Western Electric Railway Museum; Napa Valley Wine Train

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Later this spring we plan to visit these - two very different locations (but not that far from each other on the map). Anyone here been to either of these recently, any recommendations?

Thanks

MP

2

Do you consider a decade ago recent?

3

I would definately recommend the weekend brunch trains on the Napa Valley. Our table was in the dome car (great views) and after a great meal we rode on the brass railed platform of the observtion car - an experience that is very hard to have elsewhere.

dd

4

Watch out for the quantity you consume on the Wine Train. It’s easy to loose track (ha!) and be surprised at how you feel when you get back to your car. Since you’re travelling, try to find a hotel near by.

5

Sure. I’ve never seen either of these, so they are all new to me. I just wondered if the Napa Valley rail route has been sanitized with all stray pieces of equipment and sidings removed, or if it still looks like an old branch line. The map shows the line running parallel to a state highway so I figure there isn’t much scenery. But then you ride that train for the, uh, refreshments…

6

My wife and I rode the Napa Wine Train on a trip to San Fran a couple of years back and really enjoyed it. They have a wine tasting in their depot before the train departs and then you take a really leasurely trip up the old SP branch about 20 miles then turn around and take it back. The highlites for me were dinner in the old Great Dome (a real treat) and standing on the platform of the obs car watching the old Alco FA units (really pretty in the wine red paint) run around the train for the trip back. Jim

7

Depending on the time of year - the fields are beautiful and any time of the year the mansions and other buildings are quite impressive. The line has been sanitized as you expected and is almost straight. Even though I don’t drink, the trip was well worth it. We had a group of 18 people and the service was fabulous.

dd

8

I have never been on the Napa Wine Train, however I have been to the Western Railway Museum (no Electric, http://www.wrm.org/index.html) twice, the last time in October 1994. This is the one on the old Sacramento Northern at the Highway 12 crossing westsouthwest of Fairfield. It looks like they only have a partial roster on their website. If I remember correctly, the also have SN 712 (GP7), a WP steam engine and a Visalia Electric GE 44 tonner there. It seems like they have train rides.