The Niles Canyon Railway (abbreviated as the NCRy) is a heritage railway that was originally built by the Western Pacific Railroad (1862-1870), and opened to the public in 1869. After going through several owners and operators over the past century, it now serves as a living history museum interpreting the importance of heritage railroads in the development of California and to increase public education, enjoyment, and appreciation of the significance of America’s western railroads.
History[]
In September, 1869, four months after the famous golden spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah, the Central Pacific Railroad completed the transcontinental rail link between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay, finishing the track started by the first Western Pacific Railroad Company through the canyon.The Central Pacific had acquired the Western Pacific and other local railroads and built track to connect them at a waterfront terminal at Alameda Point.
The Central Pacific constructed a freight terminal at the west end of the canyon and a town quickly sprang up around it. The town was named for Addison C. Niles, a prominent judge and former railroad attorney.
The Central Pacific eventually became part of the Southern Pacific Railroad system. Over the years, the Southern Pacific invested heavily in a main line to the north through Benicia and Martinez with the tracks in the canyon becoming a secondary main line.
Steam locomotives pulled trains through Niles Canyon for eighty years before diesel locomotives took over their work in the 1950s. In 1984, after almost twelve decades of railroading in the canyon, the Southern Pacific ceased operating trains on the right-of-way, pulled up the tracks, and deeded the land to Alameda County.
In 1987, the Pacific Locomotive Association entered into an agreement with the county and began rebuilding the rail line. In May 1988, almost 122 years after the first Western Pacific excursion, the Pacific Locomotive Association brought railroad passenger operations back to life in Niles Canyon.
The Niles Canyon Railway currently provides steam, diesel, and motorcar rides to the public year-round between Sunol, California and Niles in Fremont, California.
Owned Locomotives[]
Steam Locomotives[]
| Photograph | Locomotive | Build date | Manufacturer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quincy Railroad Co. No. 2 | 1924 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | Stored |
|
Robert Dollar Co. No. 3 | 1927 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | Operational |
|
Clover Valley Lumber Company No. 4 | 1924 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Operational |
| Frameless | Pickering Lumber Co No. 5 | 1913 | Heisler Locomotive Works | Stored |
| Frameless | Pickering Lumber Co No. 12 | 1903 | Lima Locomotive Works | Stored |
|
Sierra Railway No. 30 | 1922 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Undergoing a restoration |
|
Southern Pacific No. 1269 | 1921 | Southern Pacific Railroad | Stored |
|
Southern Pacific No. 1744 | 1901 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Undergoing a restoration |
|
Southern Pacific No. 2479 | 1923 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Undergoing a restoration |
Diesel Locomotives[]
| Photograph | Locomotive | Build date | Manufacturer | Locomotive Type: | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frameless | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe #462 | 1943 | General Electric | GE 44-ton switcher | Stored |
| Frameless | Oakland Terminal Railway #101 | 1948 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Baldwin DS-4-4-1000 | Stored |
|
Southern Pacific #1218 | April 1955 | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) | ALCO S-6 | Undergoing a restoration |
|
Southern Pacific #1423 | 1949 | Electro-Motive Division | EMD NW2 | Operational |
| Frameless | Southern Pacific #5472 | 1956 | Electro-Motive Division | EMD SD9 | Operational |
|
Southern Pacific #5623 | 1955 | Electro-Motive Division | EMD GP9 | Operational |
|
Southern Pacific #9010 | 1964 | Krauss-Maffei | Krauss-Maffei ML-4000 | Operational |
| Frameless | U.S. Army #1856 | 1953 | Fairbanks-Morse | FM H-12-44 | Operational |
| Frameless | U.S. Army #7348 | 1942 | General Electric | GE 65-ton switcher | Operational |
|
Western Pacific #713 | 1953 | Electro-Motive Division | EMD GP7 | Operational |
| Frameless | Western Pacific #918D | 1950 | Electro-Motive Division | EMD F7 | Operational |
| Frameless | Southern Pacific #1195 | 1954 | Electro-Motive Division | EMD SW900 | Operational |
Motorcars[]
| Photograph | Motorcar | Build date | Manufacturer | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Pacific M-601 | 1928 | Western Pacific Sacramento Shops | 2-A | Stored | |
|
California Western M-200 | January 1926 | Skagit Steel & Iron Works, MAC Division | 6-46 Motor Car | Operational |
Visitors[]
Steam Locomotives[]
| Photograph | Locomotive | Build date | Manufacturer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Columbia River Belt Line No. 7 "Skookum" | June 1909 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | Operational |
|
Santa Cruz Portland Cement No. 2 | 1909 | H.K. Porter, Inc. | Operational |
|
Mason County Logging Co. No. 7 | 1910 |
Former Locomotives[]
Steam Locomotives[]
| Photograph | Locomotive | Build date | Manufacturer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Jones & Laughlin Steel No. 59 | April 1941 | H.K. Porter, Inc. | It's boiler and remaining extant parts were sent to the J&L Narrow Gauge Railway in 2015. |