Golden Gate Railroad Museum

The Golden Gate Railroad Museum Railinc, Search MARKs , accessed September 2009; new link added August 2026 is a non-profit railroad museum in California that is dedicated to the preservation of steam and passenger railroad equipment, as well as the interpretation of local railroad history.

History The Golden Gate Railroad Museum (GGRM) traces its origins to 1972, when Mike Mangini first spotted ex-SP 2472, a steam locomotive that had been on static display in the San Mateo County Fairgrounds parking lot since 1959. In 1975, Mangini was granted permission to take the locomotive away, and weekend volunteers began restoring 2472 on weekends, shortly thereafter incorporating as Project 2472. After the boiler was restored, the locomotive was moved in 1990 to San Francisco at the Hunters Point Shipyard. On April 30, 1991, 2472 moved under its own power to Santa Clara and then either San Jose or Sacramento for display at Railfair '91.

The museum was initially located in Hunters Point until the Navy notified GGRM in August 2005 that all leases would be cancelled and the area would need to be vacated by February 2006, as it was turning the site over to the city. The museum moved its collection of 12 locomotives and over 25 pieces of rolling stock to Sunol, home of the Niles Canyon Railway operated by the Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA); some of the collection was sold or donated to other historical rail sites, including the Western Pacific Railroad Museum (WPRM), operated by the Feather River Rail Society (FRRS). FRRS and PLA participated in the GGRM's big move, with FRRS loaning road-worthy engines and crews to facilitate the move. In exchange, GGRM donated several locomotives and cars to WPRM.

In January 2017, GGRM announced it would be moving to Schellville, on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. The GGRM's new Schellville yard, near Victory Station, was fenced in late 2018, and the move to Schellville commenced in March 2020. Preparations to move the fleet included replacing obsolete brake valves on passenger cars, fixing air leaks, and replacing wheel sets.

The offices of GGRM are in Redwood City. The museum performs restoration work on its collection, which it showcases for special events and excursion trains.

Collection Current equipment Fleet No. Image Mfr. Model Wheel arr. Built Status Notes Refs. Locomotives 2472 Baldwin P-8 Undergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul Retired in 1957 and on static display at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds from 1959 until 1976. 3194 EMD GP9 B-B Operational Built as T&NO 281, renumbered to SP 5895 in 1961, then 3001 in 1965, and finally 3194 in 1977. Worked Peninsula Commute from 1960/61 to 1985. Retired in 1993 and donated to GGRM. 1487 FM H-12-44 B-B Operational Formerly U.S. Army No. 1847; acquired in March 1995 and repainted in "Tiger Stripe" livery as replica of yard switcher SP 1487. 6378 & 6380 EMD F7A B-B Awaiting restoration Traded to General Electric in the late 1960s; resold and served on short lines WAG as 2100 and 2000, then to L&NW as 46 and 45 in 1969. GGRM 9 GE 65-ton B-B Operational Originally built for U.S. Navy in 1943; used for shop switching duties at GGRM and formerly numbered as 3 when collection was at Hunters Point. Passenger cars and head-end equipment 141 Pullman Business Car Operational Assigned to A.D. MacDonald, President of SP, in 1932; acquired in 2002. 293 Pullman Chair Car Originally numbered 2356 for Coast Daylight service; renumbered in 1974. 2097, 2143, 2156 Pullman "Suburban" , 1927 Used in Peninsula Commute service until 1985. 2979 Pullman Club-Lounge Operational Converted to 54-seat club-lounge in 1940; acquired in 1989 and restored to 1954 appearance. 3714, 3720 & 3722 AC&F Gallery Car Used in Peninsula Commute service until 1985. Acquired in 2018. UP 5901 Pullman Railway post office Operational Served on City of San Francisco service between Oakland and Chicago.

Former equipment Fleet No. Image Mfr. Model Wheel arr. Built Status Notes Refs. Locomotives 4450 EMD SD9 C-C April 1954 Scrapped Subsequently sold to WPRM in 2006, scrapped in 2013.

In popular culture In the 2003 season of the television show MythBusters, the episode "Peeing on the Third Rail" was filmed at the original location in Hunters Point.

Golden Gate Railroad Museum

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