Steam & Excursion > Steam in Perris last weekend

I’ve had a lot of fun recently photographing trains down at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris (CA), but it’s been a while since I saw their 2-6-2 steamed up. Last Saturday (June 1) VC2 was out running for the annual Steampunk event so I headed down in the afternoon with a friend to have a look. Pardon the redundant photos as the locations are limited but I tried to mix them up as best I could. The following shots are combined, in no particular order, from the last three runs of the day.  

1) Upon arrival around 2:30, we spotted the steamer with a three car train consisting of two SP coaches and a UP caboose. It was backed down south of Mapes Road (below the museum grounds), which seemed a bit unusual to be that far south but maybe it was to give passengers a little longer ride?

2) Ventura County Railway Co. 2 whistling for the Mapes Road crossing.

3) VC2 heads north from the museum.

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4) A broadside with a little smoke.

5) Blowing down the boiler going away. 

6) From the north end of the line, the train prepares to back south across 11th ST.
 

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7) Some of the brass ornamentation.

8) An overall look of the train backing up on their final run of the afternoon.

9) Besides the railway museum, Perris is a popular destination for skydivers. A little difficult to make out, but if you look closely, a couple dozen parachuting daredevils float through the air.   

Thanks for looking, it’s always a fun visit to this fine operating museum, they really seem to have a grip on how things are done.

OYW
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/19 18:58 by oyw.

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Good stuff, neat little engine, seeming to coexist with the troilley guys  (thank goodness).

Out

callum_out Wrote:
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> Good stuff, neat little engine, seeming to coexist
> with the troilley guys  (thank goodness).
>
> Out

Hey guys in Rio Vista, see it can be done!

Nice shots; always good to see #2 in action.
GK

Perris used to be a war zone between the trolley guys and anyone with an interest in operating steam,
think a lot of the trolley group be be long retired.

Out

Good to see harmony rules at the old "OET"

Have fun, be safe,
Bruce "Doc" Jones  Sierra Madre CA

callum_out Wrote:
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> Perris used to be a war zone between the trolley
> guys and anyone with an interest in operating
> steam,
> think a lot of the trolley group be be long
> retired.
>
> Out

Many of the members on both sides of "the war" have passed on. 

Many years ago when I volunteered at OERM, witnessed an accident where two of those parachute nuts got tangled up and plummeted to earth. At least when you're nuts about trains you are on the ground. Nice to see the train south of Mapes Rd. A track I helped build many years ago.

Many years ago, us young trolley "kids" were very active, and the steam folks were more mature old guys who knew it all. It was like two families living in the same house -- kids and older folks and it turned into a you and us situation.

Today you can see the same thing up at Niles Canyon Railway and Pacific Locomotive Association.
Two families in one house doesn't work very well.

All of the old steam guys have passed on and trolley kids have turned into old folks. I would bet that every rail museum, steam, diesel and electric have gone through financial and personality problems in their past. It was a big undertaking for a bunch of kids with little money.

Since 9/11 everything in this country has changed, and not for the better. Today, all museums have to be operated as a business to survive, or they will fail. One our early members drummed it into our heads, that "No piece of equipment is deemed :"saved" until it sits on a piece of property you hold title to".  Today California's property values are out of sight, so I doubt any more museums will open, at least in California. But maybe a tourist operation could start up on some unused branch.

By no means we are not perfect, we have our share of problems, members, visitors and improvements, etc. Truthfully, it has been a hard grind, but starting out as a bunch of dumb youngsters in the 1950s, I think we've done pretty well without any outside help. It's grown far beyond our wildest fantasies, steam, diesel and electric. At this time in my life, it's time to sit down on a bench and watch our trains roll by.
.
Ray Ballash
 

Nice pics!!

How long is the line at Perris?

There are issues at Niles???

-Alan
 

Excelent photos and I like your last photo covering the invasion of the locomotive snatchers.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

At Perris, we have only about a mile of mainline, plus our trolley loop, but another half mile when issues are cleared up.

Niles Canyon issues? -- check with them.

Railroad museums are a dirty, heavy, hard gritty business -- "Everything here has been thrown away once".
Lots of responsibility and very few enjoyments until much work has been done.
But it's been lots of fun -- I would do it all again if I could.

Ray

Great photos, Bob.  The VC 2 is looking sharp and well cared for.  I first rode behind her probably around 1979 or so there in Perris.

Rich

Your statments are well said Ray.   Mundo is one of the early folks, who's first love was steam. But it was I, that had to be the mean kid, who told owners of the early steam, NO insurance, NO operation.!
Yes damm proud of what was done back in the days, no running water, bottled drinking water, cook weekend meals on a wood stove,  just a out house....the list is too long to post.  Folks today, would not understand or put up with what we did the first few years at Perris. 

Lots of early dreams for several miles of track, but modern day development - money-policies  did not allow it to happen.
 

Does poking around on the Lavino engine in 1968 count?

Out

Ray, which end is the half mile on?


wattslocal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At Perris, we have only about a mile of mainline,
> plus our trolley loop, but another half mile when
> issues are cleared up.
>
> Niles Canyon issues? -- check with them.
>
> Railroad museums are a dirty, heavy, hard gritty
> business -- "Everything here has been thrown away
> once".
> Lots of responsibility and very few enjoyments
> until much work has been done.
> But it's been lots of fun -- I would do it all
> again if I could.
>
> Ray

  Looking back, railway preservation and operation of historic rolling stock by volunteers is difficult enough without infighting by different factions. Having two different organizations,occasionally feuding, on the same campus was a disagreeable experience some times and was possibly unsustainable. A house divided. I feel the creation of one group, OERM, cleared up most or all of the " us vs. them" that had gone on. This enhanced the overall progress the museum has made since that time. The current attraction of electric, diesel and steam display/operation surely benefits the preservation of all three. Attracting more and more visitors whose admissions, purchases and donations support the overall goal. This seems to be the case at IRM as well. Wag.