Western Pacific Railroad Museum, Railroad museum in Portola, California, US
The Western Pacific Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Portola, California, displaying a large collection of locomotives and train cars from different eras. The facility features diesel locomotives, an electric locomotive, a steam locomotive, and several passenger cars that visitors can explore.
The Feather River Rail Society, which operates the museum, was founded in 1983; the site is a former Western Pacific locomotive facility beside the railroad's old mainline through the Feather River Canyon, now Union Pacific. The museum was called the Portola Railroad Museum until January 1, 2006. Its Portola Diesel Shop dates from 1953, and the Western Pacific Hospital of 1911 stood on the grounds until an arson fire destroyed it on September 7, 2011.
The museum tells the story of the Western Pacific Railroad through preserved equipment and documents that visitors can see up close. These items show how the railroad shaped the region and how workers operated these powerful machines.
The grounds are open year-round, and visitors can view the trains both from outside and during scheduled tours and demonstrations. Comfortable shoes are recommended since the property is large and involves considerable walking.
Western Pacific 805-A, the orange-and-silver FP7 facing visitors at the entrance, pulled the California Zephyr; its nose carries the number board 805-A and the Western Pacific feather logo. The museum's Run A Locomotive program lets a visitor spend an hour at the controls of such a diesel after ground instruction, with a qualified engineer riding along.
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