The tour will take place from 1pm to 4pm at the headquarters of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad in Santa Maria. Directions to the SMV yard will be distributed to those who have signed up for the tour. You will need to provide your own transportation from the Embassy Suites to the SMV which is about 35 miles from the convention hotel.

This excursion is limited to 40 persons. The fare for this excursion is $10. Sign-ups will close when we reach the 40 person limit. Signups are done through the convention registration.

The Santa Maria Valley Railroad is a dynamic force in the Santa Maria Valley and all along the Central Coast. Founded in 1912 it went bankrupt in 1925 only to be purchased by George Allen Hancock and turned into a major player in the development of the Santa Maria Valley. Purchased in 2006 by Coast Belle Rail Corp, who has since grown the business. The SMV’s growth is due to its ability to attract new customers and provide excellent service to all local rail-served industries. The SMV connects to the Union Pacific at Guadalupe, CA and provides local customers access to the nationwide rail network.

This is a chance to visit the shops and yard of this shortline and see up close how a railroad operates. Saturday is one of the railroad’s light duty days so most if not all of the locomotives will be present. They currently have one GP35, one GP9, and two GE 70-tonners.

Sturdy, closed-toe shoes are required for the tour. This will be in the regular work area of the shops. The tour will be about three hours long.

For more information about the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, see their web page: https://smvrr.com/