Car House #3

Yes, I made another trip to the Western Railway Museum. Mostly because I learned about a train barn that I had never visited before. Before we talk about Train Barn #3 (Car House Three), I was able to track down a train shows in a 1975 family photo.

The original photo was taken by my dad during my first visit to the museum. Today the train is not working and visitors are not allowed inside.  The "Blackpool Corporation Transit Boat Car" is from england and was built in 1934. It joined the museum in 1972 and road the streets of San Francisco from 1983 to 1985.

Boat Car in 2011

Boat Car interior 2012.
Had to hold my hand into the air above the train to get this shot... Without the viewfinder.

Car House #3

The Western Railway Museum has a giant train barn full of almost dust free perfectly restored trains. For train fans, they are beautiful. For some crazy reason, access to these trains is limited to a 45 minute guided tour twice a week. All other access is prohibited.  Basically the best of the best is locked away and you are rushed though the barn by a tour guide. Almost no time is available to take a quality photo, let alone look around and just enjoy the history. It is a shame.  Below are a couple of the cool trains I found, a bunch more shots can be found on my flickr WRM photo set. The fastest way to get as many shots as possible was to just put the Nikon D5100 into automatic mode and just shoot.

You can't really tell but the size of this steam engine really is impressive.

Sadly, the steam engine in this family photo is in Barn #2 and "rusting away"

Old Pullman sleeper car. I would love to get inside to shoot photos.

Boxcar with it's own hobo

Oregon Electric

United States Maritime Commission Shipyard Special

Former San Francisco Street Car

This Sacramento Northern train was recently restored and is in working condition