RAIL PASS: Recent Episodes
Sarah Harty
We discuss the day to day runnings at the Southern California Railway Museum, chatting to volunteers and interesting people. We share event information and talk to the people and vendors at the events.
Todays episode comes live from the Day out with Thomas, We chat to volunteers and guest to find out what makes this years Day out with Thomas so special.
In this installment, we have the privilege of reconnecting with founding member number 7, Harvey Laner, as he takes us on a journey through his experiences as a passionate rail fan. Join us as we delve into the early days of Harvey's start in the hobby, where his love for traction and railways ignited. Through his vivid recollections, we gain insight into the thrill and excitement that drove him to capture the beauty of trains in motion and the stories they carry. In this episode we see how the hobby has evolved and what it looks like today. This episode offers a delightful exploration of one individual's deep connection to the captivating world of railroads.
In this episode, we meet two individuals, John Mobley and Stephen Priest, who played pivotal roles in securing the donation of the 5704 to Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM) and overseeing its remarkable cosmetic restoration. As a true classic piece of Americana, the Santa Fe 5407 holds immense significance to railroad history, and SCRM is honored to add it to their collection and care. Join us as we explore the locomotive's storied past and learn about the exciting journey of its cosmetic restoration. Once onsite at SCRM our talented volunteers will begin its mechanical restoration to ensure this historic gem is preserved for generations to come.
Join us as we meet two dedicated volunteers, George Chapman and Bill Face, who are hard at work in this restoration barn. Together, they are undertaking the meticulous cosmetic restoration of LARy 665, a captivating process on its own. However, their expertise and attention extends beyond this project as they are also hard at work restoring LARy fareboxes, crafting trip number plaques, and assembling battery boxes for Pacific Electric streetcars. Tune in to hear about the passion, dedication, and craftsmanship that goes into preserving these invaluable pieces of transportation history.
Welcome to a spine-chilling episode of Rail Pass - brace yourself as we explore the mysterious world of the supernatural at Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM). In this hair-raising episode, we meet a group of courageous volunteers who fearlessly conduct ghost hunts in various locations within the museum. Armed with a special thermal gaming camera, they reveal the unseen, capturing heat signatures and creating digital frames to visualize ethereal movements. These ghost hunters employ an array of tools to document paranormal phenomena, from capturing unexplained movements to detecting energy fluctuations and eerie sounds. Join us as we hear about their experiences and what they plan to do next.
Pacific Electric 1299 is a truly unique piece of SCRM's collection. This is a Pacific Electric deluxe business car. This car was purchased in 1958 and was originally brought to the Pamona Fairgrounds - it was not until 1998 that it came to SCRM. Since coming to the Museum PE 1299 has not been operational - until now! This podcast provides a brief introduction into the initial restoration of this unique car.
Pacific Electric 1299 is a truly unique piece of SCRM's collection. This is a Pacific Electric deluxe business car. This car was purchased in 1958 and was originally brought to the Pamona Fairgrounds - it was not until 1998 that it came to SCRM. Since coming to the Museum PE 1299 has not been operational - until now! This podcast provides a brief introduction into the initial restoration of this unique car.
Southern California Railway Museum was founded by volunteers, and when this Perris location was selected in 1958 there was little infrastructure - meaning that volunteers were tasked with the installation of many things we may take for granted in our modern world, such as our information and communication systems like phones and wifi. To help our listeners understand this facet of SCRM RailPass is talking to Allen Holliday who is the Chief Information Officer at SCRM and has organized and spearheaded various projects that have helped improve communication and connectivity within the 100 acres of the largest railway museum in the western United states.
SCRM has an amazing fleet of historic operational diesel locomotives that provide train rides to the public and unique Run One experiences for those interested in testing their skills at operating these massive machines. Restoring and maintaining a collection like this is no easy matter, and would not be possible without the help and guidance of the Diesel Services Foreman Dave Althause. In this episode we are introduced to Dave and learn more about the projects and work he has done during his tenure as Foreman.
SCRM's iconic Ventura County Railway No. 2 is undergoing its regularly scheduled 1472 inspection. To help us understand what is involved in this rigorous process RailPass is talking to Jeff Lamb, the Steam Crew Foreman about the inspection, what they have accomplished so far, and what work is still needed to get VC-2 back up and running at SCRM.
Southern California Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the Western United States, and as such it contains numerous priceless and irreplaceable artifacts, both large and small. In order to maintain the safety of our collections SCRM implemented a Fire and Emergency Services unit. In this episode we talk to Chris Baldwin who spearheaded the implementation of this unique discipline and learn the different ways that FESU protects our unique collection.
BLURB: Southern California Railway Museum houses both an extensive diesel and electric collection. In this episode we are going to delve a little deeper into the electric collection with the help of Collection Manager Rod Fishburn. We will hear about what projects are going on and coming up.
Grizzly Flats is an iconic exhibit at the Southern California Railway Museum. It holds some of our oldest collection pieces, and is also home to Ward Kimball’s collection. On this episode we are speaking with John and Suzie LePrince who volunteer as the lead curators for this space.
Southern California Railway Museum has many exhibits, but the most interactive exhibit on display is our Signal Garden. This exhibit has been around for a long time, but only in the last few years has it become fully operational for guests to enjoy, and this is thanks to the dedication and hard work of volunteers Steve Ouilline and Don Desfor. In this episode we learn what went into its restoration and ongoing maintenance, as well as why this exhibit is so unique!
Archives are an important part of any museum, and Southern California Railway Museum has an extensive archive collection. On this episode we are talking with Darrell Calvillo and Harvey Laner about SCRM’s archives and the exciting work that is going on - especially as it relates to making this collection accessible to the public.
Southern California Railway Museum is a working restoration museum. Volunteers work diligently to restore and maintain historic trains and trolleys for future generations. One restoration project that is currently underway is the Emma Nevada. Join me, your host - Sarah Harty - as we talk to the volunteers behind the restoration of this 141 year old steam engine.
Volunteers Bryan Watts and John Cunningham are part of a team that produce a video series called Tales from the Rails. This series explores the history of the trains and trolleys in Southern California Railway Museum’s collection and provides updates on ongoing projects. Join me, your host - Sarah Harty - as we learn more about this series and what goes on behind the scenes.
Mt Rubidoux (Soo Line 54)
The SOO Line 54 Business Car, known familiarly as the Mt. Rubidoux, is a gem within Southern California Railway Museum’s collection. Unlike many items within SCRM’s collection the Mt. Rubidoux is unrestored and in pristine condition. Join me, your host - Sarah Harty - as we talk to one of the car's conservators, Dave Wolven to understand the history of this beautiful business car.
Railway Operations
Southern California Railway Museum is an operating railroad - we run our historic trains and trolleys each weekend for the general public. Ensuring the safety of the public and our historic equipment during these operations is paramount, and for this we can thank Operations Manager Ryan Gallaher. Join me, your host - Sarah Harty - as we talk to Ryan about the important work he oversees at SCRM.
During the first half of the 20th century mail was delivered via rail car. Southern California Railway Museum is home to the Santa Fe Post Office Car 60. This beautiful example of a post office car has been restored and offers guests the opportunity to step back in time to 1924 and see what a working mail car would look like. Join me, your host - Sarah Harty - as we talk to one of the key restorators, Chuck Painter, as we learn more about this historic piece of railroad history.
Southern California Railway Museum is home to the Harvey Girls Historical Society - a volunteer group dedicated to keeping the history of Fred Harvey and the Harvey Girls alive. Join me, your host - Sarah Harty - as we talk to Pat Wolven, the President of the Harvey Girls Historical Society and learn about this iconic period in railroad history.
Let's explore one of the Southern California Railway Museum's exhibits - the Middleton Collection. Have you ever wondered what the Middleton Collection is? Well, look no further! Join me, your host - Sarah Harty - as we talk to Dave Wolven, a volunteer and docent for the Middleton Collection. Learn how the collection came to be, how it has evolved. and what the plans are for the future. Hear how Dave became involved with the collection and how you can too!
All aboard for Dino Train STEAM Festival! Dino Train is an annual event hosted by SCRM each spring and features Buddy the Dinosaur from PBS's hit show "Dinosaur Train". Buddy visits the Museum to meet with his fans, and SCRM has invited a variety of community partner's to help showcase his favorite S.T.E.A.M topics. Join our guest host - Judy Zulfiqar - as we talk to all of the community partners who made this event such a success. We speak to representatives from the Alf Museum, Western Science Center, UCR, Project Scientist, Kids that Code, and so much more!
What goes into making the West's largest railroad museum successful? Our volunteers! Join me, your host - Sarah Harty - as we talk to one of SCRM's volunteers, Chuck Painter. Hear how they got their start and what keeps them coming back. Learn about what volunteer opportunities exist at SCRM and how you can get involved too!
Visiting with many of the competitors from the 2nd Annual BBQ, Boots, and Brew at Southern California Railway Museum. Learn the secrets behind the competition BBQ greats. This Kansas City BBQ Master Series Sanctioned event was attended by over 30 teams and 800 guests.
Historic locomotives, trolleys, freight and passenger cars need historic parts for repair - how do you get historic parts in a modern world? Join me, your host - Sarah Harty - as we talk to Jim Gronning, the Museum's Machine Shop Foreman. Hear about all of the amazing machines that are at SCRM and used to make/repair parts for our collection. Learn what it takes to make "new used" parts, what current projects are happening, and how you can get involved too!