It houses the largest collection of Pacific Electric Railway rolling stock in the world, much of it rescued from scrapyards after the discontinuation of their passenger operations in 1961.

A passenger-carrying steam, diesel or electric powered freight train with open gondolas fitted with benches and at least two cabooses runs on the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) long, standard gauge mainline that was once a part of the transcontinental main line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (to San Diego).

Its main line stretches from south of the museum northward towards the junction with BNSF Railway, where the historic Perris Depot on State Route 74 stands.

A Pacific Electric interurban "Red Car" also operates on the mainline on selected weekends, but the line electrification ends a block south of the depot.

Chrome Crankshaft Inn, Kerr McGee Chrome Crankshaft Inn, Kerr McGee Metropolitan Stevedore Metropolitan Stevedore Port of Los Angeles, National Metal and Steel Department of Transportation Department of Transportation In addition to the museum's railroad equipment exhibits, its shops hold a historic collection of industrial machine tools and hand tools.

The company needed a shear, but backlogs in the World War II years meant a two-year waiting list to obtain one.