2480 Placentia Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Free Train Rides Every Month!
- Free public train rides are offered every 3rd full weekend of each month (weather permitting). Get the full list of dates below.
- Trains operate from 10 AM-3:30 PM.
- For safety, children must be at least 31 inches tall and must be able to walk in order to ride the trains.
Overview
Fairview Park, in the fabulous city of Costa Mesa, is home to the Orange County Live Steamers. This nonprofit organization offers free rides to families and kids, one weekend out of the month. Taking place on the third Saturday of the month and that following Sunday, the train rides operate from 10 AM-3:30 PM. Train enthusiasts, as well as kids and families will have an absolute wonderful time riding aboard these 1/8 scale miniature locomotive trains. Making the experience that much greater is the kindness and enthusiasm displayed by the volunteers who operate these trains. This is truly a magnificent opportunity for families and train lovers alike.
The trains depart from the Goathill Junction Railroad Train Station every five or so minutes. The trains follow along a 1.25 track and the rides last anywhere from 12-15 minutes, passing underneath bridges and through very pretty parts of the park. Views of the backside of Costa Mesa Golf Course will come into view as well as a beautiful backdrop of the surrounding mountains. After riding, guests are encouraged to line back up and enjoy as many trips as they desire. I personally find the Spring months to be the best time to visit. After a reasonably wet winter, the flowers will be blooming and the snow capped mountains will provide a magnificent backdrop for the ride.
About the OCME
Although all rides are free, donations are welcomed and appreciated. The club survives solely on the donations from the guests and train enthusiasts who come to enjoy these rides and make these memories. These gracious donations are what keep these trains running and allow for the community to keep coming back. For more on the history of the Orange County Model Engineers or to donate, click below.
Amenities
- Free parking, in a gravel lot is available to all visitors, although the lot can sometimes fill up.
- Bathrooms and a gift shop are located adjacent to the Goathill Juntion Railroad Train Station. Wait lines typically do not exceed more than 10-15 minutes. However, these rides are very popular and dependent on the time of your visit, it may be very busy.
Scouts Story and Visit
Growing up, trains were never exactly my thing. My dad would put some trains around the Christmas tree every year and make a little village, but he was always very protective of them and never let me play with them. I now have an amazing daughter, Scout, who is about to turn 2 in a month. Somehow, Scout has become obsessed with trains. She loves visiting the train station to watch the trains and playing with her magnetic wooden trains for hours at a time and watches countless train videos on youtube.
Ever since we realized our daughter, Scouts, infatuation with trains, we have wanted to take her on a train. Unfortunately, Scout has been battling stage 4 cancer for the majority of the last year and to keep her from getting sick, we have tried to avoid crowds and enclosed spaces. Trains like the miniature ones here at Fairview Park, have been a great alternative for us to take Scout on. She loves riding on them and maybe even more so, just enjoys watching and hearing them.
We arrived at Fairview Park just as the first train was heading out. My wife and I had decided that this would be one of the last things that we would take Scout to do before she was due to have tumor resection surgery in 8 days. Any illnesses or sickness could delay her surgery and after waiting 8 months to be approved for surgery, we were excited to finally move forward. However, we were happy for her to have this day. Altogether, Scout ended up riding the train 3 times.
After we finished, we made our way over to a blooming patch of flowers in the corner of the parking lot where nobody was. We carefully made our way out into them and let her enjoy looking at them. This was an incredible experience for us and Scout and this was truly a fantastic morning.
April 16, 2023
Notes
- While dogs are prohibited on the trains they are welcomed inside the park. Owners must leash their dogs and keep them in control at all times.
