Bruce Turner’s Amtrak Pacific Surfliner stops at Del Mar, a replica of Union Pacific station in Salt Lake City.

The sleek Pacific Surfliner made a rare stop at the Del Mar station. The Surfliner was on a shakedown run over the tracks of the mighty Highland Pacific Railroad. Engineer Bruce Turner says the SC-44 Charger locomotive ran better than expected. Bruce wondered aloud if it was him or the locomotive. In Bruce’s words, “This DCC Bachmann locomotive has all the bells and whistles.”

That’s an understatement. That sound-equipped loco blew that whistle at every grade crossing on its run west to the Del Mar. You wouldn’t think there were that many grade crossings between Highland and Del Mar.

Come on down and see Bruce’s Amtrak Pacific Surfliner in action.