Orinda, CA
Redwood Valley Railway
4.9· 1,864 Google reviews
At a Glance
Source checked 2026-08-15- TypeTwelve-minute, 15-inch-gauge miniature steam-train rides through Tilden Regional Park's redwood landscape
- LocationOrinda, CA
- Rating4.9 ★1,864 Google reviews
- UpcomingSun, Aug 16
About Redwood Valley Railway
Redwood Valley Railway is the miniature steam railroad that the East Bay Regional Park District presents as the Tilden Steam Train. Public trains leave a wooded station near Grizzly Peak Boulevard and follow a 15-inch-gauge line through a redwood setting, over trestles, and around the hillside. The Park District's current Summer 2026 sheet publishes daily rides through Labor Day: weekdays 11 a.m.–5 p.m., weekends and Labor Day 11 a.m.–6 p.m., all weather permitting. The currently published remaining horizon contains 23 dates from August 16 through September 7; later fall service has not yet been posted in a current official sheet and is therefore not inferred.
Plan the Tilden Steam-Train Ride
Choose the visit that fits your groupFamilies, miniature-railway enthusiasts, first-time visitors, and travelers pairing several Tilden attractions
Ride the wooded 15-inch-gauge line
Board at the Tilden Steam Train station for a compact miniature-railway loop through mature trees, over trestles, and around the hillside.
Railfans, live-steam builders, industrial-design readers, photographers, and preservation-minded travelers
Compare the home-built locomotive designs
Use station and route views to compare American, Columbia, Prairie, and Ten-Wheeler proportions, while treating the day's actual locomotive as an operating decision.
Train-first families, model engineers, repeat visitors, and travelers who can accommodate weather-dependent volunteer operation
Build a two-railroad Tilden afternoon
On Sundays, follow the path below the station to Golden Gate Live Steamers for a different scale, nonprofit club, and donation-supported public ride.
Upcoming Events
Complete official date check
2026 special-event calendar
The current Park District Summer 2026 Tilden Attractions sheet was retrieved on August 15. It explicitly publishes Steam Train operation every weekday through Labor Day plus weekends and Labor Day, all weather permitting. The exact remaining future horizon is therefore every date August 16–September 7, 2026: weekdays 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; weekends and Labor Day 11 a.m.–6 p.m. September 8 onward is unpublished in the current official sheet and is not inferred from older year-round descriptions. Recheck during synchronized freshness review; do not run that sweep during build research. Check the live official calendar ↗
Plan Your Visit
- WeatherEvery published hour is weather permitting; verify before crossing the hills when conditions are uncertain
- Visitor Address2481 Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Orinda, CA 94563
- Published Horizon23 exact remaining dates from August 16 through Labor Day, September 7, 2026; later dates are unpublished, not declared closed
- HoursMonday–Friday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; weekends and Labor Day 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; all dates and hours weather permitting
- Fares$5 per ride for ages 2 and older; children under 2 ride free; five-ride family ticket $20
- TicketingThe current Park District sheet publishes walk-up fares and no online reservation product; call the railway for day-of questions
- Ride ContextA Park District retrospective describes a roughly 12-minute ride on about 1.25 miles of track; day-of operation controls actual duration
- SeatingThe District retrospective describes small open-air and covered cars with two-by-two seating; a particular car style is not guaranteed
- Parking And FacilitiesThe Park District says parking, drinking water, and restroom facilities are wheelchair accessible
- Train AccessThe current official page does not describe platform-to-car gaps, transfer requirements, wheelchair carriage, seating support, or service-animal procedures; call 510-548-6100
- Road WorkLarge fuels-reduction projects may intermittently affect Tilden roads and trails from May through December 2026; check current Park District alerts
- ContactCall 510-548-6100 for current operation, payment, boarding, group, and access questions
Find the Depot
The Trains
The railway uses 15-inch-gauge, approximately five-inch-scale equipment styled after late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century American narrow-gauge practice. Its locomotives were designed for the property and built in the Redwood Valley shops. Reusable exact-operator records document steam locomotives Nos. 4, 5, and 11 plus diesel-hydraulic work locomotive No. 2 in the station and shop setting. Historical specialist sources also describe steam No. 7 and the broader home-built fleet, but no current official operating sheet assigns a numbered locomotive, so the package never promises motive power or shop access.
History
Erich Thomsen opened the Tilden South Gate and Pacific Railway to the public on a 12-inch-gauge line in Tilden Regional Park.
Thomsen completed 15-inch-gauge steam locomotive No. 4, Laurel, in his Berkeley workshop.
After the Army left the former military area, Park District leadership allowed the railway's 15-inch-gauge expansion, according to the Berkeley Historical Society account.
An East Bay Regional Park District retrospective dates the railway's move and expansion into its longer redwood route to this year.
Ten-Wheeler steam locomotive No. 11 was built for the Redwood Valley fleet.
American-type steam locomotive No. 5 joined the home-built locomotive roster.
After Erich Thomsen's death, his daughter Ellen Thomsen took over railway operation and management.
Prairie-type steam locomotive No. 7 entered public service after a long on-site construction project.
The Park District published current Summer 2026 daily operation through Labor Day with weather-dependent hours and fares.
See full history
Erich Thomsen opened the Tilden South Gate and Pacific Railway in 1952 on Park District land. A 2025 Berkeley Historical Society account based in part on communication with owner and president Ellen Thomsen describes the original 12-inch-gauge line, the locally built equipment, and the later 15-inch-gauge expansion. A Park District retrospective dates the move and expansion into the present redwood route to 1971, while the historical account ties authorization and regauging work to the period after the Army left the site in 1968; the package preserves both dated descriptions instead of collapsing them into a false single-day claim. After Erich Thomsen died in 1995, Ellen Thomsen assumed operation. The railway continues as a private concession within Tilden Regional Park, while the Park District supplies the current public venue page, address, facility-access statement, and 2026 hours-and-fees sheet.
Around the Depot
Two independently managed Tilden stops make the train trip materially fuller. Golden Gate Live Steamers ranks first because it adds a second public railway steps below the station; the native-plant garden ranks second for a free, substantial landscape visit about 1.5 miles away.
Getting There & Staying Nearby
Optional trip extras from our travel partners.
Rent a Car
Compare the attraction location with your airport or lodging before deciding whether a rental car fits the trip.
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Tours & Activities near Orinda
Tours
Guided tours, day trips, and things to do around the area, bookable in advance through Viator.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When does Redwood Valley Railway run in the currently published 2026 horizon?
The current Park District sheet publishes daily rides through Labor Day: weekdays 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and weekends plus Labor Day 11 a.m.–6 p.m., all weather permitting. The exact remaining horizon is August 16–September 7.
How much does a ride cost?
The 2026 fee sheet lists $5 per ride for ages two and older, free rides for children under two, and a five-ride family ticket for $20. Verify payment methods by phone.
How long is the train ride?
A Park District retrospective describes about a 12-minute trip on roughly 1.25 miles of track. Day-of weather and operation control the actual duration.
Is the train wheelchair-accessible?
The Park District confirms accessible parking, drinking water, and restrooms but does not publish train boarding, transfer, securement, or wheelchair-carriage details. Call 510-548-6100 before travel.
Will a steam locomotive always pull the train?
The attraction is presented as the Tilden Steam Train and the railway maintains several steam locomotives, but no current source assigns a numbered engine to a future date. Treat motive power as a day-of decision.
Can I reserve tickets online?
The current Park District materials publish fares and hours but no official online reservation product. Plan for walk-up operation and call 510-548-6100 for payment, group, or capacity questions.
Are rides guaranteed when the schedule lists them?
No. The current sheet says all dates and hours are weather permitting, and 2026 fuels-reduction work may intermittently affect park roads and trails. Check current alerts and call when conditions are uncertain.
What is the best train-first stop to add?
Golden Gate Live Steamers is directly below the Redwood Valley station and currently publishes free donation-supported public rides Sundays from noon to 3 p.m., subject to staff, weather, and authority permission.
Sources & Verification
Source-checked August 15, 2026. This free profile has not yet been claimed or confirmed by the operator.
- Current East Bay Regional Park District venue page for canonical public identity, address, phone, facility-access statement, and 2026 road-work alert
- Current Summer 2026 Tilden Attractions sheet for daily horizon through Labor Day, weekday and weekend hours, weather caveat, and fares
- Effective 2026 Park District fee schedule for $5 rides, free under age two, and $20 five-ride family ticket
- East Bay Regional Park District Tilden page for park arrival context and the Steam Train facility statement
- East Bay Regional Park District 2016 retrospective for 1952 origin, approximately 12-minute ride, 1.25-mile route, car context, and 1971 move and expansion
- Berkeley Historical Society 2025 owner-informed feature for identity, origin, No. 4, gauge transition, expansion context, ownership succession, and equipment styling
- SFGate profile of chief engineer Ray Pimlott for No. 7 construction and 2006 service context
- Redwood Valley Railway background and roster synthesis used only where current official sources do not enumerate equipment
- Exact No. 4 station photograph and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact No. 5 station photograph and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact No. 11 roundhouse photograph and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact diesel No. 2 shop photograph and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact No. 4 shop photograph and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact No. 5 roundhouse photograph and CC BY-SA 4.0 rights record
- Exact station-track photograph and CC BY 2.0 rights record
- Exact trestle-train photograph and CC BY 2.0 rights record