California State Railroad Museum, Railroad museum in Old Sacramento, United States
The California State Railroad Museum is a railway museum in Old Sacramento, United States, that displays over twenty restored locomotives and cars in exhibition halls and outdoor areas. The collection includes steam engines, diesel units, sleeping cars and freight wagons that visitors can sometimes view from the inside.
The museum traces its origin to 1937, when Bay Area railroad enthusiasts formed the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society and donated 30 historic locomotives and cars to the state parks department. Its first facility, the Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station, opened in 1976; the Railroad History Museum was completed in 1981. Steam excursions on the Sacramento Southern Railroad began in 1984, the Freight Depot opened three years later, and Railtown 1897 joined the complex in 1992.
The name honors the railway's role in shaping California, and visitors today see carriages from different eras in which travelers once crossed deserts and mountains. Costumed staff explain at the exhibits how conductors, engineers and passengers worked and lived at that time.
Between April and October, a train runs along the Sacramento River that visitors can book for about forty minutes. Most exhibits stand indoors, some are located outside and remain accessible in all weather.
An exhibition shows a construction site at Donner Pass from 1867 on a large scale with the original locomotive Gov. Stanford. Visitors see there tools, rails and rocks that recreate the building of the first transcontinental railroad.
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