Santa Susana Depot
Encyclopedia
Santa Susana Depot is a train station
building located in Simi Valley, California
. The depot was constructed by the Southern Pacific Railroad
and was opened in 1903. The depot was originally located on Los Angeles Avenue at Tapo Street and was part of the completion of the Coast Route (see Coast Line
) linking Los Angeles
and San Francisco. Plans and construction for the building were based on the railroad's R-22 standard. The depot served the community of Rancho Simi
as a passenger station, telegraph office and freight depot where farmers could deliver crops for shipping and pick up farming equipment delivered by the railroad.
Due to lessening passenger traffic and changes in the shipment of freight, Southern Pacific closed the station in the early 1970s, leaving Santa Susana Depot empty and destined for demolition. The County of Ventura
purchased the depot from the railroad for $1.06. In May 1975 the building was divided into three parts and moved by truck to county property two miles east of the site it was built on. The current location is next to the same railroad right of way it once served. The building sat abandoned for several years suffering vandalism
and arson
caused fire damage. A nonprofit organization was formed to restore the building, and ready it for public use in conjunction with the Rancho Simi Parks and Recreation Department.
model railroad
layout and a public meeting room. The museum focuses on railroad history in the region and has many artifacts and historical photos on display. Along with the railroad related features, the museum also has a collection of materials related to the nearby Corriganville Movie Ranch
. The railroad layout models the coast route between Los Angeles, California and Portland, Oregon
with scenery that targets the early 1950s. The Santa Susana Railroad Historical Society designs, maintains and operates the layout. Both the museum and the model layout are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm with the exception of holidays.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
building located in Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...
. The depot was constructed by the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
and was opened in 1903. The depot was originally located on Los Angeles Avenue at Tapo Street and was part of the completion of the Coast Route (see Coast Line
Coast Line (UP)
The Coast Line is a railroad line from Burbank, California north to the San Francisco Bay Area, roughly along the Pacific Coast.The first version of the Coast line, via Saugus and Santa Paula, was completed by the Southern Pacific Railroad on December 31, 1900; the line via Santa Susana opened in...
) linking Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and San Francisco. Plans and construction for the building were based on the railroad's R-22 standard. The depot served the community of Rancho Simi
Rancho Simi
Rancho Simi, also known as Rancho San José de Nuestra Senora de Altagarcia y Simi, was a Spanish land grant in eastern Ventura and western Los Angeles counties given in 1795 to Francisco Javier Pico and his two brothers, Patricio Pico and Miguel Pico by Governor Diego de Borica...
as a passenger station, telegraph office and freight depot where farmers could deliver crops for shipping and pick up farming equipment delivered by the railroad.
Due to lessening passenger traffic and changes in the shipment of freight, Southern Pacific closed the station in the early 1970s, leaving Santa Susana Depot empty and destined for demolition. The County of Ventura
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
purchased the depot from the railroad for $1.06. In May 1975 the building was divided into three parts and moved by truck to county property two miles east of the site it was built on. The current location is next to the same railroad right of way it once served. The building sat abandoned for several years suffering vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
and arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
caused fire damage. A nonprofit organization was formed to restore the building, and ready it for public use in conjunction with the Rancho Simi Parks and Recreation Department.
Current Status
The museum was opened to the public in 2000. The depot building now houses a railroad museum, an HO scaleHO scale
HO or H0 is the most popular scale of model railway in the world.According to the NMRA standard S-1.2 predominantly used in North America, in HO scale, represents 1 real foot ; this ratio works out to about 1:87.1. According to the MOROP standard NEM 010 predominantly used in Europe, the scale is...
model railroad
Rail transport modelling
Railway modelling or model railroading is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale...
layout and a public meeting room. The museum focuses on railroad history in the region and has many artifacts and historical photos on display. Along with the railroad related features, the museum also has a collection of materials related to the nearby Corriganville Movie Ranch
Corriganville Movie Ranch
Corriganville Movie Ranch was a working film studio and movie ranch for outdoor location shooting, as well as a Western-themed tourist attraction...
. The railroad layout models the coast route between Los Angeles, California and Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
with scenery that targets the early 1950s. The Santa Susana Railroad Historical Society designs, maintains and operates the layout. Both the museum and the model layout are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm with the exception of holidays.