Have done "training" in two locomotives at this very active and working museum. Almost broke jaw off with the smile when my hand rested on the throttle and began to inch these incredible machines forward. Wife and sister-in-law just humored me in coming along in the cab, but they were coerced into trying it. Both of them almost exploded with... More

The Western Pacific Railroad Museum is well worth a side trip when in the Portola Valley area. It is the largest railroad museum in the US dedicated to one RR - the Western Pacific. Much more than a bunch of old equipment, the museum has a rich history of the WP, including many priceless artifacts. The museum is a work... More

First, TripAdvisor does not show the correct name. This is the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, California. Over 100 railroad cars and locomotives are spread over this mutli-acre trainyard. Most look like they'll never roll again, but will instead decay in place. There are only a few that have interpretive panels or signs that give you background, and those... More

I've been a Western Pacific Railroad railfan for almost 20 years. This is 'the' museum for fans of the WP. I spent a week or so in the area including several visits to the WPRM at Portola. Great to visit, but, like the title says, I'm probably biased!

The Portola Train Museum is not quite on par with the Sacramento Train Museum (which is, by the way, amazing). In general, it's more geared towards railroad buffs than kids. But what distinguishes this train museum is the opportunity to learn how to drive an actual diesel engine. The train yard is an old Western Pacific train depot, so there's... More