The Pacific Coast Railroad at the Santa Margarita Ranch is actually an entirely new construction (the original Pacific Coast never made it north of SLO) Rob Rossi had Sharp & Fellowes build an approximately 2-mile loop on the central portion of the Santa Margarita Ranch (in its entirety about 17,000 acres) The tracks run past the remains of the 1780s Santa Margarita de Cortona asistencia (since built into a barn) and the ranch house, which concealed under clapboard siding is the original adobe of Joaquin Estrada, the original grantee of the rancho. There is a lot of history here and this event will be well worth it. This is, in essence, an estate railway and one of few public events on it each year. Passengers will ride in the four original "Retlaw One" coaches from Disneyland. The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum's own ex-Kiso Forest Railway #7 (30" gauge) will also be displayed. More exciting things may be in store as well.
The railroad has also recently acquired the remaining Harpur 4-4-0 from Six Flags Astroworld in Houston. Unfortunately, the maintenance (or lack of) this engine received in Houston left a lot to be desired. I was down at the Ranch this week and it is indeed "a project". Overall, a neat engine with a lot of potential. Despite the touted 5/8 scale, the locomotive was far larger than I expected (Phil says it is only slightly smaller than the "Eureka")
The railroad's 1922 Vulcan 2-4-0 (ex-Lehigh Stone), used in the TV series "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman", during an October "Pumpkin Run" to benefit Atascadero schools:
