Welcome!

Motorcar Operators West will be sponsoring rail car tune-ups and operator mentoring Excursions on the Railroad’s South Track by appointment during August 28, 2026 - November 24, 2026. 

Fee is $25 per car, per day. 

Contact EC Glenn Boatman to schedule a date, (925) 289-6423.

The Work Party that was previously scheduled to follow the early set-on for the Santa Cruz Run (10/20) has been rescheduled at the request of the railroad. The Santa Cruz posting has been updated.

A limit of six (6) cars will be allowed with additional volunteers welcome. This is relatively light work with some minor vegetation cutting and flange/rail cleaning.  These are the tracks that leave the yard going North to Olympia. With the right help, it should only take 2 -3 hours. All cuttings, etc. will be left along the right-of-way for the railroad to deal with at a later date.

Tools needed are gloves, string trimmer, Pulaski, McLeod (or hoe and rake), Square-point shovel, loppers, maybe a blower and Safety glasses. Bring anything else you think may be helpful. As always, long pants, boots and a vest are required and no smoking/vaping.

Set-on is planned for 10:00 AM (PST), so we hopefully miss the heaviest traffic. No need to send a check or any paperwork. We just need some people power. If you’re interested and available please contact me. Unfortunately, this is one event that you cannot just show up and attend. As always, thank you for your support.

EC is Rick Smith 707-631-5778 r_smith627@comcast.net

Motorcar Operators West invites all NARCOA operators and guests to join us on a Fall run to the beach on the beautiful Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway as we venture from the coastal redwoods of Felton, CA to the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This is the oldest amusement park in Californiaand one of the last seaside amusement parks on the west coast of the United States. Although the rides will be closed, the arcade and food venders are open with some of your favorite forgotten games andtreats, or maybe some new ones. Early set-on will be Tuesday, October 20, from 12 noon – 2:00pm. After set-on, those that want to participate will make a run going north to the end-of-track at Olympia and return. Remaining cars will set-on Wednesday morning, October 21, from 8am-9am followed by a Safety Briefing at 9:30am. We will make two trips down the hill for a total of about 30 miles. After your paperwork has been received a Run Packet with all the excursion information will be sent by email. Cost of the run is $187.50 per car. EC is Rick Smith 707-631-5778, r_smith627@comcast.net Please contact Rick with any questions.

The Work Party has been rescheduled. Please see separate post for details.

No Hy-rails or homemade railcars. No mentoring on this run. All NARCOA and MOW Rules apply. No Smoking/Vaping while on railroad property. Proper attire and foot wear are required by all participants while on railroad property, which does include set-on.

Please carefully complete the Excursion Participant Registration Form, the NARCOA & Affiliate General Release Form (1-sheet, double-sided), and the NARCOA Rail Vehicle Inspection Form using the dates and information provided below. Incorrect forms will not be accepted and will need to be corrected or new ones completed before permission is given to set-on. These forms can be completed and downloaded from the MOW website.

Excursion Name: Santa Cruz Run

Dates: October 20-21, 2026

Railroad Name: Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway

NARCOA Affiliate: Motorcar Operators West

Location: Felton, CA

Send your completed forms and check, made out to Motorcar Operators West, (not MOW) to:

Rick Smith

5124 Hallmark Court

Fairfield, CA 94534-6828

We look forward to seeing you there. It’s going to be a great trip. Thank you!

MOW Annual General Meeting

November 14, 2026

Confirmed

Motorcar Operators West (MOW) invites and welcomes all MOW and NARCOA members to attend the MOW Annual General Meeting on Saturday, November 14, 2026. This year’s meeting will be unique because it will take place at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA.

The Annual General Meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30AM, which will include election results, a status report, and any upcoming events and information. Following adjournment of the General Meeting and a short break, the new Board of Directors will meet to elect Officers and conduct any pending business.

Everyone that attends the General Meeting will receive complimentary access to the full museum afterwards. All are welcome to stay and attend the Board meeting, but that is not required for museum access.

Being a special event, we are NOT entering through the normal public entrance. We will enter through a normally locked door at 152 I Street, Sacramento, CA.This door will only be opened to allow our access, so you must be there 9:00AM – 9:25AM when the door will be occasionally unlocked for our access as needed. The closest parking is the Old Sacramento City Garage located at 200 I Street, under Interstate 5, sitting right between Old Sacramento and DOCO (Downtown Commons). Physical access is off I Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets. Parking costs $2 for each 30 minutes or $18 (6AM – 6PM). There are other options available in the surrounding area you may want to check out. There is also an Amtrak Station nearby, but I’m not sure their schedule coincides with ours.

You don’t need to sign-up. There is no paperwork or check to fill out. You don’t need to RSVP to anyone. No boots, vest or long pants required, but I do hope you’ll make plans to join us on November 14, 2026. For those that join us, there is no food or drinks allowed inside. The exception is, water is ok. Also, of course, there is no smoking or vaping allowed.

Please remember and plan accordingly. Access is limited to between 9:00AM and 9:25AM ONLY. This is a locked door not accessible to the public, so no one will be there to open it before or after the designated time slot. This is our only access point.

If you have any questions, you may contact either myself or Mike Mitchell, as indicated below. As always, we appreciate your support and attendance to MOW events and we hope to see you there!
 

Rick Smith,  
r_smith627@comcast.net
707-631-5778

and 

Mike Mitchell
bigredfarmscapay@gmail.com
530-379-6651