Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum in Rancho Cordova, California

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Rancho Cordova, California · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Outdoor rail parkTrain ridesPublic rides the first full weekend of the month, spring to fall, plus December Santa Trains

The Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum is a family hobby club that keeps American steam railroading alive in miniature, with working scale locomotives pulling riders over more than 6,300 feet of track, trestles and bridges beside the American River.

  • Ride-on 7.5 inch gauge trains
  • Over 6,300 feet of main line
  • Golden Spike in 1973
  • Trestles, bridges and twin waterfalls
  • American River views
  • Santa Train in December

Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum at a glance

Hours
Public runs 11 am to 3 pm on the first full weekend of each month, March through September (an October run is also listed for 2026), weather permitting
Admission
Ride tickets sold online for public run days; prices are on the club's ticket page
Train rides
Scale train rides on public run days, 11 am to 3 pm; Santa Train rides in December
Seasonal events
Santa Train, Fall Meet, Rancho Cordova Christmas Tree Lighting train rides
Plan for
About 1 to 2 hours
Best for
Families with young kids
Best ages
Toddlers to age 12

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Rancho Cordova.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

Blistered hands, a golden spike and chocolate milk

Late in 1968, David Hall began pulling together a small group of people who wanted to build a live steam railroad near Sacramento. They started with fewer than a dozen members, meeting in one another's homes, pooling what they had and planning. By 1971 the group had grown past 25 members, and in the spring of 1972, after a long stretch of scrounging for money, materials and land, they started laying track in what is now Hagan Community Park in Rancho Cordova.

On May 20, 1973, the club gathered to drive a solid gold spike into a polished walnut tie while a 2-8-2 and a diamond-stacked American locomotive touched pilots, a small-scale echo of Promontory. They toasted the moment with cold chocolate milk poured from a long-spouted oil can, and the railroad opened on 2,000 feet of dual gauge track for 4.75 and 7.5 inch equipment.

In 1992 the club acquired more land and stretched the line to more than a mile of main line. Today it runs over 6,300 feet, with many sidings, several yards, wooden trestles, a 40-foot truss bridge and a girder deck bridge. Members describe the railroad as rising, falling and twisting like a gentle roller coaster through woods and grassland.

The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and calls itself a hobby club for the whole family. Members build and run their own engines, hold work days to maintain the track, and staff public ride days, meets and holiday events. Their stated purpose is to preserve the lore and history of American steam railroading by letting children and adults ride behind fully working scale engines.

A mile of track along the American River

On public run days you buy a ticket, climb aboard a riding car and settle in behind a scale locomotive driven by a club member. The route drops down a descending trestle, winds through trees and fields, and swings close to the American River, which passes within about 100 feet of the track. Along the way you cross several bridges and trestles, pass over a hill with twin waterfalls, and roll back around a long curve to the yard.

Between rides, families can watch engines being readied in the yard and see members' locomotives coming and going on the turntable. The railroad is built in both 7.5 and 4.75 inch gauges, and during meets visiting hobbyists bring their own trains, so the mix of engines on the line can change from one visit to the next. Walkers and cyclists on the river path nearby often hear the whistles before they see the trains.

Don’t miss

  1. The descending trestleThe ride starts by heading down a wooden trestle, one of several on the line and a favorite moment for riders.
  2. The 40-foot truss bridgeThe longest bridge on the railroad, part of a line that also includes a girder deck bridge and several trestles.
  3. Twin waterfallsThe track passes over a hill with two waterfalls, one of the scenic touches members built into the route.
  4. American River stretchThe railroad runs within about 100 feet of the American River, with views across a grassy plain.
  5. The Santa TrainA December event when the club runs extra ride days for families with a holiday visitor.

Riding behind real steam at kid height

This is a riding railroad first, which makes it a great fit for children. Kids sit on small riding cars behind working scale engines, including live steam locomotives, and the bridges, trestles and waterfalls give every ride something to point at. Everything is at kid height, which makes it an easy first train ride.

Rides depend on the weather, so check the forecast before you go. The club also hosts school trips and birthday parties during its run season, where children can ride and learn how steam engines work.

Plan your visit: tips for Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum

  • The track is at the east edge of Hagan Community Park at the end of Chase Drive.
  • Buy ride tickets online ahead of public run days.
  • Rides are weather permitting, so check the forecast and the club's Facebook page.
  • Book birthday parties, school trips and company events through the club's party page.

December is the busiest month at the track. For 2026 the club lists Santa Train days on December 5, 6, 12 and 13 from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm, and members also bring a train to the Rancho Cordova Christmas tree lighting on November 29 from 4 to 7 pm. A listing for the club also mentions a fall pumpkin train. Check the online schedule for current dates, and see our guide to Christmas train rides in California for more holiday ideas.

A family hobby club with a nonprofit heart

The Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose members build, maintain and operate the railroad. Visitors support it by buying ride tickets, booking parties and events, or joining the club. Members are welcome at monthly work days, membership meetings and the Fall Meet, where hobbyists bring their own trains to run.

Trains a short drive from Rancho Cordova

Folsom is only about 8 miles away, home to the Folsom Railroad Museum and the Folsom Valley Railway, another ride-on favorite. Old Sacramento's California State Railroad Museum is about 12 miles west. See every train museum in California for more.

Every train museum in California

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of Rally the corgi dreaming about his toy turtle, green bone and yellow ball
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Before Rally rides the train in our book, he packs his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball, because some things just have to come along. I think a Santa Train day here calls for the same kind of packing: mittens, a snack, maybe a favorite stuffed friend for the ride past the waterfalls. If you want something for the car, grab a page from our coloring pages.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Sacramento Valley Live Steamers: 20 rider questions

Where is the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum?

The railroad is in Hagan Community Park in Rancho Cordova, California, at the east edge of the park at the end of Chase Drive. The club's directions page gives the address as 2197 Chase Dr., Rancho Cordova. Follow Chase Drive to its end and look for the track near the American River.

When are the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers public ride days?

As of October 2026, public run days are the first full weekend of each month from March through September, with rides from 11 am to 3 pm, weather permitting. The 2026 schedule also lists public runs on October 3 and 4. Check svlsrm.org for the current schedule.

How much are Sacramento Valley Live Steamers train ride tickets?

Ride tickets for public run days can be bought online through the club's website, which lists current prices. Prices are not shown in the information available here, so check svlsrm.org before you go. Buying ahead can save time at the track on busy weekends.

What is the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Santa Train?

The Santa Train is the club's December holiday event. For 2026, Santa Train days are listed for December 5, 6, 12 and 13, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Families ride the scale trains during the holiday season. Check svlsrm.org for ticket details and any changes.

What is live steam?

Live steam means scale locomotives that run on real steam, made by burning fuel to boil water, just like full-size engines. The Sacramento Valley Live Steamers use working scale steam engines to pull riders, and members also run other scale locomotives on the club's 7.5 and 4.75 inch gauge track.

How long is the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers railroad?

The main line is now more than 6,300 feet long, well over a mile, with many sidings and several yards. It began with 2,000 feet of track in 1973 and was expanded after the club acquired more land in 1992. The route includes wooden trestles, a 40-foot truss bridge and a girder deck bridge.

What will we see on a Sacramento Valley Live Steamers ride?

The ride heads down a descending trestle, winds through trees and fields, crosses several bridges and trestles and passes over a hill with twin waterfalls. The American River runs within about 100 feet of the track, so riders get river views before the train curves back to the yard.

When was the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers railroad built?

David Hall gathered the first group in late 1968, construction began in spring 1972, and the line opened with a Golden Spike ceremony on May 20, 1973. The club's home page also says the organization was started around 1965. The track was greatly expanded in 1992.

Can I have a birthday party at the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers?

Yes. The club takes reservations for birthday parties, school trips and company events, which include train rides and a chance to learn about steam engines and railroading. Parties are offered during the run season. See the parties and events page on svlsrm.org or email events@svlsrm.org.

Is the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers good for toddlers?

Yes. Small riding cars, a gentle pace and plenty to look at make it a good first train ride for little ones. Because rides are outdoors and weather permitting, bring sun protection in warm months, and plan for some waiting time in line on busy public run days.

Are school field trips offered at the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers?

Yes. Schools can reserve the facilities for train rides and lessons about steam engines, trains and railroading. Contact the club through info@svlsrm.org or the parties and events page on its website to check available dates during the run season.

What is the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Fall Meet?

The Fall Meet is a gathering where live steam hobbyists bring their own trains to run on the club's rails. In 2026 it was held October 16 to 18. Meets are aimed at hobbyists, so families wanting rides should plan around public run days and the Santa Train.

Does the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers have a Halloween or pumpkin train?

A business listing for the club mentions a pumpkin train as one of its two special events, along with the Santa Train. The 2026 online schedule does not show a pumpkin train date, so check svlsrm.org or the club's Facebook page in early fall to see if one is planned.

Do the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers run trains at the Rancho Cordova tree lighting?

Yes. For 2026 the club lists a train to ride at the Rancho Cordova Christmas tree lighting on November 29, from 4 to 7 pm. Members set up portable track for the event the day before. Check the city's event details for the location and other activities.

Do Sacramento Valley Live Steamers rides run in bad weather?

Rides are offered weather permitting, so rain or other conditions can cancel a public run day. The club links a weather forecast from its website. Check the forecast and the club's Facebook page the morning of your visit before you drive to Hagan Community Park.

How long should we plan for the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers?

Plan on about one to two hours. That leaves time for a ride or two, watching locomotives in the yard and a walk or picnic in Hagan Community Park. On busy public run days, allow extra time for lines at the station.

Who runs the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum?

It is run by its members as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hobby club for the whole family. Volunteers build and maintain the track, operate the trains on public days and staff special events. The club holds monthly board meetings, membership meetings and work days at the track.

How do I join the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers?

The club welcomes new members, including families, and lists membership information on svlsrm.org. Members help on work days, run their own trains on member run days and take part in meets. Email info@svlsrm.org or call (916) 361-7140 to ask about joining.

How do I contact the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers Railroad Museum?

For general questions, email info@svlsrm.org or call (916) 361-7140. For parties and private events, use events@svlsrm.org or the parties page on the website. The club's Facebook page is also active and is a good place to check for ride day updates.

What train attractions are near the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers?

The Folsom Railroad Museum, Folsom Valley Railway and Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad are each about 8 to 9 miles away. The Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station and the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento are about 11 to 12 miles, and the Sacramento RiverTrain about 19.

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Kelsey Cecil
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