ALL ABOARD IN FILLMORE; 4TH FESTIVAL CELEBRATES SPIRIT OF RAILROADS.Byline: David Greenberg The creator of this article, or someone who has substantially contributed to it, may have a conflict of interest regarding its subject matter. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Daily News Staff Writer Rick Swanson, director of the Santa Clara River Valley The Santa Clara River Valley is a rural region of eastern Ventura County, California and northwest Los Angeles County, California that is named for the Santa Clara River which winds through the valley before emptying into the Pacific Ocean between the cities of Oxnard and Ventura. Railroad Historical Society, said Fillmore's tourism base centers around trains because they appeal to people of all ages. The locomotives and passenger cars were the main attraction Saturday, the first day of the fourth annual Fillmore Spring Rail Festival, from which organizers hope to raise at least $11,000 for a planned railroad complex. ``A lot of it has to do with nostalgia,'' Swanson said of the public's fascination with trains. ``This goes back to a slower pace of life. It's a chance to relive the way it used to be.'' The two-day event, which will end today, is expected to attract 10,000 people. It features hourlong steam-train rides from downtown Fillmore halfway to Santa Paula Santa Paula (săn`tə pôl`ə), city (1990 pop. 25,062), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Santa Clara River in a fertile valley that yields citrus fruits, avocados, vegetables, flowers, nursery products, and walnuts; laid out 1875, inc. and back, miniature train rides, a staged bank robbery The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. Bank robbery is the crime of robbing a bank. , and live music. The historical society will run the event to raise money for the $1.4 million Railroad Interpretive Center that is planned not only to boost tourism but complete the town's revival from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake The Northridge earthquake occurred on January 17, 1994 at 4:31 AM Pacific Standard Time in the city of Los Angeles, California. The earthquake had a "strong" moment magnitude of 6. , which caused millions of dollars in damage. With help from the city, which donated a parcel of land at Central Avenue and Mountain View Street, the society hopes to install a railroad turntable - a bridge with a pivot in the center allowing trains to change directions. The society's 75 members purchased the 96-foot-long mechanism from the Canadian National Railroad in October 1997 for $30,000, including shipping costs. ``It was the largest single load that Union Pacific has ever hauled across the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. ,'' Swanson said. The $225,000 in installation costs will come from state transportation funds and money raised by the society. Future plans include construction of a four-stall roundhouse to store trains and a museum to display artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. that are now in a 1917 building downtown, which the Santa Barbara Bank & Trust is leasing at no charge. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) Wayne Schick drives a scaled-down steam engine at the fourth annual Fillmore Spring Rail Festival, which continues through today. (2--Color) Folks got to ride a real steam engine at the Spring Rail Festival in downtown Fillmore. Phil McCarten/Daily News |
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