Tag Archives: Santa Susana Pass

photography

Photographing Passenger Trains on California’s Santa Susana Pass.

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Back in the day, Southern Pacific’s famed Daylight was often pictured crossing Santa Susana Pass—a scenic cleft in the rocks between Simi Valley and Chatsworth, California.

Once a remote area, this is now hemmed in by suburban development, freeways and public parks.

Riding Metrolink, I’d noted several potentially interesting locations on the west side of the pass (SP timetable west, today Union Pacific timetable north).

Reviewing Google Maps, I found that views of the line should be accessible from Corriganville Park, located a little ways to the east of Simi Valley. So one afternoon last week, David Hegarty and I made an exploration of the area.

There’s a flurry of Metrolink and Amtrak trains in the evening. We found some locations near CP Davis (location of a passing siding) with an aim to make images of BNSF GE-built AC4400CWs that have been working many Metrolink trains.

A BNSF General Electric-built AC4400CW leads Metrolink 118 near CP Davis on the west (north) side of Santa Susana Pass.
A BNSF General Electric-built AC4400CW works Metrolink 118 near CP Davis on the west (north) side of Santa Susana Pass.
A few of Metrolink's F59PHI diesels have the full paint treatment completed with blue and aqua ribbons. It was nice to get this one working with a bit of scenery on train 117 from Los Angeles.
A few of Metrolink’s F59PHI diesels have the full paint treatment completed with blue and aqua ribbons. It was nice to get this one working with a bit of scenery on train 117 from Los Angeles.
Metrolink_119_at_tunnel_near_CP_Davis_DSCF1748
Although not the prettiest locomotives, Metrolink’s boxy model F59PH diesels make for a bit of variety. Here train 119 is seen near tunnel 26.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, train 790, featured a GE Genesis P42 instead of the Amtrak F59PH's more commonly assigned to California services. The engine is at the back of the consist working in push-pull mode.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, train 790, featured a GE Genesis P42 instead of the Amtrak F59PH’s more commonly assigned to California services. The engine is at the back of the consist working in push-pull mode.

I exposed these images with my FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera, but I also made a few color slides that will be processed at a later date.

Tracking the Light posts every day.