Railroad History

Passenger and Commuter Rail

Railroading Today

Rolling Stock

Infrastructure and Terms

Museums and Tourism

Miscellaneous

About The Site

[?] Subscribe To American-Rails.com

The Western Pacific Railroad Museum

The Western Pacific Railroad Museum, formerly known as the Portola Railroad Museum, part of the Feather River Rail Society, focuses primarily on preserving locomotives and equipment belonging to the Western Pacific Railroad, the famed "Feather River Route". It has its earliest roots dating back to the mid-1980s and today features a collection of over 35 locomotives and 80 pieces of rolling stock. If you are interested in the history and operations of the WP then you should certainly plan a visit to Portola, California as you will not find a more complete collection of one railroad. The WPRM may not be as large as the nearby California State Railroad Museum, Illinois Railway Museum, or B&O Railroad Museum. However, they are growing and have become a very fine establishment since the organization was created more than 25 years ago.

The history of the Western Pacific Railroad Museum begins in 1983 when the Feather River Rail Society was formed to preserve the history of the Western Pacific, which that same year had disappeared into the Union Pacific system. A year later the society created the Portola Railroad Museum as a means of having a permanent site to both display their growing collection of equipment and other pieces as well a place where visitors could come to see and learn about the Western Pacific. The original museum was named after the town of Portola, which was once a locomotive servicing and maintenance facility for the WP along the eastern edge of its "Feather River Canyon" route in northern California (east of the famous Keddie Wye and "Inside Gateway" route).

This facility sits on 37 acres of property (essentially, the entire original yard) and includes a massive 16,000 square foot diesel locomotive maintenance building that has proved to be an excellent asset for the museum allowing them to perform their own restoration and work on their many units. The museum retained its original name for more than twenty years until January 1, 2006 when it was renamed as the Western Pacific Railroad Museum to better reflect its mission in preserving the WP (and also due to the fact that by the mid-2000s the organization had a sizable collection of equipment).

Today, the WPRM offers many more activities and events, aside from just its collection of locomotives and freight/passenger cars. For instance, each year they host the "Portola Railroad Days" (usually held in the summer during August), offer excursion trips on the weekends between May and September, help with the "Dunsmuir Railroad Days" (held in June each year), hosts the "Run-A-Locomotive" program (where you can operate a live diesel locomotive for one hour), operates the Santa Train during the Christmas season, and much more. Also, if you are a Boy Scout the WPRM happily offers help in obtaining the Railroad Merit Badge.

Something else the museum offers doesn't even cost it a thing, the still active now-Union Pacific "Feather River Subdivision", which operates right nearby. This rail line still carries numerous freight trains every day and the WP main line between Salt Lake City and Sacramento remains fully intact under UP ownership. In essence, it provides a train enthusiasts the ability to "railfan" and watch live trains without ever having to step foot off of the property.

Naturally, of course, the main attraction at the museum is still the locomotives and equipment. To date the WPRM contains seventeen original WP diesel locomotives, one steam locomotive, and eighteen other diesel locomotives from various railroads. Several of these locomotives are fully operational and the museum is currently under way in seeing WP 0-6-0 #165 (built by the American Locomotive Company in 1919 for the United Verde Copper Company) returned to full operational status (which is still a ways from become reality but in the works). Along with the steamer and locomotives, which are restored and maintained as funds become available they are also working to restore a fleet of original California Zephyr streamlined passenger cars (which includes three domes and a diner).

Their rolling stock fleet is far too vast to fully list here. However, below is their complete Western Pacific locomotive roster. Finally, to learn more about the Western Pacific Railroad Museum please click here to visit their website, which includes full roster information of their locomotives, cars as well as everything they to offer. If you have the chance, don't pass up the opportunity to see them!

Please Click Here To Return To The Main Railroad Museum Section

Alco 0-6-0 Switcher #165

Alco S1 #506

Alco S1 #512

Alco S4 #563

EMD SW1 #501

EMD NW2u #608

EMD GP7 #705

EMD GP7 #707

EMD GP7 #708

EMD GP9 #725

EMD FP7 #731

EMD FP7 #805A

EMD F7 #917D

EMD F7 #921D

EMD F7B #925C

EMD GP20 #2001

GE U30B #3051

For more information on museums like the Western Pacific Railroad Museum you might want to consider the book Tourist Trains Guidebook from the editors of Kalmbach Publishing's Trains magazine. The book lists and reviews over 400 excursions and museums found throughout the country and is an excellent resource, which has received superb reviews by readers, if you're looking for one to visit. In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

Share Your Thoughts

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. Please note that while I strive to present the information as accurately as possible I am aware that there may be errors. If you have potential corrections the help is greatly appreciated.