Fremont Niles Golden Spike information page. Niles Canyon Rail Way GoldenSpike train boarding. with Golden Spike times, schedules, and Golden Spike Locations. Boarding for Golden Spike is in Niles, Fremont where Peerless busses take you top the train station. NilesUnity (Niles Community Unity) is an open web site available to all who participate in the community. |
Niles Canyon Railway Welcome to the Golden Spike Docent Program web site, where train loving people can be volunteers on the Niles end of the Niles Canyon Railway. You will find information here about Golden Spike, the town of Niles, and the trains. HOWEVER- You are not at the Niles Canyon Railway web site, their site is www.ncry.org. They link to us, and we link to them, because we work together in Niles when the trains come to town. To learn more about the trains, keep reading. To be a docent, keep reading. To learn more about Niles, keep reading. There is info here that will help you. For info on the Niles Canyon Railway, and things such as their special car charters, wine trains, and 'train of lights' rides during the holidays, you can contact them directly at www.ncry.org Otherwise, thanks for exploring Niles, the Trains, and the Golden Spikers. Always two feet ahead of the train, Michael McNevin Golden Spike Docent Coordinator |
Golden Spike Docents Golden Spike docents help the train passengers find their way around town, answer questions, wave, smile, say trucker stuff on a walkie talkie from a lawn chair, and basically spend 3 hours in an old town being do-gooders. Docents don't get paid, but they do get perks - train tickets, silent film tickets, a Golden Spike tee shirt, and other stuff I haven't thought of yet. Be a Golden Spiker! If you love trains, and you love people, this is for you. Learn about the Niles Canyon Railway and the Golden Spike Program here. |
Year At A Glance Each Sunday through August
1st & 3rd Sundays in September and October
"Train Of Lights", TBA. |
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2009 Sunday Excursions February 1, 15
March 1, 15
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
June 7, 14, 21, 28
July 5, 12, 19, 26
Aug. 2,9,16,23,30
Sept. 6, 20
October 4,18
November* —
December* —
* (No daytime trains)
Dates in blue should operate Steam |
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On each day of operation, the first train is usually into Niles at 11am (having left Sunol at 10:30am). The round trip rides last just over an hour. You can depart the train in either town, visit for a while, then hop on another train later to get back to your car. Just be sure you catch the last train back to your car! The last train out of Niles usually leaves around 3:30, and does not come back.
For the Wild Flower runs, there are usually two trains in operation at the same time, timing passes in the canyon. There is an average 45 minute gap betwen trains in either station. Otherwise, when only one train operates, it makes four round trips, with about an hour and a half between trains (plenty of time to grab a meal or buy an antique before you hop the next one home).
For those needing the official NCRy info for exact schedules, NCRY FAQ, caboose charters, etc, visit: www.ncry.org |
NCRy Niles Train Operations Overview | The Historic Niles Canyon Railway runs from Sunol to Niles and back, offering departures and arrivals in both towns on most Sundays throughout the year. April and May, the trains run more often for the "Wild Flower" runs, and some also feature complimentary wine tasting. The distance between the NCRy boarding area and Downtown Niles is just a few minutes walk through the Sullivan Underpass, which is a dedicated pedestrian walkway on these 34 "Train Day" Sundays per year.
We encourage train riders to park in one of the two downtown parking lots on Niles Blvd, and from there either walk through Sullivan Underpass to the boarding area, or catch the Niles Coach Lines bus at one of two bus stops located in downtown near the town parking lots.
The first crew of Golden Spike Docents in Niles are on duty from 10am until 1pm, then a new crew takes it from 1-4pm. They are in yellow shirts, and black pouches with info at their finger tips and walkie talkies. Look for them if you need directions to the train, or have general questions about the local activities and eats.
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Niles Coach Lines | There is a free historic 1958's General Motors Bus, the "Niles Coach Lines", that shuttles passengers to and from the town and the trains. The bus makes three stops - two are on Niles Blvd, the other is at the boarding area itself;
Niles Coach Lines Bus Stops:
1) At Niles Blvd & J St, near "Joe's Corner" pub.
2) At the public bathrooms at Niles Blvd & H St, just across from the Silent Film Theater
3) At the train boarding area itself -- where the Sullivan Underpass meets Mission Blvd. |
Note: Limited Handicapped Access | Getting between the Niles Train Boarding Area and downtown Niles may be a challenge for the handicapped or elderly, so please plan accordingly. It is a leisurely walk of five or ten minutes depending on which part of town you are in, nothing too strenuous. The handicapped may park very close to the boarding area, and bypass the parking lots in town. We will make every effort to get you on the train with the least amount of hassle. There are also handicap lifts at both ends of the line once you make it to the train. But the Antique 1958 General Motors Bus is equipped with normal bus steps, no handicap lift. As there are no handicap vans to transport handicap passengers from the trains into town, and vice versa, be sure you've planned ahead, to either walk up the normal bus steps, and use wheelchairs and canes between town and the boarding area. Riders may also choose to board in Sunol where parking, town amenities, and lifts are all within closer proximity. |
Golden Spike Docents | To help passengers on their excursions in Niles, Golden Spike Docents are on duty,- volunteers who guide foot traffic, point out shops, restaurants, activities, bus stops, trains, & rest rooms -a Niles welcome wagon! Read about becoming a docent |
Departs
SUNOL | Departs
NILES | 10:30 AM | 11:10 AM | 12:00 NOON | 12:40 PM | 1:30 PM | 2:10 PM | 3:00 PM
| 3:40 PM*
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There are no 3:00 & 3:40 PM Trains July 27 through August 31 due to the Wine Tasting Specials |
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Trains Leave on Time! Trip time is approximately 1/2 hour one way
Round-trip approximately 1 hour 15 minutes |
* IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THE LAST TRAIN OUT OF NILES:
Riders on the last train from Niles to Sunol should be aware - unless you have arranged for a ride back in a car from Sunol, you don't have ride back to Niles! The last trains out of Niles, should you board them, will have no return trip. Likewise, earlier riders who get off to spend time in Sunol, be sure you catch the last train back to Niles. Niles folks should not board the last Niles Train to Sunol, and Sunol riders shouldn't miss the last train back to Niles, if that's where their cars are. |
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Big Safety Rule | Do not cross the train tracks, ours or the very busy Union Pacific ones that are adjacient in parts. There is a mandated $271 fine and a significant chance of injury. Take the antique bus or the underpass, please. |
Ticket Purchase The Niles Canyon Railway has train tix available at the Niles station before you get on the train Suggested donations are - Infants through age 2 ride free
- $5 for children age 3 through 12
- $8 for Seniors
- $10 for everyone else
Same goes for Sunol, you can buy your tickets at the station. You can get more direct info on the NCRy tix and shedules at www.ncry.org. |
Train of Lights After Thanksgiving comes the "Train Of Lights" - night rides on a special holiday schedule; several days a week. Schedule is TBA. |
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