Our area is blessed with a diversity of railroad historical and technical societies. These societies focus on particular aspects of railroading, such as a railroad company or a local region. Most societies publish a magazine at least semi-annually, and some have extensive railroad information in their archives. Please contact them at the addresses given below.

  • Bay Area Electric Railroad Association
    The BAERA publishes the Review newsletter on a monthly basis. BAERA also operates the Western Railway Museum and is the owner of the Sacramento Northern Railway in Solano County, California.

    Bay Area Electric Railroad Association
    5848 State Highway 12
    Suisun City, CA 94585

    BAERA web site is located at
    http://www.wrm.org/

  • The Burlingame Historical Society
    The Burlingame Historical Society has been instrumental in preserving the Burlingame Station on the Southern Pacific (CalTrain) mainline.

    The Burlingame Historical Society
    P.O. Box 144
    Burlingame, CA 94011

    The Burlingame Historical Society maintains a web site at http://www.best.com:80/~spectrum/history/historic.html

  • California Historical Society
    The California Historical Society publishes California History magazine on a quarterly basis. Although not specifically directed toward railroad research, the Society has extensive holdings in their North Bakerlibrary and is an excellent source of railroad historical information for the area.

    California Historical Society
    678 Mission Street
    San Francisco, CA 94105
    415-357-1848

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org

  • California State Railroad Museum
    The California State Railroad Museum is one of the premiere museums in the country. Their collection spans the mid-1800's to the present. The have extensive railroad historical holdings in the library, which is open to the public for research.

    California State Railroad Museum
    111 "I" Street
    Sacramento, CA 95814-2265
    916-322-8485

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.csrmf.org/

  • The Feather River Rail Society
    The FRRS publishes the Western Pacific Headlight on a quarterly basis. FRRS also operates the Portola Railroad Museum at Portola, California.

    Feather River Rail Society.
    P.O. Box 608
    Portola, CA 96122
    530-832-4131

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.wplives.org/

  • Golden Gate Railroad Museum
    The Golden Gate Railroad Museum is a non-profit volunteer based organization located at the Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, California. The GGRM operates the 2472 Steam Engine as well as other historic locomotives. They have an extensive collection of mainline passenger cars that are currently undergoing restoration.

    Golden Gate Railroad Museum, Inc
    P.O. Box 881686
    San Francisco, CA 94188-1686
    (415) 822-8728

    The GGRM maintains a web site at
    http://www.ggrm.org

  • The Folsom, El Dorado & Sacramento Historical Railroad Association, Inc.
    The FEDSHRA educates the general public by preserving, maintaining, restoring, and recording railroad history in Folsom, El Dorado County, and Sacramento County including all areas of the Mother Lode.
    Currently the major project is the restoration of the First Turntable in the West, located in Folsom CA. The 1856 turntable is the center piece to the Folsom Railroad Block Restoration currently being designed by the City of Folsom.

    E-mail can be directed to mocar@msn.com FEDSHRA
    P.O. Box 6404
    Folsom, CA 95763
    (916) 985-6001

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.fedshra.org/feds1.htm

  • Market Street Railway Company
    The Market Street Railway Company publishes a newsletter periodically. Members of this non-profit organization have been restoring historic streetcars for use on San Francisco Municipal Railway's new F-Line on Market Street.

    Market Street Railway Company
    P.O. Box 425063
    San Francisco, CA 94142-5063
    415-552-3055

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/msrr.html

  • Nevada State Railroad Museum
    The Nevada State Railroad Museum houses over 50 pieces of railroad equipment from Nevada's past and is considered one of the finest regional railroad museums in the country. Included in the collection are 5 steam locomotives and several restored coaches and freight cars.

    Nevada State Railroad Museum
    2180 South Carson Street
    Carson City, NV 89710
    702-687-6953

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.nsrm-friends.org/

  • Niles Depot Historical Foundation
    The NDHF finished restoration of the Niles Depot (Fremont, California) in 1988. It now maintains a museum there as well as sharing space with the Tri-City Society of Model Engineers, which is a model railroad club. The club's HO and N scale are feature attractions at the depot.

    Niles Depot Historical Foundation
    P.O. Box 2716
    Fremont, CA 94536

    You can find their web site at
    http://nilesdepot.railfan.net/NDHFhome.html

  • Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society, Inc.
    The NWPRRHS publishes the Northwesterner on a semi-annual basis, along with the newsletter The Headlight.

    Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society
    PO Box 667
    Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0667

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.nwprrhs.org/

  • The Pacific Locomotive Association, Incorporated
    The Pacific Locomotive Association operates the Niles Canyon Railway from Fremont to Sunol, California.The PLA publishes the monthly newsletter The Club Car.

    Pacific Locomotive Association
    P.O. Box 2247
    Niles Station
    Fremont, CA 94536-0247

    The Pacific Locomotive Association, Inc maintains a web site at
    http://www.ncry.org

  • The Pacific Coast Chapter, Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Incorporated
    The Pacific Coast Chapter, R&LHS was formed in 1937 as the third chapter of the Railway & Locomotive historical Society (R&LHS). It publishes the Western Railroader, along with a quarterly newsletter and two issues a year of Railroad History. The Chapter owns and operates the Milepost One Bookstore, located in historic Folsom, California. Their email address is information@mp1.com

    Pacific Coast Chapter
    Railway & Locomotive Historical Society
    912 Sutter Street, Boxcar 16
    Folsom, CA 95630
    916-985-4777

    The Pacific Coast Chapter, R&LHS maintains a web site at http://rlhs.org/

  • San Leandro Historical Railway Society
    The SLHRS has preserved the San Leandro Depot in San Leandro, California, which is open to the public. The restored depot also houses a model railroad display.

    The San Leandro Historical Railway Society maintains a web site at http://www.slhrs.org/

  • Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society
    The SCRVRHS publishes a newsletter. Work is underway to build an interpretive center for display of railroad equipment in the city of Fillmore, California. They also run the Fillmore and Western Railway.

    The Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society maintains a web site at http://www.scrvrhs.com/

  • Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society
    The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation of the history and heritage of the Santa Clarita Valley, located 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles, California. There are currently seven houses and a SP #1629, an M-4 class locomotive undergoing restoration at Heritage Junction.

    The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society
    P.O. Box 221925
    Newhall, CA 91322
    805-254-1275

    The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society maintains a web page at http://www.scvhs.org/

  • Sierra Railway Historical Society
    The Sierra Railway Historical Society publishes the Sierra Railway Journal on a quarterly basis. Railtown 1897 Docent Association
    P.O. Box 1001
    Jamestown, CA 95327

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.nrhs.com/chapters/central_sierra.htm

  • South Bay Historical Railroad Society, Inc.
    The SBHRS is a non-profit California public benefit corporation, organized under IRS Code 501(c)3. Donations are welcome and may be tax deductible if the donor itemized deductions

    South Bay Historical Railroad Society, Inc.
    Santa Clara CalTrain Depot
    1005 Railroad Avenue
    Santa Clara, CA 95050
    408-243-3969

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.sbhrs.org/

  • The Southern California Scenic Railway Association
    The SCSRA works in cooperation with the City of Los Angeles and the Travel Town Museum. Its mission is the preservation, interpretive display, and operation of historic railroad equipment at the Travel Town Museum. The pricipal projects of the SCSRA is the operational restoration of Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe (AT&SF)) gas-electric rail motorcar M.177.

    The SCSRA maintains a web site at
    http://www.scsra.org/

  • Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society
    The Southern Pacific H&T Society publishes the Trainline on a quarterly basis.

    SPH&TS Memberships
    P.O. Box 93697
    Pasadena, CA 91109-93697

    Their web site is located at
    http://www.sphts.org/