Niles Depot - (510) 797-4449

Museum and Model Railroads

The Niles passenger and freight depots located in the Niles District of Fremont, California, are home to a railroad museum and two all-new model railroad layouts which are currently under construction.

The N-scale layout is being constructed in the passenger depot and the HO-scale layout in the freight station. Both layouts are operated by the non-profit Tri-City Society of Model Engineers.

These layouts are the key element in interpreting the railroad’s role in the transportation history of Fremont and surrounding areas to visitors of the museum, which also contains many railroad artifacts from the area.

Using historical documentation, the planners and builders of both railroads are recreating the features of the nearby communities with Niles as the center. Included are the depots and the nearby Niles Tower with the crossing of the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific railroads as well as the many neighboring communities and industries.

The non-profit Niles Depot Historical Foundation is charged with running the museum and operation of the passenger depot and is also seeking new members with an interest in local history to be docents in the museum.

Tags: Landmark