Santa Fe 3751 - the Director's Cut

Yesterday I posted video of Santa Fe Steam Locomotive 3751 as it pulled a private car excursion to San Diego. I shot video of it from a clifftop perch as it passed through North San Clemente Beach. I didn't think I would get a chance to see it again on the return trip so I went ahead and put up the video.

Well, as mentioned later in the day I went down to the Laguna Niguel station about the time it was supposed to return, only to find out the train had left San Diego 2 1/2 hours late and there had been a fatal Amtrak vs. pedestrian accident just 1/2 mile north of where I was standing. It was going to be pretty dark by the time the train finally showed up. I went through a similar experience with that locomotive last June.

I decided to give it one more try, and after doing a few calculations, went back to the station just before 9pm. There were a number of other rail fans there and I found out that my timing had been pretty good. The train was only about 10 minutes away.

Consequently, I did get some footage of the train roaring through the Laguna Niguel station and have added it to the video from yesterday. I have to tell you, standing 15 feet away from that thing as it came through the station with its hair on fire was pretty impressive. The lighting was not the greatest, thanks to the sodium vapor lights at the station, but you can still see the locomotive, tender, three Amtrak diesel units, and the 24 private cars that made up the consist.

Here's the director's cut of the Santa Fe 3751 video: