RailGiants Train Museum
RailGiants Train Museum is a railroad museum of historic trains located at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, United States. It is owned and maintained by the Southern California Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. The museum also operates the Fairplex Garden Railway.[1] It has over 80 volunteers and from November through July, runs the second Sunday of every month, from 11:00am to 4:00pm, for the general public. The FGRR gears up every year for the L.A. County Fair, its primary show. In December various members run their Christmas trains. The garden railroad uses G Scale trains.
![]() Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 on display at the RailGiants Train Museum in 2005, before moving out in 2014 for restoration. | |
![]() ![]() Location within California ![]() ![]() RailGiants Train Museum (the United States) | |
Location | Fairplex, Pomona, California, United States |
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Coordinates | 34.083641°N 117.770251°W |
Type | Rail transport display |
Collection size | Depot and rolling stock |
Public transit access | San Bernardino Line (Pomona–North station) |
Website | www |
The museum was closed indefinitely in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but after renovations, it reopened in May 2022.[2]
Collection
The collection features historic locomotives which visitors may board.[3] The museum also features a historic train station, a library, and a collection of railway memorabilia.[3][4] Currently, entry to the museum is free and open to the public on the second weekend of each month, besides daily in May during the L.A. County Fair.[4]
A notable locomotive in the collection is the Union Pacific 4014, which was on display at the museum until 2014, when it was moved for restoration.[4]
The museum was featured in Visiting... with Huell Howser along with Kidsongs Boppin with the Biggles songs, Little red caboose & The Locomotion Episode 1015.[5]
Displayed Locomotives
Railroad | Builder | Type/Model | Built | SN | History |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outer Harbor Terminal #2 | Schenectady Locomotive Works | 0-6-0 | 10/1887 | 2409 | Built as ATSF#590, Sold in 1893 to Southern California #40, transferred to ATSF#2285 in 1900, Sold in 1909 to OHT#2, Donated 1956. |
United States Potash #3 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 2-8-0, 3 ft gauge | 3/1903 | 21882 | Built as Arizona Copper Co #20, Later became Morenci Southern #20, Sold in 1921 to Phelps Dodge Corp., Sold in 1931 to United States Potash #3, Donated 1956. |
Fruit Growers Supply #3 | Climax Locomotive Works | Three Truck Climax | 3/1909 | 932 | Built as Northern California Lumber Co #3, Sold in 1913 to Fruit Growers Supply #3, Donated 1953. |
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 3450 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 4-6-4 | 4/1927 | 59993 | Built as ATSF#3450, Donated 1955. |
Southern Pacific 5021 | American Locomotive Company | 4-10-2 | 5/1926 | 66793 | Built in Schenectady as Southern Pacific #5021, Donated 1956 and Displayed in San Bernardino, moved to the RailGiants Museum in the 1970s. |
Union Pacific 9000 | American Locomotive Company | 4-12-2 | 3/1926 | 66544 | Built in Dunkirk as Union Pacific #9000. Donated 1956. |
Union Pacific 3105 | Electro Motive Diesel | SD40-2C | 6/1979 | 786181-8 | Built as Missouri Pacific #6027, Merged into Union Pacific #3927, renumbered in 2003 to #3105. Traded for Union Pacific #4014 in 2014. First (and currently only) operational locomotive in the museum. |
Union Pacific 6915 | Electro Motive Diesel | DDA40X | 10/1969 | 7134-16 | Built as Union Pacific #6915, Donated 1987. |
See also
References
- "Fairplex Garden Railroad". fgrr.org.
- "RailGiants Train Museum | Historical Journey of the American Railroad". railgiants.org. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- Summons, Trevor (June 3, 2019). "Trevor's Travels: Do the Locomotion at the Rail Giants Train Museum in Pomona". Daily Bulletin.
- Merino, Maydeen (November 15, 2019). "Nostalgia Rides the Rails at Fairplex". Campus Times.
- "Fairplex Railroad Museum – Visiting (1015) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University". 3 March 2017.