When Kati Marquez was just 7 years old, she began drawing pictures of Trains and Railroad Tracks. Her parents didn't just stick the drawing on their refrigerator door, they began to build their little girl's dream... Not every little girl gets an actual train when they ask for one, but the Marquez family does things a little differently. Seventeen years ago, Dean Marquez, Kati's father, flew to Watertown, NY to purchase a half size model of the famous 1863 engine, the C.P. Huntington. The train, which consists of an engine, and a few open-air passenger cars, has since been relocated to the Marquez estate and has been refurbished.

 

 Kati, who was nearly 10 and is the youngest of the seven Marquez children, said she is happy with how the train has turned out. "It's pretty good," said Kati, who is a little shy.

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In a rural area just Southeast of Temecula, the Marquez family has begun operations of a family-style amusement park set on the family's 20 acres. Besides the train, the family provides pictures with Santa Claus and the opportunity for their community to come together to celebrate holiday cheer. 

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"I really want to push this past just something my family will enjoy," Dean Marquez said. "That's why we're going to open up our property to the people of Temecula."

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Today, Kati is in her 20s and working as a Carousel Artist in our own Factory! Western Train Company is a proud family run business located in California that manufactures Train Rides and Carousels for Parks, Zoo's, and collectors all over the world. Among their most popular products are their narrow gauge Railroad Systems including the C.P. Huntington Train Ride, Northern Railroad, Hurlbut Miniature, and Jupiter Train Rides. Western Train Co. also offers world class park maintenance and service options for many rides and parks.