I was working out the final details to achieve 1,500,000 rail miles by September 9th, but kept being 4.5 miles short. Then it dawned on me that the Irvine Park Railroad was 0.9 of a mile long so if I made five trips there, it would all work out. This is the same railroad that saved me on my first 1,000,000 trip, so I would be honoured to let then save me again. I called Robin Bowers and he wanted to ride it as well. However, the Saturday before, Amtrak had engine problems with Pacific Surfliner 562 which meant I had to change my plans again and ride to Fullerton then Oceanside this morning and leave the Solana Beach round trip until Monday.
The TripIrvine Park Railroad, founded in April 1996, is a one-third scale train that takes both children and adults on a scenic ride through historic Irvine Regional Park on a ten-minute ride which meanders past two lakes and circles through an oak woodland. Irvine Park was part of Don Teodosio Yorba's original Mexican grant of Rancho Lomas de Santiago. The first recreational use of the oak grove was by the early German colonists who settled Anaheim in 1857, and the area became known as the "Picnic Grounds.
I rode to Solana Beach to get my missing miles and returned home, then Robin was at my door and a few minutes later, we drove to Irvine Regional Park, a first for Robin. We paid three dollars to get in on this weekday morning and parked at the station parking lot, where I went to the ticket window and came away with two free tokens.
The bank, barber shop and general store.
A sycamore tree.
The train station area.
The train came out of the tunnel (storage area) and returned to the station then we boarded, but a problem occurred with the train cars.
The braking system was causing the problem so the crew cut the air to all cars and we were ready to go on my first ride of five.
The trip was underway.
A tractor on display.
The lawn across from the station.
Barrels in front of one of the park buildings.
A water wheel near the tunnel entrance.
The tunnel next to some large cacti.
Mining equipment from a long ago era in Orange County.
Rounding a curve.
The lower lake.
Waterfall from the upper lake to the lower lake.
People enjoying the paddle boats on the upper lake.
Rounding the next curve.
More action out on the upper lake.
Statue of James Irvine and his hunting dogs. In 1876, the grove and the surrounding rancho became the sole property of James Irvine, who had bought out his partners. Seven years after his father's death, James Jr. decided to give the county its first park. F. P. Nickey, then president of the Board of Supervisors, accepted what was described as the "Gift Munificent," with the donation of the 160-acre oak grove. Irvine stipulated that the area should always be kept as natural-looking as possible and that the trees should have the fullest care. On Oct. 5, 1897, James Irvine gifted the land to the County of Orange for just $1, and the Orange County Board of Supervisors officially accepted the gift Oct. 11, 1897. The 160-acre grove officially became "Orange County Park."
The reversing loop at the east end.
Across the upper lake is a memorial to the souls lost on the U.S.S. Maine who were Orange County residents. There is also a pre-Civil War cannon on display there.
More curves on this unique railroad.
Crossing the park road complete with crossing gates.
Coming back into the station.
The CP Huntington. I went and paid for four more trips and was on trip 2.
A small handcar.
The imitation water tower.
Rounding curve to the railroad crossing.
The original Irvine Park sign.
The waterfall again.
Rounding the large curve.
This oak tree is over 400 years old.
My journey continued.
Entering the tunnel.
Inside the tunnel.
Exiting the tunnel.
Past the general store and back to the station area. I next chose the seat in the rear facing backwards for something different.
The journey as seen from the rear of the Irvine Park Railroad. Robin joined me on my fourth trip and I rode solo on trip five.
A peacock on trip five.
The train back at the station after I finished riding. We left the railroad but drove to a parking lot to set up for the next run.
The train on the outbound trip.
The train on the return trip. We walked back to the car and I showed Robin more of Irvine Park then we left and drove to the Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park.
Robin had never been here either and I needed 0.4 rail miles to reach my goal. We drove home and Robin returned to Huntington Beach and I wrote this travelogue.
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