Belmont, California [March 2002]

After spending seven years up on blocks at the Golden Gate Railroad Museum, the SP 2472 returned to service in early 2002. On March 30th, the GGRM sponsored a special run up and down the San Francisco Peninsula.

Just north of the Belmont Caltrain station, F40PHR 920, the Operation LifeSaver locomotive, thunders away from the platform with a commute bound for San Francisco.
Next down the pipe is a set of former Chicago and NorthWestern bilevel coaches, on loan to Caltrain while the 1985 Nippon Sharyo cars are being rebuilt.
Off in the distance, a chime whistle is heard, a smudge of smoke appears on the horizon, and suddenly the 2472 charges around the Belmont curve.
A few hours later, the C&NW bilevels return on their way back north to The City.
Charging though the Belmont station, the 2472 steams north...
...and roars past!.
The sun drops behind the Belmont Hills, and Caltrain 81 pulls into the station.
As a southbound slides in alongside, Caltrain 81 rolls north into the night.

[July 2000][December 2000][August 2001][March 2002]