List of San Francisco Bay Area trains facts for kids

This is a list of trains and train museums in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California in the United States.

Full-size commuter trains

The Bay Area hosts several regional commuter rail operations, as well as inter-city rail.

Commuter and intercity

• Altamont Corridor Express (ACE)
• Amtrak (California Zephyr, Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight, and San Joaquin)
• Caltrain
• Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit

Rapid transit

• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)

Light rail / streetcar

• Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light rail (VTA)
• San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)
  • Muni Heritage streetcars (including the Market Street Railway)
  • Muni Metro
  • San Francisco cable car system

Full-size excursion trains

The Bay Area is home to several heritage railways that operate full size trains.

• Ardenwood Historic Farm – Fremont
• California Trolley and Railroad Corporation – San Jose
• Napa Valley Wine Train – between Napa and St. Helena
• Niles Canyon Railway – between Fremont and Sunol
• Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
• Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway

Ride-on trains

The Bay Area is home to several ridable miniature railways.

East Bay

• Golden Gate Live Steamers – Berkeley
• Kennedy Park Train - Hayward
• Oakland Zoo – Oakland
• Redwood Valley Railway – Berkeley

Peninsula

• Central Park Bianchi Train – San Mateo
• Emerald Hills Railway – Redwood City
• Little Puffer – San Francisco Zoo

North Bay

Entrance to Sonoma TrainTown

• Seaside Railway at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom – Vallejo
• Sonoma TrainTown Railroad – Sonoma

South Bay

• Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad – Los Gatos
• Bonfante Railroad Train Ride and Sky Trail Monorail at Gilroy Gardens – Gilroy
• Happy Hollow Park & Zoo – San Jose

Museums

The Bay Area is home to several independent railway museums.

East Bay

• Golden Gate Railroad Museum – Niles Canyon
• Niles Depot Museum – Fremont

North Bay

• Tiburon Depot – Tiburon
• Western Railway Museum – Solano County

Peninsula

• Colma Historical Association – Colma
• Millbrae Train Museum – Millbrae, California
• San Francisco Cable Car Museum – San Francisco
• San Francisco Railway Museum – San Francisco

South Bay

• Los Altos History Museum – Los Altos
• Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History – Santa Clara

Model trains

Golden State Models in Point Richmond

There are several clubs in the Bay Area that are home to large layout model trains.

North Bay

• Golden State Model Railroad Museum – Richmond

East Bay

• Alameda County Fairgrounds – Pleasanton
• Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club – Antioch
• Diablo Valley Lines – Walnut Creek
• Niles Depot Museum – Fremont
• Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society – Walnut Creek

Peninsula

Barron Park Garden Railway – Palo Alto

• Golden Gate Model Railroad Club – San Francisco
• West Bay Model Railroad Association – Menlo Park

South Bay

• Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History – Santa Clara
• Silicon Valley Lines – San Jose