SANTA FE'S "SAN DIEGAN" passes through San Clemente, California

SANTA FE'S "SAN DIEGAN" passes through San Clemente, California, a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

The southbound San Diegan passes through San Clemente, California shortly before the Amtrak takeover on May 1, 1971.

The San Diegan was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and a "workhorse" of the railroad. Its 126-mile (203-kilometer) route ran from Los Angeles, California south to San Diego. It was assigned train Nos. 70–79 (Nos. 80–83 were added in 1952 when RDCs began operating on the line).

The Los Angeles-San Diego corridor (popularly known as the "Surf Line" — officially, the Fourth District of the Los Angeles Division) was to the Santa Fe as the New York–Philadelphia corridor was to the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Daily traffic could reach a density of ten trains (each way) during the summer months. The first San Diegan ran on March 27, 1938 as one set of equipment making two round trips each way.

A second trainset delivered in 1941 made possible four streamlined trains each way. In addition, a third set of heavyweight equipment made a fifth trip in each direction. During and after the Second World War, furlough business from San Diego's military bases necessitated extra (albeit heavyweight) sections of San Diegans, and racetrack specials during horseracing season at Del Mar added to passenger train miles.

Amtrak continued to operate the San Diegan when it took over operation of the nation's passenger service on May 1, 1971, and it retired the name on June 1, 2000. Today, the route of the San Diegan (the second busiest rail line in the United States) is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner.

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Yes, it is a beautiful piece of track and the views are spectacular, though it is does not follow the original track through the entire route. Some of the old ocean views have been eliminated for safety and environmental sake.

At one time, the route ran almost all the way along the coast from San Francisco to San Diego, except for the inland switch to take it to downtown Los Angeles Union Station. Likewise, the old coastal bus route was almost exclusively along the coast with super views.