Los Angeles Railway car 1201 operating at Orange Empire Railway Museum in 2009
The Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM, reporting markOERX[1]), formerly known as the Orange Empire Railway Museum, is a railroad museum in Perris, California, United States. It was founded in 1956 at Griffith Park in Los Angeles before moving to the former Pinacate Station as the "Orange Empire Trolley Museum"[2] in 1958.[3] It was renamed "Orange Empire Railway Museum" in 1975 after merging with a museum then known as the California Southern Railroad Museum, and adopted its current name in 2019.[4] The museum also operates a heritage railroad on the museum grounds and on a right of way into downtown Perris.[5]
The collection focuses on Southern California's railroad history. It houses the largest collection of Pacific Electric Railway rolling stock in the world, much of it rescued from scrapyards after the discontinuation of their passenger operations in 1961.[6]
Two early Los Angeles3ft6in (1,067mm)narrow gaugestreetcars from the Los Angeles Railway or standard gauge streetcars from the Pacific Electric Railway run each weekend on the one-half-mile (0.8km) long, dual gauge (1,435mm (4ft8+1⁄2in) and 3ft6in (1,067mm) narrow gauge) Loop Line. A passenger-carrying steam, diesel or electric powered freight train with open gondolas fitted with benches and at least two cabooses runs on the 1.5-mile (2.4km) long, standard gauge mainline that was once a part of the transcontinental main line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (to San Diego). Its main line stretches from south of the museum northward towards the junction with BNSF Railway, where the historic Perris Depot on State Route 74 stands. The BNSF Railwayspur is in active use, but the museum track onto the spur is currently severed due to Metrolink service, meaning that no museum trains can access the Perris Depot, though has recently been rebuilt. A Pacific Electric interurban "Red Car" also operates on the mainline on selected weekends, but the line electrification ends a block south of the depot. Streetcars and locomotives are selected on a rotating basis. The museum maintains a steam locomotive in operating condition and its use is scheduled for each third weekend, September through May, certain special events and major holidays.
Parking and admission to the museum are free except for special events. Tickets must be purchased to ride on the museum railway. Tickets are good for the day on all operating equipment on the line, including the streetcar loop.
Tours of the grounds, static exhibits and shops can be self-guided or with a docent. A picnic area is located near the main entrance as is an interactive railroad "signal garden."
Built between 2000 and 2001 and utilizing a combination of standard railroad signal relays and custom microprocessor controls, the garden's first phase included:
Two restored Magnetic Flagman grade crossing signals, both upper- and lower-quadrant
Union Switch and Signal motorcar indicator as used by the ATSF; this was little more than a pair of electric lamps and colored lenses
Grade crossing warning bell c.1910. This is a large, bronze bell with an electromagnetically driven clapper which alerted motorists to the approach of a train. It stood at an SP grade crossing in nearby Anaheim until the early 1960s when it was donated to the museum
Union Switch and Signal relay cabinet, c.1940 and used to house the electronics powering the exhibits
The display has since been expanded to include modern grade crossing signals, a US&S semaphore which once was mounted on a signal bridge spanning the Pacific Electric Watts Line and a century-old US&S banjo signal, used for both grade crossing protection and train control and one of only three known to exist. The others are on display at the Baltimore and Ohio Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.
Used primarily for special events. Donated in 1972. Has been operating since 1978 and is undergoing an overhaul as of 2025. Expected completion date is 2026.[14]
Formerly on display in Oro Grande, California until 1997, when it was donated to the SCRM for display. This engine was originally Los Angeles & Salt Lake RR #2725, then Oregon Short Line RR #2564 (both UP subsidiaries).
Rebuilt and numerous times; Inherited by BNSF in 1995 and was donated in operable condition 1999. Restored to as-built condition 2012-2018. Used primarily for special events.
Acquired by MPI in 1974 as a scrap switcher. Donated to SCRM in 1989; Arrived 1990. Stored until 2020 before undergoing restoration to operating condition which was completed in late 2023.[15]
Built in 1973 and sported United States Bicentennial colors from 1976-78. Renumbered 5834 in 1986 and again in 2000 by BNSF to 6484. Retired in 2008. Donated to museum by BNSF in 2022 and cosmetically restored to Bicentennial colors. Arrived at museum in 2025.[16]
Purchased by CNW from UP; Rebuilt and redesignated E8Am in 1973. Later inherited by Metra and retired in 1989. Purchased in 1997; Restored from 2010-2012.[citation needed]
Rebuilt as U25BE featuring updated electronic systems. Donated in operable condition in 1988 and cosmetically restored in 2011. Formerly painted as the SP Bicentennial unit No. 6800.[17][citation needed]
Sold to BSC in 1967 and renumbered 15. Sold and purchased from NMSC in 1986 by SCRM. Stored at museum until 2005, when full restoration commenced, and was completed in 2020.[citation needed]
Renumbered many times, donated to SCRM in 1990 along with sister locomotive 1550, which worked alongside 1543 at Chrome Crankshift and Kerr McGee.[citation needed]
Renumbered many times, donated to SCRM in 1990 along with sister locomotive 1543, which worked alongside 1550 at Chrome Crankshift and Kerr McGee.[citation needed]
Donated in operable condition alongside sister engine 2958 in 1995. Last operated 1999-2003. Candidate for next restoration project one Santa Fe 560 is complete.[citation needed]
Donated in operable condition alongside sister engine 2954 in 1995. Last operated on excursion service 1999-2003. Fired up in 2009 and used a few times and not operated since 2010. Candidate for next restoration project once Santa Fe 560 is complete[citation needed]
Operated between San Diego and Oceanside from 1995 to 2021. Prime mover permanently disabled per agreement with California Air Resources Board emission regulations. Donated by Coaster with the help of Mike Armstrong in 2022. Moved to museum along with 5704 in 2025. Can be operated as Cab Car,[18][19] though can be restored both cosmetically and internally.
Museum's primary switcher. Originally built for U.S. Army in 1951 and later transferred to U.S. Army. Sold to Coast Grain and later J D Heiskell in Ontario, California.[20] Acquired by museum sometime in the mid-2000s.[citation needed]
Built in 1944 for the US Air Force and was assigned to Norton Air Force Base. Donated to museum after operations at the base ended sometime in the late 1970's.[20]
Santa Fe 108, is a 1967 EMD FP45diesel locomotive.[21][22] Featuring a 3600-horsepower (2.7 MW), 20-cylinder prime mover and six traction motors, the FP45 was intended for fast passenger service and is geared to run in excess of 90 miles per hour (140km/h). ATSF 108 is especially notable as being the last passenger locomotive ever purchased by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and was used on Santa Fe's finest passenger trains, including the Super Chief between Chicago and Los Angeles. Relegated to fast freight service in 1971 when passenger rail operations were transferred to Amtrak, the FP45 was donated in operating condition less its air conditioner by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe in 1997, but its size limits its use to occasional demonstration service and special excursions. It is maintained in service-ready condition and is sometimes used on off-property work trains. The locomotive underwent an extensive six-year restoration which was completed in late 2018.[22] The completed restoration returned the locomotive to its as delivered external arrangement, including the original Santa Fe passenger Warbonnet paint scheme[23] and original number.
Southern Pacific 3100 is a GE U25B diesel locomotive once owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad and is the last operating example left in the US. Built in 1963 and originally numbered 7508, it became one of three SP locomotives painted in a red, white and blue color scheme in 1976 in celebration of the United States Bicentennial.[24][25] It was retired in 1987.[25] Numbered as SP 3100 prior to being donated, this locomotive is used in regular service. Like the FP45, the U25B is certified to run on any railroad, and its two-axle trucks and 2500-horsepower (1.9 MW) prime mover make it ideal for off-property work trains. It is also used to pull passenger-carrying freight cars on weekends and during members-only events, may be operated by museum members under supervision by a qualified engineer.
The Union PacificE8A 942 built by General Motors'Electro-Motive Division in 1953. It is one of 18 UP cars and locomotives preserved at the museum. The 942 is the flagship of the museum's UP fleet. It has been fully mechanically and cosmetically restored to UP's traditional yellow paint scheme with red and grey accents. The locomotive is occasionally used to lead a matching four car passenger train consist, nicknamed “The City of Perris”, playing on Union Pacific's practice of christening certain named trains after cities they originated from. Example: City of Los Angeles, City of San Francisco. The consist runs on select weekends, and occasionally for special events.
The Pacific Electric collection consists of over 30 pieces of equipment from the largest interurban network in the United States, including local, suburban and interurban passenger equipment, electric locomotives, cabooses, and freight cars. Included are "Business Car" PE 1000, and interurban PE 1001, built in 1913 by Jewett; PE 1299, a 1929 "Business Car" rebuilt from a 1912 Pullman-built Southern Pacific trailer; three giant "Blimp" interurban coaches; several "Hollywood" suburban cars (featured in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit), and two Birney streetcars.
The Los Angeles Railway collection consists of over two dozen pieces of electric railway equipment and is the most comprehensive collection of preserved equipment from any large city streetcar system. Highlights of the collection, which includes examples of nearly every type of streetcar run in Los Angeles in the 20th century as well as numerous work cars, include the "Descanso", the only surviving street railway funeral car; car 3001, christened by Shirley Temple as the first PCC streetcar in Los Angeles;[26] and several examples of the "California" type of streetcar that utilized a half-open design suitable to the warm climate. Cars are operated regularly over the only 3ft6in (1,067mm) narrow gauge trolley line remaining in the United States.
Ventura County Railway #2 is a 1922 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-6-2 steam locomotive maintained in operating condition. Originally built to run on coal, the locomotive was converted to oil soon after delivery to its original purchaser, the Cascade Timber Company of Reliance, Washington as No. 107. Last used by the V.C. Ry. on an excursion run in 1959, it was put up for sale in 1962, sold to a private party in 1964, and finally, it was transferred to the California Southern Railroad Museum in 1972, one of the SCRM's predecessors. In 1983, the locomotive appeared in the made for TV series movie: The Winds of War. The boiler was overhauled to present-day FRA steam locomotive regulations in 2001–2006; bringing the rest of the locomotive to specifications has been ongoing since its acquisition. In November 2021, the locomotive was taken out of service for a federally-mandated inspection and overhaul. Every 15 years or 1472 service days, whichever comes first, this process must be repeated. The overhaul and inspection is estimated to take three to five years to complete, and is estimated to cost $200,000. Updates and progress can be followed on the museum's official steam shop Facebook page.
Santa Fe #5704 is one of 5 ATSF SD45-2s to be painted in the Bicentennial scheme, originally built in 1973 by Electro-Motive Division. The locomotive was donated to the museum in 2021 by BNSF. In 2022, the locomotive was cosmetically restored to its as-built appearance at Mid-America Car in Kansas City, Missouri. 5704 is not currently in operating condition, but the museum plans to restore it to working order once it arrives on museum property. The locomotive is expected to arrive at the museum sometime in 2023.[27] As of 2024, the locomotive has yet to arrive at the museum, still waiting for the "Perris Connection" to be reconnected, stored in the BNSF Railway Commerce Yard. However, in March 2025, the "Perris Connection" is soon to be completed, which means that 5704 will be sent to the museum in early May 2025. Along with 2105, this locomotive arrived on museum property on May 3, 2025.
Coaster #2105 is a F40PHM-2C built in 1994 by Morrison–Knudsen for commuter rail service for the then new Coaster commuter rail in San Diego. It hauled commuter trains for the next 25 years until being retired in 2021 and replaced with a Siemens SC-44 Charger. With the help of Mike Armstrong of the CoasterFan2105 YouTube Channel, 2105 was donated to the Southern California Railway Museum in 2022. The locomotive was moved to BNSF Railway's Commerce rail facility yard later that year. It is currently in storage, awaiting alongside SD45-2 #5704 for the "Perris Connection" to be reconnected. The locomotive is currently inoperable as a hole was drilled in the engine as per Tier 4 Regulation standards to ensure the locomotive cannot operate again. The museum hopes once it arrives at the museum, it can be operated as a cab car on their short stretch of line.[28] However, as of 2024, just like Santa Fe #5704, it has yet to arrive at the museum and stored at the BNSF Railway Commerce Yard. Just like Santa Fe #5704, 2105 is expected to arrive at the museum in early May 2025 due to the completion of the "Perris Connection". Along with 5704, this locomotive arrived on museum property on May 3, 2025.
Light rail vehicles
San Diego TrolleySiemens-Duewag U2 cars 1008 and 1003 arrived in March 2016 and March 2018 (respectively), joining original San Diego Electric RailwayPCC cars 508 and 528 as part of the San Diego collection. The 1008 and 1003 operate on select weekends at the museum independently, and occasionally as a two-car train.
In addition to the museum's railroad equipment exhibits, its shops hold a historic collection of industrial machine tools and hand tools. One of these is a sheet-metal shear, which was made by Parker Manufacturing Company, a machine shop in Santa Monica, CA. The company needed a shear, but backlogs in the World War II years meant a two-year waiting list to obtain one. So, the small company decided to design and make its own shear. It was made entirely of steel plate (no castings) due to backlogs in foundries. The design was successful, and desired by other shops needing machine tools. Soon, the local company was in the shear manufacturing business. The museum puts this unique shear to use in its Car house 4.[29]
Other shop and maintenance facilities at the museum include:
Machine Shop, capable of custom machining and metalwork operations, this fully equipped shop is frequently used to recreate custom parts for maintenance of rolling stock and projects. The machine shop also houses the air brake shop.
Wood Shop, equipped for precision woodworking to help maintain facilities and rolling stock with wooden components.
Communications, Electronics & LRV Maintenance Shop maintains the museum's railway radio communications system along with other electronics-based systems, and also maintains the museum's fleet of Light Rail Vehicles, as these vehicles are highly electronics-based.
↑ Broggie, Michael. Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination that Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom, pp. 52-9, 31-70, 81-2, 150, 2nd Ed., The Donning Company Publishers, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 2006. ISBN1-57864-309-0.
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