Niles Canyon Railway

For this month’s adventure, we climbed aboard the Niles Canyon Railway steam train in Fremont, for a 90-minute train ride through history. The Niles Canyon Railway is a heritage railway that runs on the first transcontinental railroad alignment.

Completed in 1869, this rail line through the Niles Canyon was one of the earliest to be built in California, providing the first rail connection between San Francisco Bay and the rest of the nation. Operated entirely by volunteers, the train runs between Sunol and the Niles district of Fremont, with future plans (and dreams) to extend the line to Pleasanton. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The non-profit Pacific Locomotive Association leased the right of way from Alameda County and began working to reconstruct the track in 1987. The Niles Canyon Railway ran its first passenger train from Sunol in 1988.

We boarded the train at 10:30 a.m. sharp on a Sunday. You can choose your seat in an historic, 100+ year old enclosed or open-air rail car. (Seating is first-come, first-served, so it’s best to arrive early for the most options.) We left the Sunol station and wound through the Niles Canyon along the Alameda Creek, crossing over two historic bridges. While they have been modernized over the years, the bridges still use the original sandstone piers and abutments build in 1866. Along the track, telegraph poles with glass insulators capping them, like so many blackbirds, still stand every few hundred feet.

Once the train is underway, you can walk the length of the train, purchase drinks, hot dogs, and other snacks, or even bring your own picnic. There are two restrooms on board. This is a popular activity for families. I think the children on board may have outnumbered the adults.

After about 40 minutes, we arrived at Niles, where the conductor and crew detached the steam engine from one end of the train to transfer it to the other end for the return trip. It gave everyone a chance to walk the length of the train and snap some pictures.

Union Pacific still runs commercial rail operations through Niles Canyon, but they run on a newer line that parallels the Niles Canyon Railway line. That line is also used by the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) commuter train that runs between San Jose and Stockton. The commuter train sped by while we waited in Niles for the return trip.

After we returned to the Sunol Station, we drove 11 minutes down Niles Canyon Road to visit the Niles Depot Museum. There is currently a large display about the contributions the Chinese made to the Transcontinental Railroad, as well as two large model-railroad layouts. These model railroads recreate the features of communities along the original railroad route, with representations of how the area looked in the 1950s and how it looks today, from Sacramento to the Bay Area.

The historic town of Niles is also worth a wander. There are antique shops, restaurants, and bars, as well as plenty of historic charm. The train runs on the second and third weekends of every month, from March through October. This month, it will be open Saturdays and Sundays, October 11 and 12, and October 18 and 19.

If you want to get a head start on your holiday season activities, they run a popular Train of Lights in November and December. They promise refreshments, music, and plenty of holiday lights, decorations, and cheer. The catch is that tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 4, and according to the volunteer we spoke to, they sell out for the entire season within 90 minutes.

The Niles Canyon Railway Sunol Station is located at 6 Kilkare Road in Fremont, about 45 minutes from Summit and Highway 17 (barring traffic). For more information and tickets, visit www.ncry.org.