Tilden Steam Train Tour and Ride in the Redwoods
To take a break from my classes, I decided to head up to Orinda, California, to visit the Tilden Steam Train! I started at the park’s train shed, which houses the smaller-scale trains that customers ride on. I was part of a small cohort of people who joined the tour, which began in the train shed. The engineer told us the history of the operation, which is family-owned and private, detailing how they built their trains by hand to perfection and how they maintain and operate them. We got an incredible close-up look at a currently operating train, and they spoke for around two hours about how the train operates from top to bottom. They showed us the parts and pieces that make the train move and brake, as well as how the train uses steam to propel itself. Afterwards, I decided to take their train ride through the redwoods. It was incredible, especially with the knowledge I gained about how the train operates beforehand. Within the park, there is a separate train section for a privately owned train club, which features a variety of sizes of trains, from small toy-size trains all the way up to ones people can ride. I had an incredible journey at Tilden Park, and it was a great way to take a break from the fast-paced nature of school!
