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LARY Streetcar No. 665 stops at Alpine and Broadway at Orange Empire Railway Museum (Richard Boehle photo)Sorry, the web page you were looking for could not be found. It may have moved to a new location. Please use the navigation bar at the top to help you locate the page.

Summary:

Rails West is a website for interpreters and teachers of history, particularly the history and technology of railroads and transportation in California and Nevada.

The telling of history throughout the ages helps people understand how our society got to where it is today, allows us to honor our past and gives us a sense of direction as we look toward the future. History has been passed on from generation to generation. Families pass information about ancestors on to their children. Libraries, corporations and other organizations preserve written documents, photographs and records of past activities.

Railroad museums and heritage railroads throughout the United States acquire, preserve, research and exhibit objects from the past. Museum volunteers and professionals also gather oral histories and traditions, supplemented by written material and photographs. Using the museum collections, interpreters help people understand the railroads, how the railroads have been used, and the evolving impact of the railroads on the American West.

Interpretation is different than typical classroom education, it helps to reveal meanings and relationships through the use of original objects, firsthand experience, and illustrative media. When possible, demonstration and participation allow visitors to see and experience how the cars, locomotives and other objects were used by people in the past.

This site includes material originally developed for training docents at Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California. Sections include:

  • Sharing a Heritage explores the concepts of historic preservation, museums and how by using museum collections, interpreters help people understand the railroads use and the evolving impact on the American West. A recommended reading list is also included for interpreters and educators seeking additional information.
  • Rail History explores how railroads developed and evolved, made transportation faster, more economical and less difficult, aided economic development, and revolutionized transportation and changed the lives of people living in the American West.
  • Train Technology explores the development and evolution of steam and diesel locomotives; passenger, mail and freight cars; and the infrastructure used by the railroads.
  • Railroad Operation explores how railroads were organized, operated multiple trains typically over single tracks safely and efficiently, picking up and delivering passengers and goods throughout California and the American West.
  • Railroad Time explores the importance of Standard Time for safe railroad operation, the development of time zones by the railroads, and the technology used to ensure railroad workers were on the same time.
  • Preservation explores preservation at Orange Empire Railway Museum, and includes a partial list of railroad museums and a partial list of heritage railroads in the American West.
  • Railroads Today explores the commuter, long distance passenger and freight railroads serving the American West today.

Please join us for a brief look at interpreting the beginnings and life changing impact of these railroads, to their continuing impact today.

 

Sharing A Heritage   Railroad History   Train Technology   Railroad Operation   Railroad Time   Museums & Heritage Railroads   Railroads Today

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