Fillmore station (Southern Pacific Railroad)

Fillmore
General information
Location447 Main Street
Fillmore, California
Coordinates34°23′57″N 118°54′37″W / 34.3993°N 118.9104°W / 34.3993; -118.9104
Line(s)Santa Paula Branch Line
History
Opened1887
Closed1935
Original companySouthern Pacific
Former services
Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station
Sespe
toward Montalvo
 Santa Paula Branch Buckhorn
toward Saugus

Fillmore station is a former train station in Fillmore, California. It was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1887 as a stop along its Coast Line between Los Angeles and San Francisco.[1] It served as a nucleus for development, with the town of Fillmore growing around the site. Passenger service ended in 1935, though the building continued to be used for freight operations until 1974.[2]

Facing destruction after falling out of use, Edith Jarrett Roderick purchased the building for $1.05 in March 1974 and had it moved across Main Street where it was turned into a museum.[2] It was listed as a Ventura County Historic Landmarks & Points of Interest in 1979.[3] The 1994 Northridge earthquake caused extensive damage to the building, necessitating repairs which lasted into 1995.[4]

The Fillmore and Western Railway used the former station site as a stop for excursion tours starting in 1995.[5] The turntable was installed in 2011 after it was purchased from the Canadian National Railway.[6]

Fillmore and Western station area, 2009
  1. ^ Richard, Sam (November 14, 2007). "Restored Fillmore depot nearly ready". Ventura County Star. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Williams, Kathleen (January 17, 1991). "LANDMARKS / COUNTY HISTORICAL SITES : Depot Preserves Town's Railroad Origins". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  3. ^ "Ventura County Historical Landmarks & Points of Interest" (PDF). Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board. May 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2019.
  4. ^ Lima, Christina (November 21, 1995). "A New Lease On Life". The Los Angeles Times. pp. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Fillmore Revival is Gathering Steam as Train Gets Chugging". The Los Angeles Times. March 25, 1995. p. B18. Retrieved September 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Walker, Jim (March 25, 2011). "Railfest 2011". The Signal. pp. Escape 8–9 – via Newspapers.com.