Niles Canyon Railway: An Awesome Bay Area Train Adventure!
Photo: Niles Canyon Railway/Christopher Hauf
While it's a lot of fun to ride on a miniature train, like at Sonoma TrainTown or Tilden Park, if you want to ride on the real thing you're going to have to head to Niles Canyon Railway in the East Bay, the only place in the San Francisco Bay Area to go on a train ride drawn by a historic steam locomotive! Operated by the non-profit Pacific Locomotive Association, Niles Canyon Railway is volunteer-run rolling railroad museum that travels along its namesake canyon from the town of Sunol to Fremont's historic Niles neighborhood and back. It's an incredible experience for rail fans of all ages!
Niles Canyon Railway operates on select weekends from March through October, with historic diesel engines doing the work on Saturdays and steam on Sundays. Since it's the steam engine you're probably going to want, make sure and buy your tickets in advance, because the Sunday trips usually sell out.
You'll board the train at the station in Sunol. a cute little rural town in the rolling hills east of Fremont. Train seating is first come, first served, so make sure you get to the depot well before your scheduled departure. Seating is in both historic vintage passenger cars and open-air observation cars. Once the train gets going, you can get up and walk to the different cars and take in the scenery from different points of view. There's even a snack bar car where you can get cookies, candy, chips, hot dogs, soft drinks, and coffee to enjoy during your trip.
On your scenic 45-minute trip to Niles and back you'll cross two bridges that span Alameda Creek and see sights like the railway's Brightside rail yard, which is home to their storage area and workshops where they restore and repair engines and cars. The mid-way point is at the historic Niles Station in northeastern Fremont. This are was in fact one of California's movie-making hot spots in the silent film era, serving as the backdrop to classics like Charlie Chaplin's The Tramp. At Niles you'll wait for the locomotive to decouple and run around to the opposite end of the train for your journey back to Sunol.
It's a fun and relaxing trip, and the sights, sounds, and smells of a real historic steam locomotive are something you and your family won't ever forget. At the depot you can visit the gift shop for all kinds of souvenirs and railway swag and explore a museum exhibit about Chinese railroad workers in California.
Niles Canyon Railway also offers occasional other trips, including departures from Niles and excursions on its restored rail bus or railroad speeder cars. Their annual holiday Train of Lights is another popular offering — make sure you get tickets right when they go on sale, because they always sell out quickly!
Learn more about Niles Canyon Railway and their trips and events at www.ncry.org.
If you go
Niles Canyon Railway usually operates on the second and third weekends of each month between March and October, with two daily departures at 10:30 am and 1 pm. Generally, they operate historic diesel engines on Saturdays and steam locomotives on Sundays. Diesel excursion tickets cost $25 for adults, $15 for seniors 62+ and children 3–12; children 2 and under are free. Buy your tickets in advance online because Sunday steam trips usually sell out. Tickets are good only for the date and time issued. Any unsold tickets are available for walk-up purchase at the depot but it's really best to buy in advance.
For those who need mobility assistance getting on and off the train, a wheelchair lift is available. Dogs other than trained service animals are not allowed.
Most trips depart from Niles Canyon Railway's Sunol depot, which is located at 6 Kilkare Road, Sunol CA 94586. It's a 60–90 minute drive from Marin, depending on traffic. To get there from Marin County, take Interstate 580 across the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge and follow it through Oakland and San Leandro to Dublin. In Dublin, head south on Interstate 680 (exit 44B). After around 7.5 miles, take exit 22 to Sunol. Turn right on Koopmann Road then left on Pleasanton Sunol Road. In about a mile turn right on Niles Canyon Road (CA-84 W), then right onto Main Street then right on Kilkare Road after you pass through downtown. There's plenty of free parking around the Sunol Depot.
Snacks and drinks are available on board the train in the snack bar car. You're also welcome to bring your own food and drinks. The train has two full restrooms, and portable restrooms are available at the depot. There's a gift shop in the depot where you can buy all sorts of souvenirs and train-related goods.
Dining options in the little town of Sunol are pretty limited, so your best bet for lunch is to drive 10 minutes to Niles, which has quite a few options as well as a pleasant park around its historic train station (which you saw on your train ride). Niles is a charming little historic district with a lot of antique stores, restaurants, an ice cream shop, and a museum and theater dedicated to the silent film industry in the area.
