Metrolink trip plan-doable?

Is it me or is the Metrolink online schedule an ordeal to figure out? Anyway, this Jersey guy & his wife are going to Capistrano Beach in October & I've got an idea for my "railfan day" but can't seem to make sense of the schedule.

Here's the idea, so please let me know if I can do this on a weekday schedule: IEOC from SanJuan Capistrano to San Bernardino.....SB Line into LAUPT.....Orange County Line back to San Juan Cap w a stop at Fullerton. If not, maybe do it in reverse? Any other ideas are welcome!

Plan One (original):
Train 850 from San Juan Capistrano (7:59 am departure) one stop to Laguna Niguel/ Mission Viejo, wait an hour then,
Train 800 from Laguna Niguel/ Mission Viejo (9:05 am departure) to San Bernandino (arrive at 10:50 am), then,
Train 321 from San Bernandino (10:00 am departure, a bit tight, i know) to LA union station (arrive at 12:30 pm), then
Train 688 from LA union station (4:50 pm departure, so time for lunch and railfan of LACMTA lines (red or blue, you choose)) to Fullerton (arrive at 5:24 pm), then, after dinner at nearby Spagetti Factory,
Train 608 from Fullerton (7:04 pm departure) to San Juan Capistrano (arrive at 7:48 pm, just in time for bed lol)

Plan Two (reverse):
Train 607 from San Juan Capistrano (7:11 am departure) to Fullerton (Arrive at 7:57 am) then,
Train 685 from Fullerton (8:34 am departure) to Union Station (arrive at 9:20) then

allow 3.5 hours for additional LACMTA railfan (i suggest Red line to Universal city, then either Gold Line, or Blue Line [i would go with blue, gold is a bit boring unless you go to chinatown for lunch] and lunch)

Train 402 from Union Station (riverside line, depart 1:15 pm, so cut LACMTA railfaning down to one line [blue or red], then lunch) to Riverside Downtown (arrive 2:43 pm) then
Train 813 from Riverside Downtown (depart 3:27 pm) to Irvine (arrive 4:45 pm) then,
Train 604 from Irvine (depart 5:30-5:37 pm) to San Juan Capistrano (arrive at 5:51, for dinner who knows where lol)

the end
Hope this helps

so, how did it go?

You have time for lunch at LAUS, and I recommend Phillipes on Alameda. The fellas in the information booth will give you directions, a short walk north. Great sandwiches.

pennsy wrote:You have time for lunch at LAUS, and I recommend Phillipes on Alameda. The fellas in the information booth will give you directions, a short walk north. Great sandwiches.

they went in october...