Santa Susana Railroad Depot & Museum
Tucked into the far eastern corner of the Simi Valley in Southern California stands a symbol of railroading that reaches back to practically its birth; the station.
It was the station that was the main connection to the outside world for many communities, for passengers to board or detrain, where the mail, cattle, freight, and literally the life of the town itself was centered around. It was the sound of a distant whistle that was an excuse to leave the sameness of their jobs for a just a moment and be witnesses to what was probably the best interruption they would have all day.
Today, open railroad stations acting as the heartbeat of a town are few and far between. Stations that still stand are usually closed and mostly derelict. But here and there, holdouts from another age still look as good as the day they were built. They may be privately owned, or part of a museum, but their existence lets people who never saw them in their heyday learn and understand their importance in American history.
Adjacent to Union Pacific’s former Southern Pacific Coast Line at 6503 Katherine Road is just such an anomaly. Rescued from the usual fate of excess stations across the country, owner Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District purchased the 1903 built structure in 1974 and moved it a few miles down the line to its current location a year later. In 1976 Ventura County designated it as a landmark.
Years of careful rebuilding from the city, the Santa Susana Railroad Historical Society, and countless other volunteers returned the station to its former glory. Visitors can stand on its platform and watch an endless procession of freight trains, passenger trains, and commuter trains, and with just a little imagination you can almost see 4-8-4s, 4-6-2s, and 2-8-0s on their way between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In 2000, a museum opened inside the station, which includes a model railroad layout as well as a nice collection of equipment used by employees. Historical photographs adorn the walls and the second story, where the station agent and his family lived, has been completely restored.
The museum and layout are open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Holidays may alter that schedule.
For more information, go to https://www.venturacountymuseums.org/santa-susana-railroad-depot-museum/
Museum model railroad
Old Saybrook, CT station on the Northeast Corridor hasn’t changed much on the inside since 1873 and lots of trains still stop there! A museum piece in plain sight.