Amtrak Pacific Surfliner 580 sits at Los Angeles Union Station awaiting its 3:10 pm (15:10) departure for San Diego. It will be bringing up the rear of this train, but leading when it returns to Los Angeles, is Amtrak California Non-Powered Control Unit (aka: NPCU, Cab Car and Cabbage) CDTX 90225 "Sacramento".
Built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division as Amtrak F40PH 225 in April 1976, it was rebuilt into an NPCU by removing its diesel engine and adding baggage doors in July 1996. It wears the paint scheme of the F40PHs in service on the CalTrain commuter trains operating between San Francisco and the San Jose area, which is curious as that is not an Amtrak operation! (It, along with CDTX 90208, were in service for years on Amtrak's San Joaquin and Capitol Corridor trains.)
Stretching from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, the Surf Line has become Amtrak's second busiest route. See the Pacific Surfliner and San Diegan in action along with trains from predecessors Santa Fe and Southern Pacific.
