Railroading - a hobby for everyone

One of the fun things about railroading as a hobby is there’s no right way or wrong way to enjoy it. Want to take pictures? Great. Want to delve into the industry’s history? Outstanding. Want to volunteer at a tourist railroad? Enjoy!

Along the way, you’ll likely discover that not only will your interests take you places you might never have imagined, but you’ll also have opportunities to help others appreciate the multi-faceted world of railroading, and teach them some of what you’ve discovered.

In fact, even from its earliest days, the community of railroad enthusiasts has benefited from this type of handed-down knowledge, support, and encouragement. It’s an aspect of the railroad hobby that’s often overlooked, yet crucial to its ongoing survival.

Just as there is no right or wrong way to enjoy the railroad hobby, there is no one way to give back, either. I live in Southern California, and the examples I’m going to share below come from my own backyard, but I’ll bet you could think of similar examples from where you live.

A museum where people bring history to life

The joy of personal discovery is at the core of the experience that visitors have at the RailGiants museum located on the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, Calif. The museum has an excellent collection of well-maintained equipment, but it also has an even more important asset: Knowledgeable people who want to help visitors understand and appreciate not just the trains they’re seeing but the impact that the equipment, and the railroads, had on their lives and the entire nation. All you have to do is show up, as an individual or in a group, and the museum’s members will gladly show you around. They're happy to share information and explain how their equipment works.

RailGiants began as a local chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. Their first exhibit opened in 1954 with a single locomotive: a Climax donated by Sunkist Growers, Inc. Today, the museum’s collection has grown to include the only surviving Union Pacific 4-12-2 and Southern Pacific 4-10-2, diesels, passenger cars, and the Santa Fe’s Arcadia, Calif., station. And before being recently reacquired by Union Pacific, a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy. The group has also amassed photographs and papers on railroad operations that would have been lost forever without the members’ diligence.

Yet the museum’s survival was never guaranteed. It took a herculean effort of devoted rail historians and fans to persuade land owners to carve out a place for the museum and ask railroads and private owners for donations ranging from retired locomotives and cars to unused switch stands and ties. (Sound like a familiar story?)

How successful has RailGiants been, not only in preserving history but sharing the world of railroads with others? Successful enough that the museum does not charge admission. Instead, it’s sustained by donations from individual and corporate contributors who see the good work being done, and the wide impact on the public that the dedicated staff has had. The group is also well-skilled on maintaining the pieces of railroading past. Remember, UP came to RailGiants about obtaining their 4-8-8-4 Big Boy.

Want to know more? Go to Railgiants.org.

Bonds of friendship don’t have to start with a crowd

Entertaining a group isn’t for everyone. Maybe one-on-one is more comfortable. That’s just fine. How many of you gained a deeper understanding of the railroad world from someone, perhaps a railroader, who went out of their way to do you a favor?

It happened to me as a younger railfan, not yet of driving age, when I began corresponding with a fan on the east coast. The fan worked in sales for a major east coast railroad. Eventually he was transferred to the west coast, and he went out of his way to personally introduce himself to me and my parents.

Thanks to his generosity, we explored places neither had seen before, including the Tehachapi Mountains, local railroad yards, and stations. The railroader didn't have to do this, and I had no experience I could transfer to this transplanted easterner, but he did it anyhow. The railroader, Bill Seigford, wanted to share his knowledge of a wonderful hobby with a younger fan. He did so freely, and opened up my world tenfold in the knowledge and understanding of railroading. Bill is back on the east coast now. And how I wish I still had those Pennsylvania Railroad posters he brought me one day.

Reaching out in the information age

You don’t always need a collection of equipment to share the excitement of railroading. The Los Angeles Railroad Heritage Foundation in Alhambra, Calif., just east of downtown Los Angeles, was founded in 1999 on the idea that it could convey information about our great rail-based legacy with both the local area and the world.

As Josef K. Lessor, LARHF's CEO, explained, the foundation presents lecture series and other events designed to disseminate vital history information. In simpler terms, to talk about, and educate people about, railroads. Just read part of their Mission Statement: "…to preserve and dynamically present the history of railroading in Los Angeles through its three core programs: public outreach, archival preservation, and multiple-media publishing…"

The foundation showcases Southern California railroad history through events, presentations, field trips, and publishing.

And when the public and interested parties don't have time to come to one of their events, LARHF brings it to them. At various restaurants in Southern California, the foundation has set up exhibits that include photography and scale models.

To find them, head to Philippe's "The Original French Dip Sandwich" restaurant, a short walk across the street and down a block from Los Angeles Union Station. There you will find a nicely laid out selection of prototype photographs and O-gauge models. It is more than decorative, it is informative. Other exhibits can be found at restaurants in Fullerton, Newport Beach, and Riverside. The foundation is also active in Operation Life Saver, and works with the Boy Scouts of America to help scouts obtaining appropriate merit badges. Check them out at www.larhf.org.

Whether as individuals, museums, or historical foundations, the efforts of railfans to educate and inform other fans, and the general public, has long been an important part of the hobby.