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A Double Comet Car Trip 6/15/2009

Winston and I planned to ride the Comet Cars again this coming week.

I rode up to Los Angeles Union Station on Sunday June 14, 2009 getting there after being delayed for thirty five minutes by a BNSF Hi-Rail Truck that got hit by Surfliner 566 . I saw Chris Parker on the platform and after visiting for a few minutes, we walked down to get a picture of the Sunset Limited with a UP unit on the point.

Next Metrolink 355 arrived into LAUPT with a Comet Car on it.

Metrolink Comet Car 320. I got on Surfliner 572 which left LAUPT on time but waited at Eastern Avenue for over an hour for Surfliner 566 to back to the Commerce Station to discharge all of its passengers and checked baggage then cleared for us to pick it all up. While we were doing this Surfliner 774 went by and we followed it south. The train then stopped at San Clemente Pier and Old Town on the way to San Diego. I got off this disaster at Santa Ana at 1:21 PM {12:58 PM}. I got home and talked with Winston and he along with Christy wanted to try for a Double Comet Car Trip on Monday.

I had to be at work at 6:00 AM to set up chairs so I got done at Jefferson at 12:40 PM. I got home and relaxed until 2:30 PM when I drove down to the Santa Ana Train Station. As I was waiting for Surfliner 578, Winston and Christy showed up and they would follow me down to Laguna Niguel on Metrolink 684.

Surfliner 578 pulled into Santa Ana and I boarded for the quick trip to Laguna Niguel. The train dropped me off at Laguna Niguel and I waited for Metrolink 684 to arrive.

Surfliner 578 left Laguna Niguel for San Diego and I walked down to the north end of the platform to wait for Metrolink 684 to arrive.

Metrolink 684 came into Laguna Niguel with Comet Car 310 in its consist. I met Winston and Christy and the three of us used the elevators to get to the platform on the other side. While we did this Metrolink 684 went to CP Avery where it switched tracks and came back into the station as Metrolink 804.

Metrolink 804 arrived into Laguna Niguel.

Comet Car 310 would be our ride to Riverside-Downtown. We all boarded and the train left at 4:00 PM.

Winston and Christy aboard Comet Car 310. The train ran to Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana and Orange before I would start my new Comer Car Mileage to Atwood.

CP Maple is where the Metrolink Olive Line starts and the Surfline heads northwest to Anaheim.

The wye at Orange that I once got to ride on back in the past.

The train a few minutes later crossed the Santa Ana River.

Adams Steel scraps railroad cars as well as engines and here is what is left of a SP Tunnel Motor. The train stopped at Anaheim Canyon.

An oil well at work at Atwood.

The train entered the BNSF San Bernardino Sub at Atwood and headed east to Santa Ana Canyon.

At the east end of Santa Ana Canyon the train crossed the Santa Ana River again but tree growth over the years has blocked the view of the water as well as some BNSF well cars that were parked there.

Two views of Prado Dam at the mouth of Santa Ana Canyon. The train stopped at West Corona, North Main Corona and Riverside-La Sierra before it arrived into Riverside-Downtown to drop us off. I walked over to the bridge for a picture.

Metrolink 804 left Riverside-Downtown for San Bernardino. We bought our tickets for our trip back to Santa Ana via Fullerton.

Metrolink 404 arrived into Riverside to become Metrolink 707.

We boarded Comet Car 319 for the trip to Fullerton.

Winston took a picture of me looking at the pocket size Metrolink Timetable before we left Riverside on time.

The Arlington Cemetery.

The back side of Saddleback Mountain that does not look like a saddle.

Two views of the former Santa Fe Station in Corona.

The Santa Ana River at the Green River Golf Course.

No golfers at the Green River Golf Course.

Two views of the Santa Ana River.

The last full orange grove that a train passes by in Orange County.

Is this really Orange or House County?

We got off Metrolink 707 at Fullerton then walked over to Track 2 to wait for Metrolink 608.

A BNSF freight train came west through Fullerton while we were waiting.

Metrolink 608 came into Fullerton and picked us up. There was an incident south of San Juan blocking the track. I learned via Julie that it was Surfliner 785. This did not affect us at all and we arrived back at Santa Ana on time. I met Winston over at Absolute Auto in Garden Grove to drop off my car then he drove me home.

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