Perris, Calif.— in Riverside County features one of California's finest rail museums filled with historic trains in an extensive collection of Los Angeles rail cars! Orange Empire Railway Museum is a must-see when you visit or pass by Perris. Among the collections are Red Cars, Yellow Cars, Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, Grizzly Flats and others.
Billed as the West's largest collection of railway locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars, streetcars, interurban electric cars, buildings and other artifacts dating from the 1870's, on weekends you can ride streetcars and experience the the past as you wander through buildings filled with antique trains and documentation to tell you about the collection.
While the grounds are open daily, weekends are recommended so that you can get the most out of your visit when the store & buildings are open, and the train rides are going.
Featured cars include:The 297, an electric locomotive which was used to pull freight trains. It was built as No. 22 for the Glendale and Montrose Railway, a 12-mile trolley line between the two Los Angeles suburbs which were its namesakes. The G&M was the only interurban railway in the Los Angeles area not to be consolidated into either the Los Angeles Railway or the Pacific Electric.
Union Pacific 4051 Dining Car. The dining car is the place where passengers eat their meals, and the cars are specially configured to cook and serve food. Originally built in 1928 as part of a ten-car order of 36-seat diners, this car was modernized to blend in with the "streamlined" cars of the day. The upgrading included the installation of large picture windows and a modified roof.SP 3100 General Electric U25B LocomotiveBuilt by the General Electric Company was one of 68 model U25B freight engines acquired by the Southern Pacific in 1963. It became something of a celebrity in 1975 when it was repainted as Southern Pacific's Bicentennial engine in celebration of the nation's 200th birthday. It was retired in 1987 and purchased by the Museum the following year from a scrap dealer. It is the only operating example of the U-25B preserved anywhere.Orange Empire Railway Museum - Perris California Pacific Electric Train - Red Car in Perris, California Perris California in a semi-desert region of Southern California and fast growing area is an ideal stop on your way to Temecula, Pechanga Resort Casino, wine tasting, hot air ballooning, glider plane rides and skydiving.
Orange Empire Railway Museum's spectacular collection of rail cars, retired trains and memorabilia such as tickets, posters and signs in the West's largest collection in one location on the expansive grounds include your own personal stops at Pinacate Station Museum Store & Museum grounds.
Call (951) 943-3020. Fees are charged to ride the trains. Open daily from around 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Directions: 2201 S. "A" St., Perris, California 92570. oerm.org
From the North take I-215 south to Perris. In Perris, exit at Route 74 West. Follow Route 74 (4th Street) west for 1 mile. Turn left onto "A" Street. Follow "A" Street south for 1.5 miles.
From the West (Los Angeles, Orange County) Take I-10 or Route 60 or Route 91 east to I-215 (approximately 50 miles from downtown Los Angeles). Take I-215 south to Perris. In Perris, exit at Route 74 West. Follow Route 74 (4th Street) west for 1 mile. Turn left onto "A" Street. Follow "A" Street south for 1.5 miles.