Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, California

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Portola, California · Updated October 19, 2026 · 13 min read

Railroad museumTrain ridesClosed for winter except special events; caboose trains weekends Memorial Day to Labor Day

The Western Pacific Railroad Museum preserves the last-built transcontinental railroad in its own former diesel shop at Portola, where the Feather River Rail Society has gathered more than 30 locomotives and invites visitors to climb aboard, ride and even take the throttle.

  • Former WP diesel shop, built 1954
  • 37-acre site, 2.5 miles of track
  • Over 30 locomotives
  • Run-A-Locomotive program
  • Summer caboose train rides
  • Volunteer run since 1983

Western Pacific Railroad Museum at a glance

Hours
Seasonal; closed for winter except special events. Caboose trains weekends Memorial Day to Labor Day, 11 am to 2 pm departures
Admission
Adults $10, youth 5 to 18 $6, seniors and active military $8, 4 and under free, family pass $25
Train rides
Caboose train weekends Memorial Day to Labor Day: adults $5, youth $4, family $14, all-day riding; cab rides $20 adults, $12 youth
Seasonal events
Pumpkin Express, Santa Trains, Summer Weekend Train Rides, Western Pacific Celebration, Portola Railroad Days
Plan for
About 2 to 3 hours
Best for
Hands-on families and diesel fans
Best ages
Ages 4 and up

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

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Western Pacific 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 Portola.

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.

Keeping the Western Pacific alive at the headwaters of the Feather River

The museum's roots go back to the mid 1970s, when Western Pacific engineer Norman Holmes gathered railroad co-workers and rail fans to build a small line on his property in Portola. With a tiny gas mechanical switcher, a couple of freight cars and an old wooden WP caboose, the Feather River & Western was finished in time for the 1976 Bicentennial, and it became a place to barbecue, swap stories and run a railroad.

Then the Western Pacific itself disappeared. In December 1982 the last-built transcontinental railroad was approved for merger into the Union Pacific. The WP had been a frugal, inventive company that helped pioneer diesel power, turbocharging, centralized traffic control, roller bearing freight cars, computerization and concrete ties. In 1983, Union Pacific donated F7 No. 921 to the city of Portola, Norm Holmes rallied his volunteers again, and the Feather River Rail Society was born, with a lease on the empty WP diesel facility. Members posed with No. 921, their first acquisition, inside the shop in September 1984.

The site the society took over covers about 37 acres, with a 16,000 square foot diesel shop used by the WP from 1954 to 1974 and two and a half miles of track. Known as the Portola Railroad Museum until January 1, 2006, it is now the Western Pacific Railroad Museum. By the late 1990s the volunteers had assembled one of the leading collections focused on a single railroad family, now more than 30 locomotives and 128 pieces of rolling stock, plus WP corporate records, photos and films.

Everything still runs on volunteer effort. Members restore equipment, crew the trains, catalog the archives and handle the hundreds of small jobs that keep the gates open.

A 1950s railyard you are encouraged to climb on

This is a hands-on museum: visitors are encouraged to climb into locomotive cabs and explore a working railyard laid out like a 1950s diesel facility. Inside the diesel shop is an exhibit room and railroad displays, and your smartphone can serve as a tour guide through the museum's web-based tour. Buy admission wristbands and train tickets in the museum store at the shop entrance.

The collection is one of the largest museum collections of diesel locomotives in the country, and it includes the first diesel locomotive the Western Pacific bought, the last operating locomotive built to pull the California Zephyr, one of only five surviving WP steam engines, a 200-ton rail crane and a passenger car once used for wartime blood donation service. On summer weekends caboose trains roll over the museum's track, and the Run-A-Locomotive program lets anyone rent a vintage diesel and run it with a private instructor.

Don’t miss

  1. Western Pacific F7 No. 921The society's very first acquisition, donated by Union Pacific in 1983 and the reason the museum exists.
  2. The last California Zephyr locomotiveThe last operating locomotive built to pull the Western Pacific's famous California Zephyr passenger train.
  3. The WP's first dieselThe first diesel locomotive the railroad ever bought, a fitting piece for a company that helped pioneer diesel power.
  4. The 1954 diesel shopThe 16,000 square foot shop the WP used until 1974, now home to the museum's exhibits and still a working shop.
  5. The 200-ton rail craneA huge rail-mounted crane that shows the heavy work behind keeping a mountain railroad open.
  6. Run-A-LocomotiveRent WP GP7 No. 707 or SW1500 No. 1503 and run it yourself under a private instructor's watch.

Cab climbing, caboose rides and a Pumpkin Express

Kids can climb up into real locomotive cabs and look out over the yard, then ride a caboose train on summer weekends; a ride ticket is good all day, so they can go around as many times as they like. Children 4 and under ride and enter free. Kids 4 and up can also take a locomotive cab ride with the engineer for a separate fare.

Scouts can earn a merit badge through the museum's BSA program, and in October the Pumpkin Express runs, followed by Santa Trains in December. Remember this is a working railyard: the museum warns that trains may move at any time, on any track, in either direction, so keep little ones close.

Plan your visit: tips for Western Pacific Railroad Museum

  • Call 530-832-4131 if the weather looks questionable; October and December events and Run-A-Locomotive are weather permitting.
  • Buy wristbands and ride tickets in the museum store at the Diesel Shop entrance.
  • Use your phone as a tour guide with the museum's web-based tour.
  • Make a weekend of it: Portola is about an hour from Reno, Lake Tahoe and Truckee.
  • Members get free admission and train rides.

The season ends with two family favorites. The Pumpkin Express runs in October and Santa Trains run in December, both weather permitting, with details posted on the museum's website each year. For more seasonal rides, see our guides to Halloween train rides in California and Christmas train rides in California.

The Feather River Rail Society and its weekend railroaders

The Feather River Rail Society, a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit, owns and operates the museum and is funded by admissions, Run-A-Locomotive rentals, store sales and donations. Volunteers restore equipment, crew trains, sort archives and maintain the grounds, and the society is always looking for new members in its Operating, Mechanical, Historical/Archive and Restoration departments. No experience is needed; train crew members train each season and can start at age 16 with parental consent.

Sierra rail stops within an hour or so

The Truckee Railroad Museum is about 36 miles south, and the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum is about 48 miles away in Nevada City. Across the state line, the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City is about 59 miles off. Find more on our page of train museums in California.

Every train museum in California

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of a dad lifting Rally the corgi up the big stairs of a red train car
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Visitors here are invited to climb right up into the locomotive cabs, and those steps were built for grown railroaders, not short legs. In our book, Rally cannot manage the big train stairs on his own, so Dad gives him a boost. I love that moment because every family has done it. Rally never travels alone, and neither should little climbers here. You can read how the book came to be on our story page.

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 Western Pacific 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.

Western Pacific Railroad Museum: 20 questions before Portola

Where is the Western Pacific Railroad Museum?

The Western Pacific Railroad Museum is at 700 Western Pacific Way, Portola, CA 96122, in Plumas County at the headwaters of the Feather River. Portola sits at 4,856 feet in the Sierra Nevada, about 50 miles northwest of Reno and roughly a 3 hour drive from Sacramento. Mail goes to P.O. Box 608, since USPS does not deliver to the museum.

How much are Western Pacific Railroad Museum tickets?

As of October 2026, museum admission is $10 for adults 19 to 64, $6 for ages 5 to 18, $8 for seniors 65 and up and active military, and free for children 4 and under. A family pass for two adults and related children 18 and under is $25. Buy wristbands at the museum store.

When is the Western Pacific Railroad Museum open?

The museum is seasonal and closes for winter except for special events. Caboose trains run on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day, plus both holidays. Daily hours are posted on the Museum Days and Hours page, and since everything depends on mountain weather, call 530-832-4131 if conditions look doubtful.

Can you ride a train at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum?

Yes. Caboose trains run weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with departures at 11, 11:30, noon, 1, 1:30 and 2. As of October 2026, all-day tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for youth, free for 4 and under, or $14 for a family pass, on top of museum admission. Members ride free.

Can you ride in a locomotive cab at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum?

Yes. Locomotive cab rides with the engineer cost $20 for adults and $12 for youth ages 4 to 18, as of October 2026, for one ride. Riders must stay seated while the locomotive moves and hand a signed liability release to the engineer before departure. Members get a discount on cab rides.

What is Run-A-Locomotive at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum?

Run-A-Locomotive lets visitors rent a vintage diesel, GP7 No. 707 or SW1500 No. 1503, and operate it on museum grounds with a private instructor. No experience is needed. As of October 2026 it costs $500 an hour, or $400 for members, with same-day admission. A 50% deposit books it; call 530-832-4532.

Can you buy a Run-A-Locomotive gift certificate?

Yes. Run-A-Locomotive gift certificates are sold on the museum's online store, where you can also pick dates and pay the deposit. Cancellations are not refunded but are converted to a 501(c)(3) donation with a revised receipt, and you can reschedule up to 48 hours ahead. Arrive on time: more than 20 minutes late may count as a no-show.

What is in the Western Pacific Railroad Museum collection?

The museum says its collection includes more than 30 locomotives and 128 pieces of rolling stock, one of the largest museum collections of diesel locomotives in the country. Highlights include the WP's first diesel, the last operating California Zephyr locomotive, one of five surviving WP steam engines and a 200-ton rail crane. The roster is on wplives.org.

When did the Western Pacific Railroad Museum open?

The Feather River Rail Society formed in 1983 after Union Pacific donated F7 No. 921 to Portola, and the society leased the empty Western Pacific diesel facility. Members posed with No. 921, their first acquisition, in the shop in September 1984. The museum was called the Portola Railroad Museum until January 1, 2006.

What is the Feather River Rail Society?

The Feather River Rail Society is the California 501(c)(3) nonprofit that owns and runs the Western Pacific Railroad Museum. It is the closest thing to a Western Pacific historical society here: it preserves WP equipment and archives, and publishes The Western Pacific Headlight, a journal of WP history, for members. Email membership@wplives.org to join.

What was the Western Pacific Railroad?

The Western Pacific was the last-built transcontinental railroad, and it ended in December 1982 when it was approved for merger into the Union Pacific. The museum describes it as frugal and innovative, helping pioneer diesel power, turbocharging, centralized traffic control, roller bearing freight cars, computerization and concrete ties.

Is the Western Pacific Railroad Museum good for kids?

Yes, it is built for hands-on visits. Kids can climb into locomotive cabs, ride caboose trains as many times as they like on an all-day ticket, and come back for the Pumpkin Express or Santa Trains. Children 4 and under get in free. Keep them close, since trains can move on any track at any time.

Does the Western Pacific Railroad Museum have a Pumpkin Express?

Yes. Pumpkin Express trains run in October, and the museum posts each year's details on its website. Like all October events, they are weather permitting, so call 530-832-4131 before driving up if the forecast is uncertain.

Does the Western Pacific Railroad Museum run Santa Trains?

Yes, Santa Trains run in December, one of the special events the museum holds after closing for the regular season. They depend on Sierra weather, so check the museum's website for 2026 dates and call 530-832-4131 before you go.

Can you have a party at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum?

Yes. The museum lists private parties, including birthdays, weddings and fundraisers, among its special events, and group rates are available for visits. Contact the museum at 530-832-4131 or info@wplives.org to ask about dates, pricing and what the railyard setting can accommodate.

Does the Western Pacific Railroad Museum have a merit badge program?

Yes. The museum runs a Boy Scouts of America merit badge program as part of its special events, along with a broader scouting program listed on its society website. Scout leaders should contact the museum at info@wplives.org or 530-832-4131 to schedule a date.

How can I volunteer at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum?

The museum is run entirely by volunteers and welcomes new members in its Operating, Mechanical, Historical/Archive and Restoration departments, no railroad experience required. Train crew volunteers must be at least 16 (under 18 with parental consent), attend a yearly rules class and pass a written exam. Email operating_dept@wplives.org to start.

Can researchers use the Western Pacific Railroad Museum archives?

The Feather River Rail Society holds many surviving Western Pacific corporate records, including photographs, equipment diagrams, business ledgers and equipment records, plus California Zephyr material. To ask about research, email the Historical/Archive Department at historical_archive_dept@wplives.org.

How long should we spend at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum?

Plan on two to three hours to explore the diesel shop and yard, climb into cabs and ride the caboose train. Add an hour or more for a Run-A-Locomotive session. Since Portola is about an hour from Reno and Lake Tahoe, many families make a weekend of it.

What train museums are near the Western Pacific Railroad Museum?

The Truckee Railroad Museum and the Truckee Donner Railroad Society are about 36 miles away. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum in Nevada City is about 48 miles, the Colfax Railroad Museum about 55 miles, and the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City about 59 miles.

Keep exploring

More family train guides from Rally

Kelsey Cecil
Previous

Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine
Next

Newport & Narragansett Bay Railroad in Portsmouth and Newport, Rhode Island