Every year I try to photograph the Metrolink Holiday Toy Express Train at a station in Orange County.
On December 1st, I took this picture of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter before I going to the Orange County Railway Historical Society meeting and I knew that the 2008 Metrolink Holiday Toy Express train would be at the Tustin station early Saturday evening. I could ride Metrolink 658 to Tustin, photograph the train and return to Santa Ana on Metrolink 659. After watching the University of Southern California beat University of California at Los Angeles, I drove to the Santa Ana station and bought my roundtrip Metrolink ticket to Tustin.
The platform at Santa Ana.
While I waited, the station's Metrolink message signs flashed that my train to Tustin was running 15-30 minutes late and Train 860 returning to San Bernardino stopped while I continued to wait.
Metrolink 659 arrived and I boarded for the short trip to Tustin.
At Tustin I detrained to the large crowd waiting for the Holiday Toy Express Train, during which time Pacific Surfliner 785 passed through. I walked down, under and up to the north platform and a few minutes later, saw a headlight coming down the track and soon the special train approached.
The 2008 Metrolink Holiday Toy Express Train arrived and stopped on the west edge of the platform.
On the front of Metrolink 857 was this greeting.
These lit decorations were on the side of the locomotive.
The train pulled up into the station area and set up for the show.
The lit part of the train.
The train's west end.
The lights on the caboose.
The lights on the flat car.
The lights on the stage car.
Pacific Surfliner 784 interrupted my picture-taking as it passed.
The lights on the stage car continued.
The stage car from a different angle.
Animated lit figures on one of the Metrolink coaches.
This is how the side of Metrolink F59PH 857 was decorated.
The 2008 Metrolink Holiday Toy Express Train. I walked back to the south side for a few pictures of this year's show.
The reindeer in their pens opened the show singing a song.
Elves then begin the show.
Santa Hog then made an appearance.
Snowman, an elk and a polar bear.
The Snowman.
The show continues.
Santa Hog once again. As my Metrolink train was due, I returned to the north platform.
Santa and Mrs. Claus then made their appearance.
More views of the show.
The drummers kept beating throughout the show.
The grand end of the show.
The performers left the stage and the train prepared to leave for Irvine.
The 2008 Metrolink Holiday Toy Express Train at Tustin.
Departing for Irvine as my Metrolink 860 approached to take me back to Santa Ana. It had been another great evening with the 2008 version of the Metrolink Holiday Toy Express Train.
