I asked Steve Grande if Trainweb.com would have a booth at Fullerton Railroad Days 2016 and he said "No!" It turned out he would be in La Plata hosting an event there. For the first time in years I would not be working a booth at Fullerton Railroad Days. In all the years, I had done it except for 2003 when I was at the Green Bay National Railroad Museum and 2007 when I was coming back from the Million Mile Trip. I even hosted Let's Talk Trains from there more than five times. So what to do? I came up with a plan of doing my usual Amtrak to Oceanside train ride then purchase a Metrolink Weekend Saturday Pass but get off in Fullerton to take pictures of this event. I would get on the return trip to Oceanside then return home to Santa Ana as usual. Friday I went to Solana Beach then Fullerton to get the lay of the land before returning to Santa Ana on Metrolink.
4/30/2016 I arose and went to Stater Brothers for a few things before returning home, having breakfast and leaving for the Santa Ana station. I bought my Saturday Weekend Pass then sat down on my usual bench. Once I heard the crossing gates start, I moved out onto the platform to wait for Pacific Surfliner 562 to arrive.
Pacific Surfliner 562 arrived in Santa Ana and I boarded the train on the last car. The conductor scanned my ticket and I was off to Oceanside. We lost time flagging the 4th Street crossing in Santa Ana and was given a slow order through the Tustin Metrolink station. We stopped in Irvine and San Juan Capistrano then met Pacific Surfliner 763 at Serra before running along the beach.
The San Clemente Pier. The ocean looked very angry this morning.
Later, looking south as we crossed San Onofre Creek. With us running eight minutes late, we had a better-than-normal meet with Pacific Surfliner 565 before we reached Oceanside where I detrained. I walked to Track 2 to take a picture of my next train of the morning.
Metrolink 661 with Conductor Henry ready to scan tickets before I boarded a Rotem coach, sitting at a table. We left Oceanside on time and stayed that way all the way to Fullerton. Surfliner 564 did not run today due to door problems in the 8th Street Yard in Los Angeles. Pacific Surfliner 566 had the dome car "Silver Splendor" on its rear end this morning when I saw it at Santa Ana. From here it was a quick trip to Anaheim then onto Fullerton where I detrained and found Robin Bowers had detrained from the same train that I had been on and we walked to the gate to get into the event.
Fullerton Railroad Days 2016 4/30/2016Fullerton Railroad Days History
The Fullerton depot's new parking lot and the installation of two sidings by the city provided the perfect site for what would be Fullerton Railway Plaza Association's (FRPA) inaugural Railroad Days weekend event in May 1999. It was a spectacular success, attracting 15,000 adults and children over the two days.
The annual event grew yearly to a record 40,000-plus visitors at its 10th anniversary in May 2008. The response verified FRPA's initial belief that a permanent, rail-related attraction at the depot would be well received by the public.
Meanwhile, in 2005, the City of Fullerton began preliminary planning to redevelop the area near the depot, and FRPA was encouraged by city fathers to present plans for a permanent destination attraction to be considered for inclusion in the project. FRPA hired attractions consultant Barry Howard - design concepts creator of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento - to put the organization's dreams onto paper. His vision of an active, educational, learning-can-be-fun approach to the facility marked a new perspective to the static display concept of the past.
From Mr. Howard’s conceptual design study, FRPA developed a prospectus and a business plan for its newly named Southern California Railroad Experience and presented them to the city to be included in the Transportation Center’s planning process. Unfortunately, in December 2008 the proposal was not accepted by the city and FRPA was left to consider other options.
FRPA immediately refocused its efforts on a more regional basis. New vision, mission and goals were adopted; the organization name was changed to Southern California Railway Plaza Association, Inc. and the association began to search for alternative ideas for holding our events and creating a railcar display venue.
We decided that the best choice for the Railroad Days location should have access to the main line at the Fullerton Train Station lot. After several years of research and consideration, SCRPA has acquired six vintage railcars that are on permanent display and open for tours as the Fullerton Train Museum, at the east end of Fullerton train station.
Trains, Planes and Automobiles booth.
Fullerton High School Football Boosters booth.
The Read booth.
Rail Giants Train Museum, the Birthplace of the Big Boy Steam Dream booth.
RailMaster Hobbies booth from Bellflower.
Arnie's Model Trains both.
Women in Railroading booth.
The Big Train Show booth.
Niles Gift Depot booth.
Imagination Depot booth.
Fullerton Police Department booth.
Fullerton Fire Department booth.
Amtrak booth.
Southern California Transit Advocates booth.
Daylight Sales booth.
Creative Zest booth.
Orange Empire Railway Museum booth.
Metrolink booth.
California High Speed Rail booth.
Fullerton American Legion Post booth.
Irvine Park Railroad booth.
Anything you want on a T-shirt booth.
Solar City booth.
RC Fly By Toys booth.
Disneyland Railroad 4-4-0 1 "Cyrus K. Holliday" built in 1955 by Disney Studios/Dixon Boiler.
Carolwood Foundation {Disney Barn} booth.
Amtrak Thruway Bus 13035.
Locomotive Air Horn Collectors.
Santa Fe 3751 San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society booth.
Amtrak Veteran Cab Car 90208.
A train the little kids can ride.
The Orange County Garden Railway Society was established in 1996 by a group of like-minded folks with the love of large scale model railroads and gardening. Today, we have approximately 50 member families that enjoy the hobby. The club is family oriented, membership includes all members of the family.
Orange County Module Railroaders. Instead of building a large, permanent layout, members build and maintain modules that can be assembled with modules built by other members into a large, operating display. Each person works from the set of club standards that specify module construction. These standards include size, framework, track spacing, electrical wiring and interfaces. They assure inter-operability amongst the modules and permit the modules to be assembled in a variety of ways so that our display can be adjusted to the size and shape of the available space.
Orange County 'N'Gineers. Our club was started on September 15, 1974, a year after N-TRAK was formed. N-TRAK was started by a group of modelers who were trying to promote model railroading and who felt that the best way to model a complete scene is with 'N' Scale (1:160). The N-TRAK organization is known worldwide. In 1995 the club had grown to the point were it could not provide running time for all the members at the shows and the nature of who different members wanted the club to run had changed. Thus was born the N-TRAK EXPRESS club. Now both can be seen at many of the local train shows. The original club has continued to grow and change as new members and modules are added to the group.
John Bowman's trains.
CSC On30 Modular Group. The California South Coast On30 Modular group is set up as free form modules, but with connectivity the key to our standard. This includes physical and electrical with operating 100 percent the key. This On30 Modular group is set up so we can display at train shows and other venues in Southern California, between the San Diego and Los Angeles areas, when we have enough modules. The time period is set to the late 1800's to the 1930's.
Orange County Lego Users Group. Due to the growing size of LUGOLA (LEGO® Users Group of Los Angeles), the Orange County LEGO® Users Group was formed in 2011 for the fans in Orange County.The first meeting took place on February 12th, 2011 in Anaheim. OCLUG's mission is to provide a venue for fans of LEGO to share their passion for LEGO. Members of OCLUG have participated in many events and public shows, displaying their work. Members have also volunteered at LEGO Master Build Events, providing help and support to real life LEGO Master Builders. Our membership is open to anyone.
What kid doesn't like to play with Lego?
Southern Pacific Division Toy Train Operating Society. The Southern Pacific Division was founded in 1974 by Norwood Doland and other members of the Southwestern Division of TTOS who were looking to establish a TTOS Division in Orange County southward. The Southern Pacific Division is a dynamic and active voice for the hobby of operating and collecting toy trains, sometimes called Lionel trains. We have not forgotten American Flyer as the other identifiable name in the past history of the hobby. The Southern Pacific Division has hosted four Toy Train Operating Society National Conventions in its history. The event locations were in San Diego in 1981, Long Beach in 1991, Long Beach in 2000, Costa Mesa in 2006 with the latest being the 2016, 50th Anniversary National Convention in Long Beach, California.
Nature's Wonderland Railroad, a model of the original Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland which was a 2 foot 6 inch narrow gauge railroad attraction in Frontierland in Disneyland, that featured audio-animatronic animals in natural desert and woods-themed environments. It opened on June 12, 1960 as an extension of Rainbow Caverns Mine Train, which opened on July 2, 1956. It closed on January 2, 1977, to make room for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Southern California S Gaugers. We are a grouop of like-minded Model Railroad enthusiasts who collect, model and operate S-gauge model trains. Our home is the Southern California area where we meet on the second Saturday each month to exchange information about S-gauge model trains and plan club activities. The club also operates a modular layout that is displayed at model train shows throughout Southern California. Our mission is to promote all phases of S-gauage model railroading, set up a network of S-gaugers in the Southern California area and help club members with their modelling. Visitors are always welcome.
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Southwest Division of the Toy Train Operating Society. Founded in 1966, our purpose is to further the hobby of operating and collecting toy trains through the sharing of knowledge and fun with our fellow members. Our club promotes the hobby through multiple programs including organizing and holding monthly train meets at the Masonic Center in Arcadia, California. At these meets, toy trains are traded by the membership, there is an auction held, there are operating layouts and model train displays, there is also a train repair clinic. Any persons seeking out information or help with toy or model train layout design/setup, toy or model train restoration or advice can meet SW members who can help. There are also sellers who can assist with toy train parts needs. The camaraderie of other operators/collectors is something special that is enjoyed at these train meets. Members have developed and constructed a large portable operating train layout which is displayed at various locations throughout Southern California during the year, as well as at our monthly train meets.
ZoCal Z Scale. This group does not have a website.
BNSF 4279 was on display with a long line to go through. I headed over to Track 4 to get some pictures plus photograph a few trains if I was lucky.
BNSF 7450 west with a bare table train.
The star of this event was Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 built by Baldwin in 1927.
Amtrak non-powered control unit 90208 built from F40PH 208 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1976 in the Veterans Memorial paint scheme.
Amtrak P42DC 42, built by General Electric in 1996, in the Veterans Memorial paint scheme.
Amtrak 42, 90208 and Santa Fe 3751. Now we will watch Pacific Surfliner 768 leave Fullerton this morning.
Pacific Surfliner 768 departed for San Diego.
Once in a blue moon you get no one in the picture of Santa Fe 3751.
BNSF 7792 West next rolled through Fullerton.
A Fullerton scene.
Amtrak 90208 and 42 at rest at Fullerton while on display.
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The final train was Pacific Surfliner 567. From here I walked to the far west end of Platform 3 and sat down where Robin joined me and we waited for Metrolink 662 to take us home to Santa Ana so I could write this story. The train arrived on time with a quick trip back to Santa Ana. I wrote the story then relaxed for the rest of the day.
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