horn action from the engineer !
Train 9 : Amtrak 724 with CabCar #6963 & F59PHI #2007. Nice quilling action.
Train 10 : Amtrak 712 with CabCar #6964 & P42DC #25. Note the extra Viewliner Diner in the consist. This is to accommodate the recently implemented minimum count of 28 axles for proper activation of crossing signals. First time seeing a Viewliner car ! I decided to also try out a new vantage point overlooking both the original SP Depot and the current station building. Nice engineer on #6964.
Train 11 : Amtrak 733 with F59PHI #2013 & CabCar #8312.
Train 12 : Union Pacific MRVOA-23 with C44ACCTE #5808 & C45ACCTE #5296. Immediately after Amtrak 733 clears the platform, MRVOA-23 appears, following right behind 733 in a brief race ! Friendly crew on #5808.
Train 13 : Amtrak 728 with CabCar #6962 & F59PHI #2011. Nice horn action from engineer !
Train 14 : Amtrak 714 with CabCar #6965 & F59PHI #2005. Cool engineer.
Train 15 : Amtrak 737 with F59PHI #2007 & CabCar #6963.
Thanks for Watching !
Пікірлер: 75
1:02. Those cars we’re swaying
Welcome back, always enjoy your videos amigo and keep up the good work!!!
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
SDRAIL Productions Thank you ! I really appreciate the kind comments. And will do !
Wonderful work! Thank you. I love trains. And Martinez has been the jumping off place for many fun adventures
@BrentNguyen46
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much ! You’re very welcome ! Glad to hear you enjoyed the video !
Good to have you back man, thanks for coming to Martinez.👍
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Rail Road Kid Thanks man ! I much appreciate the kind words ! And not a problem at all. I genuinely enjoyed railfanning here at Martinez. :)
5808❤ UP train freight cool Horn to the loco wow 😲 good luck with your videos of your success for the train railfanners like you do amazing outstanding job so enjoy your 2024 and have A wonderful fun week Brent god bless you 🙏 for hope 🙏 an future generations to be in California state anywhere you travel in the USA 🇺🇲🚂
Great video and fantastic catches! Thanks for sharing. Dave
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you Dave ! Glad you enjoyed the video !
Amazing Video:) I hope we see some more mainline action from you in the near future.
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Copper Cruz Thank you ! I’ll still be railfanning mainline action as far as I know, so not to worry ! :)
Very nice work!!!
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much !
Great video, Brent!
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you Tom !
I'm watching a video about Martinez train station while in Martinez train station..
Nice video! Actually saw a BNSF leading an Amtrak while passing above El Dorado St in Stockton
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Pacific Zone Railfan Thank you ! That would’ve likely have been the trainset from Amtrak 711 that terminated at Merced due to locomotive bearing problems. Did you happen to see if there was an Amtrak locomotive behind the BNSF lead ? Or did it have the BNSF and just the passenger cars ?
@pacificzonerailfan
4 жыл бұрын
@BrentNguyen46 Just a BNSF local with passenger cars IIRC.
I was there the day before with my dad and caught a few trains including 2 meets and a late running California Zephyr. Videos on my channel will prove it.
Nice video!
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Rhett Ross Albert Thank you !
K5LA equals crown 👑
Nice video! I didn’t know that Martinez was getting a pedestrian bridge over the tracks. Also, man is 2104’s K5LA really foul I’m surprised it happened so quick!
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Average_ Joe Thank you ! Yes, the pedestrian bridge was originally part of the station plan alongside the current building back in 2001, but it was held off for quite some time. It was only just installed in January of this year; though it still wasn’t completed and open for use at the time I visited. They’ve been taking quite a while to finish this project imho. And yeah, same here ! I’m curious as to what made #2104’s horn foul up so soon, haha !
@average_joe8905
4 жыл бұрын
@@BrentNguyen46 Very interesting, thanks for the info. Maybe 2104's horn is getting salt or rust from the sea air of the Bay, who knows.
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Average_ Joe No problem ! I’ve heard it could be anything from engine exhaust to birds strikes, so anything’s possible out on the rails, haha !
@average_joe8905
4 жыл бұрын
@@BrentNguyen46 So true
Nice Video
@BrentNguyen46
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you !
8:45 never saw this either
Nice catches man, I would love to go up North and see the Capitol Corridor's and San Joaquin lines 💯 Happy Thanksgiving even though it passed 🍁🦃🙏🏽🍽
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
E Moseley Thank you ! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving as well !
@ABigCam
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks man
Nice!!!
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Caltrain 920 and Elevators Thanks !
HEY IVE WENT THERE TOO!
Nice!
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Railfan 9743 Thanks !
Now since you have finish all of the Amtrak stations in Northern California, Are you gonna railfanning the Pacific Surfliner/Metrolink Stations at Chatsworth-Los Angeles?
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Yep. You are correct !
Welcome Back Sir ! Great Catches as Always. What was the car on AMTK 712 ?
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Parker McCormack Thank you ! It is a Viewliner Dining Car. This car is used to accommodate the recently implemented minimum count of 28 axles for proper activation of crossing signals.
For 27:50 and 40:50 , why do they have those cars hooked up? I saw 2 train consist with those when I was at Martinez! Great video by the way!
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you ! Those cars are used to accommodate the recently implemented minimum count of 28 axles for proper activation of crossing signals.
This is where my pal Dominic Tauane Used To Work Their Formerly But He Moved To OKJ To Railfan
@dominictauane
3 жыл бұрын
February 5th 2021 I was railfanning night time at Martinez nighttime railfanning Martin station
710 with the Yes engine.
21:31 Come on! When are they going to put 8306 on the lead again? It's not fair! I wanna hear the P5!
@Trainman2015
3 жыл бұрын
CDTX 8306 was spotted leading a Southbound San Joaquin train yesterday south of Fresno, CA.
@superbaddy4
3 жыл бұрын
Really?
@Trainman2015
3 жыл бұрын
Yes I saw it myself.
@superbaddy4
3 жыл бұрын
Is there a video of it?
@Trainman2015
3 жыл бұрын
Unfortunately no. There was a bunch of freight cars blocking my view.
4:40 Is that the California Zephyr or the Coast Starlight? I know they both stop here so I'm just curious Same question for 18:05
@BrentNguyen46
10 ай бұрын
4:40 is the Coast Starlight (Southbound) 18:05 is the California Zephyr (Eastbound) I also have the train numbers in the description if additional info is needed.
@mxderate
10 ай бұрын
@@BrentNguyen46 Thanks for the info!
I like 2007 horn
One question: Are 6 coaches on the Capitol Corridor rare?🤔
@BrentNguyen46
4 жыл бұрын
Allison Reithmeier They aren’t as rare as they used to be due to the continually increasing ridership. I have seen 7 car consists before during the peak Thanksgiving and other holiday travel rushes, but those still remain rare. In terms of operations, one locomotive is generally limited to a maximum of 7 cars unless otherwise noted. Anything greater generally requires a second locomotive to be added to the consist.
@larailfan1714
4 жыл бұрын
I don’t like it when there is a lot of coaches because when it stops at Fremont it has to pull through the crossing, make a lot of noise, and hold up traffic.
Amazing video of Amtrak P42DC Awesome k5la horn cool video ever and I also love those horns on the Amtrak cab car horn 6901 .? Well done 👍👍👍👍 ❤❤❤❤ make more train videos please that would be great Brent have a wonderful day,🚆🇺🇸💯❤️🌎🇺🇲🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂
@BrentNguyen46
2 ай бұрын
Thank you !
@Amtrak8306railfanner
2 ай бұрын
Your welcome
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh It’s Freaking 2104 The Devil Horn Ohhhhhhhhhh
3:30 never saw thos there for some reason
@paullogan4639
3 жыл бұрын
Bluekid Nation *those
6963 sounds like 6965 a bit 24:59
@GamingRailfanner
3 жыл бұрын
@@mastersproutgamer9327 yea, no