It started out like any other train trip as we left the Gold Mine on the Smith Ranch & Julian Railroad.
The switch to the mine.
The switch to the gold mine loop.
We crossed the bridge just below the the loop.
The view of our train returning.
Ore car along the route.
The train crossed the bridge.
The bridge as we made the turn away from it. It felt as though we were going a little too fast as we came out of the next curve and I felt the wheels coming off the track and heard them on the ground. Next the car started to turn over to the right and suddenly I was launched out of the car over AC Adam. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air before I landed, rolling down the hill through the brush. My first thought was where would I stop. I had tucked and rolled, with my camera flying off from around my neck. It felt like I was moving in super slow motion and I came to a stop upside down before I rolled one more time to an upright stop.
I was covered with stickers from the plants but I was alright. I stood up and was amazed just how far down that hill I had rolled. I found the camera and it was unharmed. Now I climbed back up the hill and found AC Adam, who ended up just below track level then helped him up and made sure he was not hurt so then I looked at the track and ties to determine where we had derailed. Then I took a pair of derailment pictures.
This is what the derailment scene looked like. From here AC Adam and I walked back down to the car and after someone checked on us and took our names, we left Julian for Oceanside. We arrived in time for me to board a late-running Pacific Surfliner 583 which had Amfleet cars in its consist, to return me to Santa Ana and my car that took me home. My Amtrak train crew did a fine job, including asking me if I was alright and if I needed anything. What a day it had been, surviving my first train derailment.
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