Welcome!

Motorcar Operators West invites all NARCOA operators and guests to join us on the Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway as we venture from the coastal redwoods of Felton, CA to the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Come visit the oldest amusement park in California and one of the last seaside amusement parks on the west coast of the United States, which is still very current and lively, while you snack on some of your favorite forgotten treats, or maybe some new ones. Early set-on will be Tuesday, April 14, from 2-4pm. Remaining cars will set-on Wednesday morning, April 15, from 7-9am. We will make two trips down the hill for a total of 35 miles, or more. After your paperwork has been received and as soon as final details have been confirmed, a Run Packet with all the excursion information will be sent by email. Cost of the run is $105 per car. EC is Rick Smith 707-631-5778, r_smith627@comcast.net . Please contact me with any questions.

No Hy-rails or homemade railcars. No mentoring on this run. All NARCOA and MOW Rules apply. No Smoking/Vaping.

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.

Excursion Name: Santa Cruz Run

Dates: April 14-15, 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

I look forward to seeing you there. It will be a great trip. Thank you!

Motorcar Operators West welcomes all NARCOA operators and guests to their spring excursion, April 16 & 17, 2026, at the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association’s Western Railway Museum. This is a great way to spend some time between the Santa Cruz and Amador runs. The railroad is closed to the public, with minimal operations scheduled on Thursday, so we have the entire railroad basically to ourselves.

The plan is, set-on at the bunk house starting at 11am on Thursday, 16th. After a Safety Briefing around 12:30pm, we go east toward Dozier and clean out the flangeway gaps at the Creed Road and Cook Lane crossings, before continuing to Dozier. We’ll return for a break before doing an afternoon/evening run to Molena, then return and secure our cars for the night.

On Friday, 17th, any remaining cars will set-on starting at 9:00am. We’ll have a Safety Briefing at 10am before going west to Molena. We’ll return and take the loop through the park where we’ll stop and take our lunch break. After lunch, we’ll return to Molena, turn our cars and head back, past the museum, east to Dozier before returning to set-off.

I was out there on Feb 13 and saw a large group of birds, possibly Egrets, in a field toward Dozier. I didn’t have a barbeque, so it wasn’t a skewer, but it certainly was a congregation. There is also a gang of Elk known to roam the area toward Molena. I haven’t seen them myself, just something I’ve herd. Maybe we’ll get lucky and see something. Wild flowers should be blooming also.

Over 70 total round-trip miles possible for the 2 days. The run fee is $87.50 per car.

The EC is Rick Smith r_smith627@comcast.net 707-631-5778. Contact me with any questions.

Please tell me which day(s) you will attend. If helping with flangeway gap cleaning, please bring any tool you think may help, If you have it. Bring gloves also. With the Museum closed, there is no place to get food or drink on the property, so bring whatever food, snacks and drinks you may want for the time you will be there. Also, I am checking on the availability of the restrooms at the museum and will let you know, but there is a porta-potty near the set-on location.

The Western Railway Museum is located between Fairfield and Rio Vista at 5848 State Highway 12, Suisun City, CA 94585. Highway 12 is easily accessible from all the major freeways. As you turn onto the Museum property, make an immediate right turn through the gate and follow the road to the set-on location. Please check in with the EC before you set on. There are hotels and restaurants about 11 miles away in Suisun City and Fairfield. There are a couple dry camping sites available on a first come basis. Please contact me for availability.

Please make your check payable to Motorcar Operators West and send it to Rick Smith 5124 Hallmark Ct, Fairfield, CA 94534. Also, please include the following documents that have been carefully completed. From the MOW website ‘Forms’ tab, download the ‘Excursion Participant Registration’, ‘General Release’ (one sheet double-sided), and ‘NARCOA Rail Vehicle Inspection’ forms and carefully complete them as indicated below, and include them with your check.

(Excursion Name) 2026 WRM Spring Run

(Location) Suisun City, CA

(Railroad) Bay Area Electric Railroad Association

(Date) April 16 - 17, 2026

(Affiliate) Motorcar Operators West

NARCOA compliant radio is required in all cars, no exceptions. This is a NARCOA event. Long pants, boots, and hi-vise vests (or=) are required for all participants. All NARCOA rules and MOW operating rules apply, and we will run rain or shine. No mentoring without prior approval of EC. No smoking on Railroad property.

I look forward to seeing you there! Thank you for your continued support.

The Amador Central Railroad excursion is scheduled for April 18, 2026, and will operate between Ione and Martell, California. The event will be hosted by Motorcar Operators West as a NARCOA-affiliated excursion.

Participants will meet at the set-on site located at 702 Hunter Lane, Ione, between 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., with a safety meeting beginning at 9:45 a.m., and departure immediately following the safety briefing.

 The excursion will consist of one run before lunch and another run after lunch, for a total of approximately 40 miles of track time. The run fee is $105 per car, and an optional hot dog lunch will be available for $10.

The excursions' Excursion Coordinator is Mike Mitchell, who can be reached at (530) 379-6651 for questions. High-rail vehicles will not be allowed, there will be no mentoring, and the event will be limited to 20 cars. Required paperwork includes the Excursion Participant Registration, the General Release (one sheet, double-sided), and the motorcar inspection form, all completed for the Amador Central Railroad excursion dated April 18, 2026, under the NARCOA affiliate Motorcar Operators West, in Ione, California.

Participants should mail their completed forms along with a check for the appropriate amount, made payable to Motorcar Operators West, to: 

Mike Mitchell
PO Box 245
Guinda, CA 95637

Mt Hood, Chelatchie Prairie, Chehalis Centralia and Simpson Railroads.

** All information will be posted after all the details are finalized. Hope to see you there!

Pacific Railcar Operators (PRO) is planning a multi railroad tour of approximately 500 rail miles for May, 2026. All the details will be updated after the excursions are confirmed. Check the MOW and PRO websites in early 2026.

May 8 - 14, 2026, TENTATIVE

MOW is headed back to the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely, Nevada.  

More information to follow as the details are finalized.  Come join us on the ride!

MOW is headed back to the hills and valleys of Eastern Idaho and the Snake River Plain.  Set on is  Noon to 4 Friday May 22nd at the Eastern Idaho yard.

We will have 3 days of riding with more information after all the details are finalized.

Pacific Railcar Operators is planning a multi railroad tour in the “Palouse Country” of eastern Washington and northwest Idaho including the Palouse River and Coulee City (PCC) in Colfax, WA, and the Washington Idaho and Montana (WI&M) in Potlatch, Idaho. Two other local railroads are still in the works. All the details will be updated on the PRO and MOW websites after the excursions are confirmed