I read on Amtrak's website and then on the Metrolink's website about the detour of trains due to placing CP Stadium into service just west of Anaheim station on September 8th. All trains would avoid Anaheim by using the Olive Subdivision out to Atwood, switch ends then proceed to Fullerton via the San Bernardino Subdivision.
I decided to take Pacific Surfliner 763 to Fullerton and Metreolink 660 back to Santa Ana. After that I would head to Irvine Park for the All Saints Picnic so I drove the van down to Santa Ana and parked in the northwest parking lot and walked over to Track 1 after buying an Orange County Day Pass.
My always beautiful Santa Ana station.
Pacific Surfliner 763 arrived with the Amtrak pilot crew waiting to board with me. I sat in the Superliner coach and we waited over ten minutes to depart.
We finally departed and we were on our way.
Crossing the Santa Ana Freeway.
I live down at the end of this street in northeast Santa Ana.
We crossed the dry Santiago Creek and entered Orange.
At CP Maple, we entered the siding to wait for Pacific Surfliner 564. This was the first time I had been on this siding as the normal route heads to the currently closed track in Anaheim.
The Orange wye was full of track equipment. We stopped and waited for Pacific Surfliner 564 to go by us on the mainline then we re-entered the mainline at CP Meats and were on our way to Atwood.
One does not get close to the Honda Center as you do on the regular route.
The train crossed Katella Avenue.
The property line between the nursery and the factory.
What is left of the old Southern Pacific line to Tustin.
Crossing Glassell Street.
Our train crossed Lincoln Avenue.
Then it was East Riverdale Avenue.
Here is the crossing of the Santa Ana River and settling ponds.
Passing what used to be Adams Steel, now S&A Recycling.
We traversed the Riverside Freeway (California Highway 91) and went through the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station.
The train crossed East La Palma Avenue.
Our train then crossed North Tustin Avenue.
That was followed by East Mira Loma Avenue.
The last street to cross was North Jefferson Street as we neared Atwood where the BNSF mainline came into view.
The Pacific Surfliner 763 had reached the BNSF mainline and once the train went past the east control signal at Atwood, we stopped and the engineers changed ends.
Heading west now, we went by the connection with the Olive Subdivision that we just came up on.
Crossing North Tustin Avenue.
Passing by Anaheim Lake.
We crossed East Orangethorpe Avenue.
Going through North Kraemer Boulevard grade crossing project.
Running beside East Chapman Avenue.
There is another grade crossing project at South Placentia Avenue.
State College Avenue was then crossed.
That was followed by Acacia Avenue.
Our train crossed Raymond Avenue.
We had completed our detour by returning to the usual route at Fullerton Junction.
I detrained at Fullerton and went up on the bridge to catch an eastbound BNSF train waiting to us to clear.
BNSF 7908 East departed Fullerton as Pacific Surfliner 763 left for Los Angeles.
Pacific Surfliner 566 came and went.
BNSF 7805 East.
BNSF 7595 West.
Metrolink 660 arrived to pick me up and take me back to Santa Ana.
Another view of the grade crossing project at South Placentia Avenue.
Another view of the North Kraemer Boulevard grade crossing project. We went back to Atwood and switched ends much more quickly, arriving in Santa Ana just about 15 minutes late. I drove home before I going to Irvine Park for my Santa Ana High School All Saints picnic. After visiting with friends, I decided to ride the train here then after more socializing, I returned home to write this story.
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