Tourist Railways of Northern California: Four Historic Attractions of the Golden State

Explores Northern California’s tourist railroads, highlighting their role in preserving history and boosting the economy.

In Northern California, there are four tourist railroads that have established themselves as go-to destinations for railroad enthusiasts and tourists alike: Niles Canyon Railway, Napa Valley Wine Train, California State Railroad Museum, and the Western Railway Museum. All four of these tourist attractions opened in the 1980s and have had over four decades to leave their mark on the local and state economies. This book showcases fire breathing steam locomotives, classic diesel locomotives, and silent but impressive electrically powered interurbans contributing to the economy even after their revenue service lives came to an end many years ago. From a narrow canyon that is home to a working remnant of America’s transcontinental railroad to the endless vineyards and wineries of California’s world-famous wine country, the role that these tourist railroads play remains the same: keeping history alive.