“Looking Toward the Future” is the theme of the Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society’s (SCRVRHS) Annual Railfest, co-sponsored by the Fillmore & Western Railway. The Railfest, which attracts thousands of visitors annually, takes place at Central Park in Fillmore on the weekend of April 25th and 26th between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Admission and parking are free.

Following in the SCRVRHS tradition to provide Southern California with a family fun event, the Railfest offers railroad-related activities such as miniature steam train rides; ‘speeder’ rides, turn table demonstration, displays from various railroad-related organizations, including model railroads, Operation Lifesaver, and food booths, including SCRVRHS’ very own Locomotive Tri-Tip Bar-B-Que. Other invited attractions include the famous Frontier Gunfighters, antique farm equipment demonstrations and vintage tractors, live musical entertainment, arts and craft booths, and commemorative festival T-shirts.

This year, there will be 1 hour train rides departing at 10:00am, 11:30am, 1:00pm and 2:30pm. A caboose will also be added to provide a unique and rare opportunity for the public to ride in an actual caboose for a one hour excursion.

A Family Comedy Murder Mystery Dinner Train will run on Saturday, April 25 featuring a Spaghetti dinner. On board will be gunslingers, good guys in white hats, frontier gals and other mystery players. Reservations required. For tickets or information please visit www.fwry.com or call 805-524-2546.

SCRVRHS will also have their 1956 Union Pacific Pullman Sleeping Car open for public inspection. The car, designated by U.P. as #1205 the ‘National Embassy’, is one of only twelve flat-sided aluminum ‘Embassy’ cars built for the Union Pacific Railroad. It came directly out of U.P. service spending the last twenty+ years on static display at the Miramar Hotel in Montecito. The interior is untouched and virtually original in every detail, right down to the Union Pacific blankets and Pullman soap bars. It has roomettes, staterooms, and a rare open section. A real step back into the closing days of the golden age of passenger train service! You’ll want to see this.

Plus the SCRVRHS RR Visitor Center will be open. The Center, located in the old Fillmore City Fire house, contains many railroad artifacts, an educational library, Lionel model train layout, gift shop and a video library and theatre.

Visit the old Southern Pacific Depot, Bunkhouse, or Hinckley house at the Fillmore Historical Society, which is rich in Fillmore history. They are located near the turntable.

This is SCRVRHS’s annual opportunity to demonstrate their charter as a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the history of the old Santa Paula Branch Line. Most of the Festival proceeds benefit the non-profit, its railroad restoration efforts; and a roundhouse/Railroad Interpretive Center.

Fillmore is located 40 miles north of Los Angeles in Ventura County on Highway 126 between Interstate 5 at Magic Mountain and the 101 Freeway in Ventura.