Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
In last week's video, I showcased the retirement of the F40PHM-2C locomotives on the San Diego Coaster. This week, we'll take at the EMD F59PHI locomotives that Coaster has on their fleet. While they are not "officially" slated to be retired for the next year or so, their service will be limited (if run at all) due to the 5 Siemens Charger locomotives being in service.
Built and delivered in 2001, Coaster has two F59PHI's in the fleet, the 3001 and 3002. Since their delivery, these locomotives underwent an overhaul at Progress Rail in Tacoma back in the early 2010's. Due to NCTD's lack of care for their equipment, their age is showing, with rust buildup present on the body of the engines and lack of skirts over the fuel tanks. Their horns still sound remarkably good, which is a plus! Growing up in SoCal, it's crazy to think we went from mostly all F59 power, to these being the last two. In regards to F59PHI power on the West Coast, only three operators are left. Amtrak California in Northern California, Sounder in the Seattle/Puget Sound, and West Coast Express in Vancouver, BC.
In this video, you'll see both of these F59's as they make their way from San Diego to Oceanside. All videos filmed from 2018 - 2020.
Thanks for watching! | Video and Content by MichaelLovesTrains 2021
In last week's video, I showcased the retirement of the F40PHM-2C locomotives on the San Diego Coaster. This week, we'll take at the EMD F59PHI locomotives that Coaster has on their fleet. While they are not "officially" slated to be retired for the next year or so, their service will be limited (if run at all) due to the 5 Siemens Charger locomotives being in service.
Built and delivered in 2001, Coaster has two F59PHI's in the fleet, the 3001 and 3002. Since their delivery, these locomotives underwent an overhaul at Progress Rail in Tacoma back in the early 2010's. Due to NCTD's lack of care for their equipment, their age is showing, with rust buildup present on the body of the engines and lack of skirts over the fuel tanks. Their horns still sound remarkably good, which is a plus! Growing up in SoCal, it's crazy to think we went from mostly all F59 power, to these being the last two. In regards to F59PHI power on the West Coast, only three operators are left. Amtrak California in Northern California, Sounder in the Seattle/Puget Sound, and West Coast Express in Vancouver, BC.
In this video, you'll see both of these F59's as they make their way from San Diego to Oceanside. All videos filmed from 2018 - 2020.
Thanks for watching! | Video and Content by MichaelLovesTrains 2021
