D&RGW Tunnel Motor at Hercules

I had some study to do today. I decided to park by the UP line at Hercules. It is a nice location with good visibility of the UP Martinez Sub double track main which hugs the shoreline of San Pablo Bay. Some time in the future this will location will radically change with the addition of a commercial complex and Amtrak station, so I like to enjoy it while I can.

There was a pretty constant parade of Amtrak Capitals and San Joaquin trains from the time I arrived in the late afternoon. A train horn caught my attention after an hour. I heard it blow for the Tennant Ave grade crossing a mile behind me. Definitely not an Amtrak horn. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was actually a train on the BNSF tracks. A few minutes later, the highly appealing sound of several second generation units grew quite loud and I put the books down and got out of the car to enjoy the sound of EMD prime movers with turbos whining.

I wasn’t really expecting to take a shot, and as the units came into view I saw a Roseville bound manifest with a spiffy looking Rio Grande tunnel motor leading, no graffiti and only a small number patch on the cab to belying it’s UP ownership.

This was all I could capture proving again that the best way to see something interesting or unusual is to be unprepared or out of position!