‘Dilapidated cattle car’ to leave Sonoma for Bay Area historic railway

The tracks at the Depot Park Museum will soon lose one of their three historic railway cars, as the museum owner – the Sonoma Valley Historical Society – will donate the orange Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) railway car to the Niles Canyon Railway in Fremont.

The car was described in the resolution on the city council’s consent calendar for Sept. 21, as “a dilapidated cattle train car.” The three cars on the track on the north side of the former depot have been stored there since long before the historical society leased the Depot Park property in 2011, for a 10-year period.

Now its poor condition seems to be a target for vandalism, said Depot Park Museum director Patricia Cullinan, and she’d like to “improve sight visibility to the museum and enhance security” by removing the cattle car and separating the two remaining cars, a refrigerator car and a caboose.

“There has been vandalism by a group of young people who drink, vape and smoke while sitting on the back steps of the train depot,” said Cullinan. “They throw bottles that then break on the cars.” The thinking is that with two cars instead of three, it would be easier for people to see the museum – and harder for scofflaws to hide.

The cattle car is situated on the west end of the three cars – looking at the depot from the Arnold Field parking lot, the D&RGW car is at the right. The Railroad Preservation Index says the 40-foot stock car was built in 1934, using repurposed parts from older cars. The model type dates to the early 1900s specifically designed to ship cattle or sheep.

Long-time residents say the cars have been at the Depot Park location since the mid-1970s at least.

One question remains: Whether or not the historical society can legally dispose of the car. The society’s proposal to the Planning Commission includes the original lease between the history nonprofit and the city, for a period of 10 years, signed May 16, 2011. It specifies that, as tenant, the Sonoma Valley Historical Society “owns, maintains and displays three railroad cars on the leased premises, including expenses for maintaining the interior and exterior in good condition and repair.”

However, the lease is “silent as to how modifications to the site can be made by the SVHS,” according to a city staff report regarding the proposal. So the historical society is relying on the approval of the city council to allow the car to be donated – at no cost to the city – to the Pacific Locomotive Association, operators of the Niles Canyon Railway.

The Alameda County railway runs seven miles between two historic train stations, in Fremont and Sunol, joined by the seven-mile railway in 1988 as “a living history museum.” Round-trip tickets for kids and adults are available for weekend travel on weekend days for $20 to $30, at ncry.org. For more information visit ncry.org/about.

Because of the Depot Park Museum’s physical location, “We have a relationship with all those guys,” said Cullinan, in reference to railroad enthusiasts. “We were looking for someone to take the car, they were looking for a car. I think they’re excited about it.”

Contrary to expectation, the car will not travel by rail to Alameda County, but will be lifted by crane off the tracks and placed on a flatbed – which will then be loaded on a railcar. The tracks at Depot Park are 184 feet long, but do not link to any existing railway.

The resolution to allow the donation of the railcar was on the consent calendar at the city council’s Sept. 21 meeting.

Email Christian at christian.kallen@sonomanews.com.