Railfanning Burbank Airport - South - 1/31/20

In conclusion to my railfanning trip back out along Metrolink’s Ventura and Antelope Valley Lines, I made my way over to the Burbank Airport area Friday morning to wrap up my trip along Metrolink’s Ventura and Antelope Valley Lines. Although there are three Metrolink stations within the City of Burbank (those being designated as Downtown, Airport - North, and Airport - South), only the Burbank Airport - South Station sees both Amtrak and Metrolink trains, including Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. The Hollywood Burbank Airport (as designated by Amtrak), or Burbank Airport - South (as designated by Metrolink) Station is situated adjacent to the south end of the Burbank Airport and currently serves as the main transfer for Amtrak passengers connecting to domestic and international flights, with just a short walk to the nearby terminal. The station also serves as one of the intermediate terminuses along the Ventura County Line for the Metrolink trains that operate only between Burbank Airport and Los Angeles Union Station, supplementing longer distance Metrolink trains originating from Ventura, Moorpark, and Chatsworth. The trainsets (depending on scheduling and layover duration) can be seen either being turned in place after disembarking passengers and deadheading directly back to Metrolink’s Central Maintenance Facility (CMF) / Taylor Yard as non-revenue trains; or can be seen deadheading and laying over just west of the station on Main Track 2 (south track) after disembarking passengers, and then later resuming as revenue trains heading back to L.A. Union Station. Furthermore, this station’s location also provides for a uniquely prime vantage point only special to this station, where one can see numerous aircraft just lifting off right over the station. In the end, though the station features only basic amenities similar to other Metrolink stations, the station’s multimodal travel connections, prime aircraft viewing, and plentiful action makes the Hollywood Burbank Airport Station a prime example of efficient use of multimodal public transit and a place worth checking out, especially for the two for one aircraft and railfanning action !

Train 1 : Metrolink #907 with MP36PH-3C #900 & CabCar #655. Not long after arriving at the station, #907 appears in the distance approaching shortly after departing Burbank - Downtown. After terminating at Burbank Airport - South, the trainset from #907 will deadhead back to Metrolink’s Central Maintenance Facility (CMF), otherwise referred to as Taylor Yard. The deadhead departure was out of sight, behind Amtrak 763 after it arrived into the station on Main 2.

Train 2 : Amtrak 763 with SC-44 #2121 & CabCar #6905. Due to Metrolink #907’s scheduled arrival and close proximity to both trains’ timed arrivals, the dispatcher lined Amtrak 763 over to Track 2 for boarding. The conductor of 763 can be seen checking for and guiding ticketed passengers from the other side of the station platforms over to the train for boarding. Friendly crew with some extra horn action as well !

Train 3 : Metrolink #107 with MP36PH-3C #895 & CabCar #664. Nice horn action from the engineer upon arrival and departure !

Train 4 : Amtrak 14 (Coast Starlight) with P42DC #163 & #150. Not long after Metrolink #107 departs, the daily northbound Amtrak Coast Starlight appears in the distance and arrives for its scheduled stop at Burbank Airport. Nice horn action arriving into the station !

Train 5 : Metrolink #112 with CabCar #664 & MP36PH-3C #895. After terminating at its final destination of Chatsworth, the same trainset from the previous Metrolink #107 returns east as #112 to Los Angeles Union Station. Nice horn action from the engineer !

Train 6 : Union Pacific LOF42-31 (Saugus Local) with GP40-2 #1414 & GP60 #1084. Not long after Metrolink #112 converges onto the Valley Subdivision heading south, the Saugus Local appears, making its shove back to Gemco Yard. Friendly crew !

Train 7 : Amtrak 774 with CabCar #6900 & P42DC #172. Got to love the sounds of the iconic chugging engine of the P42DCs ! Nice engineer !

Train 8 : Metrolink #909 with MP36PH-3C #888 & CabCar #671. Metrolink #909 is one of many daily Ventura County Line trains that operate only between Burbank Airport and Los Angeles Union Station, supplementing longer distance Metrolink trains originating from Ventura, Moorpark, and Chatsworth. This trainset will deadhead and layover just west of the station on Main 2, where it will soon become Metrolink #904 returning back to L.A. Union Station. Nice horn action from the engineer arriving !

Train 9 : Amtrak 767 with SC-44 #2111 & CabCar #6903. Shortly after Metrolink #909’s deadhead departure to layover, Amtrak 767 appears in the distance and pulls into Burbank for its scheduled station stop.

Train 10 : Metrolink #904 with CabCar #671 & MP36PH-3C #888. Nice horn action and echoes from the same engineer on Metrolink #909, now departing as #904 back to L.A. Union Station !

Thanks for Watching !