More golf and a field trip!

Thurs - Feb 17th

We played golf in the GVP mixer at the Golden Era Golf Course again.  Diane and Joyce rented a cart while Jim and Tim walked the course.  Unfortunately, the batery in our cart started running out about the 6th hole and died completely on #9.  So we had to carry our bags and clubs the rest of the way.  Had a nice potluck dinner afterward and Tim won $5 although Diane was hoping for one of the 3 bottles of Merlot that were given away.  We learned that we were outnumbered 3 to one by Canadians, most of whom told us they had plenty of golf courses back home but under 3 feet of snow at the moment.

Sat - Feb 19

RAIN  RAIN  RAIN   Dance at the clubhouse.

Sun - Feb 20

We took a short trip to Perris to see the Orange Empire Railway Museum.  Great fun!  Rode on the streetcar, the electric train and the diesel train.  The steam engine was undergoing its 5-year safety inspection so couldn't ride that one.  There are hundreds of diesel, steam and electric locomotives in various buildings on this 100-acre site.  The largest building, Carhouse #7, is 64,000 square feet but was not open to the public this day.  Most of these trains served the Southern California area from the mid 1800's to mid 1900's.

All aboard!!



This one reminded us of the cable cars in San Francisco.  See the mechanical brake behind the bench that Jim is sitting on?

There is even a "Party Caboose" that can be rented for special events.  And, in fact, there was a part for 5-year-old Nick and a bunch of his friends that day.

In the early 1900's most folks didn't own automobiles so they took the train to get to the beach for the day.  Our guide said it took about an hour to get from Pasadena to the ocean (about 25 miles). 

We loved the old-time ads inside the cars.

Do you remember Nucoa, Rinso and Lux?

Grizzley Flats Carhouse has all 3-foot narrow gauge engines.

All of the workers at the museum are volunteers and, based upon the number of cars they have here, and the amount of repair and restoration needed, they will never run out of work.  It is obviously a labor of love.

Then there is a section for "Safety Cars"..."so simple, so safe, that a woman can operate it."

One of the most interesting cars was the funeral streetcar.  "In the days of unpaved roads and horse-drawn hearses, the trolley funeral car offered a more dignified ride to one's final resting place.  For $25 the car could be chartered to transport the funeral party to and from one of seveal on-line (on the trolley line that is) cemeteries in Los Angeles.  The small doors on the side permitted a casket to be loaded inside."  This car was built in 1909.