FREMONT, CA - SEPTEMBER 1: Engineer David Waterman climbs aboard a locomotive during the 20th annual Rail Fair at Ardenwood Historic Farm on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, in Fremont, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
After a two-year hiatus, the Rail Fair returns this weekend to Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont with train rides, model trains and railroad exhibits for train lovers of all ages.
The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, and also on Monday, Labor Day.
“Rail Fair is the only time when we bring out our historic railroad car collection from the 1800s. One box car ran through Ardenwood over a century ago and you can actually walk inside and see how it was built,” said Jacque Burgess, event organizer for the Railroad Museum at Ardenwood. “During Rail Fair some of our volunteers will be working on restoring a caboose, and there will be other railroad-related displays.”
Train riders will also get a chance to see the group’s new steam locomotive, she said.
There will be live music and tours of the historic Patterson House on the property. Families may bring a picnic lunch to eat onsite or purchase food at the Farmyard Cafe.
The event is presented by the nonprofit all-volunteer Railroad Museum, and sponsored by the Society for Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources and the East Bay Regional Parks District. For more than 40 years the museum has collected historic railroad cars built in the Bay Area, and proceeds from this event will pay for restoration of the collection.
Tickets are available at the gate, and parking is free. Admission is $12 for adults 18 and over, $10 for seniors, $9 for youths ages 4 to 17 and free for kids 3 and younger.
Details: 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont; www.facebook.com/spcrrMuseum.
Originally published at Linda Zavoral