Trains and Planes

Train Rides 

• Traintown, Sonoma: Just south of historic downtown Sonoma, you will see a 47-foot clock tower and train depot. There are some full-sized train cabooses here you can explore, but the main attraction is the miniature train ride. The ride runs along 1 1/4 miles of track in the beautifully-landscaped 10-acre park. The ride crosses over 5 bridges and trestles and runs through 2 tunnels. In the middle of the ride, it stops at a miniature town and petting zoo. The park also has vintage amusement park rides, including a ferris wheel and carousel.
 

• Billie Jones Wildcat Railroad, Oak Meadow Park, Los Gatos: This miniature train ride originates in Los Gatos' Oak Meadow Park, crosses Los Gatos Creek on a train bridge, and runs for over mile through Vasona Lake County Park. The train has open cars for viewing. The cars are pulled by a diesel locomotive and a vintage steam locomotive. Next to the train station is a carousel ride.
  
 

• Steam trains, Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley: High up in Tilden Park, at its south edge are the steam train rides. There are two types. One is the larger Redwood Valley Railway, that runs for 12 minutes on 1 1/4 miles of track in large ride-in cars. The train makes regular runs and charges a fee. The other railway system is run by the Golden Gate Live Steamers club, which has over 200 members. They are hobbyists that build and run their own miniature trains. Their track system has 4 gauges. Some trains are big enough to ride on. They run every Sunday of the year and take passengers on rides from 12-3 in the afternoon. Passengers sit on top of miniature train cars.
 




• Junior railroad, Central Park, San Mateo: The Bianchi Railroad is a miniature diesel train ride that has been running in San Mateo's Central Park since 1948. 
• Train ride at Casa De Fruita, Pacheco Pass, east of Gilroy: This famous stop along Pacheco Pass has a miniature train ride that runs along 2 miles of track. The facility also has a small zoo, rock shop and mining sluice, duck pond, and a playground with a play train engine and caboose. 
• Folsom Valley Railway: Next to the Folsom City Hall and the Folsom City Zoo (see the museums section) is a 12"-gauge stem railroad. 
• Howarth Park, Santa Rosa: A colorful miniature reproduction of an old west steam train carries passengers around the park area. 
 

• Sacramento Valley Live Steamers: These miniature trains are run by a club in Hagen Community Park in Rancho Cordova, with over 6300 feet of track along the American River.

Planes 

• Mineta San Jose International Airport
• San Francisco International Airport
• Oakland Airport
• Palo Alto Airport
• Reid Hillview Airport, San Jose
• Moffett Field, Mountain View
• South County Airport, San Martin
• Wings of History Museum, San Martin (next to South County Airport)
• San Carlos Airport
• Hiller Aviation Museum (next to the San Carlos Airport)
• Hayward Exceutive Airport
• Guadalupe River Park: Planes fly low near this park along the Gudalupe River as they approach San Jose Airport.
• Coyote Point Park and along the Bay Trail in San Mateo County: Planes bound for SFO fly close to the park and the trail.
• Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline in San Leandro: This is a good place to see planes landing at Oakland Airport.
• California International Airshow, Salinas
• Santa Clara County Model Airplane Skypark along the Coyote Creek Trail.
• Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa
• Sacramento International Airport
• Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield
  

Created by Ronald Horii 10/97
Updated 9/20/07