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THE PACIFIC SOUTHWEST RAILWAY MUSEUM
The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum is dedicated to preserve and restore railroad equipment. Our ultimate goal is to obtain land in San Diego County and to build both an operating and static display of railroad equipment.
Why is this important, you might ask? To begin with the railroads played an important part in the expansion of our great United States into the land of today. How many of our youngsters today have ever looked at a steam locomotive in operation? How about the once familiar street cars and the one time familiar clicking of the telegraph instruments at depots all over the land? Not too many, you say. Well this is the basic purpose of a railway museum; to bring the past pack to life for them to see and understand.
To achieve these goals the San Diego County Railway Museum Association was formed in 1959. The name was changed in 1964 to the present Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association. The museum to date owns various pieces of railway equipment. Among the equipment may be found several types of section cars ranging from the handcars of the past to the gasoline cars of today. The museum also owns three steam locomotives at this time. At least one street car is owned by one of our members, and a rare Fairmont gasoline passenger car is owned by the association (nearly restored).
Because we are unable to obtain property for a museum site in the San Diego area we are forced to temporarily send our steam locomotives to Perris, California, the site of Orange Empire Trolley Museum. The museum at Perris is the third largest of its kind in the United States.
Like many museums, PSRMA's big problem is raising funds to keep restoration projects under way. To finance the expenses necessary in this type operation the PSRMA depends on donations and dues paid by its members. Labor is provided by members and other interested volunteers.
The museum is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Much more support is needed to achieve the goal to which the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum is dedicated. Any kind of help is greatly appreciated, be it financial or just the labor of love.
Know any one who is interested in railroading, and its history and equipment? If so send him to one of our meetings or let him contact one of our officers. Our monthly business meetings are held each month in the old El Cajon library building, which is located just across the street from the police station. That is on the triangle at Prescott Street Just east of Magnolia one block. The date of our meeting is the third Sunday of each month. And all comers are welcome to come out and meet our group.
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