Monthly Program

The Friends meet each 2nd Thursday of the month at the railroad's offices near the old sugar mill in Betteravia (2820 West Betteravia Road). Visitors are welcome to participate in these meetings and presentations, but only Members of the Friends of the SMVRR may join tours, operations, etc.

5:30pm Dinner, $6. 6:00pm Program.
Please RSVP to 805-614-7093.

Workin' on the Railroad

Friends meet the 2nd Saturday of each month at the railroad headquarters in Betteravia around 9:00am to actually work on the railroad. Tasks range the gamut from weed control to flangeway clearing to signal maintenance to development of displays, and everything in between.

December 12, 2009: Working on Caboose #210 at the Guadalupe train station. We'll start out at the SMVRR headquarters at Betteravia at 9:00am.

Projects

Blacksmith Shop

The Friends have forged a deal to acquire the SMVRR blacksmith shop equipment and supplies. You can help!

Events

July 24-25, 2010

Friends will support the SMVRR exhibit at Goleta Railroad Days. Photos are here (on smvrr.com).

July 11, 2010

On Sunday July 11th the Santa Maria Valley Railroad will be having a 99th Anniversary Celebration at the Betteravia Industrial Park. There will be tours of the rail facilities and displays starting at 10:00. A BBQ lunch featuring a Santa Maria style BBQ tri tip, SMVRR beans, and garlic bread for $10.00 starts at 11:30. In the afternoon there will be fundraiser Motorcar rides from Betteravia to the interchange track at Guadalupe to benefit the Friends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, the non profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. The Motorcar Operators West will be running a speeder excursion that day and they will be arriving from their morning run at about 11:30. The Company Store will be open where you can buy official SMVRR apparel and other souviner items. Photos are here (on smvrr.com).

May 8, 2010

National Train Day, at Guadalupe. More…

April 10-11, 2010

Motorcar Operators West (MOW) Speeder Run on the SMVRR. Plan now to help out! Speeder operators should see the MOW web site for status and details. More…

November 14-15, 2009

Motorcar Operators West (MOW) Speeder Run on the SMVRR. Plan now to help out! See the last speeder run. Speeder operators should see the MOW web site for status and details. More…

October 28, 2009

SMVRR and Friends host lunch and tour for Southern Pacific Historical and Technical Society guests. More…

October 8-12, 2009

The Friends will be participating in a number of the Central Coast Rail Road Festival (CCRRF) activities. Let us know which ones you'd be interested in joining.

August 1-2, 2009

Goleta Railroad Days. Friends had a booth there. More…

June 6, 2009

Two excursions. More…

April 4, 2009

MOW Speeder Run on the SMVRR. April 5th at Bitter Creek Western RR with the speeder group. More…

February 14, 2009

Valentine's Day Excursions on the La Condesa. More…

December 6, 2008

Santa Claus Train.
Santa Claus will be making a special trip on board the Santa Claus Excursion on the Pullman Observation Car La Condesa! Departures: 1:00 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Adults $20. Children 12 and under $15. Excursion includes a photo of your children with Santa Claus on board the La Condesa and hot chocolate and cookies after the excursion! See the pictures.

November 1-2, 2008

NARCOA/MOW Speeder Run on the SMVRR. More…

August 31, 2008

Friends help at the Pacific Coast Railroad. More…

July 26, 2008

Last Excursions from the Downtown Yard. More… (on the SMVRR web site).

April 5, 2008

2nd Annual Speeder Run on the SMVRR. See last year's. See how Friends participated.

February 14, 2008

Friends have private Valentine's Day dinner trip. More….

December 2, 2007

Friends assist with SMVRR customer Christmas party on the La Condesa. More…

November 17, 2007

La Condesa work party. More…

November 10, 2007

"Mini" Speeder Run on the SMVRR. More…

October 6, 2007

The Friends help the SMVRR hold an Open House at the Depot during Grapes and Grains coinciding with the railroad's first year anniversary of being owned by the Coast Belle Rail Corporation.

Schedule

June 10, 2010

"Railroad Financials 101" by Rob Himoto

May 13, 2010

"White Hills" by Bruce Morden.

April 8, 2010

"Safety" by Mary and James.

March 11, 2010

"Surf" by John Roskoski.

January 14, 2010

"Air Brakes" by James Andrews. More…

December 10, 2009

"Track Warrants" by Virlon, and Friends Holiday Party at the SMVRR. More…

November 12, 2009

Report on the CA Shortline Association meeting and Pacific Harbor Line tour.

October 8, 2009

SLO Farmers Market. We'll join in with the rest of the Central Coast Railroad Festival folks at their opening night activities in San Luis Obispo.

September 10, 2009

Track: maintenance and inspection. More…

August 13, 2009

Chapel Cars. Jamie Foster and Barry Hague presented slides and a talk about chapel cars. See pictures from their June 6, 2009 chapel car event.

July 12, 2009

SMVRR's 98th Anniversary. Staff, Friends Members, and their families had a birthday party at the railroad. More…

July 9, 2009

Hand signals. Hands on training! More…

June 11, 2009

SMVRR Locomotives. Tour of the SMVRR locomotives, featuring a talk about how a locomotive works and explanation of the mysterious machinery behind the doors of the GE 70 ton locomotive. More…

May 14, 2009

Maintenance of Way Equipment. Tour of the MOW equipment used by the SMVRR to maintain and build railroad track. Demonstration of MOW equipment by the SMVRR MOW Gang.

April 9, 2009

Walking Tour of Betteravia. The first phase of a walking tour of Betteravia. This short easy walk features buildings nearby the SMVRR corporate office.

March 12, 2009

Operation Lifesaver. Operation Lifesaver presenter Bill Schertle will lead this presentation about making communities safer at railroad crossings and railroad right of ways.

February 12, 2009

SMVRR in the 1950s and 1960s. A peek at the Santa Maria Valley Railroad in the 1950's and 1960's when Captain Hancock was still at the throttle and the SMVRR was one of the busiest shortline railroads in the west.

January 8, 2009

SMVRR Track System. Presentation of the present 14-mile mainline track system of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. Sidings and spurs and present day operations.

December 11, 2008

Betteravia Industrial Park; Santa Train pictures.

November 13, 2008

Private railcars, by Dave Rohr.

October 9, 2008

Friends' Open House at the railroad's new "Digs" at the Betteravia Industrial Park (site of the old Union Sugar mill). More…

September 11, 2008

Recapping in pictures the SMVRR since being sold to Coast Belle Rail in 2006. Rob's slides (PDF, 7mb).

August 14, 2008

Cancelled. Watch for details on new location for Fall meetings.

July 10, 2008

All about the Freight Depot (PDF, 3.5mb)

June 12, 2008

History of the electric railways which ran in Santa Maria, by Hal Madson

May 8, 2008

How the Central Coast will benefit from the SMVRR, by Rob Himoto

April 10, 2008

Railroading in a Santa Maria Third Grade Classroom, by Jamie Foster. See the AASRR web site.

March 13, 2008

Speeders, by Bill Schertle

February 14, 2008

Cancelled (Valentine's Day)

January 10, 2008

1980s Slides of Local Railroading, by Karl Hovanitz

December 13, 2007

Holiday Dinner and Dessert, $6 at 6pm.

November 8, 2007

All about the La Condesa.

October 28, 2007

Fall Train Fest at the Bitter Creek Western RR - a fundraiser for the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum.

October 11, 2007

Brad LaRose will talk about current activities at the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum.

September 30, 2007

Depot Day at the South Coast Railroad Museum in Goleta. 25th annual Depot Day commemorating the preservation of the Goleta Depot from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. This is also their annual fundraiser. Address: 300 North Las Carneros Road, Goleta. Phone (805) 964-3540. Website: www.goletadepot.org

September 29, 2007

Clean Up Day at the Historic Santa Maria Valley Railroad Freight Depot.

September 13, 2007

Bob Orach and Ray Deutsch will talk about the community vision for the downtown area, including Jones Street and the rail yard.

August 9, 2007

Steam! And a tour of the Blacksmith Shop.

July 12, 2007

Dave Basquet talks about the plans to develop an ethanol plant in Betteravia.

June 14, 2007

Hal Madson talks about the history of Betteravia.