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Orange County-Inland Empire Line Midday Train Service 6/23/06

Metrolink started running midday Orange County-Inland Empire Service during the last school year while I worked at McFadden. With all my weekday holidays booked with other trips I never got a chance to ride it until now. I was going to leave today for a trip from Tijuana to Tecate but it got cancelled yesterday so with a day free I decided today would be the day. Checking the Metrolink schedule I could squeeze in a round trip to San Diego before catching Train 852 at 11:32 AM. this train set would be following us up from Oceanside.

When Train 562 pulled into Santa Ana I noticed it had Coaster unit 3002 working on the rear of our train. This would be just a normal run of Surfliner 562. We passed Metrolink 683 at Tustin and 607 above Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo. Later we held the mainline at CP Serra to meet Surfliner 763. After we passed CP Songs, we zoomed by Metrolink 850. At Oceanside we went into the siding to meet Surfliner 565. At Solana Beach we waited for Coaster 633.

While we waited I walked to the rear for a picture of the Coaster 3002 on our train this morning. Later at Sorrento Valley we held the mainline for Surfliner 567. 562 then climbed Miramar Hill before rolling down Rose Canyon. Our train arrived into San Diego early.

The rear end of 562 along side of Coaster 635. I walked to the front end of our train.

Surfliner 562 and the rear end of Coaster 635.

I walked across Broadway for a picture of the Santa Fe Station.

They set off the Coaster 3002 which shared the station tracks with Coach/Cafe 6303 which was taken off Surfliner 567 yesterday with a major truck spring problem. After I went into the station for more Coca-Cola, I walked out to my next train.

Our train was now ready to return north to Goleta along side Coaster 635 which would follow us north to Oceanside. We left San Diego on time, above Elivara met Coaster 640 and below Cumbres met Surfliner 564. At Escondido Jct we met Metrolink 600 from Los Angeles which will now turn into Metrolink 852 Oceanside to Riverside which will follow us north which I will board at Santa Ana. Surfliner 566 was met at CP Oneil before we ran along the surf through San Clemente with the sun trying to peek through the clouds. By San Juan Capistrano we were in bright sunlight. Surfliner 566 was passed under Interstate 5 in Mission Viejo. Santa Fe GP-50 160 was on a rail train at CP Bake in the siding before we arrived into Irvine. At Santa Ana I detrained for a picture of our train.

Surfliner 769 at rest at Santa Ana. I bought my Metrolink Ticket for Riverside just as Surfliner 769 left. I went up to the north balcony to wait for a picture of Metrolink 852 arriving into Santa Ana amidst the construction taking place.

I ran down the stairs and out onto the platform to get on this train. We all could only get on through a single open door in the Cab Car. This train running in the push mode had Cab Car 621, Coaches 101 and 160 with engine 880. We ran to Orange where we waited for Metrolink 851 at CP Maple to come off the Olive Line into Orange. We had to "Flag" the Taft Avenue Grade Crossing due to a broken crossing gate before our train ran to Anaheim Canyon. At Atwood, we curved onto the BNSF mainline to Riverside. We passed a BNSF westbound just east of Atwood and at the new holding siding east of Imperial Highway had cars from a stack train in it. Just east of the Horseshoe Curve there was another cut of stack cars on the north main. At West Corona we met Metrolink 811 which was on the south main in the station there. The train then ran onto North Main Corona and then the Riverside-La Sierra Station. I asked about the ridership on these midday trains and was given the answer of low. From what I saw today that is correct. I will say though, that these Metrolink trains will beat the traffic and stress on the 91 Riverside Freeway. We arrived into the Riverside Downtown Station on the north platform five minutes early.

I stepped off into the midday heat of Riverside for a post arrival picture.

A Union Pacific eastbound freight rolled through Riverside. Our return train leaves from the north platform not the south platform that is listed in the timetable. I retreated back into the nice cool air of Coach 160 for the trip home.

Our train had to wait for a BNSF eastbound freight before we could depart Riverside. It was a relaxing trip back to Santa Ana with me listening to "The Best of Poison 20 Years of Rock!" At West Corona we met Metrolink 704, a Los Angeles to Riverside 91 Line Train. The BNSF was quiet on the way back to Atwood where we turned southwest to Anaheim then Orange before arriving into Santa Ana.

Metrolink Train 853 at Santa Ana.

View of the construction progress on our new east platform.

View of the west tower showing the progress there. I drove home ending another interesting adventure on both Amtrak and Metrolink.

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