Niles Canyon Railway Historic Operating Railroad Museum
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About Niles Canyon Railway Historic Operating Railroad Museum
Our mission is to develop and operate a working railroad museum for the benefit of the general public. Ride the rails and enjoy rich history with us! Book today!
History
The Niles Canyon Railway runs on the 1866–1869 alignment of the first transcontinental railroad, among the earliest rail lines built in California and the first rail link between San Francisco Bay and the rest of the nation. The Western Pacific Railroad (the original 1862–1870 company) graded its way into the rugged canyon with 500 Chinese laborers before money troubles halted work; the Central Pacific restarted construction in 1869, and that September the line from Sacramento through the canyon to Alameda Terminal was finished — the first train ran through on September 6, 1869, completing a transcontinental route to the Pacific four months after the golden spike at Promontory Summit. Southern Pacific ended operations through Niles Canyon in 1984 and deeded the land to Alameda County. The Pacific Locomotive Association leased the right of way, began rebuilding track in 1987, and ran its first passenger train out of Sunol on May 21, 1988; trains reconnected Sunol and Niles on April 9, 2006. The corridor was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 13, 2010, as the Niles Canyon Transcontinental Railroad Historic District, with 108 contributing resources including the 1884 Sunol depot — the last survivor of Southern Pacific's standard design No. 7.
The Trains
The Pacific Locomotive Association's collection counted 10 steam and 13 diesel locomotives and more than 40 pieces of rolling stock as of 2022, which it preserves, restores, and operates on the line. Saturday excursions run behind diesel locomotives, while Sunday trains are steam-powered in spring and fall with diesels substituting in summer; consists mix open and enclosed passenger cars plus a commissary car with a snack bar and restrooms. The year-end Train of Lights stretches over 1,000 feet with sixteen decorated enclosed and open-air cars, including two cabooses, and a historic diesel on each end.
Nearby
Where to Stay
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Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
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