New Intern Helps With Rides & SWAP

Yegal Khouban is a Fall 2010 intern at the railroad museum. “Iggy” is a U.C.S.B. student, majoring in anthropology. He has been helping supervise our weekend SWAP workers and is also staffing the Goleta Short Line trains.
Yegal completed his engineer training on Oct. 22. On that busy free-ride day, his trains carried a total of 44 passengers.

A.J. Medina Applies His Skills

Armando (“A.J.”) Medina has become one of the museum's most hard-working and dedicated volunteers. For over a year, he has been donating countless hours to a major project — repainting the exterior of Goleta Depot. He is nearly finished with the first floor and hopes to continue in early 2011 with the second story.

Recently retired, A.J. worked as a residential building painter at U.C., Santa Barbara for more than 25 years.

A.J. removes old peeling paint.

Mike Helps Museum Look Good

Painting tables

Mike Sobota is one of the City of Goleta employees that lend the museum a helping hand, assisting our volunteers and staff in keeping the grounds looking their best. Mike is the City's Lead Maintenance Worker.

We greatly appreciate the support that the museum receives from Mike and other City workers.

Adding Safety Striping At The Entrance RR Crossing

Ride The “Overland Trail” Rail Car

The railroad museum is excited to offer affordable one-day round-trip excursions from Santa Barbara aboard the vintage railroad car, "Overland Trail."

Your hosts, Bill and Debbie Hatrick

Enjoy spectacular views from the comfort of one of the West Coast's premiere privately-owned rail cars as your train travels along the Pacific shoreline. Points of interest along the route include the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, Point Conception, Vandenberg AFB, the wine country of southern San Luis Obispo County, and much more.

For more information, visit the museum's Overland Trail web page.

Where Are All The Men?

Ann, Thea and Raphaella

Today, the museum had an all-female staffing crew for only the second time in its history. Raphaella Banholzer-Donati served as Goleta Short Line engineer, joined by Ann Winter as conductor. In the Trackside Shop, Thea Cremers handled clerking duties.

It was back on Aug. 22 that the train ride and shop were covered for the first time by a team of three or more that didn't include any men. On that day, Ayse Taimuty took care of the museum store and Visitor Center, while Raphaella and Ann again kept the train-ride running.

New Engineer-In-Training

Dane Mulligan

Museum Intern Dane Mulligan hauled his first passengers as a Goleta Short Line engineer on Saturday, Oct. 2. Dane is an anthropology major at U.C. Santa Barbara.

Station Agent Takes Wing!

This Scrub-Jay has become a regular attraction around the boarding station for the Goleta Short Line miniature-train. Begging for attention ... and for food ... are favorite pastimes. Photo by Conductor Ann Winter.