California State Railroad Museum
The California State Railroad Museum is located in Old Town Sacramento and was my favorite attraction. Ever since I was young I have always had a love for trains, so you can imagine that it was a dream come true to be surrounded by dozens of original and replicated old trains. The history and importance of the railroad in the development of California and the United States in general during the 19th century cannot be understated. It is arguably one of the most important technologies of the era and it is difficult to imagine what life would have been like without the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.
I tagged along for the guided tour and enjoyed learning about the old rush, local railroad development, and the long and challenging project of connecting the east and the west. There were some exhibits dedicated to the work of Chinese migrant workers that were largely responsible for some of the most difficult work through the Sierra Nevada mountains.
They had a map of the proposed California high speed rail system and toward the end of the exhibits some very sleek replicas of high speed trains.
I am excited about the notion of being able to travel up and down the state on high speed rail. I read an alarming article in the Chronicle the other day about some opposition to the entire project even though there is already massive construction happening. Hopefully, the opponents of this project do not succeed in their efforts to undermine the progress and promise of high speed rail in California.
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