Following my previous guest spot on the Internet Radio Show Let's Talk Trains on December 13th, 2003, I received an e-mail from one of the regular readers of my website who wondered how I travelled to the show and all that I did before and after. Since I was going to be a guest again on April 10th, 2004, I decided to write about the journey, which starts with me contacting the co-host, Richard Hamilton, to determine a date good for both of us. Next I make my hotel reservation at the Best Western on E Street in Chula Vista and since this was going to be a holiday weekend, with the World celebrating Easter on Sunday, I bought a Business Class ticket for my trip south then contacted Richard a few days later for the pick-up time on Saturday morning. I was looking forward to being on the show again.
At least, that was my plan. The Thursday night before the show, I developed severe stomach cramping that made me had very little sleep that night. It felt so bad Friday morning that I called in sick and once the store on the corner opened, I drove down for some ginger ale which at least made me burp then went back to bed and rested as the cramping slowed down then felt somewhat better and decided if I could make it to San Diego, I could just rest in the hotel. The cramping still was happening but not as often so I drove to the Santa Ana station, cancelled my 578 Business Class ticket and went outside to sit on the platform, cramping every so often, as I waited for my train.
Pacific Surfliner 768 4/9/2004The train arrived about ten minutes late and I boarded the lower level of Car 5 so I could be near the bathroom if necessary. Conductor Jeff took my ticket and I settled in for my trip to San Diego. Once the train started moving, I felt slightly better as I read an Orange County Weekly. It was a nice sunny Southern California spring morning as the train took me to Irvine then we ran to CP Avery where we waited for a late-running Pacific Surfliner 769.
Once on the move againm we rolled into San Juan Capistrano then ran down to Capo Beach and started our surf running through San Clemente, crossing into San Diego County and climbing the bluff to San Onofre, where the siding was being extended south. The train made a quick run to Oceanside and we entered on the mainline since northbound Pacific Surfliner 573 was in the siding doing his station work on the oceanside platform, then contined south, passing the new siding between CP Swami and CP Cardiff before arriving in the trench at Solana Beach. We passed through Del Mar and travelled across Sorrento Valley before climbing the Miramar Grade to CP Cumbres. Back on double track, we first met a short BNSF freight, followed by Pacific Surfliner 775, then with no further delays, we continued the rest of the way to America's finest City of San Diego.
A Coaster train, led by F40PH-3C 2102, built by Motive Power Industries in 1994, at the San Diego station.
Pacific Surfliner 768 and the Coaster train.
It dawned on me that in all my trips to San Diego, I had never photographed the Santa Fe station, built in 1915. I walked over to the San Diego Trolley ticket machine at the Santa Fe depot and purchased my one-way ticket to Chula Vista and waited for my trolley.
A few minutes later, it arrived and I boarded the last car. The Blue Line took me through downtown and gave great views of the new Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. After passing the Trolley Maintenance Yard, a few stations and cramps later, I detrolleyed at E Street in Chula Vista.
The Blue Line Trolley that brought me here.
I checked in to this Best Western Hotel where I stayed any time I was a guest on Let's Talk Trains. However, my room was not quite ready so I waited in the lobby for just ten minutes then entered and lay on the bed, waiting for "Guiding Light" to start. After watching that, I had a bath then a nap and waking up about an hour later, decided to walk across the street to the Black Angus as was my custom, and had the teriyaki chicken breast, but passed on my usual ice cream with fudge sauce.
After a little television and feeling better, I went back to the trolley station for several more pictures.
I returned to my room with some other body systems now working, watched a little more television and relaxed before calling it a night.
Show Day 4/10/2004Feeling like my old self, I enjoyed a continental breakfast and watched a few interesting programs on the local PBS station and learnt the Oceanside Harbour Lighthouse is only a replica. After I checked out, I waited for Richard to arrive.
He pulled up in his car with the San Diego Rail decals on a very overcast day and we drove to a Starbucks near the studio for the customary pre-show meeting.
Here are co-hosts Richard and C.J. Hardeman reviewing materials for this morning's show.
After an hour at Starbucks, with a few good laughs tossed in, we all went to the studio. There was normally a show occurring before Let's Talk Trains, so we waited for that show to finish before we invaded the studio.
Once the show was over, Richard normally drove me back to the San Diego Amtrak station but today, we made a slight detour.
The San Diego Maritime Museum as I always wanted a photograph of the former Southern Pacific ferry Berkeley that is on display. This was one of several ferryboats of the Southern Pacific Railroad that for sixty years operated on San Francisco Bay between the Oakland Pier and the San Francisco Ferry Building. Built in 1898 by the Union Iron Works of San Francisco, she served after the 1906 earthquake, ferrying refugees across the bay to Oakland.
Richard then drove me to the station and we said our goodbyes.
I waited at Ash Street for the arrival of Pacific Surfliner 768.
On the weekend, Pacific Surfliner 768's equipment turns into Train 577 for the trip north to Los Angeles. I boarded the lower level of Car 4 and we departed on time with conductor Lisa taking my ticket, then I visited the lounge car for a chocolate chip cookie and read my Southern Pacific in Oregon book as we met Train 572 at CP Crosby and Train 774 at CP Songs. All too soon, I was back in Santa Ana, ending another Let's Talk Train show and train ride.
One last picture of Pacific Surfliner 577 and I was off to do other things.
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