>FWIW, the F59PHI's used in Cal Amtrak (Surfliner, San Joaquin, Capitol Corridor) service, and probably Amtrak's locomotives generally, are supposedly designed for running at 110 mph, as are, supposedly, the Cal Cars.

Cross out "supposedly", although the F59s are so notoriously rough riding I wouldn't want to run one at this speed, ever. P-40s and P-42s are 110; the Dash-8s are limited to 103. The Caltrans car manual is silent about speed limits (or the information is well hidden in the voluminous prose between the covers).

About the Starlight going in the hole for the Surfliner: the Surfliner service pays more incentive money to the host RR, in this case Unliminted Parking, than Amtrak's LD trains do, so guess who is low man on the totem pole. The same is true for the San Joaquin and Capitol Corridor services (and the CC service pays more incentives than the San Joaquins).