When the Southern California Railway Museum (formerly Orange Empire Railway Museum) in Perris, California, announced its Antique Truck Show on May 6, 2023, I decided that it would be a good place for a Tesla Road Trip from our home in Placentia, Orange County, California.  Even though I have plenty of range for a round trip in our Model 3 Tesla, I did stop for a photo of the Lake Elsinore Outlet Mall's Tesla Superchargers at the junction of Hwy 74 and I-15.  I remembered that my good friend, Don Drummer, RIP, would have been an excellent person to ride shotgun on this trip since he liked to model both trains and antique trucks.

The past will roar to life at the Antique Truck Show. Presented in conjunction with the American Truck Historical Society Southern California Chapter.
Presented in conjunction with the American Truck Historical Society Southern California Chapter, this one-day special event features hundreds of restored, vintage trucks — from semis to pickups to delivery vehicles and farm and fire equipment – in addition to our rolling locomotives and street cars. An incredible variety of antique transportation equipment will be on display for your viewing enjoyment. Photo opportunities abound as the trucks and trains pose together!

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History

What was it that caused fourteen young members of the SC/ERA, the Southern California Division Of The Electric Railroaders’ Association, to step forward in the early 1950s and focus on the preservation of electric rail interurbans and streetcars for the purpose of eventually creating an operating museum? In a sentence, “their world was slipping away”. The SC/ERA was formed in 1950 to give organizational form to rail fans who were primarily interested in red cars and yellow cars of the local transit operations.

Buses were replacing Red Car and Yellow Car lines. Before long red cars were stacked four high at National Metal and Steel’s scrap yard on Terminal Island along with rows of yellow cars. The last of the “Last Runs” were playing out. It was time for the equipment preservation conscious members of SC/ERA to form a separate organization with the purpose of establishing an operating trolley museum. Fourteen members of SC/ERA gathered in the home of Ronald Longworth on the evening of March 23rd, 1956 to discuss such an organization. At that meeting they chose the name Orange Empire Traction Company, adapting the name of an early Pacific Electric excursion through the inland empire of San Bernardino, Redlands and Riverside. At the first meeting, Pat Underwood was elected president, Jim Walker was selected as secretary and Dick Burns became treasurer.

On June 10th, 1956, at the home of Jim Walker in Lynwood, the group adopted articles of incorporation. Three members who were at least 21 years old and thereby eligible to sign a legal document signed the document. Those members were Richard H. Burns, Norman K. Johnson and Patrick L. Underwood. The signatures were notarized by Jim’s father, Jim Walker, Sr.

A little over a month later, on July 20th, 1956, the State of California granted a charter of incorporation as a non-profit educational organization to the Orange Empire Traction Company. It was granted corporation number 324213. The museum was officially in business.


Southern California Railway Museum

SCRM Logo.png

Former name    Orange Empire Railway Museum
Established    1956
Location    2201 S. "A" St.
Perris, California
Coordinates    33.7611°N 117.2331°WCoordinates: 33.7611°N 117.2331°W
Type    Railroad museum
Collections    Electric trains & trolleys, steam & diesel locomotives, passenger & freight cars, light rail vehicles, maintenance of way equipment
Website    www.socalrailway.org
The Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM, reporting mark OERX), formerly known as the Orange Empire Railway Museum, is a railroad museum in Perris, California, United States. It was founded in 1956 at Griffith Park in Los Angeles before moving to the former Pinacate Station as the "Orange Empire Trolley Museum" in 1958.  It was renamed "Orange Empire Railway Museum" in 1975 after merging with a museum then known as the California Southern Railroad Museum, and adopted its current name in 2019.  The museum also operates a heritage railroad on the museum grounds.

Upon arrival at the Orange Empire Trolley Museum, 717 continued to operate for museum visitors. Eventually, 717 was chosen to be maintained as an operating piece, while the other 600 class cars were sidelined. All the  cars acquired from LAMTA were quite worn out and in need of much mechanical repair. In the 1960’s, 717 was painted in the “Valley Seven” colors of red and cream. The cars ran regularly into the late 1990’s when 717 was in need of major mechanical repairs from decades of continuous service. A full restoration was performed.  717 again in regular service at the Southern California Railway Museum.  While mechanically still a 5050 class car, the car has been painted to the original red color scheme the car wore in the 1920’s.
 

Built by Alco in 1921, this locomotive worked most of her life on UP's subsidiary the Oregon Short Line. She ended up on display in a park in Oro Grande. In 1996, when the park modernized and had no place for an old steam loco, the OERM acquired her.

On this day, with all the antique trucks parked within the museum grounds the trolleys were not running, but the passenger train would run north and back starting on the hour at 11 and the Hollywood Car would also run that route on the half hour.  I made my way through the antique trucks back to the platform for rides on both the passenger train and trolley.

Farm and Fire Vehicles were advertised as being a division, but I only found a couple.

I had mentioned that this was a nice road trip in our 2020 Tesla Model 3, and this report will be posted on TeslaTouring.com as a Road Trip for local Tesla owners.