The Niles Canyon Railway

Historic California Railroad, Part of First Trans-continental Route

Sep 24, 2009 Linda Gentile

The Niles Canyon Railway was once part of America's first trans-continental railroad. Rescued in the 1980s by enthusiasts, it is now a working museum with train rides.

Niles Canyon stretches from Fremont to Sunol on the rural Alameda County section of State Highway 84. Along its entire length, the traveler will glimpse railroad tracks and old bridges running parallel to California Route 84. These tracks belong to the historic Niles Canyon Railway, once part of the USA's first transcontinental railroad.

The Historic Niles Canyon Railway

Historic Niles Canyon railway was built in 1865, and many of the remaining stone bridges and trestles are original. Steam trains ran along here for 80 years until diesel locomotives took over in the 1950s. Southern Pacific discontinued the historic railroad in 1984, taking up the tracks and handing over the land to Alameda County.

The Pacific Locomotive Association stepped in to save the railroad. Working with the County the group started replacing the rails in 1987. The volunteer effort must have been herculean, since trains began to run again in May 1988.

PLA operations include the Niles Museum, featuring several steam trains and cabooses. To support its work, the locomotive sells Sunday rides on the railroad, rents its caboose for parties, and runs special events. The organization has been collecting locomotives since the 1960s; as of 2009 it had 22 engines and cars.

Historic Niles, California

According to the Niles Main Street Association website, Niles still exists as a part of Fremont. Renamed to honor Judge Addison C. Niles, the town was originally known as Vallejo's Mills. The foundations of the mill are a state historic landmark and still visible if sought out on foot.

The town boasts a historic downtown with the Niles Film Museum at its heart. Essanay Film Studios were among the first studios on the West Coast—Charlie Chaplin filmed movies here.

Sunol Depot is the Other End of the Niles Canyon Railway

As the traveler turns onto Niles Canyon Road, she will pass the former California Nursery Company Guest house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. According to the Fremontica website, it was founded in 1865 and still operates as a mail-order company. The nursery leases its grounds out to other concerns.

A historical marker, placed by the "historical and drinking society" E Clampus Vitus, sits outside the Sunol depot. The marker talks about the railroad and its reconstruction.

About Sunol, California

At the other end of the tracks is the Sunol Depot. Sunol is an unincorporated town with a strip of businesses, some houses and a fierce sense of independence — right down to having its own school district. Teresa Brown's November, 2002 article in The Pleasanton Weekly describes an honorary mayor, Bosco the labrador retriever, who "served" from 1981 until 1994!

The town received its first post office in 1871, and was named for Antonio Suñol, who owned the local land grant. The Sunol Depot was built in 1884. Current residents fight off to stave off developments that threaten Sunol's rural status.

Sunol is well worth the detour from a journey down nearby I-680. The Sunol water temple, part of the San Francisco water system, is open weekdays and makes a grand setting for a picnic; the depot is a convenient place to stop, explore a little history, and stretch out tired legs.

The copyright of the article The Niles Canyon Railway in Historical Travel is owned by Linda Gentile. Permission to republish The Niles Canyon Railway in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Steam Train at Historic Niles Canyon Railway