Redwood Valley Railway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Redwood Valley Railway
Locomotive No. 7 and passengers
Technical
Track gauge	15 in (381 mm)

The Redwood Valley Railway is a super cool miniature train ride located in Tilden Regional Park near Berkeley, California. It's a special kind of railway where the trains are smaller than regular ones. These trains run on tracks that are 15 in (381 mm) wide. It's a fun way to experience a train ride through a beautiful park!

History of the Redwood Valley Railway

The Redwood Valley Railway started way back in 1952. It was created by a person named Erich Thomsen. Back then, it was called the Tilden South Gate and Pacific Railway. The tracks were a bit narrower, at 12 in (305 mm) wide.

Erich Thomsen was an engineer for a big railroad company. He even invented some things for trains! The land where the railway is now used to be a place for anti-aircraft guns.

When the railway was first built, 800 redwood trees were planted. These trees are now very tall and grown up. In 1968, the railway tracks were made wider to 15 in (381 mm). This change allowed bigger trains where two adults could sit side by side. These trains look like the narrow gauge trains that were common in America a long time ago.

Some of the Redwood Valley trains have even traveled to England! They ran on other 15-inch gauge railways there. After Erich Thomsen passed away in 1995, his daughter Ellen took over running the railway.

Riding the Train: What to Expect

A ride on the Redwood Valley Railway usually lasts about 12 minutes. It's a great way to see the park from a different view.

Ticket Prices and Riding Rules

As of January 2023, a ticket costs $4.00 for anyone aged 2 or older. Little kids under 2 years old can ride for free! If you plan to ride many times, you can buy a five-ride ticket for $16.

When Can You Ride?

The Redwood Valley Railway is open most of the time.

• Weekends: It runs every Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm all year long. In winter, it closes at sundown if the weather is good.
• Summer Fun: During the summer, from mid-June to Labor Day, the railway is open seven days a week! It runs from 11 am to 5 pm on weekdays and 11 am to 6 pm on weekends.

Special Events at the Railway

The railway also hosts some fun special events!

• Anniversary Meet: This happens on the first full weekend in June. Many of the railway's own trains are running. Sometimes, other cool trains from different places visit too! It's open to everyone from 11 am to 6 pm.
• Winterfest: Usually held on the first and second weekends of December. The railway stays open later, until 7 pm, so you can experience the magic of the forest after dark. There's Father Solstice on his own train and special lighted areas. It's a warm, holiday experience, and tickets cost the same as regular days.

The Trains and Cars

The Redwood Valley Railway has a cool collection of trains and cars.

Locomotives: The Engines That Pull the Trains

The railway has four special steam locomotives. These are steam engines that run on power from boiling water. They were designed by Erich Thomsen and built right there at the railway's own shops. While they don't copy any specific big trains, they look a lot like engines built between 1875 and 1910.

The railway also has one diesel-hydraulic locomotive, named Number 2. This engine is mostly used for keeping the tracks in good shape.

Cars and Other Rolling Stock

The railway has about a dozen wooden passenger cars called gondolas. These cars have seats for up to eight adults. They are the main cars used to carry passengers.

They also have three special stock cars. These cars were built to carry passengers too! They are often a favorite for small children, but adults can fit comfortably inside.

Other equipment includes a boxcar and extra gondolas that can be changed to carry passengers or materials for track work.

The railway also has many small four-wheel cars called "jimmies." These are used for special jobs like welding, replacing old ties (the wooden pieces under the tracks), or carrying gravel.

A unique car is a flatcar, which was built by one of the crew members in high school! This strong flatcar is very useful for many different tasks.

There's also a coal gondola, which used to carry extra coal for engine Number 4. Number 4 now uses fuel oil instead of coal. This car is now used to carry folding chairs for the annual meet.

The RVRy caboose

A favorite for everyone is the caboose! A caboose is a special car at the very end of a train. This one looks like the cabooses used on the D&RGW long ago. It has been at the end of most passenger trains for over 30 years.

Future Plans

The railway has plans for even more cool trains and cars! They have parts for two new steam engines, a 2-4-4 Forney and a 2-6-0, but they are not built yet. They also plan to build another caboose and a fancy business car. This business car would be super detailed, even with tiny furniture and wallpaper!

The boiler for engine Number 13, the 2-6-0, has already been made.

Past Trains

The very first steam engine used when the railway opened in 1952 was Number 1, named Cricket. It was a 12 in (305 mm)-gauge 4-4-0 steam locomotive. This engine and some old 12-inch gauge cars were sold to another railway in Folsom, California.

Where the Trains Sleep

The Redwood Valley Railway has three barns where they store the cars when they are not being used. They also have a roundhouse, which is a special building for engines. It has a window so you can see their other steam engines. There's also a tunnel that was meant for a new track, but it collapsed. Now, it's used to store a few cars.

Images for kids

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  Locomotive No. 4, Laurel, at the station.

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  Locomotive No. 5, Fern, arriving at the station.

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  Locomotive No. 7, Oak.

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  Locomotive No. 11, Sequoia.