The Long Way
Solano County
People riding inside a vintage train car.
Plate I. Train ride visitors, Western Railway Museum. From wrm.org
A crowd of people walks between historic train cars inside a large building.
Plate II. Walking tour, Western Railway Museum. From wrm.org
A bright orange vintage electric locomotive stands on tracks outdoors.
Plate III. Orange train car, Western Railway Museum. From wrm.org
An old passenger tram sits on tracks outdoors.
Plate IV. Historic train car, Western Railway Museum. From wrm.org
A vintage orange and silver streetcar is parked on rails outside.
Plate V. Historic train car, Western Railway Museum. From wrm.org
A row of historic streetcars parked inside a shed.
Plate VI. Historic streetcars on display, Western Railway Museum. From wrm.org
An exterior view of a building with an American flag flying in the foreground.
Plate VII. Visitor center building, Western Railway Museum. From wrm.org
Two vintage electric trains sit on tracks outdoors under a clear blue sky.
Plate VIII. Historic trains on display, Western Railway Museum. From wrm.org

Western Railway Museum

Suisun City, Solano County, California. History Museum; Year round.

Details

Map. Suisun City, Solano County, California. Larger map
Where
5848 State Highway 12, Suisun City, CA 94585. Directions
When
Trains depart at 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm.
Fees
Adults - $19; Seniors (over 65) – $18; Children (2-14) – $16.
Hours
Year Round Saturdays & Sundays 10:30 am – 5:00 pm.
Access
All tickets for the 2026 season can be booked in advance or by calling our front desk at (707) 374-2978. Trains leave on time, so please plan to arrive about 30 minutes before your departure.
Walk-in or reserve
Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance online or by calling us at (707) 374-2978.
Phone
707-374-2978
Website
wrm.org
Managed by
Bay Area Electric Railroad Association.
Established
1960.

A museum dedicated to preserving trains from California's past! Come visit us in Suisun City, CA.

Notable Events

  1. 1913The Oakland and Antioch Railway started construction in 1910; as the Oakland, Antioch, and Eastern it reached Sacramento in 1913. wrm.org
  2. 1928Western Pacific Railroad bought both interurban lines and merged them into the Sacramento Northern Railway at the end of 1928. wrm.org
  3. 1939Sacramento Northern passenger trains operated over the San Francisco Bay Bridge starting in 1939. wrm.org
  4. 1941The last Sacramento Northern passenger train ran in 1941; the railway became freight only. wrm.org
  5. 1946A group that had chartered an old Oakland streetcar for an outing learned it was to be scrapped within a week and bought the car on the spot. wrm.org
  6. 1960Rio Vista Junction, a stop on the electrically powered Sacramento Northern main line in Solano County, was selected as the museum site, and work began transforming 22 vacant acres into a living history museum. wrm.org
  7. 1965The last electric freight locomotives operated in Marysville until 1965; bit by bit the SN line was abandoned and the tracks removed. wrm.org
  8. 1985In 1985, the name "Western Railway Museum" was officially adopted. wrm.org
  9. 1993During 1993 the Union Pacific Railroad gave the museum 22 miles of right-of-way, originally built as the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern electric interurban (later the Sacramento Northern); members' donations bought the rails, ties and hardware. wrm.org
  10. 1993Rail service on the track past the museum ceased in the summer of 1993; on July 15, 1993 the association purchased the remaining twenty-one miles of track. wrm.org
  11. 2001The Museum's new 12,000 sq ft Visitors and Archives Center, designed in the mission revival style, opened. wrm.org
  12. 2008Work began in 2004 on the Loring C. Jensen Memorial Car House, a $2.5 million enclosed artifact storage and display building; it was completed and officially opened to the public on May 3, 2008. wrm.org
  13. 2010San Francisco Municipal Railway PCC Streetcar #1016 made its inaugural run at the Museum on Saturday July 10, 2010. wrm.org
  14. 2012At its May 3, 2012 hearing the State Historical Resources Commission recommended the SHPO forward National Register nominations, among them the Sacramento Northern Railway Historic District, to the Keeper of the National Register. ohp.parks.ca.gov
  15. 2012On June 30, 2012 the museum opened a new segment of track on the Sacramento Northern right-of-way, giving a 10-mile round trip past Shiloh Church and Gum Grove to Birds Landing Road. wrm.org

People

  • David Buechler, Museum board member who led the volunteer team that spent 4 years restoring Muni #1016.
  • David Johnston, Museum Electric Car Superintendent who led the volunteer restoration of the car to its 1934 condition.
  • Glenn Guerra, professional restoration expert who assisted the restoration of the car.

Sources

  1. wrm.org/visit/plan-your-visit
  2. wrm.org/about/mission
  3. wrm.org
  4. wrm.org/about/railroad-history/sacramento-northern-railway
  5. wrm.org/contact
  6. facebook.com/WesternRailwayMuseum
  7. instagram.com/westernrailwaymuseum
  8. ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27302
  9. govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2012-06-20/pdf/2012-14975.pdf
  10. discoverriovista.com/museums