In the early fall months of September and October, the sound of a train whistle can be heard echoing through the countryside of Reedley, California, reminding locals that the Hillcrest & Wahtoke Railroad and Christmas tree farm is open for business.
Hillcrest—about 30 minutes southeast of Fresno—is a valley attraction dating to the 1960s, when it was owned by Ed and Bonnie Toews, who originally operated the Christmas tree farm on the small property.
In 1992, the farm was purchased by Sean and Melissa Bautista, and that’s where the story of Hillcrest’s magic begins.
“The idea was to use the train to take people from the parking lot to the different fields,” Bautista told The Epoch Times.
The only problem was that the Bautistas knew nothing about spiking track or operating a steam train.
“I ended up watching videos, and I found this guy mentioned in several videos,” Bautista said. “I called him.”
The train guru in the videos was Erich Thomsen, now deceased, who was a mechanical engineer and inspector for Western Pacific Railroad. With Thomsen’s help, the Bautistas learned how to lay track, build train cars, and take their dream of operating a miniature railroad to the next level.
In 1994, the railroad opened to the public, and over the past 30 years, it has continued to grow and expand.
It began as a 1,200-foot loop on five acres. Today, the farm has expanded to 45 acres, and the track has grown to nearly three miles.
In preparation for and during the Christmas season, the train is used to transport Christmas trees from the fields to the parking lot.
Hillcrest even offers nighttime steam train rides during the holidays. Last year, its popular “Pajama Nights” event sold out 29 consecutive nights, Bautista said. Visitors can bundle up in the cold valley weather for the popular event and enjoy treats, sparkling lights, and pictures with Santa Claus.
The farm is also open for pumpkin season in the fall and blossom season in March, a popular time for tourism in the Central Valley featuring thousands of local blossoming fruit trees on various farms that are located along a drivable “Blossom Trail.”
Visitors can play miniature golf, explore a treehouse, walk whimsical trails through forested areas, check out the gift shop, and pick up a snack from food vendors during open weekends.
But it’s not just the farm and the train rides that have made Hillcrest a popular destination; it’s the mechanical expertise of Bautista and his crew of about 10 full-time employees who build trains and cars for customers all over the world.
“Disney found out about us and asked us to start looking at their trains,” Bautista said.
To date, Hillcrest has restored three Disneyland locomotives and is bidding on a fourth. They even helped create the track switches, or turnouts, and installed them in the park in Anaheim.
And it’s not only steam trains that have caught Disney’s eye over the years.
Before he started building trains and laying track, Bautista flew fighter jets for the Air National Guard, and he piloted nearly every aircraft imaginable, from F-16 Phantoms to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He retired from the military in 2014. He also worked for 36 years as a pilot for United Airlines.
His expertise in aircraft piqued the interest of Pixar and Disney executives, which led to a different job offer: technical adviser on Walt Disney Pictures’ and Disneytoon Studios’ “Planes” in 2013. Bautista was also a technical advisor for “Planes: Fire & Rescue,” which was released in 2014.
From planes to trains, Hillcrest Farms is the epicenter of many creative projects, and the public never knows what’s coming next. This spring, the Bautistas unveiled a new section of track, which extended the train ride for guests from about 12 minutes to a half hour.
He also said the farm now has the longest 15-inch-gauge railroad bridge in North America.
The farm serves passengers with three locomotives. There is even an engine house and a turntable where the engines are stored. Hillcrest can also be used as a wedding venue.
“It is a neat outlet for Reedley, especially,” Bautista said. “There’s local appeal.”
For a town with a population of a little more than 25,000, Hillcrest is a rare jewel indeed—but it’s the satisfaction of conquering one impossible building project after another that inspires Bautista.
Hillcrest & Wahtoke Railroad, he said, makes business better for the whole community.
Hillcrest Farm’s seasonal schedule varies. This year, the pumpkin patch and steam train rides will be open every weekend from Sept. 28 to Oct. 27.
There is a $10 entry fee for each vehicle. Train and hayride tickets can be purchased onsite. Pumpkins are for sale starting at $2, up to $70.
The Christmas tree farm will open on Nov. 30. Visitors hoping to snag tickets for the popular nighttime “Pajama Nights” event should visit Hillcrest’s website the first week of October, according to Bautista.
