Railfanning Caltrain

[njtmnrrbuff]

Hello,
There's a good chance that I'm going to be in San Francisco for about a week this summer. I'm interested in photographing Caltrain operations. Where are the popular spots to do that? Which areas, crimewise, should I avoid? Thanks.

[CSX Conductor]

Millbrae is a transfer point to BART. I didn't have any problems while taking some pics. I also spent about 20 minutes waiting at Menlo Park for my train back to San Francisco and it seemed like a nice quiet neighborhood.

[njtmnrrbuff]

I have been to Milbrae. It looks like a nice spot. In fact, I may end up there this summer.

[ExCon90]

I haven't tried photographing there, but Santa Clara, besides having the oldest station on the line, offers quite a lot of Union Pacific freight action, with 3 or perhaps 4 tracks passing the station, the junction being just north (? used to be west) of the station. At the right times you can also pick up Amtrak Coast Starlight, Capitol Corridor, and ACE.

[njtmnrrbuff]

Yep, Santa Clara is a pretty good spot for railfanning, especially if you like shooting pictures of cab cars leading the consists. What I'm saying is that most of the best shots there are best taken in the afternoon from the southernmost platform, and the passenger trains at that hour generally have the sunlight illuminating on the nose of the cab control cars. It's nice though to watch and even photograph trains negotiating the junction of Caltrain and UP's Coast Sub.

[ExCon90]

I just remembered that if you go to one of the last stops on the T line (I think Arleta) you have an unobstructed view downwards from a pretty good height of the 4-track Bayshore station of Caltrain. I think it would make a pretty good telephoto shot, and if you're doing video and can get there at the right time you could capture a Baby Bullet on the inside track overtaking a local on the outside platform track. It would use up a lot of time getting there and back, however. Maybe a local resident who has tried it can advise.

[njtmnrrbuff]

Bayshore is on my list, as long as if it's a safe area. I know that some of the areas near there are questionable, especially along the T route of Muni.

[Backshophoss]

There should be plenty of action at Jack London Square(Amtrak station) in Oakland,UP and Amtrak,however "it's rough around the edges"
due to "Occupy Oakland" among other things. If you can get to San Jose,Caltrain,Altamont Commuter Express,Amtrak and UP,
share the station area

[ExCon90]

There should be plenty of action at Jack London Square(Amtrak station) in Oakland,UP and Amtrak,however "it's rough around the edges"
due to "Occupy Oakland" among other things. If you can get to San Jose,Caltrain,Altamont Commuter Express,Amtrak and UP,
share the station area

If you take the ferry from the Ferry Building it takes you within about 2 blocks of JL Square, in an area full of tourists, and you avoid having to get there from BART in downtown Oakland. (You also get a good view of the container terminals on the way.)

[kevikens]

My kids live out there so I have been out in the Bay Area quite a bit. I can't think of any area that Caltrain serves as an unsafe area. Ithink the best spot for Caltrain is the Santa Clara station, one of the oldest extant and still used stations in the whole of the US. Go from mid morning to mid afternoon for best light, Early AM is likely to be hazy or even foggy. There you will see Caltrain, including the Baby Bullets whizzing by at speed ( stand well clear of the track area when that happens) UP freight with a few SP or Rio Grande units that work South San Francisco, Amtrak and ACE commuter trains and one of the older SP towers at the north end. If you go one station farther south that will be San Jose a wonderful Beaux Arts-Spanish Mission station though you may be shooed away from the platform area by security. If you walk about one mile to the south of the station you can access a safe bridge with a great view of the station and yard and also the VTA light rail station. Speaking of stations take a look at the Burligame station, Spanish Mission, Menlo Park, Victorian ginger bread. Palo Alto, late beaux arts and if you get off in Palo Alto walk about a half mile north of the station to an older girder bridge much used by the SP as a photo op in the days of steam. The original, EL Palo Alto, a tall redwood, the High Tree, is right next to the bridge. Best time for these stations is mid morning after the haze has burned off. You mentioned safety. There is one spot Caltrain passes through in the Hunter's Point section of SF, the only part of the city with industry and a working port facility. Caltrain and an adjacent freight spur line passes through this gritty area. if you like trains in an industrial setting, and two long bridges, this is a good spot. Take the T light rail from Caltrain terminal to Innes Ave., I think that's the stop, and walk about one mile west. if you just want to glance at that location look to your left as the train out of SF travels south and you will see it and perhaps spot the local freight that works the docks. If possible ride the bike car on the trains pulled (or pushed) by the older F40 locomotives. They have a window on the door you can play second engineer from. The newer Baby Bullet trains don't have that door. When you get on the train at Caltrain's SF station the bike car will be the one closest to you and it has a bathroom, too (unlike SEPTA Trains). I love rail fanning the Bay Area. If you want some tips on other good spots in that area let me know and I'll point them out.

[njtmnrrbuff]

I plan to go to San Jose's Diridon Station. I have been there before and you can get very nice shots there.

[njtmnrrbuff]

Is this true that there are nice spots for photography in Brisbane? I have seen some pictures taken there? Thanks.

[kevikens]

The problem with Brisbane is access to the line. You will need a car to get close to the tracks where you can pix of the trains with the bay in the background. If you ride the train, the station to the south of Brisbane is South San Francisco. There is a small freight yard there for the UP locals that service the industries in that area. Almost always there are UP units parked there as most of the freight activity is after the evening rush hour. In early summer this activity starts when there is still enough light for photos. The units that serves the Hunter's point port facilities leaves South SF about 7 AM, works the port and are back by around 2 or 3 PM. The UP locomotives at South SF are among the oldest and most decrepit units, patched SP and Rio Grande GP's, even ratty SP cabin cars. It's a safe station and you can walk up to a nearby overpass for high level shots as long as your camera lens will fit through narrow wire mesh.

[njtmnrrbuff]

Are there any buses like Sam Trans that run very close to the spots in Brisbane? Thanks.

[kevikens]

Sorry, I don't know about that. Anything that runs on US 101 will go by some good spots but I don't know if you could get on and off a bus along that route.