Move Over, The New Kid's In Town. Having just turned 20-years-old only a few months prior, AMTK 457 still looks sharp as it catches the last rays of sunlight during golden hour at Redondo Junction. A veteran of the Pacific Surfliners since it arrived in Los Angeles in 1998 - the F59PHi has had a colorful career working between San Diego and San Luis Obispo in literal meaning of that phrase. After beginning its railroad career in 2000, the unit saw its standard silver and blue Surfliner paint wrapped in a light blue/sunset orange combo in 2010 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Pacific Surfliner service. This soon gave way to a splash of purple with large handprints on the unit's nose and sides as part of an Operation Lifesaver campaign that the 457 wore until 2014. It then returned to its standard silver and blue waves, leaving those who had the chance to photograph it during its transitions with memorable photos. Fast forwarding back to the present - resting on the adjacent track to the 457 on this warm, summer evening, CDTX 2115 also catches the golden hour lighting after arriving in Los Angeles just a few weeks ago. A product of Siemens in Sacramento, the 2115 is an SC-44 Charger only 6 months into its life with the chance to stretch its legs on revenue trains fast approaching on the horizon. Besides being more environmentally friendly, the unit is also owned by the State of California unlike its predecessor units that were both owned and operated by Amtrak. While Amtrak crews will operate and maintain the new units, funding to purchase them (equaling the physical ownership) was pursued through CalTrans. All in all...the F59PHi's region on the Pacific Surfliners can be seen slowly drawing to a close much like the setting sun on these two units on the evening they were photographed together.
