Old Sacramento‘s California State Railroad Museum has just unveiled the newly-restored Granite Rock 10 steam locomotive, back for service on the Sacramento Southern Railroad after a six-year hiatus.
Restoring the Granite Rock 10
The historic steam train was built in 1942 for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, serving at the Army depot in Tracy, CA, before the Granite Rock Co. purchased it as surplus in 1947. It worked at the Logan quarry until 1960 and eventually became property of the museum in 1995.
The WWII-era train pulled excursion trains at the museum on weekends for several decades before being retired in 2019 for needed maintenance.
A crew of dedicated mechanics spent six years working on the locomotive in the museum’s historic Railyard Shops, a project that included precision adjustments to the valves and valve-timing mechanisms, as well as a cylinder rebuilding project.
‘Ride history’ in Sacramento
Now, as of August 9, 2025, visitors to the museum can once again hop aboard the Granite Rock 10 on two weekends per month. The 50-minute train ride takes riders for a spin on a section of the historic Sacramento Southern Railroad, which follows the path of the Sacramento River.
We can expect the Granite Rock 10 to run on the weekends of August 30-31, September 13-14, and September 27-28, 2025, with more dates TBA.
“Still operating steam locomotives such as our prized Granite Rock 10 are true survivors and always have a fascinating story to tell,” said Dr. Ty Smith, Director of the California State Railroad Museum.
“We invite our local, regional, and world rail community to take a ride back in history to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a historic train ride reminiscent of an earlier time when steam ruled the rails and connected the nation in majestic ways.”
Visiting the California State Railroad Museum
Old Sacramento’s California State Railroad Museum is one of the most renowned such museums in North America. Its extensive collection of beautifully-restored locomotives features cars dating as far back as the 1860s. Visitors can connect with the United States’ storied railroad legacy through full-scale dioramas, vintage toy train collections, and a vivid train simulator.
In addition to the special excursion experiences aboard the Granite Rock 10, the California State Railroad Museum offers more excursions aboard other historic train cars on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between April and September. Their festive winter Polar Express train ride is also a hit with families every year, and tickets will go on sale soon for 2025.
🌐 Learn more: California State Railroad Museum