12 inch gauge steam locomotive Cricket
on the Folsom Valley Railway.
Angels Flight
Railway funicular railway in Los Angeles, between South Hill Street
and South Olive Street in the Bunker Hill district. The railway is just
298 ft (91 m) in length, with a gradient of 1 in 3 (33%).
Billy Jones
Wildcat Railroad 15 in (381 mm) miniature railway, 1 mile
(1.6 km) in length, in Los Gatos. Operates daily in summer and at
weekends all year. Usually diesel hauled, steam train operates on
summer weekends.
Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm Line 2 ft (610 mm)
gauge miniature railway located in Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm, Wheatland.
Diesel hauled. Farm is open to the public daily in spring and autumn,
and is available for private parties in summer.
Bonafante Railroad 2 ft (610 mm) gauge miniature
railway, about 1100 yards (1 km) in length, in Gilroy Gardens, Gilroy.
Operates on days when the gardens are open.
Calico Railroad 3ft (914 mm) gauge line 1 mile
(1.6 km) in length, steam hauled using ex-Denver & Rio Grande Western
material, located in the Knott’s Berry Farm theme park near
Buena Park. The park is open every day except Christmas Day, and also
includes the Calico Mine Ride and the Grand Sierra Scenic
Railroad, 2ft (610 mm) gauge lines using replica equipment. Not
to be confused with the Calico & Odessa Railroad
Calico & Odessa Railroad 2ft 6in
(762 mm) gauge line operating in the Calico Ghost Town, near Barstow. The town is
open every day except Christmas Day. Not to be confused with the
Calico Railroad
California Trolley & Rairoad Corporation
historic electric and horse drawn trams on a loop of track about
⅓ mile (0.5km) in length in Kelley Park. Standard gauge.
Operates weekends throughout the year.
Casa de Choo Choo 16 in (406 mm) gauge miniature
railway, some 2 miles (3 km) in length, located at Casa de Fruta,
near Hollister. Diesel hauled. The railway operates at weekends all
year, weather permitting.
Castle
Park amusement park in Riverside has a miniature railway circling
the central area of the park. The list of attractions includes the
Castle Park Railroad and the Riverside Express; these
are in fact the same operation. Admission to the park is free, you pay
only for rides. Trains operate Fridays to Sundays throughout the
year.
Descanso, Alpine & Pacific Railroad privately
owned 2 ft (610 mm) gauge line in Alpine. Open to the public most Sunday
afternoons during summer and at other times
Disneyland Park near Anaheim has three passenger
carrying railways:
Disneyland Railroad 3ft gauge steam hauled railway
running 1½ miles (2.4 km) around the perimeter of Disneyland Park and
serving four stations located in Main Street USA, New Orleans Square,
Tomorrowland and Mickey’s Toontown
Disneyland Monorail overhead monorail connecting
Downtown Disney with Tomorrowland
The neighbouring Disney California Adventure Park has a replica electric
streetcar operating on Buena Vista Street. Both parks are open every day
throughout the year, and have various other rail based amusement rides.
El Dorado East Regional Park in Long Beach has an
18 in (457 mm) gauge miniature railway. Trains operate Friday, Saturday
and Sunday all year (Website contains little information relating
to railway)
El Dorado Western Railroad Shingle Springs to
El Dorado. Possible future extension to Diamond Springs. Standard
gauge. Diesel powered passenger carrying works vehicles operate
most Sundays for short trips from either Shingle Springs or
El Dorado. Occasional journeys cover the whole line.
Emerald Hills Railway private 12 in (305 mm) gauge
miniature railway in Redwood City, open to the public typically 4
days each year.
Folsom
Valley Railway 12 in (305 mm) gauge steam hauled miniature railway,
about ¾ mile (1 km) in length, in Folsom City Park. Operates weekends
throughout the year and Tuesday to Friday mornings for most of the year.
Fun Town at Micke Grove 16 in (406 mm) gauge
miniature railway in the Fun Town amusement park at Micke Grove Regional
Park,near Lodi. Diesel hauled. Operates daily throughout the year.
Admission to Fun Town is free, just pay for rides (Website
contains few details relating to railway)
The Getty
Center has a “tram” (technically an air cushion supported funicular)
connecting the main entrance and car parks with the Center buildings.
Admission to the Center and use of the tram is free; there is a charge
for car parking, but the site can also be reached by public transport
(Website contains no details relating to tram)
Griffith Park & Southern Railroad in Los Angeles
(near the Travel Town Museum) has an 18½ in
(470 mm) gauge miniature railway, 1 mile (1.6 km) in length. Replica
steam and diesel locomotives powered by propane engines. Open every
day except Christmas Day.
Grove Trolley battery electric replica tram
(streetcar) operating on a ¾ mile (1.3 km) track connecting the Grove
Shopping Center in Los Angeles with the Farmers Market. Operates
afternoons and early evenings, daily throughout the year.
Irvine Park
Railroad in Irvine Regional Park has an 16 in (406 mm) gauge
miniature railway. Open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve,
Christmas Day and New Years Day.
LA Rail
historic luxury rail vehicles attached to scheduled Amtrak services
departing Los Angeles available for private charter
Los Angeles Live
Steamers steam and diesel hauled miniature railway. Society offers
rides to the general public most Sundays on its 1½ mile (2.4 km) 7½ in
(190 mm) gauge line
Mackerel Flats
& Goat Hill Junction Railroad diesel hauled miniature railway.
Society offers rides to the general public typically one weekend each
month on about 1 mile (1.6 km) of its extensive 7½ in (190 mm) gauge
line
Market
Street Railway heritage electric trams (trolleys) on the Muni
system of San Francisco. Operates daily throughout the year on
Muni Route F; Route E proposed.
Napa Valley
Wine Train Napa to St Helena. Standard gauge. Daily lunchtime and
evening diesel hauled trains, with dining options and possibility of
winery visits.
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railway from the museum
in Nevada City to Northern Queen Inn, on a loop of track about ¾ mile
(1.2 km) in length. historic diesel railbus. Operates Saturdays, May to
October.
Niles Canyon
Railway Niles to Sunol, about 6 miles (10 km). Standard gauge.
Operates on most Sundays from January to November, and most days
during early December. Passengers may join at either terminus.
Usually steam hauled. A further 5 miles (8 km) to Pleasanton is
used by occasional excursions and is planned to enter regular
operation in the future
Oakland Zoo Express Train 15 in (381 mm) gauge miniature
railway, about 1 mile (1.6 km) in length, in Oakland Zoo. Operates
daily when the Zoo is open, which is most days of the year.
Pacific Southwest
Railway Museum Campo to a point near the Mexican frontier, about 6
miles (9 km) on the tracks of the former San Diego & Arizona railway.
Diesel Hauled. Operates most weekends and certain other days throughout
the year.
Pixie Express 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge miniature
railway in the Pixie Woods Amusement Park, Stockton. Diesel
powered replica steam locomotive (Website contains little
information relating to railway)
Placerville
& Sacramento Valley Railroad Folsom to Latrobe. Standard
gauge. Steam or diesel hauled trains operate between Hampton and
White Rock or between Hampton and the Sacramento / El Dorado county
line. Diesel powered passenger carrying works vehicles operate
between Hampton and Latrobe and on a short section of line near
Folsom. Irregular operating dates, consult the website calendar.
Poway
Midland Railroad unusual narrow gauge (3ft 6in, 1067 mm) railway
in Old Poway Park, Poway. Operates most Saturdays and Sundays
throughout the year. Depending on the date, the train is either
a steam locomotive hauled passenger coach, a converted streetcar,
or a works vehicle.
Railtown 1897 Jamestown to Rock Spur, about 3
miles (5 km) on part of the route used by the Sierra Dinner Train.
Standard gauge. Operates on weekends during the summer, and on certain
dates in December. Steam hauled.
Redwood Empire Live Steamers small gauge
miniature railway in Santa Rosa. Steam hauled. Open to the public
typically one weekend each month from May to October
Redwood Valley Railway 15 in (381 mm) gauge
miniature railway modeled on narrow gauge practice, located in
Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. Usually steam hauled. Operates
daily in summer and at weekends all year. The neighbouring
Golden Gate Live
Steamers is a club railway with various small gauge lines,
it holds occasional public open days or may be chartered for
private events
River Fox Train Woodland to West Sacramento,
14 miles (22 km), standard gauge. Operates on most Fridays, Saturdays
and Sundays throughout the year, Wednesdays in summer, and various
weekdays December. Diesel hauled. Inclusive dining available on most
trips. Also offers railbikes for hire on a 5 mile (8 km) section
of the line when trains are not running
Riverside Live Steamers 7½ in (190 mm) gauge
miniature railway in Hunter Park, Riverside. Steam hauled. Open to
the public typically 2 or 3 Sundays each month.
Redwood Forest Steam Train Roaring Camp to Bear Mountain.
Steam hauled, 3 ft (914 mm) gauge. Operates weekends and holidays
throughout the year, and weekdays in the summer.
Santa Cruz Beach Train Roaring Camp to Santa Cruz.
Standard gauge, diesel hauled. Passengers may join at either terminus.
Operates weekends from late May to the beginning of October, weekdays
in summer, and on certain days in December
Sacramento Southern Railroad Old Sacramento to
Freeport, 3 mile (5km), standard gauge. Operates on weekends during the
summer, and most days during early December. Usually steam hauled.
Sacramento
Valley Live Steamers steam and diesel hauled miniature railway
in Rancho Cordova. Society offers rides to the general public
typically one Saturday afternoon and one Sunday afternoon each month
on its 1¼ mile (2 km) 7½ in (190 mm) gauge line
San
Fransisco Zoo has a 22 in (559 mm) gauge miniature railway,
some ⅓ mile (0.5 km) in length, known as the Little Puffer.
The steam locomotive itself is of considerable historical interest,
having been build around 1904 by Cagney Brothers of New York. The
zoo is open every day of the year, train operates most days subject
to weather and maintenance schedules.
San Mateo Central Park Train 12 in (305 mm) gauge
miniature railway about 220 yards (200 m) in length. Diesel hauled.
Operates weekends throughout the year.
Sierra
Railroad in addition to operating several tourist services
listed elsewhere on this page, proposes to operate a new service
between Fillmore and Santa Paula on the Ventura division of
the Sierra Northern Railway.
Skunk
Train Operated as two separate sections, Fort Bragg to Northspur
and Willits to Northspur. Standard gauge. Trains operate from Fort
Bragg most days of the year, from Willits most days during the summer
and on holidays. Some trains steam hauled during summer. Other trains
may be diesel hauled or railcars. Inclusive dining on many trips.
On certain days, also offers excursions in pedal powered trolleys
ffrom Fort Bragg to Glen Blair Junction and return.
The Goleta Short Line ½ mile (0.8 km) miniature railway
in the grounds of the Museum. Operates Fridays to Sundays throughout
the year
Short rides on a standard gauge, self propelled handcar.
Operates typically one Saturday each month
Southern
California Railway Museum in Perris has a 1½ mile (2.4 km)
standard gauge line and a dual gauge electric tram loop. Museum
open every day, trains (usually steam hauled) and trams operate
weekends and holidays
SPCRR 3ft (914mm)
gauge horse drawn railway about 1½ miles (1.8km) in length, located in
Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont. Operates Tuesdays to Saturdays and
holiday Mondays, April to mid-November.
Strand Beach Elevator in Dana Point. Small cabin on
a rack railway providing access to the beach from the car parking area
off Selva Road
The Timber
Heritage Association has recreated a standard gauge logging railway
between Samoa and Manila, about 2 miles (3 km), in Fort Humboldt State Historic Park.
Steam trains operate typically one Saturday each month from May to
September, rides in a maintenance railcar are offered on all or part of
the line on a few other days.
Train
Town 15 in (381 mm) gauge highly detailed miniature railway
in Sonoma, 1¼ miles (2 km) in length. Steam and diesel haulage.
Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays all year (except Christmas
Day and Thanksgiving), every day in summer.
Waterfront Red Car Line historic electric trams
(trolleys) on about 1½ miles (2.4 km) of line with 4 boarding points
in San Pedro, Los Angeles. Operates Fridays to Mondays throughout the
year, and on other days when cruise ships are moored.
Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola
offers caboose rides behind diesel locomotives within the museum
grounds on weekends during the summer. Rides are also offered on a few
days in December when the museum is otherwise closed. Standard gauge.
Western Railway
Museum located at Rio Vista Junction, near Suisun. Historic
electric interurban rides from the museum to Birds Landing Road,
about 5½ miles (9 km). Standard gauge.
Yosemite
Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad Fish Camp to Sugar Pine, about 2 miles
(3 km), 3ft (914 mm) gauge. Railcars operate daily in summer and on
various days at other times of year, weather permitting. Steam trains
operate daily in summer.