Finally, after longed anticipation and while in San Jose, I made my way out to the Diridon Station to finally definitively railfan here. This station has been of great interest mainly because it serves as a primary terminus for all regional passenger trains for Caltrain, Amtrak, and ACE trains; as well as serving as an intermediate stop for Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. Additionally, it also serves as a major hub for many transit connections throughout California and beyond, including the VTA light rail. The station itself also still retains the original Southern Pacific Depot built in 1935 and is still operating today with Amtrak staffing, as well as still retaining other trackside structures, including the platform canopies. In the end, although signs of the electrification are already present here; the many train races, multiple meets, deadhead moves, or non-stop action still makes San Jose an excellent place to railfan the plentiful train action !

Train 1 : Caltrain #231 with CabCar #4004 & F40PH-2 #903. Not long after walking onto the platform, one of many northbound Caltrains of the morning departs for San Francisco.

Train 2 : Caltrain Deadhead with CabCar #4023 & F40PH-2CAT #905. As soon as #231 departs, the equipment from #216 deadheads to the CEMOF, making for a brief race !

Train 3 : Amtrak 523 with F59PHI #2011 & CabCar #8305.

Train 4 : Amtrak Deadhead with F59PHI #2011 & CabCar #8305. (Note : This train movement is out of sight but noted for reference.)

Train 5 : Caltrain #218 with F40PH-2CAT #908 & CabCar #4002. Not long after Amtrak 523 arrives, Caltrain #218 appears, pulling into San Jose. 03:47

Train 6 : Caltrain #233 with CabCar #118 & MP36PH-3C #928. Right as #218 arrives, #233 arrives from Tamien at the same time !

Train 7 : Caltrain #320 with F40PH-2CAT #913 & CabCar #4005. Friendly engineer on #913 !

Train 8 : Caltrain Deadhead with F40PH-2CAT #905 & CabCar #4023. This trainset will later become Caltrain #135 north to San Francisco.

Train 9 : Caltrain Deadhead with CabCar #4002 & F40PH-2CAT #908. Like clockwork, another Caltrain trainset deadheads for the CEMOF yard to layover until its next assigned train.

Train 10 : ACE #5 with F40PH-3C #3102 & CabCar #3306. 11:10

Train 11 : Caltrain #324 with F40PH-2CAT #901 & CabCar #4007.

Train 12 : Caltrain #222 with F40PH-2CAT #904 & CabCar #4021. After being overtaken by Caltrain #324 at Lawrence, #222 arrives shortly behind #324 into San Jose.

Train 13 : ACE #7 with F40PH-3C #3106, #3105, & CabCar #3301. A nice surprise with the doubleheader ! Friendly engineer on #3106 as well !

Train 14 : Caltrain #135 with CabCar #4023 & F40PH-2CAT #905.

Train 15 : Caltrain #226 with F40PH-2CAT #918 & CabCar #4008. Just as #135 rounds the corner, #226 appears, meeting and approaching into the station. 17:40

Train 16 : Amtrak 528 with CabCar #8309 & SC-44 #2105.

Train 17 : Caltrain Deadhead with CabCar #4007 & F40PH-2CAT #901. Right as Amtrak 528 is about to depart, the equipment from Caltrain #324 deadheads back to the CEMOF, making for a brief race !

Train 18 : Amtrak 525 with F59PHI #2009 & CabCar #8307. This train sure did sneak up on me !

Train 19 : Caltrain #228 with F40PH-2CAT #911 & CabCar #4018.

Train 20 : Caltrain #237 with CabCar #4005 & F40PH-2CAT #913. Right as #228 slows into its final destination, #237 arrives into the station ! Same friendly engineer from Caltrain #320 ! 23:00

Train 21 : Caltrain #330 with F40PH-2CAT #917 & CabCar #4019.

Train 22 : Caltrain Deadhead with CabCar #4008 & F40PH-2CAT #918. Right as #237 departs, the previous equipment from #226 deadheads back to the CEMOF. Nice horn action from the engineer !

Train 23 : Caltrain Deadhead with F40PH-2CAT #908 & CabCar #4002. After a brief layover, the same trainset seen before returns into the station to await the afternoon rush.

Train 24 : Caltrain Deadhead with CabCar #4019 & F40PH-2CAT #917. After terminating at Tamien, the trainset from #330 deadheads all the way back to the CEMOF.

Train 25 : Amtrak 527 with F59PHI #2006 & CabCar #8310. Just as the Caltrain Deadhead move departs, Amtrak 527 is seen approaching for a nice meet before pulling into the station for its final stop. 30:15

Train 26 : Caltrain #232 with F40PH-2CAT #900 & CabCar #112.

Train 27 : Caltrain #139 with CabCar #4021 & F40PH-2CAT #900.

Train 28 : Caltrain Deadhead with CabCar #112 & F40PH-2CAT #900. Not long after disembarking passengers, the trainset from #232 deadheads for the yard.

Train 29 : Caltrain #134 with MP36PH-3C #924 & CabCar #4015. (Note : This train movement is out of sight but noted for reference.)

Train 30 : Amtrak 11 (Coast Starlight) with P42DC #24 & #4. After the morning action begins to slow, the long awaited southbound Coast Starlight makes its appearance into San Jose. The train remained in the station for some time, making for good audio of the P42s ! After this train, I called it a great morning of train action and proceeded home.

Thanks for Watching !