The Railroad Museum at Ardenwood

Browse Exhibits

  • The Carter Brothers

    The history of the Carter Brothers, their business manufacturing railcars, and their impact on Bay Area and American railroad development.

  • The South Pacific Coast Railroad

    The history of the rise and fall of the South Pacific Coast Railroad, the most successful narrow gauge railroad in California history. 

  • The History Of: The Kiso No. 9

    The detailed journey of the Kiso No. 9 narrow gauge steam engine, which travelled from the US to Japan and back.

  • The SPC Centerville Branch

    Details on the horse-drawn narrow gauge railroad branchline in the Newark-Fremont area that our museum strives to interpretively replicate today.

  • Locomotives

    The locomotive collection of the SPCRR contains 2 locomotives in addition to 2 locomotives on lease. 

  • Passenger Cars

    Our diverse collection of passenger and mixed-freight cars come from a variety of sources, but mostly focus on Carter-era cars.

  • Box Cars

    Many of our freight cars are original Carter Brothers manufacture, built here in Fremont or in San Francisco. 

  • Other Cars

    Handcars, historic car parts, and non-historic cars in our collection.

  • Flat Cars

  • Kiso No. 9 Restoration Updates

    Kiso No. 9 is our first resident operable steam locomotive. You can read about its history here:

    The Kiso No. 9 - In Detail

    There is a list of tasks to accomplish before the locomotive can be safely operated on our railroad:

    • Full teardown and nondestructive evaluation of safety critical components
    • Cataloging of all parts and mechanical definitions
    • Manufacture and replacement of missing or worn parts
    • Complete boiler inspection, consultation, and specialized mechanical labor for boiler repair
    • Reinstallation of air brake system
    • Updated mechanical components for state compliance
    • Facility upgrades (Water, Fuel, Fire mitigation)
    • Supplemental maintenance and safety equipment
    • Cosmetic restoration to No. 9
Operated by the Society for the Preservation for Carter Railroad Resources, Inc. (SPCRR), a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.

© Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources