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.
RAIL PASS
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.
Previous Episodes
Volunteerism – with Chuck Painter
What goes into making the West's largest railroad museum successful? Our volunteers!
Machine Shop – with Jim Gronning
Historic locomotives, trolleys, freight and passenger cars need historic parts for repair - how do you get historic parts in a modern world?
BBQ, Boots & Brew
Learn the secrets behind the competition BBQ greats.
Middleton Collection – with Dave Wolven
Learn how the collection came to be, how it has evolved. and what the plans are for the future.
Dino Train – Community Partners
Join us as we talk to all of the community partners who made this event such a success.
Harvey House – with Pat Wolven
Taming the wild wild west was no easy task - but Fred Harvey & Harvey Girls did just that.
Santa Fe 5704 – Bicentennial Locomotive
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.
Tales from the Rails Video Series
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.
Grizzly Flats
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.
Santa Fe Post Office Car 60 – with Chuck Painter
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.
Ghost Hunting at SCRM
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.
SCRM Docent Program – with Gary Cochrane
Docents are an important part of any Museum, and particularly for the Southern California Railway Museum.
Information Systems – with Allen Holliday
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.
Railway Operations – with Operations Manager Ryan Gallaher
We run our historic trains and trolleys each weekend for the general public, and ensuring the safety of the public and our historic equipment during these operations is paramount.
Mt Rubidoux (Soo Line 54) – with Dave Wolven
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.
Emma Nevada Restoration Project
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.
Emergency Services
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.
Rail Fanning with Harvey Laner
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.
Electric Collection Introduction
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.
Diesel Services
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 Althaus.
VC-2 1472 Inspection Introduction
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.
PE 1299 Restoration
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 Pomona 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.
Harvey Laner
Join us as we talk to Harvey Laner, one of SCRM's founding members. Learn how his railfan journey helped create the legacy we see today.
SCRM Archives
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.
Signal Garden
Southern California Railway Museum has many exhibits, but the most interactive exhibit on display is our Signal Garden. Learn what went into its restoration and ongoing maintenance, as well as why this exhibit is so unique!
Restoration Carbarn 3 Introduction
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, 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.
Cottonwood Station
How Cottonwood was transformed from a diesel parts storage room to a beautifully recreated historic train depot