BNSF San Diego Office Car Special.

Most large companies make efforts to entertain their customers in order to keep their own services and products relevant and interesting, and to keep their customers interested in using them... The ones which don't either don't have any customers or won't for long.
Railroads aren't exempt from this, even if they aren't competing with other railroads they have to worry about trucks and airplanes taking over shipping. Que this train, an 8-car passenger train containing several of BNSF's major shippers. Yearly BNSF runs a special down here, where they pamper their customers both on the train and off, taking them on golf outtings, visits to the beach, and putting them up at high end hotels, all the while transporting them around the BNSF system much like one of their shipments so everyone can see the process firsthand. They get to tour facilities and learn just how the Railroad works, which is wonderful knowledge to have when you use the service in order to run your own business.
I didn't get to see them come south, but I did manage to get out and watch the train depart San Diego and follow them to Carlsbad before I had to go to work.
#1) The Special in Rose Canyon
#2) In Sorrento Valley
*After a mad dash I beat them to Carlsbad, but they got held up by regular Commuter Traffic for a few minutes.
#3) First up is Coaster 648
#4) Then Amtrak 566 (running late, with the single level trainset)
#5) Finally the special gets the go-ahead and flies up through Carlsbad.

[@Landaux]

If I saw this train pass my, I would be honored to give them a BIG THUMBS UP! We need more & more people like this to make the rails rise once more. :-)

[@nicksair]

Awesome as always!!!! :-)