You Can't Outrun The Clock. With the sun having swung over to the west as the late afternoon slowly draws to a close, the sunlit fireman's side of Ventura County Railway No. 2 and it's train is a reminder that the last day of steam at the Southern California Railway Museum is coming to a close.
Slated to go down for it's mandated FRA 1472 inspection, the 99-year-old product of Baldwin will likely be down for a number of years to complete this inspection or "rebuild" as some call it.
For now, however, the vivid splashes of color in the foreground remind one that it is still spring in Southern California, and for a few more hours, the sound of a Southern Pacific 6-chime whistle echoing across the community of Perris takes those in earshot back to a simpler time.
From the vineyards of Napa Valley to the canyons of the Coastal Range to famed theme parks like Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, California's tourist railroads and museums offers a wide variety of experiences for the rail enthusiast.