Caltrain Bullet Train on View for Santa Clara Weekend Celebration

A storied railroading past and an equally bright future will share the focus when Caltrain joins a local rail historical group this weekend in celebrating the 140th anniversary of its Santa Clara station.

Caltrain will team up with the South Bay Historical Railroad Society on April 17-18 in celebrating a milestone for the original Santa Clara passenger depot, which was placed in service in January 1864. The date also marks the 140th anniversary for rail service between San Francisco and San Jose, which has been known as "Caltrain" since the 1990s.

A Bombardier train set which Caltrain will use in its new Baby Bullet service will be on display during the railroad society's Spring Model Train Show and Open House at the historic Santa Clara station, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

The distinctive red and grey train, with its aerodynamic locomotive and bi-level passenger cars, will make their first runs as "Baby Bullet" trains on June 7. Initially, 10 Bullet trains will operate on weekdays, making the trip between San Francisco and San Jose in just 57 minutes.

On June 5 and 6, weekend service is slated to resume for the first time since a major construction project began two years ago.

Inside the depot, two model railroad layouts and a museum of railroad artifacts will be available for inspection. The depot's Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History includes a collection of railroad lanterns and many historic railroad signaling devices, including two wigwag crossing signals that historically guarded railway grade crossings before gates became the common standard.

The restored Santa Clara Tower, which entered service in 1926, also will be open for tours both days between noon and 4 p.m. Until the tower was closed in 1993, operators of the former Southern Pacific railroad controlled the signals and switches to the adjacent railroad yard, as well as the mainline tracks that routed trains to Oakland or San Francisco from that tower.

In 1985, the railroad society undertook restoration of the depot, and in 1996 the group was the recipient of a prestigious Governor's Award for Historic Preservation of the facility.

For more information, connect to the SBHRS website at www.sbhrs.org or call 408.243.3969.

4/14/04