I do not think I am alone in my belief that the Campo train ride is one of the best kept secrets in San Diego County. It is a click-clack throwback to the days when passenger and freight trains traveled to and from San Diego, not by way of Los Angeles, but directly from the east over what was called “The Impossible Railroad.” The track took a tortured backcountry route through twists, turns, and tunnels as storms and brush fires more than occasionally shut the line down for months, or years at a time. There has not been a through-train on the railroad in decades, and no passenger service since the Eisenhower administration.
The rails remain but, outside of a portion of the line that serves the Tecate Brewery, there are just a few miles of track around Campo where the non-profit Pacific Southwest Railway Museum runs a couple of vintage trains on Saturday. It is a fun ride for grown-ups and kids and a nostalgic homage to the sights and sounds of railroading in bygone days. At Christmastime, the ride takes on a Holiday theme and at Easter it becomes a Bunny Train. Taken together, it is enough to keep the Museum and its displays going, and I have never known anyone to come away from the experience disappointed.
But could this all-volunteer group of railroad enthusiasts pull off a wine train? Could rolling stock from the 1920s be dressed in table linen and adorned with charcuterie? Would local wineries participate? The Museum took a chance. The train sold out instantly. A second run was added, and tickets were snapped up immediately. Then, on a beautiful spring afternoon a few weeks ago, tour guides arrived as bow-tied waiters and light jazz music filled the cars as patrons were greeted with champagne and shown to their reserved seats. First class riders were placed at tables of two or four. A half-dozen local wineries were represented, and for those who opted for non-alcohol, a variety of flavorful juice mixtures were offered with equal fanfare.
As the train poked along for a few miles through the manzanita brush and oak south of Campo and back again, you could not help but feel that the Museum was on to something here. Those in charge say they want to do more such trips, but it may be several months. The cars are not air-conditioned, and desert heat limits the activity calendar for special events.
That said, Campo’s Wine Train can be a wonderful extension of the Museum’s commitment to railroad history and preservation. Offered as a fundraiser, it may help with that goal. I was part of a group of eight, and we would return in a heartbeat with probably eight more along for the ride. We had that much fun. Here’s hoping the plan is on track for more. For what it’s worth, I’m on board.
