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For 20 years, Irvine Regional Park train has been chugging along

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Four-year-old Claire could not seem to contain her excitement as she sat in the front seat of the train at Irvine Regional Park on a recent Wednesday with her mother.

“Mommy, look!” cried out the girl, who was visiting from Utah with her family. “Look at the ducks! Hi duckies!”

John Ford and Steve Horn opened the Irvine Park Railroad — think Disney kiddie ride, not Amtrak — 20 years ago to help the struggling park earn extra revenue.

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“When the county went bankrupt in 1994, it was looking for new revenue streams for the parks,” said Horn, 50, of Dana Point, who had a background in concessions with Ford. “There was a history of trains previously out here at Irvine Park, so they wanted to bring the train back. We were the successful bidders, and the train opened in 1996.”

Back then, the area was just a dirt lot, Horn said. But now, it includes a full-fledged train station where passengers can purchase tickets, a mile-long train track and, of course, the 65-seat propane-powered locomotive.

As passengers ride the train, the conductor, dressed in the traditional costume of overalls and a hat, talks about the history of the park.

“All aboard!” he announces over a loud speaker. “Welcome to the Irvine Park Railroad. Please remain seated with all arms and legs inside the train at all times.”

Then the whistle blows and the train starts chuggling along its one-mile, 12-minute journey within the 160-acre park, which opened in 1897 as Orange County’s first regional park.

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The locomotive rolls past a fresh-water lake and its turtles, a 550-year-old tree, poison oak, peacocks and a statue of James Irvine Jr., who was a prominent landowner in Orange County. Near the end of the ride, the train goes through a dark tunnel.

Ford and Horn said the train was once a seasonal attraction, open only from April to September, with its biggest crowds in the summer. Within the last decade, they added the Christmas train, a holiday event that allows children to meet Santa Claus, an Easter egg hunt and a pumpkin patch. The two hope to attract people year-round.

A 20th anniversary celebration is planned for Feb. 20 and 21. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, train rides will be $2 — the same price as in 1996 and a savings over the current $5 — and bounce houses, carnival games and face painting will be offered.

Access to the park itself is separate. Parking is $3 on weekdays, $5 on weekends and $7 on holidays. The park also features other family activities for an additional cost, including bike and paddle boat rentals, pony rides and the Orange County Zoo. Groups can rent space for birthday parties, company picnics, reunions and other special events.

Horn said one of his favorite memories of the train dates to around the time it opened.

It had derailed slightly, and he and Ford needed some extra muscle to help lift the locomotive back onto the railing.

“At the time, the Los Angeles Rams were playing here in Anaheim, and it just so happened that Jackie Slater and Leo Goeas were walking through the park,” he said. “They actually came over and helped us. That was really cool.”

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The train, which is the same one that has been in use since the railroad opened, is an affordable entertainment destination for people of all ages, Ford said.

“You’d think this was just for kids, but we get some senior citizens out here, and their only means of transportation back in the day was trains,” said Ford, 50, of San Juan Capistrano. “People of all ages love the train.”

He said the goal is to keep providing that for the community.

“We want to continue to have wonderful activities and wonderful events to get people to come out here,” he said. “Kids can just be kids out here, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Leah Bingham, Claire’s mother, wrote in an email a few weeks after their visit to the park that her daughter has fond memories of the train ride.

“I remember when we were on the train, she got a real kick out of saying hello to the birds and waving to people not on the train,” said the 32-year-old. “I really liked the wishing well and the oldest tree in Orange County that was seen from the train. When the ride ended, Claire seemed worn out and so we were going to go home, but she asked if we could go again, so we stayed for a second ride.

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“I know one thing stuck out to me was that it was a relaxing park and that the people working there seemed to enjoy being there too.”

Irvine Regional Park is located at 1 Irvine Park Road in Orange. The train is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., depending on the season. Call (714) 997-3968 for more information.

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