Orange Empire Railway Museum
The Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris California is the West Coasts
largest collection of railway locomotives, passenger and freight cars,
streetcars, interurban electric cars, buildings and other artifacts dating
from the 1870's. This is where you can ride streetcars, interurban cars and
trains on the museum railway with trolleys and trains operating every weekend
and on most major holidays for a mere $12.00 for an all day pass.. The Steam
train shuts down during the summer because of the heat but if you can get
there before May 16th then you'll get a eight mile ride on this small rail
track through the city of City of Perris, CA. at 2201 S. "A" St. The steam
train is loud with the horn blowing and the wheels churning giving a nice
romp around town inside these long forgotten tracks inside the 1920's
railroad cars from a bygone era.
The main purpose of the Orange Empire Railway Museum is to preserve and
display artifacts and documents of the rail transportation industry in
order to educate the public on the technology, history and impact of the rail
transportation industry in the West and more specifically Southern California.
The Museum does an excellent job at preserving their collection with restoration
of these antique trains and their cars of about 225 rail vehicles in total.
The Orange Empire Trolley Museum began collecting electric railway cars in 1956,
and the California Southern Railway Museum began collecting mainline railway
equipment in 1957. Both organizations coexisted at the Perris museum site until
they were merged together to form the Orange Empire Railway Museum in 1975. The
current collection encompasses three distinct track gauges, 3-ft, 3 ft.-6 in.,
and 4 ft.-8- ½ in. (standard gauge) equipment, all fixed and repaired on site
by the many volunteers who loving restore the trains and trolleys.
These original locomotives are the main display and give many visitors the
ride of their life. The railroad collections are held in trust for the benefit
of the public and is funded by special events and by the membership dues of the
volunteer staff members. All maintenance on the equipment and repairing of an
item in the collection is done in a manner that does not in any way change the
item, keeping it original and in museum quality with the collection being
restored to an appearance and look that was actually held during their in-service
life holding a stewardship of the collection as a highest priority for future
generations to enjoy.
The types of Museum funding are varied in order to keep the doors open. The
types of funding are the following: Outside funding; Grants, Restricted donations
and Private contributions.
There are two city streetcars which run on the half-mile dual-gauge Loop Line,
and another train is operating on the 1.5 mile standard gauge Mainline. The
northern end of the Museum Railway is presently at 7th Street, although during
certain special events the Steam train operates all the way to the historic 1892
Perris Depot at 4th Street. A Pacific Electric interurban or city streetcar also
operates on the Mainline on selected weekends and they are just a lot of fun
taking you back to a time then this was the main transportation for the city and
for getting back and fourth from the suburbs to the city.
Street Address:
Orange Empire Railway Museum
2201 South "A" Street
Perris, CA 92570
(951) 657-2605 info
(951) 943-3020 office
The Museum grounds are open 363 days a year, with railway operations
every weekend, as well as on Holidays and Special events throughout the
year.
Where: (17 miles south of Riverside on I-215 in the City of Perris, CA.)
