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A California Christmas Train Ride In Campo!

Published: November 12, 2025

By: Adam Burns

Nestled in the Mountain Empire region of southeastern San Diego County, the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum (PSRM) in Campo, California, offers rail-fans and families alike a richly-layered experience of historic railroading, outdoor back-country charm, and immersive excursions. Below is an extended look at its background and history, how it came to be, how it operates today — and a special highlight: the beloved holiday train ride known as the North Pole Limited.

Historical Background

The origins of PSRM trace back to the enthusiasm of rail-fans in the San Diego region. In 1949, two local rail-enthusiasts (Frederic “Eric” Sanders and Douglas I. Duncan) met while photographing the last operations of the San Diego Electric Railway and discussed forming a preservation group.

By 1959 an effort to establish a museum was underway, and in 1961 the organization was formally incorporated as the San Diego County Railroad Museum; by 1963 the name was changed to Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association (PSRMA) to reflect its broader scope.

From these modest beginnings, the museum has grown into a significant repository of historic equipment, rolling stock, and interpretive programs focused on the railroads of San Diego County and their connections with the broader Pacific-Southwest region.

Campo Site And Its Evolution

The museum’s main excursion location is in Campo.  This community sits in southeastern San Diego County, about 50 miles east of downtown.  The railroad heritage here stems from the historic San Diego & Arizona Railway (SD&A), sometimes called the “Impossible Railroad,” which linked San Diego to the Imperial Valley (and through Mexico) under challenging terrain and wartime disruption.

The restored 1916 depot serves as the arrival point for historic train excursions. The museum has been operating train rides since 1986.  At the Campo facility, the museum maintains a large collection of historic locomotives and cars (steam and diesel) and a display building with interpretive exhibits (for example the “Signal Science” exhibit showing how railroad signals worked).  Altogether the property covers about 140 acres.

Present Day: Visiting & Riding

Today, PSRM offers the public a variety of train rides, museum exhibits and special events. At the Campo you can ride vintage trains powered by historic diesels, wander through restored rail cars, and explore the grounds.

Rides on the regular weekend schedule typically run about 45 minutes through the high-desert back-country outside San Diego.  While the museum is staffed by volunteers, the experience is well-organised.

In addition to regular rides, the museum offers themed excursions throughout the year (such as “Bunny Trains” in spring, “Pumpkin Express” in fall) making it a family-friendly destination.

For a rail-enthusiast with interest in equipment or back-country lines, PSRM is an appealing stop: the equipment roster includes multiple steam and diesel locomotives, significant historic rolling stock, and a major library of railroad history (the Southwest Railway Library opened onsite in 2014).

The Holiday Highlight: The North Pole Limited

Arguably the museum’s most popular special-event ride is the North Pole Limited, a holiday-themed excursion that transforms the vintage train into a festive journey with Santa, Mrs. Claus, carols, hot chocolate and cookies. Here’s a detailed look.

What Happens:

• Guests board the vintage train at the Campo depot; the ride typically lasts approximately 90 minutes, depending on Santa’s visits car-by-car. 

• Along the way, the train stops at “Santa’s Workshop” where Santa and Mrs. Claus board, and then proceed to visit every passenger onboard as you ride back to the depot. 

• Onboard, you’ll find vintage commuter or lounge-cars decorated for the holidays, elves leading carols, cookies and hot chocolate for all in many classes.

Ticket Classes & Pricing (for 2025):

• Classic Coach: restored 1920s vintage commuter cars; infants under 1 lap free; children (1-17) starting at ~$15; adults starting at ~$30. Ticket prices increase closer to Christmas.

• Business Class: chair car (Union Pacific long-distance #576) with better seats/legroom; children age 1-17 starting at ~$35; adults ~$50 and up. 

• First Class: lounge car (Santa Fe #1509) with snack bar, open-air platform on rear, premium atmosphere; starting prices children ~$50, adults ~$65.

• Private VIP Experience: Entire car (Robert Peary private lounge car) can be chartered (up to ~20 people) starting at ~$1,500.

Scheduling & Logistics:

• Departures typically run on Fridays, Saturdays (and some Sundays) in late November through December (for example: Fridays & Saturdays 5 pm & 7 pm; Sundays 3 pm & 5 pm) for the 2025 season.

• It is strongly recommended to purchase tickets in advance, as seats for this train sell out quickly.

• Guests are advised to arrive at least 45 minutes before departure so they can park, collect tickets, visit the gift shop, get settled.

• Because the ride goes into the evening and the Campo area can get chilly, warm clothing is recommended (especially if using the open-air platform).

Why It’s Special:

• The North Pole Limited transforms the historic rolling stock into a festive holiday experience, combining rail heritage with family fun.

• Santa and Mrs. Claus personally board and visit with passengers, an immersive twist on the standard museum train ride.

• The vintage cars themselves (1920s era or long-distance lounge cars) provide a unique ambience that differs from a typical theme park ride.

• The back-country setting of Campo, the dusk/evening schedule, and the fully volunteer-staffed nature add charm and authenticity.

Considerations for the Rail-Fan & Technical Visitor:

• From a preservation-and-operations perspective, the event allows PSRM to fund ongoing restoration and maintenance of historic equipment. Ticket proceeds are directed toward the collections and educational programs.

• The ride gives access to vintage passenger cars (some with open-air platforms) — interesting for someone with an interest in rail-car architecture or historic seating layouts.

• Because lighting is lower (evening ride) and the ride is somewhat longer (90 minutes), it’s a good opportunity for night-photography of historic equipment under lights, though one should bring a tripod or high-ISO capability.

• For the dedicated railfan, arriving earlier during daylight offers the opportunity to walk the yard, examine the locomotives and cars on display at the museum before the event begins.

Why It Matters & What Lies Ahead

The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum serves as both a heritage-preservation institution and an operational heritage railway — rare in that it has a substantial rolling-stock collection and offers public excursions. For southern California rail history, especially the story of the San Diego & Arizona line and its connections, PSRM plays a key role.

Moreover, from a site architecture / project-perspective (thinking of your website-building & content-creation interest), PSRM provides an excellent example of how a museum can integrate living experiences (rides, events) with static exhibits, thereby expanding the storytelling potential.

When writing your article you might consider how you could embed interactive elements (e.g., ride-timing, ticket-links, photo galleries) or map overlays showing the back-country rail route, thereby enhancing user-engagement.

Looking ahead, volunteer-driven institutions like this often face the ongoing challenge of funding restoration work, track-maintenance, rolling-stock refurbishment, and volunteer recruitment. Frequent thematic events (such as the North Pole Limited) help trigger annual interest and repeat visitation. 

For enthusiasts documenting or writing about vintage railroads, highlighting the “living” operation (excursions) alongside the “static” collection (displayed equipment) offers a fuller narrative.  To learn more about their holiday themed train ride please click here to visit the museum's website.