Wheel Vector

Model Trains
Running Through the Depot

June 15 – August 18

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Special Train Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 1pm; Sunday: Noon – 3pm

Summer train passes are being sold for only $15 to visitors who are not Museum members but want to visit the trains multiple times over the summer. This has been a popular program the last few summers, especially for families with young children.
The main layout of the exhibit has two elevations with 4 running trains, scenery, bridges, a trestle, tunnel and a village with a replica of the Museum, the former Southern Pacific Depot. A secondary layout features a number of working accessories. On display are items from three private collections of model trains dating from the early to mid-1900s. They include Lionel, American Flyer Standard gauge, and Marx O gauge. A very special Thomas the Train table will be set up for the youngest visitors to play and enjoy.
This year’s layout will showcase several new scale models of buildings in the Valley. These new additions to the layout join a number of “scratch built” structures built for the layout, and donated to the Museum over the years. The total collection of these buildings represent structures, most of which were found along the tracks in Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, and all the way to Dublin.
historic train depot panorama

1891
Avon to San Ramon-Radum Branch
Southern Pacific Railroad

Fulfilling the hopes of the San Ramon Valley’s farmers and ranchers, the new Southern Pacific Railroad line was completed from Avon (near Martinez) to San Ramon by May 17, 1891. On that day officials and other worthy gentlemen conducted the first official train ride on the line. This was followed by the first official passenger train carrying a jubilant group of passengers on Sunday, June 7, 1891. The train passed through orchards, fields and parts of the county never before seen by many of the passengers. Both groups were delighted with their excursions!

Much energy, time and money had come from farmers and landowners to obtain this Avon to San Ramon Line throughout the year of 1890. The 8.65 acres of land for the Danville station was sold to Southern Pacific by John Hartz. The coming of the railroad caused Hartz to survey and sell lots in the Hartz Addition to the Town of Danville. This transformed Danville from a Front Street – oriented village to its present downtown center on Hartz and Railroad Avenues. New businesses provided accommodations and services to rail road passengers.

The train opened up this section of central Contra Costa County for shipping farm products, for receiving needed goods and for movement of people. Following the success of the Avon to San Ramon Line, Southern Pacific extended the tracks from San Ramon southward to Radum (near Pleasanton) in 1909, thereby connecting it with the Oakland to Tracy mainline. This important railroad served most people in the Valley directly or indirectly from June 1891 until September 1978. Then Southern Pacific was granted permission from the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the middle portion between Concord and Dublin.

In 1891, using a standard building design (number 18), company employees and private contractors built four main depots at Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville and San Ramon. These two-story combination passenger-freight depots provided room on the ground floor for a waiting room, baggage room, large freight room, and offices for the ticket agent, freight agent, telegraph operator and often for a Wells Fargo agent. The train order window, located on the track side of the depot, provided a view of approaching trains and station activity. Orders were originally transmitted to the crew of the steam locomotive by semaphore signals, which later were replaced by electric signals. Upstairs was a two-bedroom apartment which was the station agent’s home.

A freight house was built at Alamo (Hemme) and in San Ramon a turntable and engine house were constructed. All SP buildings of this design were painted a faded dandelion gold trimmed in brown. The San Ramon building was dismantled in 1927. The Danville Depot is the sole survivor in its original form. It has now been restored by the Museum of the San Ramon Valley.