Fillmore and Western Railway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fillmore and Western Railway |
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Fillmore and Western Railway EMD F7 No. 101 and GP35 No. 3502.
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| Locale | Ventura County, California, USA |
| Coordinates | 34°23′57″N 118°54′39″W / 34.399031°N 118.910716°W |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Southern Pacific Railroad |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Track owned by the Ventura County Transportation Commission
Rolling stock owned by Fillmore and Western Railway |
| Operated by | Fillmore and Western Railway |
| Reporting mark | FWRY |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1887 |
| 1995 | Sold to VCTC |
| Preservation history | |
| 1991 | Short Line Enterprises begins using line |
| 2021 | Final scheduled excursion |
| Headquarters | Fillmore |
The Fillmore and Western Railway was a special kind of train line, called a heritage railway. It ran on tracks owned by the Ventura County Transportation Commission in Ventura County, California.
This railway was famous for being a filming location for many movies and TV shows. Visitors to Fillmore could often see film crews and movie sets. The Fillmore and Western Railway stopped running its trains in 2021.
Contents
History of the Railway
The train tracks were first built in 1887 by the Southern Pacific Railroad. They went through the Santa Clara River Valley in Ventura County. These tracks were once part of a main line connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles.
For many years, especially in the 1950s, Southern Pacific used these tracks a lot. They carried citrus fruits from farms along the Santa Clara River. In 1995, the Ventura County Transportation Commission bought the western part of the line. The eastern part of the line ends in Piru.
Movies and Tourist Trains
A company called Short Line Enterprises came to Fillmore in 1991. They used the railway to provide train cars for movie productions. Over time, they also started offering fun tourist rides and dinner trains for visitors.
The Fillmore and Western Railway became well-known for its special events. These included the Railroad Days Festival, the Pumpkinliner, and Christmas Tree Trains. They also had the North Pole Express and "Day Out with Thomas" events. Regular trips included weekend rides, dinner trains, and shopping trips to nearby Santa Paula.
The railway was used in over 400 movies, TV shows, and commercials. Some movies filmed there include Throw Momma from the Train, Three Amigos, Seabiscuit, and Race to Witch Mountain. TV shows like CSI and Criminal Minds also used the tracks for filming.
The main train yard was next to the city hall in downtown Fillmore. This area was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1994 caused a lot of damage. In 2007, a large turntable was installed there. A turntable is a spinning platform that helps turn locomotives around or move them to different tracks.
This area was planned to become a railway heritage park. It would have included a roundhouse (a building for storing and repairing trains) and a museum.
End of Operations
The Fillmore and Western Railway's agreement to use the tracks ended on June 30, 2021. The last planned train ride for visitors was on June 26, 2021.
After the Fillmore and Western Railway stopped operating, another company took over. The Sierra Northern Railway became the new operator of the line in December 2021.
Train Cars and Locomotives
The Fillmore and Western Railway had many different train cars and locomotives. Most of these were bought from big movie studios like 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. These trains were often used for filming movies, TV shows, and commercials.
The railway's collection included several types of locomotives. They had GP35s and F7s from General Motors. They also had an S6 and an RS32 from the American Locomotive Company.
They also owned many passenger cars, freight cars, and cabooses. One special train was an old steam locomotive, a Baldwin #14. Another small steam engine, the Sespe, was sold in 2014.
The railway also had two full-size steam locomotive props. These were built for The Lone Ranger movie in 2013. They looked like real steam trains but were actually powered by diesel engines inside. One of these props, named "Constitution" in the movie, was used in other TV shows like Westworld.
After the railway's lease ended, most of its locomotives and train cars were bought by Sierra Northern Railway. Some pieces were sold to other railways or museums.
See also
- Heritage railway
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of heritage railways
