When you are in Palo Alto try to get to their art deco 1940 Southern Pacific rail station. It's a beautiful SP station as is the larger station in San Jose which is great place to see some non-Caltrain trains. One stop north of San Jose is the oldest extant station west of the Mississippi, Santa Clara( abouit 1860). You might want to go there to see the Union Pacific freight yard or at least look for it as you ride through the yard and past the station. The whole line from SJ to San Fran is packed with old SP stations still in use. One stop north of Palo Alto is a quaint station, Menlo Park, with the outdoor sign indicating it's only a little over 2000 miles to New Orleans and the Burlingame station is beautiful Spanish Mission style architecture. In Redwood city look for the freight spur that heads east to the Dunbarton Bridge which I believe is being rebuilt for reuse. As you approach South San Franciso look for UP, or if you are lucky, SP freight locomotives used for shifting local freight. If you can, get on the lead car of the push-pull Caltrain, one of the older cars, not the newer ones. You can stand at the front door underneath the engineer and get a great view of the the sights. When you get into the 4th and King St. station, the end of the line, cross the street and pick up the light rail N-Judah car and take it to one of the stops on Market street about two miles from the Caltrain Terminal. The tracks you are riding on were once part of the port's terminal railway handling the now non existing cargoes from the shipping along the embarcadero. Shortly after going under the Bay Bridge the N-Line goes under ground and if you get off at one of the early underground stations, say Montgomery St, you will see the F-Line PCC trolley cars and you will be right near the start of the California St cable car line. By the way, I think you can pick up a BART train at that same Montgomery St Station. The Bay area is a great and friendly place to railfan. I'm not sure but I think one of the PCC cars may be in the livery of the Chicago transit compnay you may recall from that area. I know one is liveried as the Illinois Terminal and is a double ended car as were the original cars. Have a good trip and let us know how it went.
