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NRHS Convention 2022 Southern California Railway Museum Trip 5/18/2022

Today's trip was to the Southern California Railway Museum, a place I had been many times. After I finished the story from yesterday, Elizabeth and I went to the Amber Waves Restaurant in the hotel and I had the buffet breakfast while Elizabeth ordered from the menu. She then had Bus Host Coordinator duties to attend to and I returned to the room and checked the Internet before going down to wait for the buses. James was waiting for me, as was Steve Ferrari, and we talked until my beautiful wife Elizabeth came down and she let us board the bus. James took the usual aisle seat, giving me the window. We chatted all the way to Perris.

This day's event takes us by chartered motor coach to ride and view historic trolleys and trains at the Southern California Railway Museum (formerly named the Orange Empire Railway Museum) at Perris. You will be able to explore the West's largest collection of locomotives, passenger and freight cars, cabooses and streetcars, and interurban cars. A diesel-powered push-pull passenger train is planned to run continuously during our visit. Three of their fleet of antique trolleys are also planned to be operating this day.

The map of the museum grounds.

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.

The Orange Empire Traction Company's first home was at Travel Town, an already-established display of retired railway equipment in Los Angeles' Griffith Park. By 1958, the group had changed their name to the Orange Empire Trolley Museum and had brought 10 pieces of equipment to Travel Town. Then came the event that started the wheels in motion to form what would become today's Museum. Ironically, it was the same type of event that had hastened the demise of the equipment they were collecting: the construction of another of L.A.'s famous freeways. The group was informed that the new Ventura Freeway would cut directly through Griffith Park, isolating the site from access to major roadways.

The Orange Empire Trolley Museum found a new home on an abandoned railroad right-of-way just outside of rural Perris, California, some 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Except for a small two-room farmhouse and a rock dugout dating from the 1880s, the site was a lonely, semi-desert field. There was no running water, no indoor plumbing, not much of anything but trolley cars and youthful enthusiasm. The early years at Perris were a time of intense activity, though mostly on weekends, as almost all of the participants worked regular weekday jobs. Track was hurriedly extended as more and more trolleys arrived, eventually evolving into a yard arrangement. The few visitors that found the place thought of it as “the trolley farm” and this moniker would stay with the Museum for years to come. By late 1959 a used Cummins diesel generator power plant was acquired and set up to provide the 600 volt DC electricity for trolley car operation. Overhead wire followed and operations were soon possible on a short stretch of track.

As the 1960's began, tracks were extended further, and more trolleys and hardware acquired.

With streetcar service ending in Los Angeles in 1963, the Orange Empire Trolley Museum began to gather momentum. Museum members travelled to sites throughout the region salvaging abandoned railway infrastructure that could be reused for the Museum. California Southern Railway Museum shared the site, and mainline railroad equipment continued to appear in large numbers.

By the mid-1960s, a core group of dedicated volunteers began to emerge. From among this core emerged leaders who began planning for the Museum's future. They identified more land, protective carhouses, a public restroom and a gift shop as priorities.

By 1968 A trolley line had been constructed along the periphery of the original property, and the Pinacate Station gift shop and a public/member restroom building both opened.

In 1969 construction started on the first carhouse, beginning the process of providing protective cover for the growing collection.

The Santa Fe Railway donated the historic 1892 Perris depot to the Museum. Although at the time the Museum could not yet operate its trains there, the building would later become a focal point in downtown Perris for both the Museum and the city's redevelopment efforts.

Adjacent land was purchased, and the completion of a continuous trolley loop occurred.

A major extension of the standard gauge mainline trackage in 1977 permitted a better demonstration of the growing collection of mainline railroad equipment.

In 1978, regular steam locomotive operations began, together with the concept of holding a large Rail Festival event in an effort to draw more visitors.

A third carhouse opened in 1983, and construction of an ambitious shop facility progressed significantly.

In 1996, Carhouse 4 opened raising the number to fifty railcars in the collection with an indoor home (representing about one-third of the total collection at that time). This same year also saw electrification extended for several blocks over the trackage connecting the Museum's main line to the Santa Fe trackage in downtown Perris.

In 1992, Ward and Betty Kimball donated their 3-foot gauge Grizzly Flats Railroad along with major funding to help assure its continued preservation. The four track Grizzly Flats Enginehouse opened.

In 1993, Landscaped park was added, connecting the center of the Museum with the new enginehouse.

In 2003, Grizzly Flats was further expanded with the addition of a replica Southern Pacific gallows type turntable, built on site by Museum volunteers with financial support from the Kimballs. Acquired 19 additional acres of adjacent property, which gave it the ability to site a major new collections storage facility.

In 2006, OERM celebrated its 50th Anniversary!

In 2007, The 62,000 square foot Ron Ruffulo Carhouse was completed. The Ruffullo Carhouse has six tracks inside, each 600 feet long. This facility doubled the amount of indoor storage space for the Museum’s collections, permitting a major cleanup and reorganization of the entire site.

In 2011, Main visitor parking lot was paved, and the front entrance remodeled. Several generous gifts allowed the Museum to begin a focused program of car and locomotive refurbishment using a contracted painter to supplement its volunteers. The program has turned out beautifully repainted railcars and locomotives at an impressive pace, encouraging additional donations to support the program.

Thomas F. Grose Archival Facility, which houses the Harvey House exhibit and the library, was dedicated in January 2015.

The driver took the car pool lane on CA Highway 91 and then the Fast Trak lanes through Santa Ana Canyon and onto Interstate 15 to CA Highway 74 to the Walmart parking lot in Lake Elsinore where we waited for time as we could not be in Perris before ten o'clock.

We all remained on our bus but Bus 2 passengers were allowed off during their wait then took took us the rest of the way to the trolley museum.

The buses pulled up by the Grizzly Flats Railroad and the washrooms. I then led the way to the train.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 1201 1959-present, ex. Travel Town 1201 1955-1959, exx. Los Angeles Transit Line 1201 1921-1945, nee Los Angeles Railway 1201 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1921.

Southern California Railway Museum MU coach blimp 418 1961-to present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 1528 1958-1961, exx. Metropolitan Coach Lines 418 1954-1958, exxx. Pacific Electric 418 1947-1954, exxx. Pacific Electric 4614 1944-1947, exxxx. United States Maritime Commission 344 1942-1944, exxxxx. Interurban Electric Railway 344 1934-1942, nee Southern Pacific 344 1913-1934 built by Pullman in 1913. It was retired in 1961 and went to Orange Empire Railway Museum where it was restored as Pacific Electric 418.

Union Pacific E8A 942, ex. Metra 510, nee Chicago and North Western 510, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952.

The power of our train which everyone was on.

Chris Guenzler, James Harris and Robin Bowers at our seats.

NRHS members aboard the train. We went to the end of the line and returned to the station area then walked back to Bus 1 which took us to Car Barn 7. The buses were split up so while each would visit the same car barns and attractions at the museum, they would be on a different schedule. I started my photography and looking around outside.

Kerr McGee S-12 845, nee Southern Pacific 1550, built by Baldwin in 1953.

Kerr McGee S-12 844, nee Southern Pacific 1543, built by Baldwin in 1953.

Southern Pacific RSD12 2958 built by American Locomotive Company in 1961 and United States Air Force 80 ton switcher 1601 built by General Electric in 1951.

Southern Pacific RSD12 2954 built by American Locomotive Company in 1961.

Port of Los Angeles VO-1000 8, nee United States Navy 2, built by Baldwin in 1945.

Southern Pacific U25-B 3100, ex. Southern Pacific 6708, nee Southern Pacific 7508, built by General Electric in 1963.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority SNS P865 light rail car 144 built by Nippon Sharyo in 1989 as one of 54 identical "P865" type cars to open service on the Los Angeles-to-Long Beach Blue Line on July 14, 1990 — a date that marked the return of rail to Los Angeles County after a 27-year absence.

Southern Pacific S12 1550 built by Baldwin in 1953.

Southern Pacific outside-braced box car 1354 built circa 1925.

Museum scene.

Southern Pacific SW1 1006 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1939.

Santa Fe wooden box car 49131 built by Pullman in 1912.

Santa Fe FP45 108 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1967.

Southern California Railway Museum MRSD-1 1975, ex. Department of Transportation 015, nee United States Air Force 8018 built by American Locomotive Company in 1942..

Southern Pacific wooden caboose 570 built by the railroad in 1924.

Pacific Electric box car 2721 built by Standard Steel in 1924.

San Diego Expo DT centre-entrance streetcar 167 built by McGuire-Cummings in 1914.

Southern California Railway Museum MU coach blimp 314 1959-present, ex. Metropolitan Coach Lines 314 1954-1959, exx. Pacific Electric 314 1947-1954, exxx. Pacific Electric 4509 1942-1947, nee Northwestern Pacific 384 1930-1942, built by St. Louis Car Company in 1930.

Southern Pacific business car "Sacramento" built by the Barney and Smith Company in 1900.

The interior of the "Sacramento".

Santa Fe coach/combine baggage car 2419 built by the Ohio Falls Company in 1879.

Southwest Portland Cement 0-6-0T 2, nee Mojave Northern 2 built by Davenport in 1917. It was donated to the museum in 1966.

Virginia and Truckee combine 20 built by Hicks Locomotive and Car Works in 1907.

An unidentified coach, number x93x.

Santa Fe drovers caboose D918 built by the railroad in 1929.

Unidentified coach.

Key System Articulated Bridge rapid transit car 167 built by Bethlehem Steel in 1937.

Santa Fe wooden caboose 1421 built by American Car and Foundry in 1923.

An unidentified streetcar.

Southern California Railway Museum interurban car 1046 1959-present, ex. Pacific Electric 1046 1919-1934, nee Visalia Electric 301 1908-1919 built by American Car Company in 1908.

Southern California Railway Museum interurban car 993 1996-present, ex. private owner 993 1960-1996, exx. Pacific Electric 993 1911-1950, nee Los Angeles Pacific 743 1907-1911 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1907.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 538 1959-present, ex. Warner Brothers Studios 538 1937-1959, exx. Pacific Electric 538 1911-1937, nee Pacific Electric 238 1909-1911 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1909.

Southern California Railway Museum interurban "Hollywood Car" 637 1960-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 1801 1958-1960, exx. Metropolitan Coach Lines 5112 1954-1958, exxx. Pacific Electric 5112 1949-1954, nee Pacific Electric 637 1922-1949 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1922.

Southern California Railway Museum interurban "Hollywood Car" 716 1960-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 1814 1958-1960, exx. Metropolitan Coach Lines 5166 1954-1958, exxx. Pacific Electric 5166 1949-1954, nee Pacific Electric 716 1925-1949 built by J.G. Brill in 1925.

Southern California Railway Museum PCC car 528 1977-present, ex. Electric Railway Historical Association 528 1957-1977, nee San Diego Electric Railway 528 1937-1957 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1937.

Southern California Railway Museum interurban "Hollywood" car 5123 1960-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 1812 1958-1960, exx. Metropolitan Coach Lines 5123 1954-1958, exxx. Pacific Electric 5123 1949-1954, nee Pacific Electric 626 1922-1949, built by St. Louis Car Company in 1922.

Southern California Railway Museum wood parlour car 1000 1964-present, ex. Pacific Electric "Commodore" 1938-1947, nee Pacific Electric 1000 1913-1938 built by Jewett Car Company in 1913.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 1003 1990-present, ex. San Diego Electric Railway 1003 1942-1947, exx. Utah Light and Traction 656 1920-1942, nee Utah Light and Traction 716 1914-1920 built by American Car Company in 1914.

Santa Fe wooden wooden cabosse 1421 built by the railroad in 1921.

Southern California Railway Museum Birney streetcar 83 1960-present, ex. Pacific Electric 152 1933-1941, nee Fresno Traction 83 1925-1933 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1925.

Unidentified streetcar.

Pacific Electric caboose 1970 built by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern shops in 1910. At some point, it was sold to the Pacific Electric Railway.

Pacific Electric caboose 1962 built by the railway in 1939 from a box car.

Pacific Electric wrecker 008 built by Southern Pacific in 1912.

Southern California Railway Museum center-entrance streetcar 179 1974-present, ex. Pacific Electric 179 1913-1935, nee Southern Pacific 819 1912-1913 built by Pullman Company in 1912.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 530 2007-present, ex. Pacific Electric 530 1911-1934, nee Pacific Electric 230 1909-1911 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1909.

Sutter Street Railway trailer car 77, once displayed at Knott's Berry Farm and at some point, was re-gauged to three feet six inches. The Sutter Street Railway was originally a horsecar line in San Francisco which began service on May 1, 1866 as the Front Street, Mission and Ocean Railroad. Shortly after, it become known as the Sutter Street Railroad. In 1877, the line was converted to cable car operation and introduced the side grip and lever operation, both designed by Asa Hovey. Sutter Street Railway was part of the amalgamation of companies which formed United Railroads of San Francisco in 1902.

Southern California Railway Museum wire greaser 00150 1957-present, ex. Metropolitan Coach Lines 00150 1954-1957, exx. Pacific Electric 00150 1931-1954, exxx. Pacific Electric 1710 1911-1931, nee Los Angeles Pacific 3 1898-1911 built by the railway in 1898.

Union Pacific caboose 25729 built by Standard Steel in 1910.

Pacific Electric wooden caboose 1905 built by Pacific Electric in 1896.

Santa Fe wooden refrigerator car 8875 built by American Car and Foundry in 1911.

San Diego and Arizona Eastern baggage-coach 175 built by Pullman in 1915.

Santa Fe baggage-coach 2602 built by Pullman in 1923.

Pacific Electric wooden caboose 1985, nee Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad built by the railroad in 1905 and acquired in 1950.

Pacific Electric outside-braced box car 2731 built by Standard Steel in 1924.

Union Pacific station bench.

Tonopah and Tidewater box car 111, built circa 1885.

Unidentified wooden box car.

Pacific Electric box car 2737 built by Standard Steel in 1924.

Museum scene. We boarded the bus for Car Barn 4.

Soo Line Business Car 54 "Mt. Rubidoux", nee Soo Line buffet-baggage 1704 built by Barney and Smith in 1927. It was "all steel" in that it had a steel body on a steel underframe, but the interior finish was wood. It was rebuilt in 1927 to a business car and the open observation platform was added at that time.

It was obtained by the California Southern Railroad Museum (formerly the Mount Rubidoux chapter of the Pacific Railroad Society) in 1962. In 1975, the California Southern Railroad Museum was merged into Orange Empire Trolley Museum and OETM was renamed Orange Empire Railway Museum. Cal-Southern had the car painted the blue colour at the Santa Fe shops in San Bernardino. Since then it has had no name on the center of the letterboard -- but "California Southern Railroad Museum" was applied in small letters on each end. The story is that the car was named "Mt. Robidoux" instead of "Mount Rouidoux" to save on the cost per letter. The Cal-Southern paint and lettering has been preserved (except for the small lettering on the letterboard being blocked out) as the car has not needed painting and is now stored undercover when not in service. Until moved to Perris about the time of the merger, it usually sat on the private car track on the west side of the Santa Fe depot/division office in San Bernardino and was used for the Cal-Southern board meetings.

Interior of "Mt. Rubidoux".

Southern California Railway Museum parlour car 1299 1998-present, ex. Los Angeles County Fairgrounds 1299 1958-1998, exx. Pacific Electric 1299 1929-1958, exxx. Southern Pacific 477 1915-1929, nee Portland, Eugene and Eastern 477 1914-1915, built by Pullman Company in 1912.

Santa Fe baggage-railway post office 60 built by Pullman Car and Manufacturing in 1930.

Interior of Santa Fe 60.

Southern California Railway Museum 2-6-2 2, ex. Terry Durkin 1970, exx. W.E. Standish at Port Hueneme 1964, exxx. Ventura County Railroad Company 2 1943, exxxx. Cascade Timber Companyy 107, nee Pacific States Lumber Company 107 built by Baldwin in 1922, undergoing its 1,472 day/15 year inspection.

Santa Fe stock car 25840 built by the railroad in 1923.

Santa Fe box car 49131 built by Pullman in 1912.

Pacific Coast Railroad box car 704 built by Pacific Car and Foundry in 1906.

Tonopah & Tidewater box car 111 built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Eastern in 1885.

Hill of Howth Tramway 2 built by Brush Electrical Engineering Company in Dublin, Ireland in 1901. Up until the 19th century, Howth was a remote place with the small communities living there able to produce much of what they needed for themselves. As a result, no real roads or routeways in and out of the peninsula were developed. Journeys to the outside world were more likely to have been made on water than on land and the usual way of getting to Dublin city was by boat from Sutton harbor to the Liffey basin. Only wealthy people could afford to travel by land as hiring a stagecoach was expensive with fares priced at around 10 shillings. There was also the added cost of hiring armed guards to deter the highwaymen who plagued the routes to Howth in the hope of catching wealthy victims.

It was not until the 19th century, when the British Government selected Howth as the gateway for the mail boat service that operated between Holyhead and Dublin, that Howth Harbour was first developed. The harbour was constructed in 1807 using local rock from the nearby Kilrock quarry. The work finished in 1817 and Howth became the mail boat station for Dublin in 1818 leading to the development of the Harbour lighthouse, a stagecoach inn and the Lower Road linking the Howth and Balscadden communities. These developments attracted the attention of competing railway companies operating in Dublin at this time with several of them proposing plans to captialise on the recreational potential of Howth. It was Great Northern Railways who won out in the end laying a tramway around the hill to connect it with the preexisting Howth railway station which had been developed in 1847.

The tramline was officially opened on 1st June 1901 and was known as the Hill of Howth Tramway. The recreational nature of the line succeeded in bolstering local tourism with people using the line to go swimming in Balscadden beach in fine weather. Great Northern Railways incentivized their first-class passengers to participate by offering them private changing cubicles on the beach. The company also constructed the lower cliff path which now forms part of the famous Howth Cliff Walk for their passengers to enjoy. The line was five miles long running from Sutton Station along Carrickbrack road, past St. Fintan’s Cemetery up through the gorse-covered hill rising 365 feet above sea level at the summit. This was the most popular stop as it offered magnificent views across Dublin Bay. Passengers who alighted here could treat themselves to welcome refreshment in the pavilion which once stood on the summit. Of course, it was a different story in poor weather as the roofless tram cars would have offered little protection against the rain. It was even recorded that during storms the unfortunate driver used to get drenched by waves lashing against the tram. From the summit the tram ran down into Howth and terminated at the railway station.

Road improvements in the 1920's meant bicycles, motor cars and the bus became more popular methods of transport than the tram system. In 1958, CIE (Córas Iompair Éireann) took over the Great Northern Railways and despite promises to keep the line running, they allowed for the deterioration of the cars to the point that it was not economically viable to keep them, and the line closed one year later. Some of the trams were rescued when they were acquired by Britain's National Tramway Museum at Crich in Derbyshire while others were sent to Belfast and even as far afield as California.

Southern Pacific wooden caboose 570 built by the railroad in 1924. That finished car barn 4.

Union Pacific E8A 942. It was then time for lunch and a catered barbecue truck served pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw and baked beans. People could either sit outside at the picnic benches or inside the air-conditioned Town Hall. After lunch, I started looking through Pacific Electric car barn.

Southern California Railway Museum center-entrance interurban "Hollywood" car 655 1996-present, ex. private owner 655 1965-1996, exx. Pacific Electric 5094 1949-1954, nee Pacific Electric 655 1924-1949 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1924.

Southern California Railway Museum blimp combine 498 1959-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropoliltan Transit Authority 1546 1958-1959, exx. Metropolitan Coach Lines 498 1954-1958, exxx. Pacific Electric 498 1947-1954, exxxx. Pacific Electric 4702 1946-1947, exxxxx. United States Maritime Commission 302 1944-1946, exxxxxx. United States Maritime Commission 27 1943-1944, exxxxxxx. United States Maritime Commission 627 1942-1943, exxxxxxxx. Interurban Electric Railway 627 1934-1942, nee Southern Pacific 627 1913-1934 built by Pullman Company in 1913.

San Diego Electric Railway PCC Car 508 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1937.

Southern California Railway Museum 6-4-6 sleeper "National Scene", ex. Hartwell-Lowe Corporation, exx. Finlay Funtime Tours "Audubon Park" 1971, exxx. Union Pacific 6-4-6 sleeper "National Scene", nee Union Pacific 1210 built by Pullman-Standard in 1955.

Tender of Ventura County 2.

Southern Pacific S-4 1474 built by American Locomotive Company in 1952.

Union Pacific buffet/lounge 4051:2 1964, ex. Union Pacific 36-seat diner 3618 1942, exx. Union Pacific diner 318 1927, nee Union Pacific diner 3618 built by Pullman Company in 1928.

Union Pacific caboose 25129 built by Pullman Car and Manufacturing in 1944.

Southern California Railway Museum RSD-1 1956, ex. Department of Transportation 012, nee United States Army 8009 built by American Locomotive Company in 1941.

United States Air Force B-B-90/90 8580 built by General Electric in 1944.

Southern California Edison Model ML6 12 built by Plymouth in 1941.

American Potash & Chemical Company E-513 built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton in 1956.

Southern California Railway Museum 7-2 sleeper "Corydon", ex. Railroader Restaurants 1973, exx. Short Line Enterprises 1972, exxx. 20th Century Fox studios 1944, nee Pullman "Corydon" built by by the company in 1917.

Cab of Ventura County 2. I then walked over to car barn 2.

Southern California Railway Museum funeral car "Descanso" 1967-present, ex. Pacific Railroad Society "Descanso" 1940-1967, exx. Los Angeles Railway "Descanso" 1921-1940, nee Los Angeles Railway "Paraiso" 1909-1921 built by the railway in 1909. This car is unique among the electric railway cars preserved for posterity, as it is the only remaining funeral streetcar still on its own trucks known to exist in the United States.

Cars such as this were once standard equipment on many large street railway systems, serving to carry the deceased and the mourners from the funeral parlor to the cemetery. Los Angeles Railway provided this service to Inglewood Park, Rosedale and Evergreen Cemeteries and to those on Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles.

The car was built in Los Angeles Railway's 7th and Central shops by Master Car Builder E.L. Stephens. It is of particular interest to railway historians that this car resembles Los Angeles & Redondo Railway's finest, numbers 201 through 216. It was placed in service on February 20, 1909, painted light grey and bearing the name "Paraiso" in script accompanied by some elaborate scroll work. In 1940, the colour of the Descanso was Pullman green.

When it was learned that scrapping of the car was being considered, Railroad Boosters asked that it be preserved. Los Angeles Railway looked favourably upon this proposal, but the quest for a local site, including negotiations with a large undertaking establishment, was unproductive. It was then that a group of nine club members, who had adopted the name: Railroad Boosters Summit Sunny Sunday Outing Club proposed a bold plan to preserve the car and provide a facility for train watchers at Summit on the AT&SF-Union Pacific line through Cajon Pass. LARy agreed to donate the car to Railroad Boosters and the Summit Club raised $135.00 for the move. On July 1, 1940, the Descanso was loaded on a Santa Fe flat car at Vernon Yard and on July 4, it was spotted on the spur at Summit.

The original destination at Summit was a ridge west of the station, affording a view of the railroad in both directions, dubbed "Perspiration Point". When it became obvious that this location was impractical, a less ambitious move was agreed upon. The car was inched up the grade by an elderly truck and some cables on track laid ahead of the car and picked up behind it. On July 26, the Descanso had reached the designated site. This was on AT&SF property 250 feet northeasterly of the Summit Station building. A lease was drawn up describing a 59 x 28 foot rectangular plot with the car in its center, 20 feet south of the northerly railroad property line and 215 feet north of the eastbound main track. An annual rent of one dollar was stipulated.

Railroad preservationists have, through the years, bemoaned the modification of the car's interior; it was converted to a mountain cabin, affording sleeping and cooking facilities. The greatest loss was the seats which were scattered throughout the Summit colony. However, in 1940, historically significant electric railway cars were not being preserved for posterity, so it is certainly to the RRBSSSOC's credit that the Descanso is still with us. During its 27 years at Summit, the car served local railfans well, fulfilling the expectations of those who placed it there. It was the destination of rail excursions in 1941 and 1957, and several others over the Pass featured a stop there. In 1955, a flagpole was installed and an outhouse constructed, and in 1962, a commemorative monument was placed adjacent to the car. The principal PRS members acting as custodian of the car have been Chard Walker, Mart Sabransky and L.T. Gotchy.

Technological progress in railroad operation took its toll when, in 1967, Santa Fe closed Summit Station, removing the protection afforded the Descanso by the surveillance of Chard Walker and the other railroad employees. Relocation of the car was imperative and Travel Town and Orange Empire Trolley Museum were the sites proposed. Following a heated campaign, the members of PRS voted 161 to 70 to move the car to OETM. On April 30, 1967, the Descanso was loaded on a flatbed semi. The truck traveled over the Southern Pacific's Palmdale-Colton Cutoff roadbed, on which track was about to be laid, to the Route 138 crossing. Thus, the Descanso became the first rail car to move over the new cutoff. The trip was completed over public roads to OETM. On May 1 the car was installed on the west side of Broadway at the south side of Alpine.

For the next 16 years, the car was on display at this location, open to the public on special occasions. The cruel elements had been taking their toll on the car since 1940, and it was finally acknowledged by the PRS Board of Directors that placing the car under cover was imperative. On May 6, 1981, an agreement with OERM was finalized to purchase the materials with which to construct Carbarn No. 3 and on June 18, 1983, the Descanso was moved into this building.

Chartering this car cost $25.

Southern California Railway Museum PCC car 3100 1963-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 3100 1958-1963, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 3100 1945-1958, nee Los Angeles Railway 3100 1943-1945 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1943.

Southern California Railway Museum five ton derrick 9225 1963-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 9225 1958-1963, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 9225 1945-1958, nee Los Angeles Railway 9225 1912-1945 built by the railway in 1912.

Southern California Railway museum streetcar 1559 2000-present, ex. Pacific Railroad Society 1559 1955-2000, exxx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 1559 1945-1955, nee Los Angeles Railway 1559 1925-1945 built by the railway in 1925.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 1160 1959-present, ex. Travel Town 1160 1953-1959, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 1160 1945-1953, nee Los Angeles Railway 1160 1923-1945 built by American Car Company in 1899.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 1423 1959-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 1423 1958-1959, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 1423 1945-1958, nee Los Angeles Railway 1423 1924-1945, built by American Car Company in 1903.

Southern California Railway Museum power car (motor flat) 9209 1959-present, ex. Travel Town 9209 1955-1959, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 9209 1945-1955, nee Los Angeles Railway 9209 1913-1945 built by the railway in 1913.

Southern California Railway Museum PCC car 3165 1965-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 3165 1958-1965, nee Los Angeles Transit Lines 3165 1948-1958 built by St Louis Car Company in October 1948.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 525 1959-present, ex. Travel Town 525 1955-1959, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 525 1945-1955, nee Los Angeles Railway 525 1906-1945 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1906.

California Street Cable Railway 43 built by the railway in 1907 and acquired from Knott's Berry Farm in 1985.

California Street Cable Railway double-ended single truck horse car trailer 77 built by Sutter Street Railway as 77 in 1887 and acquired from Knott's Berry Farm.

Southern California Railway Museum centre-entrance streetcar 936 1979-present, nee Los Angeles Railway Company 936 1914-1945 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1914.

Southern California Railway Museum PCC car 3001 1963-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 3001 1958-1963, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 3001 1945-1958, nee Los Angeles Railway 3001 1937-1945 built by St. Louis Car Company in February 1937.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 2601 1959-present, ex. Travel Town 2601 1955-1959, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 2601 1945-1955, nee Los Angeles Railway 2601 1930-1945 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1930.

Kyoto Japan streetcar 19 built in 1910 to a 3 foot 6 inch gauge.

Southern California Railway Museum rail grinder 9310 1963-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 9310 1958-1963, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 9310 1945-1958, nee Los Angeles Railway 9310 1925-1945 built by the railway in 1925.

Southern California Railway Museum overhead maintenance (tower) car 9350 1963-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 9350 1958-1963, exx. Los Angeles Transit Lines 9350 1945-1958, nee Los Angeles Railway 9350 1907- 1945 built by the railway in 1907.

Next I went to the Grizzly Flats Railroad barn. This began in Ward and Betty Kimball's San Gabriel, California back yard. Ward, who was then an animator for Walt Disney Studios and avid railroad enthusiast, decided to buy the last passenger coach from Southern Pacific's narrow gauge subsidiary, the Carson & Colorado Railroad. With a friend's prompting, he then bought 2-6-0 2, once named "Sidney Dillon", which had operated on the Nevada Central since 1881.

Grizzly Flats Railroad 0-4-2T 1 "Chloe", nee Waimanalo Sugar 2 built by Baldwin in 1907.

Grizzly Flats Railroad gondola car Southern Pacific 223 built by the railroad in 1917.

Grizzly Flats Railroad stock car Southern Pacific 65, nee Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad 156 built by the railroad in 1912. The Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad ran north from Reno, Nevada through Alturas, California to Lakeview, Oregon. They sold the southernmost portion of their line to Western Pacific in 1917 and the remained to the Southern Pacific in 1926. Both companies converted their portions of the railroad to standard gauge. In 1926, Southern Pacific sent this car and 29 others to the Carson and Colorado, where it became 65, but was re-numbered 173 in 1946. The Southern Pacific abandoned the remaining portion of its narrow gauge operation in 1960 and sold this car and several others to the Tropico Gold Mine near Rosamond where it was displayed until 1991.

Grizzly Flats Railroad rider car 5 built by the railroad in 1993.

Grizzly Flats Railroad rider car 6 built by the railroad in 1993.

Southern Pacific gondola 216 built by the railroad in 1892 using the body of South Pacific Coast flat car 253 and was used primarily to transport loose cargo such as ore and talc. It spent 36 years on Southern Pacific's former Carson and Colorado narrow gauage line between Mina, Nevada and Keeler, California. After the Southern Pacific completed conversion of the former South Pacific Coast line to standard gauage in 1908, this car was part of a group of equipment transferred to the Carson and Colorado where it became Nevada and California 144. In 1924, it was rebuilt into gondola car 144 and in 1946-47, was re-numbered 216. The Southern Pacific abandoned the remaining portion of its narrow gauge operation in 1960 and sold this car and several others to the Tropico Gold Mine near Rosamond where it was displayed until 1991.

Grizzly Flats Railroad caboose 7 built by West Side Lumber in 1949 using the frame of an 1890's logging flat car. It spent its entire life trailing behind logging trains in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Yosemite National Park. The museum purchased the car in 1994 and volunteers rebuilt the exterior with new lumber.

Nevada Central Plymouth hydraulic switcher 589 built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works in 1938.

Grizzly Flats Railroad Nevada Central 2-6-0 2 "Emma Nevada" built by Baldwin in 1881.

Southern Pacific narrow gauge box car 449 built by Carter Brothers in 1891.

The tender of the "Emma Nevada".

Southern Pacific coach 39, nee South Pacific Coast Railway built by the Carter Brothers in 1881. Following 28 years of use as a coach in the San Francisco Bay area, this car was taken off the rails in 1909 and converted into housing or railroad workers. By the mid 1930's, coach 39's body had been moved to San Miguel where it was assigned to Southern Pacific track worker Victor S. Martinez and his wife Maria. Partitions were added inside the car, dividing it into a dining room, living room and bedroom. After Mr. Martinez retired in 1957, he acquired the car from the Southern Pacific and moved it to his own property in San Miguel.

Grizzly Flats coach 5, ex. Southern Pacific 5, nee Carson and Colorado 5, built by Barney and Smith in 1881. This was the first piece of railroad equipment acquired by Ward and Betty Kimball and its arrival marked the beginning of the Grizzly Flats Railroad, the now legendary 500 foot long rail line located in the Kimball's back yard in San Gabriel. The car ended its Southern Pacific career on the Owens Valley line, being finally retired in 1938.

Carson & Colorado business car 10 "Esmeralda" built by Viginia & Truckee in 1896 for the Superintendent's use as a mobile office to conduct business and inspect the right-of-way. As built, a clerestory roof covered two-thirds of the car, a cupola and a standard roof covered the remainder. In 1900, the Carson and Colorado was acquired by the Southern Pacific and in May 1903, the car was rebuilt by the Southern Pacific shops in Sacramento. The clerestory roof was extended to the full length of the car and the intreior included a parlour, dining room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. The car was named "Esmerelda" in 1903.

Three years later, it became Nevada and California Railway business car 10 following a corporate reorganization. In 1912, "Esmerelda" became Southern Pacific business car 10 with the transfer of the line to the Central Pacific subsidiary of the Southern Pacific. In 1927, it was retired, detrucked in 1928 for use at Keeler a train crew sleeping quartrs and later as a section gang dwelling.

After this I went outside.

The Desert Dog motor car.

The Grizzly Flats gallows turntable.

The water tower under construction.

Southern California Railway Museum 2-8-2 2564, ex. donation to Mojave Foundation 1959, exx. Union Pacific 2564 1936, exxx. Oregon Short Line Railroad Company 2564 1922, exxxx. Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad 2725 1921, nee Los Angeles and Salt Lake Rrailroad 3725 built by American Locomotive Company in 1922.

The Cottonwood station which was originally a lumber yard office and retail store in Perris. Acquired by the museum in 1968 with the intent of being part of a proposed main entrance and moved to the present site by volunteers, it ended up as the branch line station that exists today. In 1995, various Hollywood studios performed some cosmetic repairs and painting and filmed some exterior scenes for several films. A full conversion into a branch line station commenced in February 2005 and was completed in 2016.

Denver and Rio Grande Western flat car 6768 built by the railroad in 1957.

Denver and Rio Grande Western gondola 732 built by American Car and Foundry in 1904.

Mine cars and other railroad items.

Denver and Rio Grande Western gondola 1155 built by American Car and Foundry in 1902.

Southen Pacific stock car 157 built by the railroad in 1915.

Southern California Railway Museum steeplecab 1 1970-present, ex. Hutchinson and Northern 1 1927-1970, nee Carey Salt Company 1921-1927 built by General Electric Company in 1921. Next I went into Pacific Electric barn.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 171 1959-present, nee San Francisco Municipal Railway 171 1923-1959 built by Bethlehem in 1923.

Southern California Railway Museum Hollywood car 717 1960-present, ex. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority 1815 1958-1960, exx. Metropolitan Coach Lines 5167 1954-1958, exxx. Pacific Electric 5167 1949-1954, nee Pacific Electric 717 1925-1949 built by J.G. Brill Company in 1924.

Pacific Electric Birney Safety car 332 built by J.G. Brill in 1918. It spent most of its career in Redlands, until rail operations were replaced by buses in 1936. The car was later assigned to the local lines in Pasadena and retired in 1941 when the local lines were replaced bus service. Fortunately, MGM Studios bought four of them where they starred in such movies as "Singin' in the Rain". A famous scene in the movie has Gene Kelly running across the roof of a Birney Car and jumping into convertible driven by Debbie Reynolds. Cars 331 and 332 were purchased by the Orange Empire Trolley Museum from MGM in the 1960's and brought to the museum in Perris, California.

Car 332 was leased to the Old Pueblo Trolley in Tucson, Arizona in 1985. 332 was restored to full operation by the OPT staff and operated for the first time in 1991. During the restoration, 332 was painted into the former Tucson Rapid Transit cream and green paint scheme and renumbered car 10 to reflect one of the Birneys that ran in the 1920's in Tucson. The OPT opened for service on April 17, 1993. PE 332/OPT 10 operated in Tucson until March 1995, when it was returned to the museum. Since the cars return, it still masquerades as Tucson Rapid Transit 10.

Southern California Railway Museum interurban 1001 1954-present, ex. Pacific Electric 00199 1948-1954, nee Pacific Electric 1001 1913-1948, built by Jewett Car Company in 1913.

Southern California Railway Museum steeplecab 653 1965-present, ex. Sacramento Northern 653 1930-1965, nee Northern Electric 1053 1928-1930, built by General Electric in 1928.

Southern California Railway Museum steeplecab 1624 1960-present, ex. Los Angeles Chapter National Railway Historical Society 1958-1960, nee Pacific Electric 1624 1925-1958, built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in 1925.

Southern California Railway Museum steeplecab 297 1985-present, ex. Yakima Valley Traction 297 1942-1985, exx. Los Angeles and Salt Lake E100 1930-1942, nee Glendale and Montrose 22 1923-1930, built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in 1923.

Southern California Railway Museum streetcar 4 1959-present, ex. private owner 4 1941-1959, nee Bakersifled and Kern Electric Railway 4 1900-1941, built by Holman in 1900.

Southern California Railway Museum Birney safety car 331 1966-present, ex. Metro Goldwyn-Mayer 331 1940-1966, exx. Pacific Electric 331 1935-1940, nee Pacific Electric 361 1918-1935, built by J.G. Brill Car Company in 1918.

Southern California Railway Museum interurban car 127 1971-present, ex. Utah Pickle Company 1927 1953-1971, exx. Bamberger 127 1939-1953, nee Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville 127 1932-1939, built by Brill Car Company in 1932.

Intracity Transit Bus 20118 originally from Modesto.

The entrance to the Fred Harvey Museum, operated by the Harvey Girl Historical Society.

The Harvey Girls defined hospitality in the wild west of the 1880s. More specifically, they were young, single, intelligent women who were also of "good character", and, presumably, had the sort of sense of adventure that propelled them to unknown territory in the 1880s to work as waitresses.

Their legacy: Helping to make travel in the West a lot more enjoyable by serving tasty meals in pleasant surroundings and bringing a touch of graciousness to a mostly unsettled land.

But there would not have been a Harvey Girl without Fred Harvey, the visionary entrepreneur who paved the way for civilized travel when the West was still wild.

As a freight agent in the 1870s, Harvey spent enough time travelling via train in an era before dining cars to experience first-hand the difficulty of finding good food. Roadhouses set up near the tracks offered limited fare of dubious quality and service ranging from indifferent to surly.

Recognizing a business opportunity, Harvey struck a deal with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to operate a system of eateries along its rail lines. His first depot restaurant opened in Topeka, Kansas, in 1876. Within two years, he had opened his first hotel/restaurant in Florence, Kansas. The foundation for what would grow into a hospitality empire was laid. By 1891, 15 Harvey House restaurants were in operation.

But Harvey not only created America’s first restaurant chain, he was a pioneer of cultural tourism. In the early 1900s, the Fred Harvey Company created an "Indian Department", which commissioned artists and photographers to convey the exoticism of Indians in the Southwest. The images were printed on everything from menus to brochures to promote the mystique of Indian Country, and, not incidentally, Harvey’s tourist enterprises.

The company also employed Native Americans to demonstrate rug weaving, pottery, jewellery-making and other crafts at his Southwest hotels. The sales of those items in Harvey's stores influenced the design of native arts.

Taking the marketing approach even further, in 1926, the Harvey Company began offering "Indian Detours", chauffeured interpretive tours in which guests at his Southwest hotels were ferried in comfortable Harvey Cars for one-to three-day excursions into Indian settlements in New Mexico and Arizona.

The first display case.

The desk used by a Harvey Girl.

Display Board 1 Memory of Harvey Girls.

Display Board 8 "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's The Harvey Girls".

Display Board 9 Indian Detour.

Display Board 5 Santa Fe System Eating Houses.

Display 6 Like Indian Beads - Harvey Houses of the Southwest.

A china display case.

Display Board 7 California Southern Railroad.

Display Board 3 Fred Harvey - Creator of Western Hospitality.

Display Board 2 Harvey Girls. That finished my visit to this museum, which was the first time I had been here. Elizabeth and I rode Pacific Electric 418 on the museum's mainline.

A vintage car along Broadway Avenue, the main paved road at the museum. I then rode Los Angeles Railway 1201 around the Loop Ride circle of the museum.

Union Pacifc E8A 942.

Union Pacific 942 on a beautiful warm spring day.

The final run of the Pacific Electric car was occuring. I walked over and boarded the bus with James joining me for the quick trip in the FastTrak and carpool lanes back to the hotel. After Elizabeth finished her bus host duties, the two of us went to the Sizzler for dinner with Walter Zullig then after dropping Walter and Elizabeth at the hotel, I drove to our apartment to pick up the mail then returned to the hotel. It had been a great visit to the Orange Empire Railway Museum with the NRHS convention, but I was looking forward to tomorrow.

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