I was up early and made this page for this part of the story before driving to the Santa Ana station and parking. I walked over to the Track 1 platform to wait for Pacific Surfliner 565 to take me to LAUPT for my Metrolink connection back to San Bernardino.
Surfliner 565 arrived and I sat in the first Amfleet coach.
Conductor John works the Cabbage car before we left for the quick trip to LAUPT where I met David Flores who rode out to San Bernardino with me.
Pacific Surfliner 565 and the Coast Starlight at LAUPT.
Metrolink 356 that took David and I out to San Bernardino this morning. Talking with him made for a quick trip out to the Inland Empire.
Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 on display at San Bernardino Railroad Days 2012.
David walked up the stairs to see the cab of Santa Fe 3751 while I walked through the train again.
Bill Hatrick, owner of "Overland Trail".
Norm Orfall, owner of "Tioga Pass". I walked back outside and noticed there were less people about today.
BNSF 1309.
BNSF 6968. After I walked down the platform to try to catch some freight action this early afternoon, I sat down in the shade of a platform speaker and enjoyed the light breeze on a slightly cooler day today.
Santa Fe 3751 on display.
BNSF 7910 East first came through San Bernardino.
Next came BNSF 7209 East. After yelling "Get off the tracks!" to three photographers, I went and bought a hot dog and Coca-Cola then walked through the train again, stopping in "Tioga Pass" to talk with Norm. Finally a westbound train approached.
BNSF 7756 West. After more conversations, I walked one car forward and chose my seat in the Horizon car.
Santa Fe 3751 to Los AngelesI sat on the southbound side of the train with a full view window.
Another westbound BNSF train had come into town before we left.
Passengers in my car.
Our BNSF conductor.
At 2:58 PM, all passengers were on the train and we were buttoned up ready to depart and head west to Los Angeles.
There were less people on the Mount Vernon Avenue bridge than last year when we left.
There was a lot less people at the station as well. The train started up and over the Flyover over the BNSF mainline.
Santa Fe 3751 went up and over the San Bernardino Flyover.
Santa Fe 3751 heads to the Palmdale Cutoff bridge.
The train took the last curve for a while then I returned to my seat and relaxed. What a change from last year, when I rode this same trip with that cracked rib I had the day before during the eastbound Santa Fe 3751 chase. At CP Locust, we met Metrolink 364.
The next great curve shot was at Bassett.
The train crossed the San Gabriel River flyover, followed by the former Southern Pacific mainline.
We stopped at El Monte due to a flashing red-over-red.
Union Pacific 8419 West went by our parked train.
After we had been stopped for 18 minutes, Metrolink 366 finally arrived, which destroyed my chance to take Metrolink 666 home from Los Angeles, so I would be taking Surfliner 784 instead.
Metrolink 366 now waited for us.
A nice crowd at El Monte.
Climbing the El Monte Flyover.
The train heads for the middle of the San Bernardino Freeway.
Santa Fe 3751 was now running down the middle of the San Bernardino Freeway and I returned to my seat until we reached the Los Angeles River.
The steam train was heading to the Los Angeles River with my train home, Surfliner 784, going by Mission Tower.
Santa Fe 3751 crossed the Los Angeles River.
What should have been my train home, Metrolink 666, on its way to Oceanside.
Santa Fe 3751 chasing Surfliner 784 into LAUPT.
We stopped until we received a track on which to arrive.
Taking the final curve into LAUPT.
Running by Terminal Tower.
We arrived on Track 12 today.
Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 at rest after a great trip back to LAUPT.
I walked over to Surfliner 784 to take me home to Santa Ana after an excellent weekend with Santa Fe 3751.
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