The Western Railway Museum, in Solano County, California, United States is located on Highway 12 between Rio Vista and Suisun. The museum is built along the former mainline of the Sacramento Northern Railway. Their collection focuses on trolleys, as it is primarily a museum of interurban transit equipment.
The Western Railway Museum has the largest collection of Sacramento Northern Railway equipment in existence, and the museum also operates a line of the former Sacramento Northern as a heritage railway with scheduled excursions for visitors.
Originally named the California Railway Museum, it was renamed the Western Railway Museum at the beginning of 1985. The museum is operated by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association (BAERA), a non-profit organization.
History
The Bay Area Electric Railroad Association was started by a group of San Francisco Bay Area rail fans in 1946. The group was specifically interested in electric traction, more than main line railroads. Other groups such as the California/Nevada Historical Society usually had meetings and excursions on main line subjects. BAERA held monthly social meetings, frequently showing members slides and movies to the group. The BAERA also had excursions on the many street car lines and Interurbans in the Bay Area. As a result of an excursion over the Key System the Association purchased Key System 271 a wooden street car that had started out in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. Soon other cars were given by members or purchased for the Association. These included Sacramento Northern 62, a Birney street car built in 1920. The car ran local service in Chico, California until 1947 and had the last 5-cent fare in the State of California.
A number of passenger and work cars were obtained when the Key System abandoned operation of its last rail line across the Bay Bridge in 1958. But time, money and effort needed in constantly moving the equipment from place to place convinced the members that a permanent location for their railway museum was needed. Property was located at Rio Vista Junction, a former station stop along the Sacramento Northern Railway near Suisun, California in 1960. BAERA became a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational corporation in the 1960s, and created as its major project the California Railway Museum. At the beginning of 1985, the museum was renamed the Western Railway Museum, to avoid confusion with the California State Railroad Museum. Significant events at the Western Railway Museum include: purchase of 22 miles of Sacramento Northern in 1994, dedication of a Visitors Center in 2001, and starting in 2002, construction of the Loring Jensen Memorial Car House with attendant fire suppression system, officially opened in May 2008.
The Association also publishes a quarterly newsletter called the Review.
Collection
The BAERA maintains a substantial archive of materials relating to street railway, interurban lines, and steam railroads of California and adjacent states. The archive occupies a climate controlled space in one of the newer buildings.BAERA Archive - Western Railway Museum
The Association owns about 100 pieces of railroad equipment, mainly from the electric railroads of the West, but also several Western Pacific Railroad pieces including two steam locomotives. Equipment is in a wide range of conditions, and some equipment is maintained fully operational. For example, Petaluma and Santa Rosa 63, Peninsular Railway 52, Salt Lake and Utah 751, and Sacramento Northern 62.Large artifact collection - Western Railway Museum
The interurban car Sacramento Northern 1005 (originally Oakland, Antioch and Eastern 1005) has been a focus of restoration activity in the last 10 years. The BAERA operated many excursions in its early years, and this car was used quite frequently. It was often hauled around in freight trains to reach an excursion site, and sometimes suffered damage in these trips, including a badly bent frame in June 1962. The damage has been repaired and the car has been restored to its 1934 configuration.
Passenger/Interurban cars Interurban Car Condition Notes Bamberger #400 Awaiting restoration Bay Area Rapid Transit A-Car #1164 Display Acquired 2024. broad gauge, and runs on Third rail with 1 kV DC, which is incompatible with the museum's trolley wires.Bay Area Rapid Transit B-Car #1834Display Acquired 2024. broad gauge, and runs on Third rail with 1 kV DC.Bay Area Rapid Transit C-Car #329Display Acquired 2024. broad gauge, and runs on Third rail with 1 kV DC, which is incompatible with the museum's trolley wires. Cedar Rapids & Iowa City #111 Operational Central California Traction Co. #010 Awaiting restoration Body only Key System #182 operational Recently repaired. Key System #186 Stored Key System #187 Operational Oakland, Antioch & Eastern #1020 operational Former SN motor #1020 restored as trailer Oregon Electric #1001 Champoeg Cosmetically restored Restored as trailer usable in train Pacific Electric #457 Awaiting restoration Body and trucks only Peninsular Railway #52 Under Restoration Currently being repainted and replacement of worn out materials Peninsular Railway #61 Awaiting restoration Petaluma & Santa Rosa #63 Operational Portland Traction Co. #4001 Operational Restored in 2015 Richmond Shipyard Railway #561 Operational Richmond Shipyard Railway #563 Cosmetically restored Sacramento Northern "Bidwell" Awaiting restoration body only Sacramento Northern #1005 Operational Recently restored Salt Lake & Utah #751 Operational Salt Lake, Garfield & Western #306 Incomplete restoration San Francisco & Napa Valley #63 Awaiting restoration San Francisco-Sacramento #1019 Awaiting restoration Former SN motor #1019 Interurban Electric Railway #358 Awaiting restoration Body only Interurban Electric Railway #600 Awaiting restoration Body only Interurban Electric Railway #602 Awaiting restoration Body only Interurban Electric Railway #603 Awaiting restoration Body only Tidewater Southern #200 Awaiting restoration San Diego Trolley Siemens–Duewag U2 #1017 Operational San Diego Trolley Siemens–Duewag U2 #1018 Operational Los Angeles Metro Rail Nippon Sharyo P2020 #164 operational Acquired April 2023. Second non-Boeing and/or non-Siemens light rail vehicle to be preserved in a museum in the United States, after P865 144 at the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, California.
Streetcars/Light rail trams Streetcar Condition Notes Image East Bay Street Railways #352 Operational Safety car streetcar built by the St. Louis Car Company. After retirement from active service, was used as a storage shed in the Berkeley Hills before being acquired by the museum. Restored to its current condition in 1985 to appear as it did in 1931. Key System #271 Under restoration Suburban streetcar originally built by the St. Louis Car Company for the Lehigh Valley Transit Company. Purchased by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association from the Key System in 1946. First car acquired by the Association. Needs electric and brake work, being painted. Key System #987 Out of service Streetcar built by the Key System Emeryville shops, a copy of other streetcars built by the American Car Company. Bad traction motor. Market Street Railway "San Francisco" Awaiting restoration body only Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board #648 Operational An Australian W2 Class Tram formerly operated in Melbourne. Operated in San Francisco's History Trolley Festivals before being purchased by the museum in the 1980s. Pacific Gas & Electric Co #46 Awaiting restoration Pacific Gas & Electric Co #63 Awaiting restoration Presidio & Ferries #28 Awaiting restoration body only Sacramento Electric Gas & Railway #14 Awaiting restoration San Francisco Municipal Railway #1003 Operational "Magic Carpet" type streetcar built by the St. Louis Car Company. Similar to double-ended PCC streetcars except with hand controllers instead of foot pedals. Only survivor of five built. Purchased by the museum in 1959. San Francisco Municipal Railway #1016 Operational PCC Streetcar built by the St. Louis Car Company. First of the last order of new PCCs built in the US. Purchased by the museum in 1982. San Francisco Municipal Railway #1153 Awaiting restoration PCC Streetcar built by the St. Louis Car Company originally for the St. Louis Public Service Company. Acquired by Muni in the 1950s before being purchased by the museum in 1982. San Francisco Municipal Railway #1258 Operational US Standard Light Rail Vehicle manufactured by Boeing Vertol. Acquired by the museum in 2002. San Francisco Municipal Railway #178 Operational "Iron Monster" type streetcar built by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in San Francisco. Purchased by the museum in 1959. Loaned back to Muni in the 1980s for the Historic Trolley Festivals. Stockton Electric #52 Awaiting restoration Sacramento Northern #62 Out of service A single truck, double-end, archroof Birney Safety Car, arranged for one-man operation San Francisco Municipal Railway #1534 Newly delivered An articulated light-rail vehicle manufactured by Breda. Retired from service in 2025, arrived at the museum in September 2026.
Locomotives Locomotive Type Condition Notes Central California Traction Co. #7 Electric box motor Operational Central California Traction Co. #30 70-ton switcher Display Kennecott Copper Corporation #407 Electric steeple-cab Display Kenecott Copper Corporation #700 Electric steeple-cab Under restoration Kenecott Copper Corporation #771 Battery operated steeple-cab stored Key System #1001 Electric steeple-cab Out of service Pantograph under restoration Sacramento Northern #146 44-ton switcher Under restoration Sacramento Northern #602 Electric box motor Awaiting restoration Sacramento Northern #652 Electric steeple-cab Cosmetically restored Sacramento Northern #654 Electric steeple-cab Operational Salt Lake Garfield & Western DS2 44-ton switcher Awaiting restoration San Francisco & Napa Valley #100 Electric box motor Awaiting restoration Body and trucks only Visalia Electric #502 44-ton switcher Operational Western Pacific #94 Display Western Pacific #334 Stored
Maintenance of Way equipment Car Car Type Condition Notes East Bay Transit Co. #1011 Wrecker Operational Display Key System #1014 Wrecker Awaiting restoration Body only Key System #1201 Line car Operational Key System #1215 Shop switcher Operational Key System #1218 Line car Awaiting restoration Sacramento Northern #1 Portable substation Operational Used on first Saturday of the month to power the railroad San Francisco Municipal Railway #0109 Rail grinder Operational Stored
Freight cars Car Car Type Condition Oakland Antioch & Eastern #2002 Flatcar Restored Central California Traction #1017 Flatcar Incomplete restoration Central California Traction Co #2001 Box car Restored Central California Traction Co. #3001 Box car Restored Denver & Rio Grande Western #63383 Box car Restored Great Northern #X 344 Caboose Incomplete restoration Pacific Fruit Express #20420 Refrigerator car Awaiting restoration Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac #2289 Box car Restored Sacramento Northern Railway #1632 Caboose Restored Sacramento Northern Railway #2314 Box car Awaiting restoration Sacramento Northern Railroad #2136 Box car Awaiting restoration Shell #SCCX 662 Tank car Restored Southern Pacific #150340 Gondola car Awaiting restoration Western Pacific #10429 Hopper car Restored Western Pacific #1025 Tank car Awaiting restoration Western Pacific #741 Caboose Awaiting restoration
The museum today Visitors can take a streetcar ride and/or a Interurban ride, picnic at the shaded grounds, browse in the bookstore and view small exhibits in the visitor center. Also in the visitor center is the depot cafe and F. M. Smith Library and Archives, which are open two days a month for research and browsing. Also available are self-guided car house tours and guided car house tours.