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 |
| Established | 1981 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
| Website | https://www.californiarailroad.museum/ |
The California State Railroad Museum is a super cool place in Sacramento, California, where you can explore the amazing world of railroads! It's part of the California State Parks system and teaches everyone how trains helped shape the Western U.S.. Imagine stepping back in time to see giant locomotives and learn about the people who built and rode them.
Contents
Discovering Train History
This museum is packed with exciting things to see and do. You'll find 21 real, restored locomotives and railroad cars, some of which are super old, dating all the way back to 1862!
Amazing Exhibits and Displays
One special exhibit is called the "Sierra Scene." It's a huge model showing how railroads were built high up in the Sierra Nevada mountains around 1867, especially near Donner Pass. You can even see the famous locomotive Gov. Stanford in this scene. Other exhibits help you understand how trains changed American life, making travel and trade much easier. They also show what life was like for railroad workers and the many different people who helped build and run the railways.
The museum often has new exhibits with cool photos and items from its collection. These add even more fun facts to the story of railroad history.
Fun for Students and Families
The museum has awesome programs for elementary students. They learn about railroad history through fun re-enactments, costumed guides, and even get to ride trains and handcars! In the roundhouse area, you'll always see different locomotives and equipment on display. When these items aren't on show, they are stored and worked on at the nearby Sacramento Railyards. Don't miss the huge O scale model train layout, which is a miniature world of trains!
Train Rides Along the River
Right next to the main museum, there's a rebuilt train station and freight building from the 1870s. From April to October, you can take a special ride on the Sacramento Southern Railroad. This 40-minute trip takes you on a 6-mile (10 km) roundtrip journey along the beautiful Sacramento River. It's a great way to experience what it was like to ride a train in the past!
The museum also manages Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, which started operating under the museum in 1992.
Online Resources
In recent years, the museum has also created cool digital resources. You can check out their online exhibits and listen to their podcast called Roundhouse Crosstalk.
Museum History: How It All Started
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The idea for this museum began way back in 1937. A group of train fans in the San Francisco Bay Area wanted to create a railroad museum. They worked hard for years and eventually donated 30 historic trains and cars to the California Department of Parks and Recreation. These became the first items for the new 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 started in 1984. In June 2017, the museum became a special partner with the Smithsonian Institution, which is a huge honor!
Cool Locomotives to See
The museum has an amazing collection of locomotives, both steam and diesel. Here are some of the highlights:
Steam Locomotives
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 1010: This train was built in 1901. It was part of a record-breaking trip in 1905, helping the Scott Special travel super fast between Los Angeles and Chicago!
- Central Pacific No. 1 Gov. Stanford: This beautiful train was built in 1862 and has been carefully restored.
- Granite Rock Co. 10: This train was built in 1942 and is often used for the museum's excursion train rides!
- Northwestern Pacific 112: Built in 1908, this is the only surviving steam locomotive from the Northwestern Pacific Railroad.
- North Pacific Coast 12 Sonoma: This special narrow-gauge train was built in 1875. It's the only surviving locomotive from the North Pacific Coast Railroad.
- Central Pacific No. 3 / Southern Pacific No. 1 C. P. Huntington: Built in 1863, this train has a very unique design.
- Southern Pacific 2467: This train was restored in 1999 and is sometimes used for special events.
- Southern Pacific 4294: Built in 1944, this is the only surviving "Cab-Forward" locomotive, which means the cab is at the front!
- Union Pacific 4466: This train was built in 1920 and used to operate at the museum until 1999.
- Virginia & Truckee 12 Genoa: Built in 1873, this train is currently on loan to another museum.
- Virginia & Truckee 13 Empire: Built in 1873, this train has been beautifully restored to look like its original self. Mirrors around it let you see all sides at once!
- Nevada Short Line No. 1: This narrow-gauge train was built in 1879. It's on display above all the other trains and was last run in 1939-40 for a special event.
Diesel Locomotives
- Amtrak 281: This train was built in 1978 and is one of only three of its kind preserved from Amtrak.
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 347C: Built in 1949, this is the only surviving F7 locomotive from AT&SF that wasn't changed into a different type.
- Sacramento Northern 402: Built in 1939, this train is still operational!
- Southern Pacific 1000: Built in 1939, this was the very first diesel train fully owned by Southern Pacific.
- Southern Pacific 6051: Built in 1954, this is the only surviving E9 locomotive from Southern Pacific. It's operational and looks great!
- Western Pacific 913: Built in 1950, this F7 locomotive is also operational.
More to Explore
- History of rail transportation in California
- California heritage railways
- List of museums in California
