Atomic Robot: The History of Ventura County Railway No. 2 and Its Journey

The History of Ventura County Railway No. 2 and Its Journey | Southern California Railway Museum

Story and Photos By Ken Hulsey

One of the things I truly miss about Southern California is spending leisurely days at the Orange County Railway Museum (formerly known as the Orange Empire Railway Museum). While sifting through an old folder of photographs from a few years ago, I rediscovered a treasure trove of images I took at the museum. The highlight was definitely the museum's operational steam locomotive, the former Ventura County Railway 2-6-2 No. 2. I thought it would be great to share some of these photos with fellow rail enthusiasts.

Not much information is readily available about this magnificent locomotive, but I did uncover that it was built back in 1922 by Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Cascade Timber Company. In 1943, the Ventura County Railway acquired the locomotive, and it changed hands a couple of times among private owners during the 1960s before finding its new home at the museum in 1972.

If we take a little trip back in history, before the development of the Los Angeles port facilities, Port Hueneme looked like a strong competitor. The Bakersfield and Ventura Railway, the earliest predecessor of VCRR, was established in February 1903 with a mission to create a rail link from Port Hueneme to Bakersfield, passing through Santa Paula and Piru Canyon. Construction kicked off in 1907, starting with a 5.5-mile main line from Port Hueneme to C Street in Oxnard, plus additional branches.

By June 1908, the railway was reorganized as the Bakersfield and Ventura Railroad, with the Oxnard line reconfigured to A Street. A railway turntable was set up at the intersection of First and A Streets in Oxnard, where gas motor cars turned around for their daily runs until passenger service ended in January 1927. Fast forward to June 1911, the property was sold to the Ventura County Railway, which had formed just a month earlier, driven by the interests of the American Beet Sugar Company (later known as the American Crystal Sugar Company). This railway played a vital role in transporting beets from local farms to the factory and also moved substantial carloads of lemons, beans, and box boards from Port Hueneme every year.

Thanks to the WWII development of the Ventura County naval base, the line was saved from abandonment, as trucks began handling agricultural shipments. Today, the Ventura County Railway No. 2 proudly serves as the museum’s operational steam engine, and during special events and select weekends, visitors can hop aboard for a ride behind the VC2 and soak in the exhilarating experience of a working steam locomotive!

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