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 pleased to announce a one-day Excursion on the Central Washington Railroad. Set on will be Granger or Gibbon, RR will decide, (will update) Set on will be at 7:00am with safety meeting following. We have permission to run twice if time permits. Lunch will be at Sunnyside, there are fast food restaurants close to the rails. Here’s a few hotels in Sunnyside: Best Western (509) 839-6070, Travel Inn  (509) 837-4721. Trip fee is $100. EC Mike Phelps  klpmgp@accima.com & EC Kaedin Schorzman kschorzman@icloud.com. Send checks and paperwork to Mike Phelps, P.O. Box 197, Marlin WA 98832-0197. Please also include 2 copies of the NARCOA release as Jaguar Transport requires one release for their records. PRO Excursion Registration Form, NARCOA Rail Inspection Form, this is a NARCOA excursion. All NARCOA rules and requirements will be followed along with PRO rules which require spark arresters, boots, vests and radio in the car. All paperwork must be received before May 1st. Please include your current mailing address, phone number, and email with your check made out to PRO. Do not set on until your paperwork is verified by the EC or his assistant. 

No Hi-Rails or Homemade Motorcars

If you would like to join us, please print, and carefully fill out the following form found on the NARCOA and PRO websites:  All forms can be found on the PRO Website under the Forms tab. 

PRO Excursion Registration form:

Excursion name: Central Washington Railroad

Date of: May 6, 2026

Include 2 copies of the NARCOA release as Jaguar Transport requires one release for their records.    

NARCOA General Release, printed double sided, single sheet: two copies please

In consideration of Central Washington Railroad/Jaguar Transport

Permission to enter their property on the dates of May 6, 2026

“Pacific Railcar Operators” is the NARCOA affiliate

NARCOA Rail Vehicle Inspection form:

Excursion: Central Washington Railroad

Location:  Granger, WA

Date: May 6, 2026

Send all four forms and a check for $100.00 payable to PRO, to:

Mike Phelps 

P.O. Box 197

Marlin, WA 98832-0197

See PRO Website for more details before sending in all paperwork

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

Pacific Railcar Operators (PRO) is pleased to announce a two-day excursion on the Columbia Basin Railroad on former Northern Pacific and Milwaukee Road lines. Set on will be at the Railroad Way and Ash Ave crossing at Warden on Friday May 8th from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Saturday May 9th 6:30 am to 7:30 am. Safety meetings will be at 8:00 am all operators and riders must attend the safety meetings. EC Mike Phelps klpmgp@accima.com & Kaedin Schorzman kschorzman@icloud.com. Do not set on until all paperwork is verified by the EC or his assistant. Fee for this run is $190. Please send checks and paperwork to Mike Phelps, PO Box 197. Marlin, WA 98832-0197. We’ll need two General Releases, as Jaguar Transport requires one for their records, Railcar Inspection Form, PRO Excursion Form. This is a NARCOA excursion. All NARCOA rules and requirements will be followed along with PRO rules which require spark arresters, boots, vests, and a radio in your car. All paperwork must be received before May 1st . Please include your current mailing address, phone number and email with your check made out to PRO. 

No Hi-Rails or Homemade Motorcars

Saturday we’ll go to Othello, Wheeler, Sieler and then on Sunday we’ll go to Bruce and Connell and return, approximately 185 miles. On both days you’ll need to bring lunch as we will not be stopping close to any towns. 5-minute breakdown rule applies.  Please bring 3-4 or more cans of nonperishable food to Donate to the Warden food bank. 

Lodging: Moses Lake has many hotels, here’s a few: 

• Quality Inn Moses Lake (509) 765-8886
• ​Holiday Inn Express & Suites (509) 766-8000
• ​The Inn at Moses Lake (509) 766-7000

Dry camping is allowed in Warden on Railroad Way next to set on, please ask for assistance as to where to park.

If you would like to join us, please print, and carefully fill out the following three forms found on the NARCOA and PRO websites:  All forms can be found on the PRO Website under the Forms tab.

Excursion name: Columbia Basin RR Exc

Dates of: May 8-10, 2026

In consideration of Columbia Basin Railroad/Jaguar Transport

Permission to enter their property on the dates of May 8-10, 2026

Excursion: Columbia Basin RR Exc

Location:  Warden, WA

Date: May 8-10, 2026

Send all four forms, and a check for $190.00 payable to PRO, to:

Mike Phelps 

PO Box 197

Marlin, WA 98832-0197

See PRO Website for more details before sending in all paperwork

Pacific Railcar Operators (PRO) is pleased to announce a two-day excursion on the Washington Eastern RR on the former Northern Pacific line. Set on will be the crossing at SE Brace Street in Wilbur WA on May 11th from 1-5 pm and May 12th from 6:30am to 7:30am. Do not set on until all paperwork is verified by the EC or his assistant. Kaedin Schorzman kschorzman@icloud.com and Mike Phelps klpmgp@accima.com Fee for this run will be $190. Please send check and paperwork to: Mike Phelps, PO Box 197, Marlin WA, 98832-0197. We’ll need two General releases Jaguar requires one for their records, Railcar inspection form, PRO excursion Form. This is a NARCOA excursion. All NARCOA rules and requirements will be followed along with PRO rules which require spark arresters , boots, vests and a radio in your car. Please include your current mailing address, phone number and email with your check made out to PRO. All paperwork must be received before May 1st    There will be a night excursion for operators interested Monday evening. Safety meeting will be held at 6:30pm. We will travel west to Almira and return (28 miles) . Safety meeting is at 8:00 am. On Tuesday we travel east from Wilbur to Medical Lake. We will stop on the return trip at the Inland Northwest Rail Museum (if time permits) then return to Wilbur (128 miles) Wednesday  we travel West from Wilbur to Coulee City and return for set off (70 miles) Total miles of 226 for the excursion. On both days you will need to bring your food as we will not be stopping in any towns. 5- minute breakdown rule applies. Please bring 3-4 or more cans of nonperishable food to Donate to the Medical Lake food bank. 

No Hi-Rails or Homemade Motorcars

Lodging: 

• Country Lane campground,  (509) 647-0100
• Goose Greek RV park, (509) 647-0100​
• Willows Motel, (509) 647-5880​
• Eight Bar B Motel (509) 647-2400

Dry camping is also allowed at set on site, ask where to park at set on.

If you would like to join us, please print and carefully fill out the following three forms found on the NARCOA and PRO websites.  Please make sure all forms are current and filled out correctly.  All forms can be found on the PRO Website under the forms tab. 

All paperwork must be received before May 1st.

PRO Excursion Registration Form:   

Excursion name:  Washington Eastern RR

Date of:   May 11-13, 2026

Two copies of this form please (one for the RR & one for NARCOA)

NARCOA General Release, printed double-sided, single sheet: Two copies please

In consideration of Washington Eastern RR/Jaguar Transport

Permission to enter their property on the dates of  May 11-13, 2026

“Pacific Railcar Operators” is the NARCOA affiliate.

NARCOA Rail Inspection form: 

Excursion:  Washington Eastern RR

Location:  Wilbur, WA

Date:  May 11-13, 2026

Send all four forms, and a check for $190.00, payable to PRO, to:

Mike Phelps 

P.O. Box 197

Marlin, WA 98832-0197

See PRO Website for more details before sending in all paperwork

Motorcar Operators is happy to announce a 2-day ride at the Nevada Northern Railway on May 19-20, 2026. 

Tuesday May 19th will be the seton for the Nevada Northern west of the intersection of Golf Course Road and Avenue C in Ely, Nevada. Line up alongside the road at 8 am and wait for seton instructions. After seton we will have a safety meeting and then head up Ruby canyon towards the mine. The station houses a gift shop, restroom facilities, and a nicely done museum. A restroom break back at Ely and then we will head out for a ride on the Hi-line towards McGill and then return to Ely. Wednesday the 20th will be a repeat of the riding of Tuesday. Come see the facilities and the locomotives of this historic site. Steam locomotive #81 has been returned to service as well as the recently painted SD9 celebrating the 250th anniversary of the USA.

Mentoring is allowed with prior notice.

Ride fee is $127. 

EC info:

Richard Hawkins
4787 Madison River Road
Idaho Falls, ID, 83401
jakobsara@yahoo.com
Cell : 208-709-4178

Come and join Motorcar Operators West as we head back to the Snake River Plain of Eastern Idaho. On May 22nd we will start setting on at about 1 pm or after the yard job has shut down for the weekend.  1050 N Emerson, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83402 is the place to be for seton and will be the homebase for the next 3 days of riding. 

May 23rd will find us heading up to Newdale, Idaho and end of track. A rail served fresh potato packing facility in Newdale will be available for us to tour during the break and afterwards enjoy a fresh baked potato with all the trimmings for an additional $10 per person. Please RSVP if you would like to enjoy a fresh potato lunch. We will return to Idaho Falls afterwards and get ready for Saturday's ride. Miles for the day will be 76.

Saturday May 25th we will head up to Ashton, Idaho and the end of track. A local historian, Thorton Waite, will be along for the ride and will share some history of the railroad and Eastern Idaho at the stops we make. Lunch will be in Ashton at a local city park along the tracks. Total miles for the day will be 104.

Monday, May 25th will find us heading out to Menan, Idaho for a 20-mile roundtrip and a half day of riding.  This will allow those with some driving to do to get a head start home. 

There are limited facilities along the way, so gas and food will need to be brought along for the ride. 

NO setons until paperwork has been approved by the EC or designated assistants. We will have a porta-john along for the ride for your convenience all three days. Safety Meetings for all three days will be at 8 am and hoping for an 8:30 departure each day. There is limited dry camping and trailer storage within the yard facilities and will require a minimum 25' distance of clearance from any tracks. No smoking or vaping on railroad property,   Long pants and wok style boots are required. The weather here is subject to change and plan accordingly, we have had rain, sunburns and cold winds. All other NARCO and MOW rules will be in effect. A brief safety inspection will be done on all cars.

Ride fee will be $330.

EC Contact information with paperwork and checks sent to: 

Richard Hawkins
4787 Madison River Road
Idaho Falls, ID 83401-1302
Jakobsara@yahoo.com
208-709-4178

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

Central MT RR and Mission Mtn RR, June 10-14, 2026

Join us in June as we ride the rails, learn about the prehistoric geological features that make up the landscape of central Montana. Pacific Railcar Operators is pleased to announce a spring excursion on the Central Montana Railroad (former MILW) and the Mission Mountain Railroad (former GN). Set on will be at the road crossing west of the engine house in Denton from 3-4:30pm June 10th and at the highway crossing in Fortine, MT from 3-4:30 pm on June 12th. Do not set on in Denton until all paperwork is verified by an EC, and all passengers have signed the NARCOA General Release. Operator insurance, Operator’s Certificate, Mounted radio, Spark Arrestor, new turntable requirements, Boots, and Safety Vest are required. PRO General Order # 6 is in effect. The 5 minute breakdown rule applies. Both days you will need to bring your lunch as we will not be stopping close to any towns. Total Miles around 180. 

Excursion Coordinator is Peter Wolfgram Email: rxmaker@gmail.com 

The run fee is $300 per car, Make checks out to PRO and mail with forms to excursion coordinator Peter Wolfgram, 2701 Sheepshank Dr, Belgrade, MT, 59714. Please include your current mailing address, cell phone number and email address on the registration form. All persons and passengers must attend all safety meetings, or you DO NOT ride. 

Food, lodging, and fuel information will be in the information packet.

Dry camping is allowed in Denton and Fortine on Railroad property next to set on.  Please ask for assistance as to where to park. 

If you would like to join us, please print, and carefully fill out the following four forms.  All forms can be found on the PRO Website under the Forms tab.  << Click Here for Forms >>
 

• PRO Excursion Registration form:

Excursion name: The Sag 2026
Dates of: June 10-14, 2026
 

• NARCOA General Release, printed double sided, single sheet:

In consideration of Central Montana Railroad
Permission to enter their property on the dates of June 10-12, 2026
“Pacific Railcar Operators” is the NARCOA affiliate
 

• NARCOA General Release, printed double sided, single sheet:

In consideration of Mission Mountain Railroad
Permission to enter their property on the dates of June 12-14, 2026
“Pacific Railcar Operators” is the NARCOA affiliate    
 

• NARCOA Rail Vehicle Inspection form:

Excursion: The Sag 2026
Location:  Denton, MT & Fortine, MT
Date:  June 10-14, 2026

Send all forms, and a check for $300.00 payable to PRO, to:

Peter Wolfgram, 2701 Sheepshank Dr, Belgrade, MT 59714

Upon receipt of these documents and a check, an information packet will be emailed.

All qualified operators and inspected motorcars are welcome.

Pacific Railcar Operators plans to return  to the Wallowa Union Railroad in Elgin, Oregon, October 2-4, 2026. A two day run with an overnight stay, 126 roundtrip miles. We are working on a possible run in advance of this event.