Due to the long Thanksgiving weekend, and its higher than usual passenger counts, Amtrak's Pacific Surfliners are running with extra cars. Many of Amtrak's Surfliners during this time have 8 cars, rather than the usual six. But that can create a car shortage.
And that shortage of cars results in a small fleet of former NJ Transit Comet coaches to be placed in service, as evidenced by Surfliner 573 departing the Fullerton Transportation Center (what we used to call a "train station") as it heads to its final stop at Los Angeles Union Station. Running nine minutes behind schedule, this train is led by Non-Powered Control Unit 90225 (the former Amtrak F40PH 225, since converted to this unpowered cab car – note the lack of fans on its roof – with a baggage compartment), named "Sacramento" and painted in the scheme used at one time by the CalTrain commuter trains operating between San Francisco and San Jose. Passengers are riding in seven cars: CDTX 5001 "The Comet", CDTX 5004 "The Owl", CDTX 5012 "The Feather River Express", CDTX 5005 "The Senator", CDTX 5010 "The Golden Gate", CDTX 5002 "The Meteor", and CDTX 5006 "The El Dorado" – with CDTX Siemens SC-44 2120 (built here in the Golden State!) shoving on the rear. As this train is all coaches, there is no food service as a result. But as this equipment is only on trains operating between San Diego and Los Angeles (128-miles, or 206 km), that's not as large an issue as on the trains running between San Diego and Goleta (near Santa Barbara) or San Luis Obispo.
However, it makes for some interesting railfanning for a few days! (Fullerton, California – November 28, 2025)
