Large Scale Central

Cab ride on the Poway Midland RR!

Prototypes
#1

The San Diego Garden Railway Society had its big annual meeting today in Old Poway Park. The Poway Midland Railroad is located in the park and was running a beautiful 100 year old Baldwin 0-4-0! And it’s narrow gauge!! “Old #3” pulled a pretty little replica passenger car, and delighted both children and adults. I never even knew this RR and museum existed until now.

Our club had an arrangement whereby club members could ride for free. However, the regular fare is only $2 for adults, which is very reasonable.

But the best part is, my wife and I got to ride in the cab!!! Well, not actually the cab itself, which was typically cramped with barely enough room for the engineer and fireman. We sat on a seat at the front of the tender, looking into the cab. What a treat!! :slight_smile:

I’ll post pics in a couple days, soon as I get them developed.

#2

Didn’t know about the Poway Midland. Next time I’m out there visiting my brother I’ll have to look it up. However back in June we did get out to Campo to view the museum and ride the train there. Unfortunately the steam engine is no longer running but on display.

#3

They apparently have a website!

http://www.powaymidlandrr.org/default.htm

Have to check this place out next time I’m down that way :wink:

#4

I heard some not so good news this morning…one of the Cal fires had entered Poway. I hope the trains don’t get destroyed by the fire…:frowning:

#5

Moved my comment to the Wildfires thread in the Off-topic forum, lets keep it all under one heading…

#6

Ken Brunt said:
Didn’t know about the Poway Midland. Next time I’m out there visiting my brother I’ll have to look it up. However back in June we did get out to Campo to view the museum and ride the train there. Unfortunately the steam engine is no longer running but on display.

I remember working on that steamer back in the mid 90s to get it running. How come it no longer is? What happened?

#7

If I remember correctly, the big steamer at Campo needs some expensive boiler repairs.

#8

Lived down in San Diego area for many years, . . didn’t know there was any railroad stuff in Poway, . . . let alone a narrow guage steam engine ! I’ll have to get over there next time I get down that way. . . . .

#9

I finally have some photos posted of the Poway Midland Railroad:

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=3009006&a=32602996

BTW, I also have a bunch of photos of the big steamer at Campo when it was running. I’ll try to get some of those posted one of these days.

#10

Have you heard whether or not it came through the fire ok…??

#11

That’s one cute little teakettle…:wink:

#12
Ray Dunakin said:
I finally have some photos posted of the Poway Midland Railroad: http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=3009006&a=32602996
42" gauge, eh? Where did it originally serve? (Verily, brethren, a nice prototype for a 1:24 model) :D
#13

Amen
or
Awomen

as your taste requires. :lol:

#14

It was originally used by a cement company up in the bay area, to haul material from the quarry to the plant. In the 50’s it (and its sister engines) were sold to a scrap dealer. Its sisters were scrapped but the dealer kept this one loco and used it to haul stuff around the scrap yard. In the 60’s it was bought by a gentleman in Poway who had it refurbished and “backdated” a bit. He built this loop of track on his property, along with a station, engine house and wooden turntable. When he passed away a few years ago the property and equipment were bought by the city of Poway. A volunteer organization now maintains and operates it. There is also a SF trolley and a speeder which run on certain weekends. And they have a standard gauge boxcar and caboose on static display.

#15

Their San Francisco cable-car is actually one of the cable-cars that was converted to battery power and use to run around the back parking lot area of Knotts Berry Farm up here in Buena Park. This is the only survivor of these Knotts cablecars I know of. There were at least three I can remember. They were used to shuttle visitors from the parking area to the main gates and back.