Winston Walker and I met at the Santa Ana station to go to the Trainweb.com Tenth Anniversary party at the Rail Restaurant in Fullerton, the same restaurant where the Train Travel Meetup Group gathers on the fourth Monday of the month. With Christmas falling on that date this year, this party would be taking its place. I always like to get some rail mileage before these meetings, so it is usually north to Los Angeles, then back to Fullerton for the meeting. Since I would be going that way to leave tomorrow night for La Plata, I suggested a trip to San Juan Capistrano on Pacific Surfliner 578 and to Fullerton on Metrolink 609, returning home from the party on Pacific Surfliner 794.
Pacific Surfliner 578 arrived nine minutes late and soon we were upstairs in the café/coach on our way to San Juan Capistrano. We made one stop at Irvine and twenty-two miles later, were stepping off the Pacific Surfliner. I bought a USA Today to read during our layover and near train time, we went to the north end of the platform to wait for Metrolink 609.
Metrolink 609 arrived and the two of us boarded the cab car for the trip to Fullerton, making stops at Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo, Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana, Orange and Anaheim, before arriving in Fullerton.
Metrolink 609 at Fullerton before it departed for Los Angeles.
Winston and I walked across the parking lot to the Rail Restaurant. A group was already outside waiting for the it to open, which it did after 5:00 PM. Since some people were leaving on the Southwest Chief tonight, they were served first. It was ten years ago on this date, December 6th, 1996, that Trainweb.com received their domain name and the rest is history. Congratulations to Trainweb.com, not only for ten years, but for also hosting my website that everyone enjoys. Remember, one can obtain a free website at Trainweb.org as long as it is rail-related. Below, some scenes for this evening's party.
The food service was slow as one dish was being cooked at a time. Our order went in at 5:23 PM and we received our Filet Mignon at 7:52 PM. That meant I could not go and see Carl Morrison and the others off on the Southwest Chief but the good news is that they would be waiting for me there. The following attended this unique Tenth Anniversary Party of Trainweb.com: Chris Guenzler, Winston Walker, Steve Grande and his wife Barbara Cepinko, Richard Hamilton, Tessie Casiro, Bonnie and Konrad Kerr, Harry Ortiz and his son Jonathan, Carl Morrison, Mary Stanfill and her daughter Cathy, Chris Parker, David Aten, Joanne and Christina Fruth, Richard Elgenson, Ross Moore, Pat Moran, Tom Anderson, Dan Dalke and Ken Ruben.
A good time was had by all and too soon, it was time for Winston and I to leave to get to the south track to catch Pacific Surfliner 794 home. We rode in the lower level of the cab car and had a quick trip back to Santa Ana, where I said goodbye to Winston before going for one last night. Tomorrow night, I would be on my way to La Plata, Missouri and the grand opening of Trainweb.com.
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