My family is taking a two-week trip to California this summer. We’ll be all over the state, east to west and from L.A. to San Fran. What are some can’t miss spots for watching trains? I’ve never been there, so I’d appreciate you being as specific as possible with the locations.
Thanks!
Dave M
I guess visits to Tehachapi and Cajon Pass are obligatory (of course I have never been to Cajon and I live in California). Pepper Street overpass at the east end of West Colton yard and Kaddie Wye seem to be other places railfans like to go.
There may still be a dead line at Yermo (if you are interested in seeing old locomotives).
Mojave is another good place.
UP and BNSF mainlines cross at Stockton, Fresno, and Colton.
UP and BNSF share a mainline from Bakersfield to Mojave (which includes Tehachapi). BNSF also has trackage rights on UP’s Feather River line and Donner Pass line.
Many of these locations are in bad neighborhoods.
There are excursion or dinner trains on FIllmore and Western, Sierra Northern, and Jamestown.
California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
Western Railway Museum along Highway 12 southeast of Fairfield
Feather River Railroad Museum
Niles Canyon Railway, Sunol - Train Rides
Laws - Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge - Museum Static Displays
Skunk Train, Ft Bragg- Train Rides through beautiful redwood forest
The Feather River Canyon has a number of good train watching spots if you are there at the right time. -The most famous is probably Keddie Wye. Unfortunately the best spot to see the Wye from is on shoulder of the Highway only few feet from traffic, and Highway “improvements” has pretty much closed off the wide shoulder (which was used as a parking area) across the road. - Williams Loop is hard to recognize One side of Williams Loop is right along the Highway, but you wouldn’t know it is a loop. From the Highway it is a short walk to the Loop. Used to be able to drive to where the tracks cross, but I think the dirt road has been blocked. -The classic view of Pulga has always been hard to get to. The photos are taken from the shoulder of the Highway and access requires walking along the narrow shoulder. On the other side of the river there is a very wide shoulder and you can walk out to the edge of the cliff and look down on top of the railroad bridge. Don’t advise walking across the bridge to the classic view spot. - The Museum in Portola has some nice exhibits No train rides but you can operate a switch engine on their track. .
A good railfan spot which has never received much attention is Binney Jct in Marysville CA. It is a crossing of the Southern Pacific and the Western Pacific main lines. (Now both Union Pacific). In addition to UP trains BNSF has trackage rights and may actually be running more trains than the UP. Access is easy. Park on Ellis Lake Blvd and walk across the open field.
If you’re in the Disneyland area (Anaheim, not Los Angeles), there is the former Rio Grande Southern equipment operating at nearby (and much, much cheaper) Knott’s Berry Farm. They have a pair of 1881 Baldwin Consolidations, several passenger cars and a Goose that operates on winter weekdays. There is also Fullerton station on the BNSF transcon main line (100 trains per day). The old Santa Fe depot is still in use by Amtrak and the former UP depot was moved next door and converted into a restaurant. Parking can be a challenge but train viewing is free and welcomed. The pedestrian bridge over the triple-track main line offers a good viewing vantage as well. There are often railfan groups with scanners that are just itching to talk trains.
About an hour (without traffic) southwest of these spots is the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris. Mostly streetcars but the collection of trains continues to grow. They also have Ward Kimble’s train collection in a special building. They also have a long (and rather sad) line of “dead” trains as well.
I have a friend in Cali who I have visited many times. There are so many spots to rail fan.
The best one/place I have found is the street running by Jack London square in Oakland. So worth a side trip from San Francisco. You can get really close and because they are running down the middle of the street the trains travel slow so you can get a great look at details. Plus the slow speed affords great pics.
You’ll be able to see UP, BNSF and Amtrak. There are several good spots to eat in the Square or in the neighborhood so go over for lunch and then railfan away.
Check out Steve Welch’s pics from the Jack London Square area. Did I mention you can get close without trespassing or making RR police nervous.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThumbs.aspx?id=24080
Not a bad trip at all! Tons of Rail fanning to be had, but you left out half of the state. Nothing like seeing the mixed freight BNSF in dark territory on the gateway subdivision…Or, the Keddie Wye…
California, by no means, ends at SF…and the whole state is not from LA to SF…that would mean I live someplace else! LIke the Great State of Jefferson! If only we werent a part of California…a guy can dream…a guy can dream.
Have a great trip.
Hello Dave,
Living near Sacramento, you can’t go wrong visiting the California State Railroad Museum. Located in Old Town, Sacramento, you can keep the family happy there while you are checking out the displays at the Museum. Don’t miss the Cab Forward there.
The Roseville yards are also a favorite place to go. If you get a chance to head up I-80 you’ll see much of the Donner pass route of the SP, now UP. Closer to the Bay area, there is Western Railway Museum near Fairfield/Suisan, which has a large collection of trolleys.
It’s a sunny day today, wish I wasn’t working indoors today, and could get out and do some railfanning!
Jeff B
Dave:
The railroading town of Truckee, off of Interstate 80 just east of Donner Pass affords some excellent train watching on the old SP “Overland” Route. Now that so many tunnels on the Roseville-Sparks main line have been ‘notched’ for double-stack trains, there is quite a bit more rail traffic over Donner Pass than formerly. And Truckee, itself, being about 18 miles north of Lake Tahoe, is in a particularly scenic area of the northern Sierra Nevada. Worth a side trip if you’re going to be in the SF/Sacramento area.
Remember, California is a LONG state, and San Francisco is only a little over halfway up the length. There’s lots of railroad action in Northern California.
Tom [:D]
Obviously I’m not limiting the state to SF but unfortunately I have to limit my trip due to time and money. We’ll be coming in from AZ on I-40 and hitting Sequoia National Park, Yosemite, San Francisco and the surrounding area, the down the PCH to end it L.A.
Since you’re coming home on I-40 through AZ, there is the train that runs from Williams, AZ up to the Grand Canyon.
If you have the time this is a worthwhile trip to make. The ride is fun and the canyon is spectacular.
Joe
If you are visiting Yosemite, don’t miss the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad at Fish Camp, just south of the park on Hwy 41. At least if you like Shays like I do …
We’ll be at the Canyon before coming to CA, so I’ll be sure to check that one out.