Amtrak 11, the southbound Coast Starlight, drops downgrade into South Serrano as it passes a pair of searchlight signals still standing guard. One of the first places on the Southern Pacific system to receive CTC to help accommodate increases of traffic during WWII, Cuesta Pass now serves as one of the last places in California one can find still-active searchlight signals. It's little known, but the Serrano was named after Miguel Serrano who was the gentleman the Southern Pacific obtained the right of way from in 1893.
Running daily between Seattle and Los Angeles, this train offers running alongside the Pacific Ocean and through the Cascade Mountains. It has been one of Amtrak's long-distance success stories.
