CAMPO, California — A well-known San Diego locomotive has found a new home in Campo, but getting it there was a slow chug. In this Zevely Zone, I visited the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum.
Much like seeing a fish out of water, you may be wondering how the Coaster 2103 locomotive got to Campo. "This locomotive pulled Coaster commuter trains between San Diego and Oceanside for 26 years. You would have seen it probably every day," said Stephen Hager, President of the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum.
After pulling commuters for more than a million miles, Coaster 2103 should have been cut into scrap metal. "I would have been devastated really," said Stephen. Instead, he offered her a new home.
"You can't pass up a chance to acquire such a significant piece of equipment like this," said Stephen. But how do you move a 280,000 pound locomotive without train tracks?
The answer is slowly, carefully and under darkness. "Middle of the night. The Highway Patrol will only let you make a move like this when there is not traffic on the road," said Stephen.
"If you do the math for the travel time the average speed was about 3 to 4 miles per hour." Last August in National City, the locomotive was loaded onto a trailer. "I was a afraid it would not lift in one piece," said Stephen. "We had a lot of people who saw this and were out there with their phones taking pictures."
The 72-mile trip to Campo took them a week and was followed by a big bill. "The locomotive was donated free of charge to us but moving it here to us cost us about $140,000," said Stephen. "I was ecstatic to get it here." If you haven't noticed, Stephen adores trains. "You have to be when you are volunteering at a museum like this," he said.
Despite dozens of switches, Stephen says they're fairly simple to drive. "You push it that way to go forward and pull it back that way to make it go in reverse," said Stephen. Now that Coaster 2103 is in Campo, Stephen just asks that you come and take a ride. An adult can ride for $18. "We are really affordable and it's even cheaper for children," said Stephen. "It's at its new home now in Campo, California."
Looking for a new way to celebrate the Easter holiday with your family? Look no further than a train ride, a visit from the Easter Bunny, and an Easter egg hunt, the Bunny Train event at the Museum is perfect for the whole family.
You take a ride on Coaster 2103 on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about the non-profit museum click here.
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