Featured Preservation

Southern California
Railway Museum

Orange Empire Trolley Museum

Perris, Ca / Aug 1997 / JCH

Explore the West’s largest collection of railway locomotives, passenger and freight cars, streetcars, interurban electric cars, buildings and other artifacts dating from the 1870’s. Ride streetcars, interurban electric cars, and trains on the Museum railway. Visit the Museum’s collection of more than 200 streetcars and railway vehicles to experience the early days of electric, steam, and diesel railway transportation in and around Los Angeles.

Southern California Railway Museum

oetm_state egyptian hat is known today as the Southern California Railway Museum began in the mid 1950s as the Orange Empire Trolley Museum, later the Orange Empire Railway Museum. Located east of Los Angeles in formerly rural Perris, California, the museum's physical footprint has expanded over the decades to now include over 200 streetcars, interurbans, and railroad rolling stock. Its largest collections feature west coast "Red Cars" of the famous Pacific Electric Railway and "Yellow Cars" of the Los Angeles Railway system. A half-mile trolley loop and a 1.5 mile standard gauge excursion track are operated when the museum is open. A passenger-carrying steam, diesel, or electric powered train with open gondolas and cabooses runs on the mainline spur that was once a part of the transcontinental main line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The museum maintains a steam locomotive in operating condition, used occasionally throughout the year. The museum took its original Orange Empire name from the orange-growing region once served by Pacific Electric interurbans and the Santa Fe Railroad.

HawkinsRails thanks the family of Ray Leader for use of his Orange Empire roster shots

SCRM grounds map / web

Click to see the current museum grounds plotted on a Google Maps page

collection

OERM tickets / collection

postcard / collection

collection

1971 tourist train guide ad / collection

1998 tourist train guide ad / collection

postcard / collection

See also our Orange Empire Trolley Museum scrapbook in Streetcars

Locomotives

Ventura County #2

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Ventura County #2

builder:Baldwin Locomotive Works

arrangement:2-6-2 Prairie type

built:1922, Baldwin #55415

fuel:oil/water

notes:

blt Ventura County #2
to Orange Empire Trolley Museum
restored; in operation

The Ventura County Railway No. 2 is the Museum’s operating steam engine. During special events and select weekends throughout the year, you can ride a train behind the VC2 and experience the excitement of an operating steam locomotive.

Southern California Railway Museum

Perris, Ca / Jul 1990 / Ray Leader

Southern California Edison #12

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Southern California Edison #12

builder:Plymouth Locomotive Works

type:gasoline mechanical

built:1941

engine:Leroi gasoline (6 cyl, 175 hp)

notes:

blt for United States Army
to Southern California Edison
to Orange Empire Trolley Museum

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

from Extra 2200 South #45 - Mar 1974 / collection

Perris, Ca / Jul 1990 / Ray Leader

Orange Empire Rwy Museum #1975

Southern California Rwy Museum

Orange Empire Rwy Museum #1975

builder:American Locomotive Co.

model:RSD1

type:C-C road switcher

built:Nov 1942, Alco #70639

series:150 produced 1942-46

engine:Alco 539T (6 cyl, 1000 hp)

notes:

blt United States Army #8018
to Department of Transportation #15
to Orange Empire Rwy Museum #1975

Department of Transportation #15

Perris, Ca / Jul 1990 / Ray Leader

United States Air Force #7441

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Southern California Rwy Museum

Southern Pacific #1006

Perris, Ca / Jul 1990 / Ray Leader

Southern California Rwy Museum

Southern Pacific #1474

Perris, Ca / Jul 1990 / Ray Leader

Southern California Rwy Museum

Mojave Northern #2

Perris, Ca / Jul 1990 / Ray Leader

Orange Empire Rwy Museum #184

Perris, Ca / Jul 1990 / Ray Leader

Electric Equipment

Los Angeles Railway #665

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Los Angeles #665

builder:St. Louis Car Company

type:Type B "Standard"

built:1911, retired 1948

notes:

blt Los Angeles Railway #665

Aug 1987 / RWH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

postcard / collection

postcard / collection

Los Angeles Railway #1201

Wikipedia Commons

Los Angeles #1201

builder:St. Louis Car Company

type:H-4

built:1921, retired 1955

notes:

blt Los Angeles Rwy #1201

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Pacific Electric Railway #498

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Pacific Electric #498

builder:Pullman Car Company

type:"Blimp" MU car - baggage/coach

built:1913, retired 1959

series:1 of 60 MU cars

notes:

blt Pacific Electric #498

Aug 1987 / RWH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

postcard / collection

San Francisco #1039

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

San Francisco #1039

builder:_________

type:PCC

built:1954, retired 1982

notes:

blt San Francisco #1039
to Orange Empire Trolley Museum
to San Francisco Municipal, stored

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Yakama Valley Traction #297

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Yakama Valley Traction #297

builder:Baldwin-Westinghouse

model:________________

type:B-B steeple cab electric

built:Aug 1923, Baldwin #56937

notes:

blt General Motors #22
to Yakama Valley Traction #297
to Orange Empire Railway Museum

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Sacramento Northern #653

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Sacramento Northern #653

builder:General Electric

type:B-B steeple cab electric

built:1928

notes:

blt Sacramento Northern #653
to Orange Empire Trolley Museum

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

postcard / collection

Hutchinson & Northern #1

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

from Extra 2200 South #54 - Oct 1975 / collection

Pacific Electric #1624

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Location

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Click to see the current museum grounds plotted on a Google Maps page

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / RWH

Close Up — Perris depot

Perris, Ca / Aug 1987 / JCH

Click to see the Perris depot area plotted on a Google Maps page

herald_atsf Built of red brick, the 1892 Santa Fe Railway depot in Perris is a classic example of High Victorian style. Built in the Queen Anne architectural style, the depot is still on its original site, substantially unchanged from its original design and construction.

The property now occupied by the depot was deeded to the California Southern Railroad (predecessor to the Santa Fe Railway) on February 12, 1886 by T.J. Fording, one of the group of San Bernardino businessmen who financed the founding of the town of Perris. It took another six years before the new depot was completed and presented to the railroad company in 1892. Originally intended to be an important stop on a major transcontinental line, this changed before its completion.

perris_inset In 2001, the Museum and the City of Perris were awarded a $431,000 TEA-21 transportation enhancement grant to perform seismic stabilization, roof repairs and other upgrades. In 2002, the PVH&MA moved out in anticipation of the restoration process beginning. Unfortunately, the time consuming nature of the grant implementation process delayed the work well beyond its originally anticipated start date. Meanwhile, plans to extend the region’s popular Metrolink commuter rail service were finalized and funded, adding new focus on the opportunities at the depot site. A Metrolink station and transit center would now be built adjacent to the depot, offering opportunities for transit oriented development projects as well.