Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009

Railroad history is right on track in Sacramento

SACRAMENTO — Abraham Lincoln and his contributions to American railroads have come to visit at the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento.

Timed to also commemorate the 140th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, "The Rail Splitter and the Railroads" exhibit celebrates the efforts of our 16th president as he implemented and navigated rail transportation to move crops and gold throughout the West and the nation.

The California State Railroad Museum opened to the public in 1976 and welcomes more than 500,000 visitors annually. The main exhibit area totals 100,000 square feet and is home to 21 treasures of the rails, including locomotives and cars.

Visitors may take a look at a Pullman-style sleeping car, a dining car completely dressed with railroad china and a post-office railcar where stepping on board to check out the mail is more than welcome.

In addition to the stationary railroad giants, every Saturday and Sunday through September, visitors may also take a rolling ride on the Sacramento Southern Railroad. Offering a luxury ride in the beautifully refurbished 1920s Southern Pacific observation-lounge car named the El Dorado, or standard seating in regular coaches and open-air gondola cars, the excursion takes travelers on a 40-minute trip along the levees of the Sacramento River. Trains depart on the hour, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., from the Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot in Old Sacramento, located on Front Street between J and K streets.

This landmark of California rail history also houses a number of exhibits that detail the story of just how important a role railroads played both in the past and still today. It's an opportunity to get up close and personal with a 40-ton wood-burning steam locomotive, or if you find yourself always running behind, perhaps you'll enjoy spending a moment with the caboose.

Bee assistant librarian Karen Aiello can be reached at kaiello@modbee.com or at 578-2392.