Railway Museum's Steam Is Up

Railway Museum's Steam Is Up
Solano Exhibits Boast A Newer Track
By Brian Hamlin
Article Launched: 04/29/2008



Western Railway Museum Executive Director Phil Kohlmetz stands next to a steam locomotive Friday. The iron display is used to educate visitors about the difference between steam and electric powered trains. (Rick Roach / The Reporter)

One of Solano County's most visited landmarks, the Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Junction, will unveil its latest achievement on Saturday with the grand opening of its new, $2.5 million exhibit space.

The Loring C. Jensen Memorial Car House - named after a major benefactor - is a huge, state-of-the-art storehouse for railroad memories complete with 38 trains, most of them part of the electric railway system that once carried California travelers across town or across the state.

The climate-controlled, 37,000-square-foot car house is equipped with rails so that cars can periodically be moved for new exhibits. It houses a steam locomotive, but most of the cars and engines in the structure are electric.

"At the turn of the century, electric railways were where it was at," explained the museum's executive director Phil M. Kohlmetz. "Almost every community in the country had one or planned to have one."

Ironically, many larger communities like San Jose now are trying to restore the same kind of transit service that the electric railways offered routinely 60 years ago.

The museum was founded by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association in 1960 when the group purchased 22 acres at the site of the old Rio Vista Junction Station off Highway 12 between Rio Vista and Suisun City.

At the time, the future museum site was nothing more than a windswept piece of prairie, an old train station and a few train cars in need of restoration - as well as a lot of dedicated volunteers who wanted to make sure the region's electric railway heritage wasn't forgotten.

Today, that heritage is alive and well with nearly 100 historic rail vehicles and painstakingly restored trains and passenger cars, some of which are available for rides.

In addition to the rolling stock, the museum's library and archives house more than 100,000 photographs, books, rail company corporate documents, maps and periodicals.

Many of the railway companies that were the pride of California disappeared decades ago and the only mementos of their existence are housed at Western Railway Museum.

When the new car house opens Saturday, visitors will have an opportunity to see fully restored rail cars as well as those awaiting restoration, their paint faded, windows broken and passenger days long past.

Some will be restored in the future, others will remain in a state of suspended deterioration.

"Because of the temperature and humidity control here, things that are restored will stay restored, and things that aren't yet restored won't deteriorate further," Kohlmetz explained.

Grand opening ceremonies for the new car house begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

The Western Railway Museum at 5848 Highway 12, is open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays year round as well as 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for senior citizens 65 and older, $7 for children 2 to 14 years of age, and free for children under 2 years old.

For more information, call 374-2978.