RailGiants in Pomona, California, former home of Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 4014, was a museum that Elizabeth had never been to before. Since they opened to the public two months ago after being closed due to the pandemic, this was the first opportunity she had, as they are only open the second weekend of each month. We therefore planned a trip there for this day. Our friend Marty Smith decided he would like to come along. So on this Saturday morning following breakfast and checking the Internet, I drove us over to Marty's house, picked him up and soon the three of us were on the way to RailGiants Museum. We arived at Gate 1 and parked before we walked the rest of the way to the museum grounds.
RailGiants Museum InformationThe Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, founded in 1921, is the oldest organization in North America devoted to railroad history. Its object is to promote research and to encourage preservation and documentation of all facets of railroading. We take pleasure in welcoming you to our exhibit at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, California. A small group of devoted railroad historians gathered in a home in the spring of 1953 and set the wheels in motion to organize this local chapter and on June 5, 1953 the deed was done.
This exhibit first opened in 1954 with our first acquisition, the Climax geared type locomotive, 3. It was donated by Sunkist Growers, Inc. Since that time 7 more locomotives, a Heavyweight Pullman Lounge, a Santa Fe wooden caboose, refrigerator car, an AT&SF Horse Express car and two track motor cars have been added to the rolling stock exhibit.
The center of Museum activities is the former Santa Fe Depot from Arcadia, California. This was given to the Society in the summer of 1969. Built in 1895, it witnessed the daily passing of the Santa Fe's finest trains but became obsolete with the coming of the 210 Freeway. It had to be moved or demolished and so it is now preserved as a classic example of a 19th Century Santa Fe station.
Our exhibit is maintained by a dedicated staff of volunteers who work at the museum to keep our exhibits maintained for public exhibition. Admission to the Museum is always free, we only ask for you generous donations to help maintain our historic railroad equipment.
Our VisitMarty had been here once before a few decades ago and Elizabeth was making her first trip here.
Two track motor cars was the first item to photograph.
The Santa Fe Arcadia station built in 1897 and moved here in 1969.
Union Pacific caboose 25392 built by the railroad in 1955 as Union Pacific 2792, which was donated by the City of Montclair, California. It was relocated to RailGiants from Spirit of Freedom Park in Montclair on February 26, 2020.
Santa Fe 4-6-4 3450 built by Baldwin in 1927 and presented to the museum in 1955 by the Santa Fe Railroad.
Railway and Locomotive Historical Society 2-8-0 3, ex. United States Potash 2-8-0 3 1931, exx. Phelps Dodge Corporation 3 1921, exxx. Morenci Southern Railway Company 20, nee Arizona Copper Company Limited 20 built by Baldwin in 1903 as a 36 inch gauge engine. It ran in Southern Arizona from Morenci on the San Francisco River to connect with the Arizona & New Mexico Railroad in Guthrie, Arizona. The line was completed in 1901 and its winding route and heavy grades limited passenger trains to only three cars and a caboose. It took two hours to climb 1,400 feet and complete the 18 mile trip. The railroad also shipped copper ore for its owner, the Detroit Mining Company.
The most distinguishing feature of the Morenci Southern was a series of five loops built to negotiate the Morenci Gulch. The first loop was at Morenci, followed by three more loops in the canyon constructed in part from wooden trestles. The final loop incorporated a tunnel by the San Francisco River, briefly earning it the name "the cork screw railroad of America". In 1914, three of the five loops were replaced with switchbacks, adding about 0.4 miles to the route. When the Morenci Southern was abandoned in 1922, 3 was bought by United States Potash for their ore hauling railroad at Carlsbad, New Mexico, where it operated until 1946.
Southern Pacific 4-10-2 5021 built by American Locomotive Company in 1926. Delivered in 1926, 5021 initially hauled passenger trains over the Sierra Nevadas but was soon moved to fast freight. Its last years were spent working largely in Oregon on the Portland Division, remaining in service until 1955.
Santa Fe Horse Express Car built by the Pullman Company in 1930. The chapter was fortunate to obtain the 1992 from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe in 1971 with all of the stalls in place.
Nickel Plate Railroad business car "Mountain City" built by the Pullman Company in 1923. After remodelling, it was named "Carlton Club" and numbered 6. It was later purchased by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Railway Company as a private railcar then by the Robert P. Warmington Company as a real estate office. They donated the car to RailGiants.
Union Refrigerator Transit Line Refrigerator Car 67806, nee Milwaukee Road 67806, built by General Transportation Company in 1950.
Santa Fe wooden caboose 1314 built by American Car and Foundry in 1923.
Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Southern California Chapter 0-6-0 2, ex. Outer Harbor Dock and Terminal Railway 2 1909, exx. Santa Fe 2285 1906, exxx. Santa Fe 2885 1900, exxxx. Southern California Railroad 40 1893, nee Santa Fe 590 built by American Locomotive Company in 1887. From 1909, the locomotive worked the next forty-five years along the docks in San Pedro, California until it was retired in 1955 and donated to the collection. At the time it retired, after sixty-eight years, 2 was reputed to be the oldest operating locomotive in the United States.
Union Pacific DD40X Centennial 6915 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1969. The class was named in honour of the 100th anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory, Utah, on 10th May 1869. In fact, 6900 was rushed to completion so that it could participate in the associated ceremonies that took place in May 1969.
Union Pacific 4-12-2 9000 built by Alco-Brooks in 1926. 9000 worked freight, mainly between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Green River, Wyoming.
Union Pacific SD40-2 3105 2003, ex. Union Pacific 3927 1987, nee Missouri Pacific 6027 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1979. This is the only working engine in the collection.
Union Pacific double-doored box car 453665 built by Pullman-Standard in 1974.
Fruit Growers Supply Company Climax 3, nee Northern California Lumber Company 3, built by Climax in 1909. It was sold to the Fruit Growerss Supply Company in Hilt, California in 1913 and donated by Sunkist Fruit Growers in 1954. It was the chapter's very first acquisition.
Rock Island bay window caboose 17149, later Union Pacific 24567, built by International Car in 1967. Next I went into the cab of Union Pacific 9000.
The engine controls for Union Pacific 9000. Once Elizabeth had photographed the museum's fine collection and sounded the whistle of 9000, she bought us a pair of T-shirts and a magnet.
Display boards of Union Pacific Big Boy 4014.
The Arcadia time table board. This ends our coverage of the RailGiants Museum and we returned home to Santa Ana after dropping off Marty at his home in Orange.
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