After running an errand at the large chain hardware store alongside Metrolink’s Olive Sub, on the way home I made a quick stop at the Metrolink station in downtown Orange – and then checked the Amtrak and Metrolink schedules. The next southbound Metrolink train, which would have a locomotive on the sunny southern end, was due in about forty minutes, and I figured I could waste a bit of time waiting for it. There was also a northbound Metrolink train, heading up the Olive Sub and one to San Bernardino, but the locomotive would be on the northern end and, therefore, I would most likely "save some pixels" and not shoot it. Glancing toward the north, I was a little surprised to see a headlight coming my way, as I didn’t think any trains coming south from San Bernardino or Riverside were scheduled this late in the afternoon.
And then I thought I saw orange around the headlight, and my telephoto lens confirmed it. It was a somewhat rare, particularly for the shorter autumn (or winter) days, daylight run of the Barstow to San Diego freight! BNSF train H-BARSDG1-13 had ES44DC 7830 and Dash 9-44CW 5319 up front, with BNSF ES44C4 8228 and ES44C4 7139 for the rear Distributed Power Units. If I had been at the hardware store much longer, I would have seen this train passing by the parking lot, and I would have been kicking myself for having bad luck! (Orange, California – October 13, 2020)
