9000 Yerba Buena Ave, Santa Margarita, CA, about 13 miles from convention hotel.

Located on the 14,000 acre Santa Margarita Ranch, the narrow gauge Pacific Coast Railroad loops around the ranch with great views of landscape largely unchanged over the last several hundred years. The ranch was established in the 1840’s but the Franciscans from Mission San Luis Obispo established a branch mission here in the 1770’s.

When the Southern Pacific routed their Coast Line through Santa Margarita in 1887, they established the northern helper base for trains over Cuesta to San Luis Obispo.

The railroad is the home of 3 steam locomotives and one diesel electric (often used for excursions). The railroad has four 5/8 scale coaches which once belonged to the Santa Fe Railroad & Disneyland Railroad.

The coaches were standard equipment at Disneyland in Anaheim before 1960 when the Grand Canyon Diorama prompted Disneyland to build new coaches with seats looking into the magic kingdom.

The Pacific Coast Railroad also has other passenger conveyances. Steam operation is not guaranteed and is up to the railroads owners.