After I returned from La Plata, the next rail mileage highlight would be passing 1,200,000.0 rail miles, which also just happened to be my 2,000,000.0 Kilometer. I made a plan to pass that mark on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 aboard Pacific Surfliner 572 with Bob Riskie as my conductor. I had arranged with Steve Grande to be with me to catch the exact milepost to record the event. I passed the 1,999,000.0 rail mile on December 10th and my plan included riding Amtrak, Metrolink, as well as the Orange County Railway Historical Society trip on a rainy Saturday December 12th. Sunday, I made a round trip to San Diego as I neared my next rail milestone.
On Monday morning December 14th, Pacific Surfliner 562 arrived at Santa Ana and picked me up for my trip to San Diego and return.
The journey along the beach at San Clemente.
San Onofre Creek was running out into the Pacific Ocean after the rain over the weekend and had cut a new path for the creek's water to reach the surf instead of being blocked by the normal sand bar.
Later on the trip south, the waves from Del Mar Beach. When I arrived in San Diego, we came into Track 1 instead of the normal Track 3 because F59PHI 452 had a ground relay failure so Pacific Surfliner 567 was cancelled. Pacific Surfliner 562, with two engines, arrived on Track 1 and was later attached to 567's trainset, which would be pulled to Los Angeles. We departed San Diego ten minutes late but made up five of that when I detrained at Santa Ana with 1,199,834.6 rail miles or 1,999,724.3 kilometers.
On Tuesday morning, December 15th, Metrolink 803 arrived in Santa Ana and I boarded the cab car for the trip to Oceanside.
The sun was not yet risen, but Saddleback Mountain was standing out against the pre-dawn sky.
The sky jsut after our San Juan Capistrano stop.
The surf this morning just south of the Metrolink San Clemente North Beach station.
Looking out to sea and up at the morning clouds.
San Clemente Pier.
Later we rolled along the San Onofre bluff towards Oceanside.
The Oceanside Harbor. Anyone want a three hour cruise?
Metrolink 803 in Oceanside ready to turn into Metrolink 850 back to Riverside. I returned to Santa Ana with 1,199,937.0 rail miles or 1,999,895.0 kilometers.
12/16/2009
Pacific Surfliner 567 was running late so I knew I could get a picture of Metrolink 600 arriving at Santa Ana on this clear December morning.
My train arrived and I chose a seat in the Superliner coach.
In Orange, on the side of a building just northwest of the station, are two murals to the Orange Industry of yesteryear, with one featuring a steam engine.
The new sign on the Big A, the former scoreboard before the Los Angeles Rams moved into Anaheim Stadium had been returned to operation this last week. The train made its way to Los Angeles Union Station and I went over to Track 10 to see who was working on the Coast Starlight today.
Metrolink F59PHI 876 in their new paint scheme on Track 6. I decided to go to Track 7 to get a better picture.
Bad luck today, the trainset pulled out and headed to the Taylor Yard facility. I went down into the station and did Sudoku puzzles until the crew for Pacific Surfliner 572 came my way. We walked out to the same trainset and I boarded Pacific Business Class for the trip back to Santa Ana then called Steve Grande who was coming up on Pacific Surfliner 567 and was along the Los Angeles River. Soon his train arrived on Track 10 and he quickly walked to the door where I was waiting and we both took the seats I had chosen earlier. We departed Los Angeles on time and proceeded south towards Fullerton then just after we left, Steve took my camera as we rounded the curve at Fullerton Jct and the next grade crossing was the spot.
With Conductor Bob Riskie standing near, I gave the countdown and as soon as we reached the Orangethrope grade crossing, I had reached 2,000,000,0 kilometers or 1,2000,000.0 rail miles.
As always I raised 2 fingers for the 2,000,000.0 kilometers and had a Coca-Cola to celebrate.
Conductor Bob Riskie shook my hand and congratulated me. At Anaheim, Steve detrained and I thanked him for coming along on this event in my life. A few minutes later, I detrained at Santa Ana, ending yet another rail adventure and now with 1,200,009.0 rail miles or 2,000,015.0 kilometers until my next trip tomorrow.
| RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE |