Beneath your feet runs the Sacramento Southern Railroad, owned by the California State Railroad Museum, on museum property in Old Sacramento State Historic Park. Beneath your feet the preserved right-of-way runs south along the east bank of the Sacramento River levee, and these rails are what bring the museum's excursion trains to life. The original Sacramento Southern ran 24.3 miles to Walnut Grove via Freeport as a non-operating subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company incorporated in 1903.
Built between 1906 and 1912, the first train began operating in 1909. When the line reached Walnut Grove it was merged in 1912 with the Central Pacific Railroad. Later the route pushed on — extended to Isleton by 1929, and in 1931 a three-mile extension reached the Mokelumne River; Southern Pacific ended passenger service the following year.
The line eventually became part of the Southern Pacific system, which filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon it and did so on October 10, 1978. Around that time the California State Railroad Museum began acquiring the rail property and started excursions in 1982. Now, look along the east bank of the Sacramento River levee and follow the rails with your eye.