I decide to take pictures of the Metrolink Special Los Angeles Rams Football Trains by riding one of them this season. Since they run on my Orange County Line, I could catch it in Laguna Niguel on one of the Sundays it ran during the Rams Home NFL season in 2017. I decided on November 12, 2017 for my trip and asked Robin Bowers to join me. To get my rail mileage we decided to take Pacific Surfliner 562 from Santa Ana south to Oceanside, then Metrolink 661 to Laguna Niguel where we would catch the LA Rams Special Train 673X to Norwalk, then take Metrolink 662 back to Oceanside, then back to Santa Ana on Metrolink 665 as I almost always do. I rode trains up until that Sunday morning when I met Robin at Santa Ana for the first leg of our trip and bought our Metrolink Sunday Pass.
We boarded the cab car on the rear end and rode to Oceanside before crossing underneath and boarding Metrolink 661 in the bicycle car. We had our second run along the surf before all to soon we arrived at Laguna Niguel where we detrained to start our photography.
Two views of Metrolink 673X. I decided to walk to the west side of the station for a front view of the train. As I did that, Metrolink 857 bound for Oceanside was also leaving the station.
Metrolink 857 departing. I traversed the new ramps at the Laguna Niguel station for the third time and walked past the platform to get my picture.
Metrolink 673X from a different angle. I walked back to the train and Robin was waiting for me at the ramp. By the time we got back, the train was now open and we took seats in the bicycle car of this special train. Twenty people boarded the train before we left on time at 9:35 AM. It is too bad that Metrolink does not run this service out of Oceanside since it forces the Ram fans from points south of Laguna Niguel to take the regular Sunday trains that fill them up. We stopped at Irvine, picking up another twenty-four fans then went to Tustin for thirty more, Santa Ana twenty, Orange twenty-two, Anaheim eighteen, Fullerton five, Buena Park seven and Norwalk three fans. The two of us detrained at Norwalk and went up onto the pedestrian bridge over the BNSF mainline.
Pacific Surfliner 1567 went through Norwalk. We went down to trackside and boarded Metrolink 662 for Oceanside, then took Metrolink 665 back home to Santa Ana.
Jump ahead to Sunday, November 26, 2017 and I had another chance to photograph the LA Rams Special Train. I bought another Sunday Weekend Pass and took Pacific Surfliner 562 down to Oceanside. Here they dropped me off on Track 2 and while I was waiting for Metrolink 661, Pacific Surfliner 565 arrived with a low-level Pacific Surfliner trainset this morning.
Pacific Surfliner 565 at Oceanside.
Amtrak Veterans Cabbage Car 90208. Metrolink 661 then arrived late this morning and we departed fifteen minutes late. I rode this train to Norwalk as Rams and Saints fans also boarded the normal train. Once there I went up on the pedestrian bridge over the BNSF mainline and there were no freight trains blocking my view this morning.
Metrolink Special Rams Football Train 753X from Perris at Norwalk.
BNSF 7939 East came and stopped. So much for my clear view pictures!
Pacific Surfliner 768.
Metrolink Special Rams Football Train 763X from Laguna Niguel at Norwalk.
While I was shooting the Metrolink train, this BNSF freight snuck by me so I only got a tail end view.
Pacific Surfliner 1567.
BNSF 7928 West. From here I went trackside to wait for Metrolink 662 from Los Angeles.
BNSF 7772 East. I took Metrolink 662 down to Oceanside but was warned by my conductor that this trainset was out of service once we arrived there. Once we did, I helped the crew keep the waiting passengers off the now dead train set. I went over to Burger King and while ordering, I heard "Mr Chris!" I turned around and sitting there on a booth was one of my kids from Heninger along with his family. The dead train left and I took my hamburger over to Track 2 to eat it there.
Pacific Surfliner 777 came in and would wait for the new Metrolink 665 to arrive back into the station. A few minutes later here came 665 and I was shocked by the consist of this train.
Metrolink 665 had a cab car leading then a coach, an engine then a second cab car, three more coaches and a second engine.
Our conductor walked by the forward engine. I knew no one would believe me if I did not get a better picture of it.
The funkiest Metrolink train I have ridden, Metrolink 665. I took this train and rode it back to Santa Ana, ending another railfanning adventure.
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