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First Runs of Sunday Metrolink Orange County Line Service 7/2/2006

After calling Metrolink on Friday and Saturday about the fact there were no Sunday Orange County Line trains listed in the ticketing machine menus, I was hoping it would be fixed this morning. Inland Empire-Orange County weekend service menus were added the day before, but service would not occur for two more weeks. So on Sunday, I drove to the Santa Ana station.

However, at the Santa Ana Metrolink ticketing machines, there was still no Sunday Orange County Line service on the special train page. I met Chris Parker, who needed to buy his Amtrak tickets for the day then we sat on a bench and I coloured a map with our driving routes for our pre-National Railway Historical Society convention trip in less than two weeks. Pacific Surfliner 763 arrived while I continued to work.

This train arrived on time to take us to San Juan Capistrano and we found Ken Ruben aboard and chose seats in Car 4. It was a quick trip to San Juan, we detrained and at that Metrolink ticketing machine, we found the same thing. Ken then called Mike McKinley of Metrolink who suggested we buy senior tickets which would be about the same cost of Sunday - half price - and then tell the conductor of the problem. Chris and I were busily working and talking about our trip as our Metrolink train arrived.

Once aboard I found the conductor and told him about the ticketing problem. Upstairs in the cab car, I was surprised to find Steve Grande of Trainweb.com and Trainparty.com fame who took Amtrak south last night to Oceanside then boarded this train there. We all had a nice conversation as the train rolled north towards Los Angeles and a Los Angeles County Sheriff came by to check tickets and was in a very good mood. Steve detrained at Fullerton and we arrived at Los Angeles Union Station early.

Metrolink 655 after it had arrived at Los Angeles Union Station.

Metrolink 655 and future Pacific Surfliner 578.

From the end of the platforms, the Gold Line extension construction could be seen as work on the bridge across US 101 continued.

We boarded the coach/café car and sat at a table upstairs. Bob Riskie took our tickets and I settled in for the ride to Oceanside and read the new Trains Magazine. Chris and Ken spent most of the trip down in the café so I had a peaceful ride.

Pacific Surfliner 572 at Oceanside.

We arrived early and I saw the Welcome to Oceanside sign that depicts the history of trains in this coastal city.

We went to a ticket machine to purchase our tickets for home.

The same screen as this morning showing no Sunday Orange County Line Service, even though the first runs were today.

Ken, Chris and I had lunch at Burger King at the Oceanside Transportation Center and afterwards, watched an on-time Pacific Surfliner 577 do its station work.

Chris and I walked two blocks and down the stairs to the beach and as we returned, our train arrived.

We boarded the rear car and had a relaxing trip home on the first run of Metrolink 657 on Sundays. At CP Capistrano, we waited a minute for Metrolink 656 and San Juan Capistrano, Dan Dalke joined us as he had come south on Metrolink 656. All too soon, we were returned to Santa Ana where Chris and I said goodbye to Ken and Dan. This ended another good day of train riding on the first runs of Sunday Metrolink Orange County Line service.

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