For almost-three-year-old Kevin Franklin, riding BART for the first time was something of a wonder. The trains were big, shiny, and fast. The stations, grandiose and cathedral-like. And the people ...

Backed by a thick layer of fog, a line of brand new Caltrain cars, painted a sleek red and white, sat parked at the San Francisco station. Sandwiched in between the fleet were a few old trains, boxy, ...