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SP 2479 At San Jose Depot

SP1215 Arrives

1927 Kleiber

Little Buttercup Moving To San Jose

SP 2479 Drawing

SP2479 Refurbished Drivers

Santa Clara Railroad Map

SF & SC SPCRR Depot

1921 Port Huron Traction Engine

Removing SP 2479 Wheelset

Trolley

Car 1

Lenzen Roundhouse

1916 Detroit Electric Touring Car

SP 2479 At San Jose Depot

CTRC Logo

Every railroad has a logo, CTRC is no exception.

CTRC is a California non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving the historical heritage of railroading and trolleys in the Santa Clara Valley of California.

CTRC welcomes the public to come visit our collection of historic vehicles.

And if you want to become more engaged we invite you to join and help restore and operate them.

SP 2479 At San Jose Depot

SP 2479 At San Jose Depot

This painting by Michael F. Kotowski shows the SP 2479 at the old San Jose railroad depot with an old Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) pickup. CTRC is proposing to base the future museum on this scene.

SP1215 Arrives

1927 Kleiber

This 1927 Kleiber truck was last owned by the Western States Oil Company of San Jose. It was used to deliver oil to merchants in the San Jose California area.

Little Buttercup Moving To San Jose

Little Buttercup Moving To San Jose

Little Buttercup being unloaded at History San Jose. This 1899 vintage locomotive spent time on the San Francisco docks, was at the 1948 Chicago Railway Fair, and spent time at the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento. The move to San Jose was observed by many surprised children.

SP 2479 Drawing

SP 2479 Drawing

The SP 2479 is a 1923 Baldwin P-10 Pacific that is being restored by CTRC. You can come to the site to see it or help with the work.

SP2479 Refurbished Drivers

SP2479 Refurbished Drivers

Locomotive driver wheels have steel tires that have to be machined with high accuracy to a shape profile that helps keep the locomotive firmly on the rails at all times. Each wheel must be machined to have the same circumference. There are not many places that have the machine tools to perform this kind of work.

Santa Clara Railroad Map

Santa Clara Railroad Map

The Santa Clara Valley is a natural transportation focus for the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the oldest railroad centers in the United States.

SF & SC SPCRR Depot

SF & SC SPCRR Depot

The South Pacific Coast Railroad (SPCRR) was a narrow gauge line that ran between Santa Cruz and Alameda, with Santa Clara in the middle.

1921 Port Huron Traction Engine

1921 Port Huron Traction Engine

The Port Huron Traction Engine was manufactured by the Port Huron Engine and Thresher Company of Port Huron, Michigan and shipped to Wichita Kansas July 20, 1921. It was used for hauling, plowing and operating machinery from a belt to the engine flywheel. It produced 16 horsepower from a boiler that was designed for 175 pounds of pressure. It took over 10 years of part time work to restore this traction engine.

Removing SP 2479 Wheelset

Removing SP 2479 Wheelset

It takes a lot of work to remove the drivers from a large locomotive.

Trolley

Car 1

Lenzen Roundhouse

Lenzen Roundhouse

The Lenzen Roundhouse used to stand between Coleman and Stockton Avenues in San Jose. The roundhouse the roundhouse and turntable were disassembled and are now stored awaiting eventual reassembly.

1916 Detroit Electric Touring Car

1916 Detroit Electric Touring Car

This car featured dual controls so it could be driven from either the front or rear seat. It is powered by 14 six volt batteries which can be connected as two 42 volt batteries in parallel or as one 84 volt battery depending upon the speed desired. The controller provides for 5 speeds with the top speed approximately 20 miles per hour. The range before the batteries require recharging was advertised as about 70 miles.

SP 2479 At San Jose Depot

SP 2479 At San Jose Depot

This painting by Michael F. Kotowski shows the SP 2479 at the old San Jose railroad depot with an old Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) pickup. CTRC is proposing to base the future museum on this scene.

Breaking News!

The California Trolley and Railroad Corporation (CTRC), based in San Jose, will be relocating the former Southern Pacific Railroad steam locomotive, number 2479, and the Lenzen Roundhouse structure and turntable to the Niles Canyon Railway, operated by the Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA).

Read more: Historic Locomotive and Railroad Roundhouse to Move from Santa Clara County to Niles Canyon Railway

Established in 1982, CTRC, the California Trolley and Railroad Corporation, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and reflect the rich legacy of rail transportation in the Santa Clara Valley for the educational and recreational benefit of current and future generations.

Rail Museum from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Among the numerous projects underway is the restoration of Southern Pacific steam locomotive 2479. CTRC has restored for operation a number of historic trolley cars.

The CTRC Blog contains postings and items of interest, in chronological order. Our search page is available to help you find items of intererst.

For the latest weekly updates please visit our Facebook page.

Our quarterly newsletter is The Clearboard.

A major undertaking is the creation of the San Jose Steam Railroad Museum with the focal point becoming the former six stall Lenzen Roundhouse and turntable.

Membership is open to anyone who is interested - you do not need to be an expert welder or machinist.

Please consider making a donation to CTRC. Donate!

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