California State Railroad Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California State Railroad Museum |
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Railroad Museum exterior
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 California State Railroad Museum
Location in California
California State Railroad Museum
Location in the United States
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| Location | 111 I Street, Sacramento, California |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
The California State Railroad Museum is a cool place to visit in Sacramento, California. It's part of California's state park system. This museum helps us understand how "iron horses" – that's what people called trains – helped connect California to the rest of the United States. You can find it in Old Sacramento State Historic Park.
The museum has 21 amazing restored locomotives and railroad cars. Some of these trains are very old, dating back to 1862! One special exhibit is the "Sierra Scene." It's a big model showing how railroads were built high up in the Sierra Nevada mountains around 1867. You'll see the Gov. Stanford locomotive there.
Other parts of the museum show how railroads changed American life. They affected travel, business, and even daily routines. You can also learn about the people who worked on the railroads. The museum often has new exhibits with old photos and items from its collection. These add more details to the story of railroad history.
The museum also has great learning programs for students. Kids can learn about railroad history through fun activities. These include re-enactments, costumed guides, and even train rides! In the roundhouse area, different locomotives and equipment are shown. When not on display, these items are kept and worked on at the nearby Sacramento Railyards. There's also a large model train layout to enjoy.
Right next to the main museum building, you'll find a rebuilt 1870s-era Central Pacific Railroad station. This station used to handle passengers and freight. It now holds historic and modern railroad equipment. Sometimes, it opens for special events.
Between April and October, you can take a train ride! The Sacramento Southern Railroad is run by the museum. It offers a 40-minute, 6-mile roundtrip journey. The train travels along the Sacramento River. This ride uses part of the old Southern Pacific Railroad tracks. The museum hopes to have even longer train rides in the future.
In 1992, another cool place, Railtown 1897 in Jamestown, also became part of the museum's operations.
History of the Museum
The idea for this museum started way back in 1937. A group of train fans in the San Francisco Bay Area formed a club. They worked for many years to create a railroad museum. They even gave 30 old locomotives and cars to the California Department of Parks and Recreation. These became the first items for the state museum in Sacramento.
The museum's first building, the Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station, opened in 1976. The main Railroad History Museum was finished in 1981. Steam-powered train rides on the Sacramento Southern Railroad began in 1984. The Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot opened three years later.
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown joined the museum complex in 1992. In June 2017, the museum became a Smithsonian affiliate. This means it's connected to the famous Smithsonian museums!
Cool Locomotives to See
The museum has many famous locomotives. Here are some of them:
Steam Locomotives
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 2925: This is a large 4-8-4 type train. It was built in 1944.
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 1010: This train was part of a record-breaking trip in 1905. It helped the Scott Special travel from Los Angeles to Chicago very fast!
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 5021: Another big train, a 2-10-4 type. It was also built in 1944.
- Central Pacific No. 1 Gov. Stanford: This 4-4-0 type train was built in 1862. It looks great after being restored.
- Granite Rock No. 10: This train is used for the museum's excursion rides! It's a USATC S100 Class 0-6-0T type, built in 1942.
- Northwestern Pacific 112: This 4-6-0 type train was built in 1908. It's the only surviving locomotive from the NWP.
- North Pacific Coast 12 Sonoma: This is a narrow gauge 4-4-0 type train. It was built in 1875. It's one of only three like it still around!
- Central Pacific No. 3 / Southern Pacific No. 1 C. P. Huntington: This unique 4-2-4RT type train was built in 1863. It has been beautifully restored.
- Central Pacific No. 233: This 2-6-2 tank engine was built in 1882. It's waiting to be restored.
- Southern Pacific 2467: This 4-6-2 type train was built in 1921. It was restored to run in 1999.
- Southern Pacific 4294: This huge 4-8-8-2 type train was built in 1944. It's the only surviving "Cab-Forward" locomotive.
- Union Pacific 4466: This 0-6-0 type train was built in 1920. It was used at the museum until 2001.
- Virginia & Truckee 12 Genoa: This 4-4-0 type train was built in 1873. It can still run, but is currently on display.
- Virginia & Truckee 13 Empire: This 2-6-0 type train was built in 1873. Mirrors around it let you see all sides at once!
- Nevada Short Line No. 1: This 2-6-0 type train was built in 1879. It's on an elevated track with some cars. It was last run in 1939-40.
Diesel Locomotives
- Amtrak 281: This EMD F40PH train was built in 1978. It's one of only three Amtrak F40PH(R) trains saved. It is currently running!
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 347C: This EMD F7 train was built in 1949. It's the only AT&SF F7 that wasn't changed into a CF7.
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 9820: This "Alligator" train, an ALCO RSD-15, was built in 1959.
- Sacramento Northern 402: This EMD SW1 train was built in 1939. It is currently running.
- Southern Pacific 1000: This EMD SW1 train was built in 1939. It was the first diesel train fully owned by SP. It's waiting to be restored.
- Southern Pacific 5208: This BLW DRS66-1500 train was built in 1949. It is currently running.
- Southern Pacific 6051: This EMD E9 train was built in 1954. It's the only surviving SP E9. It is currently running.
- Southern Pacific 6402: This EMD F7 train was built in 1952.
- Southern Pacific 6819: This EMD SD45T-2 train was built in 1972. It is currently running.
- Western Pacific 913: This EMD F7 train was built in 1950. It is currently running.
