There is a new series of hiking trails above North Beach in San Clemente. I watched them building this over the last year and now that it was open, the time was right to try photographing trains from it. So on the first day of my Memorial Day weekend, I decided it was time to do it. That Saturday morning, I drove down to the Santa Ana station and waited to board my Pacific Surfliner 562 to Oceanside.
I boarded Pacific Surfliner 562 and took a seat in the Superliner coach for my trip south and started reading my Classic Trains magazine on my trip south but stopped as I always do when we head south along San Clemente beach. It seemed as thoughit took no time to get to Oceanside after we met Pacific Surfliner 565. I detrained and walked south to the head of the train.
Pacific Surfliner 562 at rest in Oceanside. I walked down, under and up to Track 1 for my next picture.
Metrolink 661 at Oceanside. I boarded one of the old bicycle cars for my trip to North Beach. Conductor Henry spent some time with me and we caught up on things. All too soon I was detraining at North Beach and crossed the street before he left San Clemente.
Metrolink 661 departed San Clemente for the rest of its trip to Los Angeles after which I started my hike up on the San Clemente Summit trail.
Pacific Surfliner 564 was my first train of my visit. I next climbed higher to wait for my next train.
The views from my next photo spot here.
There are benches along the trail but are still wet from the rains of last night.
Metrolink 857 with the Coffee Bean wrapped car as it ran below me here above North Beach.
Pacific Surfliner 567 heads north to Los Angeles.
Pacific Surfliner 566 heads south to San Diego. I called Let's Talk Trains before walking back to the North Beach Metrolink station.
Metrolink 660 arrived and picked me up to take me to Oceanside and during the trip, I finished the Classic Trains magazine. This train turns into Metrolink 663 which then returned me to Santa Ana.
Metrolink 663 dropped me off at Santa Ana and I went home to write this day of my three-day weekend.
5/24/2015 I decided to return to the hiking trails in San Clemente and this morning found me at the Santa Ana station buying my Metrolink Sunday Day Pass then waiting for my train to Oceanside.
Pacific Surfliner 562 arrived and I boarded the rear cab car for my trip this morning. The HEP kept going in and out but at least the train took me to my first destination today.
It is nice when you can get two trains in the same picture; here is Pacific Surfliner 562 with Metrolink 661 which will take me to North Beach again this morning.
Metrolink 661 dropped me off at North Beach and left for Los Angeles. I went back across the street up the stairs to my final photo stop of yesterday and waited. My wait was a lot less than yesterday.
Pacific Surfliner 564 went through North Beach first, after which I went back down to the street and walked north to my next photo stop.
My favorite American Flag north of North Beach.
A sail boat out on a Sunday cruise.
Metrolink 857 passing my favorite American Flag north of North Beach. I went back south along the highway then climbed the stairs up to my same photo spot I was at earlier today.
One of the interesting signs on the San Clemente Summit Trail.
The view both ways from this photo location.
Pacific Surfliner 567 came through heading north to Los Angeles.
Pacific Surfliner 566 heading south to San Diego. I returned back down the hill like yesterday to the North Beach station.
Metrolink 660 arrived at North Beach and picked me up for Oceanside. There that train became Metrolink 663 to return me to Santa Ana.
Metrolink 663 left Santa Ana and I went home to relax for the rest of this three-day weekend.
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