Everyone's attention is naturally drawn to the southbound (railroad eastbound) train, but I'll bet they are actually waiting for the next westbound to take them to "The City" for the day.

The 5620 could not have become the 3457 after it was renumbered. The 3457 does have dynamic brake blisters on the roof and the 5620 does not. Therefore, they are two different locomotives. The 5620 became some other number after it was renumbered.

These passenger GPs were built for a number of lines. They lacked dynamic brakes, but were provided with steam generators for train heat; IIRC they were also geared for higher speeds. The steam equipment forced the relocation of the air reservoirs, and they were placed on top of the hood where the dynamic brake housing more commonly sat. The four long, thin tanks, one of which you can see in this picture, gave rise to the nickname "torpedo boats". As Tobacconist implies, these gradually lost their snazzy passenger paint and disappeared into the regular freight fleet as time went on.

This is SP locomotive #5620 in the Black Widow paint scheme, pulling train #110—which was a commuter train that ran from San Francisco to San Jose. It was the first train out of San Francisco each morning at 6:10 a.m., and would have arrived at the Hillsdale Station at about 6:40 a.m.

I believe that the station is on the west side of the tracks - which means we are looking north and that puts the morning sun across the tracks to the east, thereby causing the long shadows to be cast. It makes sense that some of the people would be wearing coats and sweaters—it can be chilly there in the mornings, even in August. Not so in the late afternoon. Someone special must have been coming to visit to get your family out that early, or you were on your way to someplace special.

The number 110 was the train number for the regularly scheduled run. The lead locomotive of the train would have this number displayed (and lit up at night) on the number board so as to distinguish it from other trains in the depot. If locomotives were switched out, the new lead locomotive would then display the correct train number. The locomotive itself had a road number (5620) that was unique to that engine. However, a locomotive did not always keep its original road number if the railroad changed its numbering system or rebuilt the locomotive to a different specification, as was the case for #5620.

According to Don Ross at Don's Rail Photos, the Electro-Motive GP9 Class DF-605 Diesel #5620 (Serial #20145) was built in March 1955. In 1966 it was renumbered #3457, Class EF418-5, and in 1972 it was rebuilt as #3363, Class EF418-2. SP retired it in 1993 and sold it to a scrapper.

Pictures of it later in its career wearing the Bloody Nose paint scheme can be seen here (1967) and here (1972).

Locomotive is a GP9, manufactured by GM's Electromotve Division. That's the number on the nose of the locomotive. I initially had difficulty identifying the engine because the numbers on the illuminated number boards at the top of the nose - 110 - don't match any locomotive listed for the SP. I wonder what the 110 signifies and what the railroad's policy was for the illuminated numbers on their locomotives.

These images that you have shared are wonderful, Rute Boye. Is it the Anscochrome film that makes our past so golden and hazy, unlike today's harsh, blazing sun? Either way, thank you.