Railroad Lovers Flock to Fillmore to Take History Out for a Little Spin

The engineer at the helm of the 1891 steam engine train was just 8, but he immediately spotted the danger of another locomotive sitting squarely in the train’s path.

His face twisted into a grimace, Dominic Reginato gripped the hand-operated brake and slowed the chugging vessel to a stop. Although never in real danger, Dominic felt like a hero.

“I did it,” Dominic squealed. “I saved the day.”

The Student Engineers program was one of several attractions at Sunday’s Spring Rail Festival commemorating Fillmore’s railway roots. The festival, themed “2001: A Train Odyssey,” was free, though train rides ranged from $5 to $12.

“Railroads are our history,” said Pat Askren, vice president of the Railroad History Society and festival chairman. “Fillmore was built by the railroad industry. This is a way to keep that history alive.”

Askren, who also serves as Fillmore’s fire chief, said Fillmore had a water tower that serviced trains running between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara between 1870 and 1920. Train workers and passengers regularly stopped in Fillmore to eat, refuel the train and maybe spend the night.

Today, the small city’s economy is centered on agriculture. But city leaders have sought to retain the town’s link to its railroad past, if only as a tourist attraction.

The festival’s organizers hope one day to be as successful as the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, which draws more than 50,000 visitors annually. Fillmore’s organizers expected about 10,000 at their event this year.

“Everybody loves trains,” Askren said. “There’s a romance about them. People think of a train trip and they think things like the Orient Express.”

The festival’s biggest draw is the Little Sespe engine, a one-car locomotive that is one of the last running wood-burning steamers in the country.

“They have a life of their own,” said Dave Wilkinson, co-organizer of the festival and head of Fillmore and Western Railroad. “It huffs, it puffs, it makes weird groaning noises. It sounds like it’s alive.”

While adults talked railroad history, a new generation of train fans appeared to be in the making. Kids eagerly scurried between the trains on display, such as the 1956 Union Pacific sleeping car and the 1891 steamer.

Little boys “oohed” and “aahed” over the giant machines, reaching out to touch the massive wheels and arching their backs to catch a glimpse of the whistle perched atop the train.

“That’s always a winner,” said John Edwards, an engineer for Union Pacific in Bakersfield who was running the Sespe locomotive on Sunday.

The whistle rope was the first thing Dominic grabbed when he stepped on board. Like an old pro, he tugged on the cord and released a long, high-pitched hiss.

“All aboard,” he cried.

Dominic’s father, Reggie Reginato, smiled wide. It cost about $40 to enroll his son in the program, and the father proclaimed it worth every penny. The father and son traveled from Ventura to attend the festival.

“This was just great,” Reginato said.

The Student Engineer program gives participants a chance to work the brakes, throttle and the all important whistles as the Sespe makes its way down 31 miles of track. The program has been a big hit with boys, both little and big, Edwards said.

She recalled a woman who brought her 55-year-old boyfriend for a surprise birthday trip.

“He has always been fascinated by trains, and so she told him, ‘By the way, you’re going to be the engineer.’ You should have seen his face,” Edwards said.

All proceeds from the festival, which also offered food booths, an animal farm and crafts, go to support the Railroad Historical Society.

In the hours before the big Oscar awards gala, festival organizers noted that Hollywood often comes calling for a locomotive to appear on film.

“We worked on ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ ” said festival organizer Wilkinson, referring to the Oscar-nominated film starring George Clooney. “That’s us.”