I will be working CALTRAIN in the next few weeks (anywhere from SF to Gilroy) and I was wondering if there is anybody on the forum in that area, or if I could be directed to a hobby store or two?
Thanks!
The Dixie D Short Line "Lux Lucet In Tenebris Nihil Igitur Mors Est Ad Nos 2001"
TJ things to do:
Shops:
Train Shop in San Jose, good selection large scale, huge book section.
Chan's Train (hope I got that right) in the Russian Hill/Pacific Heights area of SF (friend recommended)
Places to visits
California Railroad Museum in Sacramento is an absolute must, its a moral imparative to visit it.
Roaring Camp and Big Trees RR in Felton near Santa Cruz, Shays and Heislers and logging Oh My!!
Western Railway Museum Solano, near Sacramento, Traction traction traction!
Niles Canyon Railroad more trains !!!
Municipal Cable Car Museum in central SF, also a must visit as is riding the cable cars up and down and up and down the hills until you rot.
San Francisco Municipal Railway Market St Embarcadero and Fishermans Wharf, ride classis restored trolleys all day till you rot.
Sonoma Traintown and Redwood Valley Railway 15" gauge 5" scale live steamers
Jack London Square Oakland, perhaps the best train watching spot on the west coast as the blighter roll straight down a major street by a nice shopping center, all the modern convniences nearby.
Skunk Train Ft Bragg, bit farther out, nice trip but Roaring camp is better, they gots Shays!
BTW good places to eat:
Yoshi's Jack London Square, great sushi and they have one of the best Jazz venues in town, check ahead for schedule and tickets for the jazz shows and a dinner reservation is recommended but well worth it. Next to tracks!
McCormick and Schmitt's Ghirridelli Square, great seafood, fantastic view.
Spengler's Grotto Berkeley very good seafood place, next to tracks also.
if you want to splurge ...
Che Panisse in Berkeley is 4 stars! very intimate and fantastic food, recommend the cafe instead of the dinner restaurant, easier to get a table in, reservation highly recommended
Sad for me to say theres about 100 times MORE things to do in the bay area than down by me.
Have fun with your trains
TJ, definately do the roaring Camp & Big Trees. Di & I took the grandkids on it 2 years ago when we were out there; It's a great ride, and that shay is mesmerizing!
When they stop up at the grove of redwoods, you can actually get up into the cab!
The switchback is rather neat also!
When I visted Channs mid last year they did not seem interested in customers. In fact I walked out in discust would not go there again
Age is only a state of mind, keep the mind active and enjoy life
TJ, if i may, best shop is the Train Shop in Santa Clera ( Not San Jose ) Then Just Trains in Concord. I started shoping at both in 1990. The sad news is the best ever San Antoino Hobby's Closed.
NCRy Nice Ride Closed till spring LOTS OF SP stuff
Skunk Train may be GONE check with AAA I went thru them got a good deal back in 95
Roaring Camp and Big Trees, Take Both ride's the one to Santa Cruz stops at the Boardwalk for a few hours.
Sacamento ONLY 2hr's + by car (2 day's By Train. May even be the CALTRAIN BUS ) DO ALL, I Have.
Take the CALTRAIN end to end.
AMTRACK round Trip to RENO still snow in the Mountins
Dave
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
Not sure of the name, but check out the live steamers at Tilden Park north of Berkley. I think they may have several scales running. I don't mean to be vague but it's been about 12 years since we visited there.
Walt
grandpopswalt Not sure of the name, but check out the live steamers at Tilden Park north of Berkley. I think they may have several scales running. I don't mean to be vague but it's been about 12 years since we visited there. Walt
Thats Redwood Valley RR, on my list above, Googling any of the highlighted names up there should take you their websites.
TJ:
Have a look at the following:
http://www.totalescape.com/tripez/transp/train.html
http://www.sierrarailroad.com/
and should you get down south:
http://www.oerm.org/
http://www.psrm.org/
http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com/
Tom Trigg
As of fall 2007 when I was there, the Big Trees Beach Train was a seasonal affair! It stopped running Oct 1 for the winter and we got there on the 4th! I think I saw where it picked up again around Memorial Day, but check out the website to make sure! I got my tickets 3 months ahead of time from the website, no problem!
Thanks for the pointers. I'll GPS those locations if I get the time. Quite frankly I'll be spending very long days on the rails with CALTRAIN and AMTRAK both in the yards and on the mains, so I might just get a little burned out on the railroading themes. Yeah, if you believe that then I'm a Chinese jet pilot......
tangerine-jack Yeah, if you believe that then I'm a Chinese jet pilot......
Yeah, if you believe that then I'm a Chinese jet pilot......
Hey thats my line
Hint: Don't use that line in Chinatown
Hello there!
Great suggestions so far.
Here are a few photos of Roaring Camp
http://picasaweb.google.com/jhgarcia176/RoaringCamp#
And here are a few snaps of the Sacramento Train Museum (which has the only remaining Cab Forward on the planet).
http://picasaweb.google.com/jhgarcia176/SacramentoTrainMuseum#
Both are well worth the trip.
Enjoy!
Welcome to the left coast! Lot's of good responses, here. You'd get more if you didn't refer to the area as "Frisco."
The locals and those who wish to pass as locals call the City of San Francisco "The City," as if there were only one.
The rest of the area is call "the Bay Area."
Here is info on a garden railway meeting in Pleasanton tonight and tomorrow that includes a SWAP MEET!!
http://www.bagrs.org/Default.aspx?pageId=70302
http://www.bagrs.org/Default.aspx?pageId=70302&eventId=32940&EventViewMode=2&CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=2/3/2009
Thanks for the local tips Dick. I'll be sure to call San Fran "the City" proper when I get there. So far it looks like maybe another two weeks before our machine arrives at Redwood City. I'm looking forward to getting to the left coast. On another topic, where are the good surf spots in that area?
It's been over 40 years since I hit the waves, but seem to remeber liking El Capitan, (just north of Santa Barbara) then there is everythin between San Onafre and Mexican boarder. If you have the chance to get into the San Diego area, I would suggest NOT trying to ride the wake of an Aircraft Carrier, Now days they have sharpshooters on the fantail to discurage surfing the wake.
Cold or not, I've got to hit the waves while I'm here. I just arrived this afternoon after a marthon drive cross country, didn't even have time to stop and smell the roses. But on my way back I go through Nebraska, and I think there is somebody on this forum in Nebraska.....starts with M?
You lucky dog, gonna get to see the big bridge in person! How cool is that?
Santa Cruz/ Aptos is the best according to my brother who lives there, Half Moon Bay is also supposed to be good but I beleive they get some Gynormous waves though...
Also be carefull, these northern waters are home to the Great White and a surfer paddling a board looks a heckova lot like a seal swimming on the surface to big fishy lurking on the bottom. This area has the highest shark attack ratio in the country, not like I'm trying to scare ya, thats just the facts of life up there...
Sharks shmarks. I've been through 5 wars and 5 kids, u think a little fish with teeth scares me? Gonna try to hit the waves in the AM, then maybe head out to a rail museum of some type. Easy day for me tomorrow, so I'll be a tourist for a few hours.
Capt Bob Johnson You lucky dog, gonna get to see the big bridge in person! How cool is that?
Let's not put the cart before the horse. I will be going through Nebraska, near the big M's bridge, but my schedule and M's schedule need to coincide to a degree, then big M has to give me permission. Let's just say that I have a high potential of seeing the Great One, an opportunity that may not come again soon.
Did you ever get out to the left coast?
yeah man, been on the left coast for a month now. Saw the ocean, caught a wave (bone numbing cold in Half Moon bay, but dmmit, I wanted a wave and got one) Saw Haight-Ashbury, saw the Winchester house (freaky place that is!) and got a gut grenade from a mexican roach coach. I am now in Olympia WA looking for a hobby shop......
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