California Trolley and Railroad Corporation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
California Trolley and Railroad Corporation

AT&SF locomotive #5, a historic train engine, on August 16, 2008.
Founded	July 8, 1982 (1982-07-08)
Founder	Rod Diridon, Sr.
Type	Public-benefit corporation
Registration no.	C1152615
Focus	Railroad museum, Historic preservation
Location	635 Phelan Avenue San Jose, California 95112
Origins	merger of Santa Clara Valley Railroad Association and the San Jose Trolley Corporation
Area served	South Bay

The California Trolley and Railroad Corporation (CTRC) is a non-profit group started in 1982. Its main goal is to save and share the history of trains and trolleys in California's Santa Clara Valley. The group is run by volunteers who love railroad history.

The Story of the CTRC

Bringing Historic Streetcars to San Jose

The idea for the CTRC began in 1982. A local leader named Rod Diridon Sr. visited Seattle and saw their historic Waterfront Streetcar. He thought it was a great way to get people excited about public transportation.

At the time, San Jose was planning a new light rail system (now the VTA light rail). Diridon believed that running vintage trolleys would make the community more enthusiastic about the new line. So, the local transportation authority bought three old streetcars. Volunteers and workers fixed them up at History Park at Kelley Park.

On November 18, 1988, the "Historic Trolley" service started in downtown San Jose. At first, it ran seven days a week. Over the years, the schedule changed. By 2004, the trolleys only ran during the Christmas holiday season. This special service was later named the "Holly Trolley."

The Holly Trolley service was paused during 2020 and 2021 but has since returned to bring holiday cheer to San Jose during December.

The CTRC also runs its own trolley line at History Park, where visitors can take free rides every weekend. In 2009, the line was extended to reach the Japanese Friendship Garden and the Happy Hollow Zoo.

The Dream of a Railroad Museum

In 1992, the CTRC got permission to build the San Jose Steam Railroad Museum. The plan was to build it around a historic roundhouse, which is a special garage for trains. This roundhouse was built in 1899 and was donated to the group.

The museum was going to feature two amazing steam locomotives:

• Southern Pacific 2479: This engine was going to be restored so it could run on the tracks again.
• Southern Pacific 1215: This engine was going to be a "static display," meaning it would be beautifully restored for people to look at but wouldn't run.

Unfortunately, the plan to build the museum at its original location was canceled in 2002. The CTRC spent many years trying to find a new home for the museum. Although the big museum was never built, the Southern Pacific 1215 locomotive was placed on display at History Park.

In 2021, the CTRC made an agreement to move the historic roundhouse and the Southern Pacific 2479 locomotive to the Niles Canyon Railway. This move ensures these important pieces of railroad history will be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

A Look at the Historic Trolleys

The CTRC has a unique collection of streetcars from different cities and time periods. Each one has its own story.

Type	Car Number	Manufacturer	Built	Image	Notes
Streetcar	1	Sacramento Electric	1905		This trolley ran in Sacramento and Santa Cruz. It was found in bad shape in 1985 and was restored. It can seat 36 people.
	73	Jewett Car Company	1912		Built in Ohio, this car served the San Jose Railroads. After it retired in 1934, it was used as part of a house before being rescued and restored.
	124	American Car Company	1912?		This trolley also ran on the San Jose Railroads. Like car 73, it was used as part of a house after retiring from service.
	143	St Louis Car Company	1922		This is a Birney type streetcar, which was a popular and simple design. It originally operated in Fresno, California.
	168	J. G. Brill Company	1934		This trolley came all the way from Porto, Portugal! It was brought to San Jose in the early 1980s.
	531	Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board	1928		This is a W2-class car from Melbourne, Australia. It was purchased in 1986 after it was retired from the Melbourne tram system.
	2001	Officine Meccaniche Lodigiane [it]	1928		Originally from Milan, Italy, this car was donated in the 1980s. It was specially modified to run in either direction on the tracks in San Jose.