San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum

09/27/2026

Central Coast Railroad Festival - CCRRF - 2026 is next weekend. Events will be happening all over San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties on Oct 2 to 4 - details at https://www.ccrrf.com . Come and join us at the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum for our "Big Day" on Saturday October 3 - details at https://slorrm.com/events/central-coast-railroad-festival/ .

09/21/2026

Join us for the big day at the museum on Saturday October 3.

09/20/2026

🚂✨ FROM PULLMAN TO SOUL TRAIN! ✨🚂

The NAACP San Luis Obispo County Branch invites you to our Freedom Fund Signature Fundraiser—an unforgettable evening celebrating history, culture, music, and community!

Join us as we honor the powerful legacy of the Pullman Porters and Maids, commemorate the 100th birthday of the Cuesta Pullman Dining Car, and recognize the 101st anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids. Their courage, dignity, and organizing helped pave the way for the modern Civil Rights Movement—and we’re celebrating that legacy with some serious Soul Train energy! 🎶🕺🏾💃🏾

📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
⏰ 5:00–10:00 PM
📍 San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum
🎟️ Tickets: $75 each — includes all activities, food & soft drinks
🍷 W**e available for purchase

🎧 Live DJ spinning Motown, Funk & Soul classics
🏛️ Museum tours
🕺🏾 Soul Train Dance Line
🏆 Retro Awards
✨ Dress Theme: Pullman Elegance or Soul Train Vibes!

This is more than a fundraiser—it’s a celebration of the people who helped move America forward. Come dressed to impress, ready to dance, and ready to celebrate Black history in motion!

🎟️ Tickets are limited—scan the QR code on the flyer or visit the ticket link to reserve yours today!

BlackHistory CivilRightsHistory SoulTrain SLOCounty

09/20/2026

𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞
By Theresa-Marie Wilson

Step back in time and take a “swift ride on the Soul Train” in celebration of the first Black labor union.

The NAACP San Luis Obispo County Branch is partnering with the SLO Railroad Museum for “From Pullman to Soul Train,” a fundraiser celebrating the centennial of their vintage Pullman lounge car and the 101st anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids.

The event honors the legacy of the porters and maids, whose labor, organizing, and determination played an important role in the advancement of Black workers and the broader American civil rights movement.

“The overall significance of the event is to celebrate our shared history of American rail travel and the parallel tracks of our country’s progress in civil rights and social equality,” John King, who serves as the chairperson of the Freedom Fund of the NAACP of SLO County, told Estero Bay News. “We hope to highlight the importance of the work the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids contributed to the Black community while providing an important service to the country and all of its citizens.”

Read the rest of the story at https://esterobaynews.com/community/history-civil-rights-and-a-good-time/

09/12/2026

2026 RAILROAD PHOTO CONTEST -- LAST CALL -- submission deadline this coming Tuesday. Get your entries in by Sept 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM PT. Submit your rail related photos of the Central California Coast. Photos may also be of model railroads that depict current or historical Central Coast railroading. The model railroad itself need not be located in the Central Coast.
Please read the full details and submission information on the SLORRM website at https://slorrm.com/events/photo-contest/ . This photo was taken by Catherine Evans.

09/07/2026

2026 RAILROAD PHOTO CONTEST -- the deadline is getting close. Get your entries in by Sept 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM PT. Submit your rail related photos of the Central California Coast. Photos may also be of model railroads that depict current or historical Central Coast railroading. The model railroad itself need not be located in the Central Coast.
Please read the full details and submission information on the SLORRM website at https://slorrm.com/events/photo-contest/ . This photo was taken by Nathan Campbell.

09/05/2026

Exciting Map of San Luis Obispo from 1894 showing the 3 railroads in town at that time -- Pacific Coast Railway, Southern Pacific Railroad, and SLO Street Railway. At that time, what is now known as Johnson Ave was Essex St.

08/30/2026

2026 RAILROAD PHOTO CONTEST -- the deadline is a little more than 2 weeks away. Get your entries in by September 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM PT. Submit your rail related photos of the Central California Coast. Photos should include railroad-related content from within the Central Coast of California (generally San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County). Photos may also be of model railroads that depict current or historical Central Coast railroading. The model railroad itself need not be located in the Central Coast. The photo below by Thomas Knapp is of his SLO layout.

Please read the full details and submission information on the SLORRM website at https://slorrm.com/events/photo-contest/ .

08/24/2026

The Central Coast Railroad Festival - CCRRF - 2026 is just a little more than a month away -- all over San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties on Oct 2 to 4. Come and join the Railroad Museum for our "Big Day" on Saturday October 3.

Brief video describing what's coming for the 2026 CCRRF (Central Co...