We decided to do a San Diego Trolley Entire Route Trip using the $12 Regional Pass. Chris Parker's friend Bob Jacoby, Bob Gordon and I invited David Aten and Robin Bowers to join us on President's Day 2018. That morning I arose early so I decided to get a little more rail mileage by doing a roundtrip on Metrolink to San Clemente North Beach. I went to the Santa Ana train station and bought my ticket then waited for Metrolink 803 to arrive on a very cold windy morning. I rode south with Conductor Kim Chadwick and arrived at San Clemente North Beach where I detrained for some pictures.
Conductor Kim Chadwick checking for any more passengers before she leaves San Clemente North Beach.
Metrolink 803 left San Clemente North Beach for Oceanside with the wind really blowing cold this morning.
A view looking southbound before I went out to take a few pictures.
A view looking north towards Dana Point with a very angry sea.
A view looking south towards the San Clemente Pier.
Another view looking southbound at San Clemente North Beach.
Metrolink 607 arrived at San Clemente North Beach and I boarded and walked into the cab car then chatted with Metrolink Conductor Henry. Chris called telling me that he and Bob Jacoby were on Pacific Surfliner 564 which was a Surfliner trainset, not a low-level set, which made me happy. With light loads this holiday Monday, we arrived in Santa Ana early. I went home, put the camera battery on the charger for ten minutes and returned to the station where I found Robin Bowers inside ready to go. We went outside into that cold wind to wait for our train to arrive into town.
Pacific Surfliner 564 arrived and we boarded the cab car then found Chris Parker, Bob Jacoby and Bob Gordon who boarded in Fullerton and then David Aten, who had boarded in Anaheim.
Our group in the Superliner coach on Pacific Surfliner 564 this morning. I put the battery on its charger all the way to almost Oceanside and good conversations were had along the way before we detrained.
Pacific Surfliner 564 in Oceanside. We all headed straight to the Sprinter ticket machine then went to the Coaster ticket machine with much better luck. To get your Regional Day Pass first press the Special Promotion button on the Coaster TVM. Next press Regional Day Pass $12 to get your ticket and you are set to ride not only the Coaster but also the Sprinter, the San Diego Trolley or MTA buses. I helped everyone but Robin get their paper tickets then led the way to Platform 3 in Oceanside.
Both ends of our Coaster 644 train. We all boarded the cab car for the trip to San Diego and more good conversations were had on the way to the end of the line.
Our group on Coaster 644 in the cab car.
Two views of the angry Pacific Ocean on this very windy cold day. I pointed out all the new construction zones to the guys as well as the San Diego Trolley extension work. I acquired a little new rail mileage when we crossed the new San Diego River bridge. We arrived at San Diego and boarded a waiting Green Line Trolley for Santee, taking it to the next stop of County Center/Little Italy where the train stopped and we had to detrain due to the fact that the middle car would not communicate with the two end cars of this trolley set.
Our trolley then headed to the barn and we waited for the next trolley to take us to Santee.
The next trolley arrived and we all boarded with the group stayed together. More good conversations were had on the way to Santee, or so we thought. This trolley only took us to Gillespi Field where we were ordered off the trolley and would have to wait for the next one. I asked the operator the reason and he said "Something was blocking the route into Santee but it would be cleared by the time the next trolley got there."
The trolley prepares to leave back for 12th/Imperial station. It was here that the group walked away from me.
The second trolley heads back.
The third trolley of the trip was on approach. I got into the rear car while the rest of the group boarded the middle car. We went the rest of the way to Santee.
The trolley at Santee. This was going to be a group photo, or at least that was my plan, then a bathroom break at El Cajon. But the rest of them decided to have their own bathroom break here. Once they were done we boarded the next trolley for El Cajon and detrained there.
The Orange Line Trolley arrived at El Cajon and we rode it all to the end of the line at American Plaza. We walked across the street to the Santa Fe station then with ten minutes until our next Green Line Trolley bound to 12th/Imperial, where we had another bathroom break. Everyone returned and I got back in time to see Pacific Surfliner 579 leave San Diego for Los Angeles.
The Amtrak protection unit in San Diego.
Next our trolley for 12th/Imperial came in and we boarded it to that station. Once there, we all walked over to board the next Blue Line trolley for San Ysidro. Once there we stayed on and rode back to 12th/Imperial where we boarded the next Green Line trolley back to the Santa Fe station. There we boarded Coaster 653 back to Oceanside. We passed Pacific Surfliner 774 just south of Oceanside and we knew he would be over two hours late so Pacific Surfliner 785 would be our ride home tonight. We arrived back into Oceanside where we went straight to Amtrak and I helped four members of our group get their Amtrak tickets for home out of the Amtrak ticket machine. We then went out of the cold wind into Burger King where I enjoyed a chocolate shake before I returned outside for a little evening train photography.
Twilight view of Coaster 657.
Two views of Pacific Surfliner 580.
Night time Oceanside station views.
Metrolink 604 arrived.
Coaster 661 before heading north to Staurt Mesa.
Pacific Surfliner finally arrived into Oceanside and we boarded a standing-room only train over two hours late.
Our group on Pacific Surfliner praying for seats which never arrived. The conductor never checked our tickets, at least as far as Santa Ana, where I detrained, and received an apology from him for the lack of seats on this train tonight. As I walked toward my car, Metrolink 689 was still sitting at Santa Ana waiting to be towed back to Los Angeles. So I guess my ride sitting on the floor was nothing compared to those poor passengers stuck on that Metrolink train for over three hours waiting to be saved. I went home straight to bed remembering my motto "Every Trip is an Adventure!"
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