| After passing the mighty space vehicle launch facilities along the SP tracks thru Vandenburg AFB, we curved gently inland from the Pacific and into rolling hills that would take us over to the Santa Maria Valley region. Again, in the 1990's, SP trains would create life's hassles for me, stalling out on the southbound grade out of Guadalupe before topping out Shuman Hill, and the Guadalupe and Lompoc switchers would always want to playout on the main track around Amtrak time! But what a great line to ride, watch or dispatch! Loved it. Just can't be the same with UP yellow all over it... |