Are there some good model railroad shops in those places or in the vicinity of those places?
Are there some model railroad clubs in those places or the vicinity?
Beside the “street runing” of the Santa Cruz Big Trees and Pacific Railway going through/over the Boardwalk, are they still other trains(freight) passing over the Boardwalk?
I found some pictutures of freight trains going through the Boardwalk.
Are they other points of railroading intrest in the vicinity of Napa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz?
Where can I see the BART trains running in daylight?(I saw somewhere a picture of a BART train running between a highway)
Wow: there’s sooo much train stuff in the Bay Area you’re really going to have to pick and choose!
As far as Model Train shops, The Train Shop in Santa Clara (South Bay) is awesome, as is Just Trains in Concord (East Bay).
In San Francisco proper, Franciscan Hobbies probably your best bet.
(Train Shop is closed Sundays, Just Trains is closed on Mondays)
I set the link to Just Trains on her page with links to Bay Area model railroad clubs.
There are quite a few so if you tell me your interest / scale I can recommend some.
If you’re here the first week of April you’ll be here for the NMRA / PCR Iron Horse Express Convention, which offers not only a bunch of great clinics but the opportunity to visit such amazing home layouts as Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley RR, Kermit Paul’s Lone Pine & Tonopah, Robert Bowdidge’s Vasona Branch, and Steve Cavanaugh’s Western Pacific Third Sub.
As far as real trains, CalTrains runs between San Jose and San Francisco, BART runs almost everywhere in the East Bay (above ground trackage starts outside of Oakland), the big UP yard in Oakland (which is near Jack London Square: a good place to railfan Amtrack), Niles Canyon offers train rides, the Wine Train in Napa and the Calif
It’s been many years since I was in the Monterey / Carmel area, but I don’t think there are any trains running in that area. There used to be some agricultural activity there, but it probably all goes by truck now.
I want to second MC’s suggestion about visiting Jack London Square in Oakland. Although I live in CT I have a friend in the area and have visited many times. The street running is just great. If you are planning on visiting San Fran take a ride to Oakland for Lunch in Jack London Square, plenty of great food in the area and then get a little railfanning in. You’ll be able to see UP, Amtrak, Cal Trans, and BNSF.
Check out the links to some pics of street running in the Square
I haven’t been to there in many years, but always liked Chans Trains on Van Ness Ave, San Franciaco when I lived in “the City” .
Berkley Hardware on University Avenue in Berkley may be worth checking out. I believe they still have a large train and hobby department in their basement.
I always found a visit Francisian Hobbies to be fustrating. A lot of stuff, but cluttered and not well organized. Been many years, so that may have changed.
Finding a place to park a car near Chans Trains and Berkley Hardware can be difficult. Near Franciscan may not be too hard depending on day and time. All three are accessable by public transit. A car is the best way to get to Just Trains in Concord.
Be sure to ride a cable car and visit the cable car museum. Both the regular MUNI (LRV) lines and the MUNI “F” (heritage) line are fun rides. The “K” line runs on Ocean Ave by Franciscan Hobbies .
Re Boardwalk - There used to be trains out to the cement plant in Davenport and the occasional lumber or freight load to Felton. The cement plant closed several years ago so the line out along the coast is now used for car storage…There may still a lumber load every once in a while, other wise its all roaring camp and a holiday train that ran last season out from town.
Check out Brightside in Sunol…Lots of cool old prototype equipment there.
PM me if you are interested in visiting layouts in the area - some pretty good ones are here.
I think I have to come back again after this year because there is so much, I have to see to keep the church in the middle[;)] because I have to do also something of intrest for my partner[:)][:D][8D]