
More From SoCal Wanderer
5 Best Haunted Hiking Trails
Six Spooky Places for Halloween Fun All Year Long
6 Great Cave Hideaways
1 of 4
next
Fall is a great time of year to see Southern California through the eyes of a railroader. Starting in October with pumpkin and zombie train rides and heading into November and December with Santa Trains, you can hop aboard the rolling stock of our many rail-related museums, depots, and railroads that are open all year - but just make it a little more special around the holidays.
Whether you want to journey in a luxury dining car, hang with the crew in the caboose, or just do a little spectating from a vintage depot (along some historic tracks), here are six great attractions for SoCal railway buffs and curious travelers alike.
1. Orange Empire Railway Museum, Perris
Are you still mourning the loss of the Pacific Electric Red Car in L.A. (and, more recently, San Pedro)? How about the Yellow Car? Well, there are specimens of both that are alive, well, and running at Orange Empire Railway Museum, the largest collection of locomotives, trolleys, and streetcars in Southern California. On special days (like their annual Open House), they'll even open up their stash of antiques that are a little worse for the wear and not quite camera-ready. There's always some vintage rail car being restored, and if you're lucky they'll let you into the mechanics pit to have a look at its undercarriage. Take a ride on any of the trains - or all of them - or take a walk through the property to inspect what remains of the town of Pinacate (and the Pinacate gold mining district), whose train station remains in place as part of the museum. Be sure to make a reservation for the Run One Program, which puts you behind the throttle as the train engineer. You've got to be 18 to run the train, but you can bring three of your friends with you.
Bonus: Visit the restored, Queen Anne-style Perris Depot from 1892, just 1.5 miles from the museum site.
Photo: Courtesy of Sandi Hemmerlein
Photo: Courtesy of Sandi Hemmerlein
--
--
2. Barstow Harvey House & Rail Depot, Barstow
Along Old Route 66, you'll find a 1911 train depot known as Casa del Desierto ( House of the Desert ), one of the last remaining Harvey Houses. It was almost lost after it closed in 1971, until the City of Barstow purchased it in 1990, restored it, and reopened it in 1999. Neckties are no longer required in order to enter the depot, and there's no longer a hotel upstairs. But the building does house the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, the Western America Railroad Museum (focusing specifically on the BNSF Railway), and some ghosts. Visit during one of their paranormal tours, or just show up during regular business hours and have a look around. You'll see plenty of freight and passenger trains go whizzing by as you peruse the vintage stationary displays.
Bonus: Make a pit stop to nearby Barstow Station, which seems like a tourist trap but actually has a collection of vintage dining cars on display.
Photo: Courtesy of Sandi Hemmerlein
Photo: Courtesy of Sandi Hemmerlein
3. San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum and San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society at Santa Fe Depot, San Bernardino
The Santa Fe Depot, a Spanish Mission Revival style train station from 1918, was once the largest station west of the Mississippi. Originally built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company (now BNSF), it's currently used by both Amtrak and Metrolink passenger trains. The station itself is a sight to see, both inside and out - with original floor and wall tiles, coffered ceilings, domed towers, and a red tile roof. The combined museum site is west of the waiting room, in the former baggage area with original brick floors. And boy, do they have a lot of stuff: from precision-accurate clocks and watches to signals, bells and whistles, maps, posters, and wagons. The best way to take it all in is to allow one of the volunteers to show you around - otherwise you might miss the dormitories where the Harvey Girls used to stay.
Bonus: For a really special experience, join one of the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society excursions with the former Santa Fe Steam Locomotive #3751 from 1927. She still runs - and they occasionally take her out and show her off at various train shows and rail-related events in other areas, including Fullerton Railroad Days.
Photo: Courtesy of Sandi Hemmerlein
Photo: Courtesy of Sandi Hemmerlein
4. Travel Town Museum and Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, Griffith Park
At the northern end of Griffith Park is Travel Town, a FREE museum that's open every day except for Christmas with some restored railroad passenger cars (and a dining car) on static display, parked along an actual abandoned rail line right in Griffith Park. Volunteers are also working on restoring a variety of other artifacts, like Pullman sleeper cars, a crane built by the U.S. War Department in 1942, and a Southern Pacific boxcar. For $2.75, you can go for a ride on one of their trains that runs on their 16 gauge track. Right next door is L.A. Live Steamers, which operates 7 gauge model trains for public rides on Sundays (including those powered by steam, diesel, and even batteries). Their railroad's main line is about a mile and a half long, with over 80 electrical switches and signals. On the ride, you'll cross bridges, pass through tunnels, and pass by three miniature towns - making this a pretty elaborate miniature model railroad that you can actually ride. This year (which is also their 60th anniversary), the Halloween Ghost Train's service was suspended - but look for it in a future year, because riding it (both during the day and at night) is always a highlight.
Bonus: Head south on Crystal Springs Drive for the Griffith Pa
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...
12/03/2025
Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...
12/03/2025
With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...
12/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...
12/03/2025
Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...
12/03/2025
New HVS-Q12 Represents a Quantum Leap in Switcher Design...
12/03/2025
Telespazio and ABS Expand Partnership to Deliver Tailored C-Band Connectivity So...
12/03/2025
ABC conducts independent audits across the TAG programs. In the March 2025 TAG s...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Moonlight: ESA program to create a satellite con...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
In 2025, Thales ranks among the top 0.01% of the...
12/03/2025
Consumer show back following hugely successful first series
10 March 2025 Following a hugely successful first series, The Complaints Bureau returns to RT ...
11/03/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
11/03/2025
Salsa is making a comeback, captivating new listeners with its infectious energy...
11/03/2025
For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. ...
11/03/2025
The solution delivers reliable, scalable and secure connectivity for critical pu...
11/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonics VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, inclu...
11/03/2025
NEW BERN, N.C. Wheatstone will introduce a Linux audio driver for its WheatNet IP audio network during the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, at the Las Vegas Convention...
11/03/2025
NEW YORK A new study finds that as TV viewership for women's sports surged by 131% in 2024, the programming also saw a 56% year-over-year increase in ad im...
11/03/2025
Powerful switcher for news studio
FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, has installed its HVS-1200 ...