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Layout Tour: Terry Howden (Orange, CA) A few photos I took today during the Cajon Division/PSR/NMRA layout tour of Terry Howden’s HO scale Union Pacific Sugar Pine Sub Railroad. The railroad is in a two-car garage and features special lighting for night running. Terry has been working on the railroad for four years. Bob Chaparro Moderator Model Railroads of Southern California /g/ModelRailroadsofSoCalif https://www.facebook.com/groups/150347595443

Early “Heads Up”: 2025 Pacific Coast Region Convention I just returned from the 2024 Pacific Coast Region/NMRA Convention in Milpitas, CA. It was one of the better regional conventions with good clinics and presentations, many layouts, operating sessions, prototype tours and a very worthy banquet. The PCR announced that next year’s convention will be March 27-30 in San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo is a great railroad town with a lot of thigs to see and do there and in the local area. Mark the dates on your calendar. More details will be coming soon. Bob Chaparro Moderator Model Railroads of Southern California /g/ModelRailroadsofSoCalif

Model: Devore Depot This is an N scale model built by Otto Kroutil of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, for his First District/Los Angeles Division railroad. This 27' x 21' railroad is based on a two-level layout plan published in the 1999 issue of Model Railroad Planning. It is a very large N scale representation of the west side of Cajon Pass from San Bernardino to Summit, circa 1950. Many of the actual sites in the pass, as well as the massive San Bernardino station, are modeled on this layout. Otto models the sites using photographs to assure a high level of realism. This railroad was featured on two Model Railroads of Southern California’s tours: Tour No. 9 and the tour arranged for the Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society national convention in 2008. Bob Chaparro Moderator Model Railroads of Southern California /g/ModelRailroadsofSoCalif

The address given on this flier does not come up on Google Maps. Bob Chaparro

A Little History: Riverside Live Steamers A post from the Facebook We Grew Up in Riverside in the 60's and 70's group: “Back in the 1950’s, Joe Hunter, a well known Riverside industrialist, realized that steam locomotives were disappearing from the railroads that passed through Riverside. Knowing that future generations would not know the excitement of seeing, smelling and hearing the sounds of steam locomotives, he had a vision. Why not duplicate a steam train in miniature? Setting aside 40 acres that surrounded his industrial complex, Mr. Hunter had a 4,300 foot railroad built at the corner of Iowa and Columbia avenues. While the railroad was being constructed, a locomotive and three cars were built. Steam up facilities were installed at the rear of the metal building now occupied by Familian Pipe & Supply. Trains were operated on a sporadic basis with no set schedule. Ultimately, the property was donated to the City of Riverside, and was named Hunter Park. When Mr. Hunter died, the city had an unusual problem. They had a park because of the railroad, but no one to maintain or operate the train. A group of interested railroad enthusiasts in Riverside led by Dr. John Creighton undertook negotiations with the city to assure that the 7.5 inch gauge railroad would not be neglected. In 1965, the City Council officially turned over to the fledgling Riverside Live Steamers, the responsibility for maintaining and operating the train. In 1966, RLS was incorporated under the laws of the State of California. During the past forty-six years, RLS has greatly expanded the original railroad to more than 10,000 feet of track, built three buildings and the station. With the cooperation of the city, six additional cars were built in 1972. Approximately 18,000-20,000 passengers ride the trains each year. The city owned equipment is greatly supplemented by privately owned locomotives and cars. Many times, three to four trains will be in operation. With the exception of major items, like a new boiler, all of the equipment and trackage is maintained at minimal expense to the city. All of this requires thousands of volunteer man hours, but our members have stepped forward for forty-three years to keep the facility in top shape. RLS is pleased to offer thousands of people an opportunity to see, hear, and smell what steam locomotion is all about. We like to think Mr. Hunter would be very proud of our accomplishments during the past forty-six years.” Bob Chaparro Hemet, CA