El DORADO, Calif. — The El Dorado Western Railroad (EDWR) is celebrating a milestone this weekend with the launch of its full-size excursion train, offering passengers the chance to ride a historic locomotive, caboose and passenger car along the Placerville Branch line.
The inaugural trips will depart from the El Dorado Station at 4650 Oriental Street on Saturday, Sept. 20, with departures at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Fares are $12 for riders ages 9 and older, $3 for children 4 to 8 and free for ages 3 and under. Tickets are sold at the station prior to departure.
“This is a dream realized for our volunteers and the community,” said an EDWR spokesperson. “For years, we’ve offered rides on smaller rail cars, but now guests can step into history aboard a full-size train.”
The train, which will run the third Saturday of each month through December, features three components: a 1952 Plymouth Locomotive, a former Southern Pacific caboose and the Eric Stohl Passenger Excursion Car, rebuilt from a U.S. Army flat car by volunteers. Each piece of equipment was donated and meticulously restored.
The locomotive, painted in green and gold, was originally built for the California Rock and Gravel Company and later used by CertainTeed in Chowchilla before being donated to EDWR in 2010. Volunteers spent years repairing and outfitting it for safe operation.
The caboose is undergoing restoration to its original 1940s interior and is currently open for tours after rides. The passenger car, dedicated to late volunteer Eric Stohl in 2018, was fully rebuilt with new decking, railings and seating.
The excursions represent mid-1900s branch line freight trains, which historically were the only trains to operate on the Placerville Branch during the last half-century of rail service.
EDWR, a program of the El Dorado County Historical Museum, operates entirely on donations, grants and ridership. Volunteers emphasize that proceeds from ticket sales go directly into maintaining and restoring the trains.
For more information, call (530) 663-3581 or visit facebook.com/ElDoradoWesternRailroad.
