BNSF leads Amtrak! BNSF 8119 on #11 Coast Starlight @ John St. in Salinas, California.

20230601
Date and time: June 1, 2023, at 12:49 P.M.
Crossing owner: Union Pacific Railroad
Horn setting: horn zone
Number of tracks: 3
Quite a surprise for the first day of June. This is second time this year that I’ve gotten a recording of a BNSF locomotive leading the Amtrak Coast Starlight. The train was stuck in Seattle in need of another unit for the train, so the freight train locomotive was pulled out in order to fully power the train. It departed Seattle over an hour late, but here it made up some time and is running about 40 minutes late. The train was also in a reversed consist except for the baggage car, as the Winter Park Express car was the first actual coach instead of the last. The BNSF unit’s cab door was also seen left open.

[@jasonalperin9414]

Either the trailing P42 had HEP issues and or no spare 42,s or ALCS units were available,great catch none the less!

[@jasonalperin9414]

No spares available in Seattle!