The mission of the Truckee Donner Railroad Society is to perpetuate the study and advancement of knowledge of working railroads in the Truckee Donner area with the goal of building a railroad museum to preserve and share what we have learned.
(Be sure to "refresh" your browser if you have visited this site before)
Golden Spike Sesquicentennial
The Truckee Donner Railroad Society is joining with the Truckee Donner Historical Society
and the Donner Summit Historical Society to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the completion
of the Transcontinental Railroad and the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869.
The history of Truckee is intertwined with that of the Central Pacific Railroad, the western half of
the transcontinental railroad.
Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus Truckee Historical Revue
Community Arts Center - Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District
5/10/2019
Ribbon Cutting-Kickoff
Truckee, California
5/10/2019
Art Show Reception-Gold Spike Sesquicentennial
Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District - Community Recreation Center
5/11/2019
History Talk - The Meaning of the Railroad
Truckee Tahoe Airport
5/18/2019
History Talk - Sierra Speaker Series featuring Norm Saylor
Donner Memorial State Park
5/20/2019
Dedication George Wyman Plaque
Truckee, California
6/1/2019
"Historical Talk The Firsts, Speaker Bill Oudegeest"
Truckee Tahoe Airport
6/8/2019
Historical Talk - The Story of Tunnel Six - Bill Oudegeest
Clair Tappaan Lodge
6/10/2019
Historical Talk Locomotive Technologies Jerry Blackwill
Pizza On The Hill
6/15/2019
Historical Interpretive Walk Boca Town Site Nelson Van Gundy
Boca, California
6/15/2019
Historical Talk Sierra Speaker Series Dave Burkhart Anchor Steam
Donner Memorial State Park
6/22/2019
Historical Talk The Chinese and their Importance to the Railroad
Truckee Tahoe Airport
6/29/2019
Historical Talk Snow Sheds Fires and Other Related Subjects
Truckee Tahoe Airport
7/4/2019
July 4th Parade
Truckee, California
7/13/2019
Information Booth at Airport
Truckee Tahoe Airport
7/20/2019
Historical Talk Lincoln Highway
Donner Memorial State Park
7/20/2019
Old Timer's Picnic and Community Reunion
Truckee River Regional Park
7/24/2019
Historical Talk Henness Pass-Independence Lake
Truckee Tahoe Airport
7/27/2019
Historical Talk Logging Railroads
Truckee Tahoe Airport
7/28/2019
Trestle Tour Drive/Walk
Tahoe National Forest
8/3/2019
Historical Talk Truckee Tahoe Railway Jerry Blackwill
Truckee Tahoe Airport
8/10/2019
Historical Walk
Jibboom St, Truckee
8/10/2019
Historical Talk
Art Truckee
8/17/2019
Historical Talk Vigilantism in America
Donner Memorial State Park
8/31/2019
Picnic and Train Rides
Truckee River Regional Park
Truckee River Railroad
Watch the Truckee River Railroad Video:
The 2022 Truckee River Railroad operating schedule is now available.
See the Kids Train page
for more information.
All Aboard!
Truckee Railroad Museum
The planning for the new Truckee History - Railroad Museum is underway. The railroad society and Truckee Donner Historical Society are jointly planning the new museum:
Our vision for the Truckee History – Railroad Museum is a timeline of Life, Individuals, Industry, and Railroading in and around Truckee thru the Professional display of artifacts and exhibits, creation of documentary films, scheduled lectures, educational services, and other related amenities; all in a venue that will be self-sustaining, have research facilities and capabilities, and provide space and provisions for community activities and events in and around the museum facility. For more information
The Logging Railroad display is interactive in our Caboose museum. At the press of a button, the visitor can initiate a recorded interpretation of the display with lighting directing his attention to individual features as they are discussed.
Live locally? Like Trains? - Fun Opportunity!
The Truckee RR Museum has had over 6,000 visitors annually, and we need your help. We try to be open weekends and major holidays or about 16 three-hour shifts a month. At present the bulk of the shifts are being worked by just a few docents, each working several shifts a month.
Being a docent is fun, very simple, and does not require a deep knowledge of trains or history. It just involves being friendly, welcoming the visitor, and sharing what you do know. Quite often we learn interesting new things from the visitors. An experienced docent will work alongside beginners until they feel comfortable.
There are also several fun projects in need of someone with writing or graphics skills that are waiting for someone to come along and pick them up. If you have any questions, think you might be able to help, or would like to learn more, please E-mail our museum manager.
Rails, Tales and Trails
While most history writers stick to doing their rambling through dusty tomes, Granite Bay’s Bill George has taken the roadbed less taken to author Rails, Tales and Trails. The result of his work is an epic travelogue that starts in Old Town Sacramento and then wends its way over the Sierra as the book follows the route of the Central Pacific (now Union Pacific) through not only Auburn, but lesser known and visited locations such as Dutch Flat, Big Bend and Giant Gap.