# Club Run Day at Fairplex Garden Railroad



## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Sunday before last was a "Club Run Day" at the Fairplex Garden Railroad. "Club Run Days" are a bit different than the "Public Run Days" that the Fairplex hosts on 2nd Sundays of each month -- members of various Garden Railroad clubs are invited to bring their own track-powered engines and rolling stock (metal wheels only, please) to run on the Fairplex tracks.

This weekend, members of clubs from San Diego, Upland, and Santa Clarita came with their spice and family members to take advantage of the offer.










For those who've never been to the Fairplex, or seen other pictures of the football-field sized layout, here are a couple of 'establishing shots' to give you a sense of the scope of the place. Here's a picture from almost the same angle as the last, but WAAAAY back -









And from the other back corner of the layout --










The Western Town in the foreground looks a bit desolate right now, like a deserted set from a Spaghetti Western. But during the County Fairs, when the entire layout is dressed to its best, this is a very popular corner. Western-style trains are run on the surrounding ovals, and they're controlled by large child-friendly buttons mounted on the perimeter fence. Kids line up to take turns slapping the "GO" buttons.

But it's not yet "Fair Time", and Southern California is still in the middle of a drought. So for now, the big pond which occupies a central focus of this garden railroad looks, alas, like this --










I'd heard in previous years that the pond was developing difficult-to-trace leaks. But I hope and presume that they'll fill it for the Fair.

Fans of Southern California rail history can tell you the story of Thadeus Lowe's magnificent incline railroad that led to a posh resort overlooking Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. Recreating this scene has been one of the Fairplex's most recent projects -- they just finished it last year. And now the Mt. Echo Resort looks out over the garden railroad.










Like everybody else's layout, the railroad is never quite complete -- there's a big pile of dirt in the corner.










It's the future home of "Seaside", a typical coastal resort town. This multi-year project will eventually include a cannery, a fishing fleet, and a fun pier complete with a giant Ferris Wheel.

Okay, let's play Choo-Choo! The mission of the Fairplex railroad has always been to illustrate the role of the railroad in California life, so it's no surprise that on this day one of their own trains was this iconic Pacific Fruit Express drag. I think that there were 30 reefers on this train, although She Who Must Take Pictures says that Rick Bremer, current Coordinator of the FGR, told her that they've run as many as 50!










The Express passes another of the Fairplex's 'regulars,' a container train sponsored by a number of local trade unions. (In fact, all the cars that I could see seemed to bear the logos of local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers <IBEW>, but I couldn't tell you for sure that it was purely an 'IBEW Train.')










This little Fairplex switcher ran its own point-to-point route through the oil fields.










A member of one of the visiting clubs brought this very nicely weathered consist dragged by what started life as an LGB mogul, I believe.










Another interesting guest train was this double-header with a consist of D&RGW MOW cars. The owner, Paul from the Upland club, said that this was an 'abbreviated' version of the consist -- he couldn't fit it all in his car!



















This Accucraft Goose No. 5 had a wonderful sound system -- it sounded as if it had lost it's clutch getting from first to second gear!










Here Paul from the Upland club is getting down with a monopod in the middle of the layout, getting a shot of his freight train with 'car carriers.'










The picture illustrates another notable advantage to coming on Club Days. Unlike public days, when visitors are only allowed to walk the perimeter of the layout, you're actually allowed to get out into the layout to chase your train and take pictures. Jim Owens, a member of my Santa Clarita club, took full advantage of the privilege as he shot pictures of his son and grandson chasing the youngster's "Thomas" around the Mountain Division.










Each year the Fairplex volunteers get a kick seeing what exotic train Grant Sweer, our club president, brings to run. This year it was a British Rail Class 56, an odd duck with cabs at both ends of the engine. It was pulling a British Rail Freight consist of Euro-style containers.










Grant also brought this S.P. Cab-Forward which he kitbashed from an Aristo Mallett. Grant's been building this engine for years, peaking and tweeking it so that it ran like a jewel on the long Fairplex mainlines.










I brought a couple of trains to run -- and yes, you can tell I like the classic steam prototypes. Here's one you don't see running very often -- a Hartland Lilly Belle. This was a limited-run model of the 7 1/2" gauge engine that Walt Disney used to ride on in his back yard in Holmby Hills. (So what scale is it, really?) Hartland made these for the Disney Corporation, who initially marketed them through their Art & Collectibles store on Disneyland's Main Street. Eventually, however, they disposed of them in Dutch Auctions on Ebay. So they were a great deal, but now kind of a collector's engine. This one is pulling a Bachmann "Pullman" car.










And passing through the Fairplex "Golden Gate."










I actually brought this Bachmann Spectrum Mogul to the Fairplex last year -- it was a virgin out of the box. To my surprise and disappointment, it wouldn't run -- years of storage in a hot shed had cracked the drive gear. "Leave it here," they told me, and Bob Jensen, their resident repair man, would fix it. And he did! So I wanted Bob Jensen to see what a good job he did, as the mostly-Bachmann consist made its way through the Mountain Division trackage. 










Now stare into that nice shiny brightwork.... Deeper... deeper... and repeat after me... I will no longer run any diesels.. only classic steam prototypes... 










or I will turn into a lizard.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary,

Thanks for posting the photos of the run at Fairplex. Back when Shad owned the MLS forum, the Fairplex folks invited the local members of MLS to run your own equipment there. What a treat that was! The SWGRS show in May 2010. I brought my Accucraft #346 out with two AMS J&S coaches.









I was using Airwire that day......no trackpower. Everyone who ran used wireless.



















I see the bridge has been repainted since I ran there.

The MLS Gang had some great fun there during those years.


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary and Carla (SWMTP)

You take beautiful pictures and give great narratives. I always look forward to your posts.

Thanks,

Tommy
Rio Gracie


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks so much for posting the pictures. Really enjoyed them.

Best,
TJ


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## Skeeterweazel (Feb 11, 2014)

Do they run any live steam at Fairplex?


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Alas, Skeeter, they don't. I and others have asked, but the answer is a polite but strong "NO." They seem to feel that we're just too messy with all our oil and water on the tracks.


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