After getting my overall Millionth Rail Mile last April, Steve Grande wondered how close I was to just One Million Amtrak miles. Going back through my log books and taking out every non-Amtrak mile, I was just over 64,000 Amtrak rail miles from that goal. I took that number then every time I rode an Amtrak train, subtracted that number from the total and kept that in a 70-sheet college ruled notebook. Over the last year, that number kept dropping and as mid- March approached, I started to fine tune that number down.
The night after the first Sprinter ride on March 9th, it was cold by southern California standards and I turned on the floor heater. Once I warmed up, I took the number and divided it by 184.6, a round trip to San Diego from Santa Ana so had a number to play with. A few days later, I discovered that I had the wrong number so had to recalculate it, then checked it four times and it worked out that I could leave Fullerton with the correct Amtrak rail mileage to reach one million Amtrak miles as the Southwest Chief arrived in La Plata, Missouri on April 7, 2008.
To reach that point, I would need to ride a few more roundtrips from Santa Ana to San Diego, an Orange-to-Anaheim one way and a Los Angeles-to Fullerton-one way. As I worked towards this goal, I took some more pictures along the surfline from Pacific Surfliners and Metrolink trains that I will now share.
Passing through the last orange grove on the Surf Line with the mustard plants in full bloom as I head south through Orange County.
The mustard plants were also in full bloom as we crossed Camp Pendleton.
The new condominiums before Oceanside.
Pacific Surfliner 578 at Solana Beach.
A north Coaster train stops then departs Solana Beach.
Pacific Surfliner 785 arrived at Solona Beach.
Another view of the condominium waterfall.
Sun setting by the San Clemente Pier.
The next evening, dolphins were playingin the surf along San Clemente State Beach.
Sunset at San Mateo Creek.
A fantastic sunset the next evening.
More sky views the same evening.
A test Sprinter the week before it opened.
Santa Ana station at 4:25 AM.
Winston Walker and his daughter Christy wait on the Sprinter in Oceanside.
Tom Anderson, Jack and Robin Bowers wait the next morning at the Sprinter station in Oceanside.
Sunset across Camp Pendleton.
Pacific Surfliners 582 and 784 in San Diego.
A San Diego trolley passing the Santa Fe station.
Amtrak F59PHIs 464 and 454.
Oceanside Harbour.
Pacific Surfliner 784 had just arrived at San Diego.
San Diego Trolley the next night.
San Diego Trolley meets Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner.
Surfliner F59PHIs 455 and 454 that same night.
My March Amtrak San Diego-to-Los Angeles monthly pass.
My plan that worked out to reach the mileage needed to leave Fullerton with the correct Amtrak rail mileage to reach One Million Amtrak Rail Miles at La Plata, Missouri on April 7, 2008.
The notebook showing my options that worked out.
I had extra days when I did not need to ride Amtrak, so I rode Metrolink on this day I was at Laguna Niguel.
Metrolink 602 at North Beach San Clemente.
Metrolink 808 picked me up there.
The "shoofly" for the Jeffrey Road underpass building in Irvine.
The bluff near Capistrano Beach.
San Clemente North Beach.
Pacific Surfliner 565 stopped at Orange to take me to Anaheim for some needed Amtrak miles.
San Juan Capistrano.
Mission Bay, San Diego.
Torrey Pines.
Wetlands before Del Mar.
The Pacific Ocean from the Del Mar Bluffs.
The old Del Mar power plant.
San Dieguritos River.
San Elijo Lagoon.
Batiquitos Lagoon.
The Carlsbad power plant.
Agua Herronda Lagoon.
Loma Lagoon.
Two new Sprinter trains combined on this Sunday to handle the ridership needs.
San Luis Rey River.
Oceanside Harbour lighthouse.
Oceanside Harbour.
Coaster trains laying over this Sunday at Stuart Mesa.
A look back at San Onofre Beach.
San Mateo Creek at County Line.
Volleyball is a popular beach sport in Southern California.
The San Clemente Pier.
Where the Surfline meets the Surf.
Green hills that have not yet been built on north of San Juan Capistrano.
Golf is also a popular Southern California sport.
Open space just as we entered Irvine near Sand Canyon Road.
The World War II blimp hangers at the old Santa Ana Air Station. On Monday, I went to Fullerton with Winston Walker to get 25.7 Amtrak rail miles, which would then mean only five more roundtrips between Santa Ana and San Diego to be in perfect mileage with which to leave Fullerton for La Plata.
A westbound BNSF freight with BNSF 4999 leading.
Metrolink 705 then took us to LAUPT.
Pacific Surfliner 582 was ready to take us back to Fullerton.
A green Los Angeles River from our recent warm weather we have been having.
Back in Fullerton, a BNSF freight waited for a green signal next to Pacific Surfliner 582, on which we arrived with my 25.7 Amtrak rail miles completed.
Another BNSF westbound arrived as I was crossing the pedestrian bridge.
Three trains at once in Fullerton.
Our Train Travel Meetup Group at the Slidebar Café in Fullerton.
I enjoy watching DVDs when I ride the train; in this case, Led Zeppelin.
Pacific Surfliner 784 arrived at San Diego on Tuesday night.
Pacific Surfliner 784 magically turned into Pacific Surfliner 595.
Every once in a while, a BNSF freight departed San Diego before Pacific Surfliner 595. Back in Santa Ana later that evening, only three more roundtrips to San Diego, but that will be in the next part of this story.
