Niles Canyon Railway

Great tourist train!

Took the kids and grandkids on a Saturday morning ride. The weather was perfect. We sat out side. The benches held all 11 of us. The rails were a perfect height. The 2 year olds could look through to see the horses and cows as we passed.

There are a few bridges to cross and the creek below had water.

The conductors and other volunteers were friendly.

There are snacks available.

All in all a great family outing.

Came with my 2.5 year old toddler and husband on their "Summer and School Train" option.

Most people come for the holiday train or even the regular trains but if you have time on a weekday and the day/time works for you this is way more worth it.

TICKETS - you purchase tickets on their website when they open slots, you check the calendar and they usually have 1-2 dates each month that you can pick from and then 2 times (10 am or 12 pm). You pay $3 for every person over 3 and then you get a confirmation. If they don't have a minimum of 75 people that day they will cancel and refund you the money. Luckily (or maybe not luckily), there were several school groups that came the same day as us.

PARKING - parking is easy to find, just route to the 6 Kilkare Rd
Sunol, CA address if you're departing from the Sunol Station. It will be pretty obvious where the parking is and there were no issues.

TRAIN RIDE - they suggest getting there 30 minutes beforehand but it didn't take us that much time to get our tickets. They usually start boarding 15 minutes beforehand so we had time to pickup our tickets from the ticket window and then walk around. They have porta potties (use the locked ones) on site and then 2 restrooms on the train itself.

We got to board first before the kids got there and got a nice spot inside the indie car since it was a cold/windy day. One good thing is they let you walk around the train as it's moving so you can easily switch seats (although it might be hard to find a new spot if someone else claimed it) or just stretch your legs.

Inside the closed train car it was very loud given the amount of kids there were but it was definitely festive. You can see a lot when you look outside the window, I found that the side facing the parking lot was more interesting.

The outside areas actually weren't that cold and not super windy but the seats are not as comfortable. They let you look over the edge and you can even see the track as the train moves.

It takes about 45 minutes to get to the Fremont station where they disconnect the front and move it to the back to go back to Sunol. That takes about 15 minutes and is fun to watch, if you can go to the "back" now "front" of the train to see the coupling it's neat to see the train connect back and you get a little jerk. Then, it's 45 minutes or so back to Sunol. You cannot get off when they stop at Fremont.

We have a fairly active/antsy toddler that loves trains so I wasn't sure even for him if he would last. In the beginning he had fun looking at the outside of the train and then once it started moving he liked looking outside the window. Eventually about 20 minutes in he wanted to walk around so we walked to each of the cars and spent time outside looking at the scenery. When the front of the train switches, he also enjoyed seeing that whole process. On the way back he ate his lunch so was content for a good amount of time. He never became antsy and since you can move around easily it was perfect for him. The total time was about 1 hour and 45 minutes by the time we got back to Sunol Station.

RESTROOMS - two restrooms, one has a changing table. It is very clean and pretty spacious inside. No complaints there.

FOOD - the snack car was open but the actual snack bar was not. We brought out lunch with us and ate it on the way back, no one cared since you can eat on the train.

Overall, for only paying $3 per adult, this was definitely worth it. You do have to put up with loud kids and going on a weekday, but if you have a train lover (or are one) then I would check it out. The volunteers are also very knowledgable and helpful if you have questions and they often tell you what's happening.

We went on the Train of Lights. 3 adults in the parlor car. It's super well arranged- and the only way I would ever do this is again is riding in a reserved seat. The other line looked like madness.

The seats were comfortable and Santa comes through the cars. Also, there are drinks and cookies included- and the drinks are good. The volunteers who work on the train could not have been nicer.

We were on the second trip- I think it was 7pm. Very dark out and couldn't see much.

I'm not sure I'd do this again, but I'm glad to have done it once. If you have a kid that likes Santa this would be a fantastic opportunity to take pictures. Not sure it's as good an idea for adults by themselves.

Train of lights has become our yearly family holiday tradition! When you have 2 train loving young children, this is highly recommended. The lights are all throughout each train car inside and out which makes it a pretty magical experience.

This railway is run entirely by volunteers who love trains which makes the admission price worth it as you are supporting the upkeep and preservation of a railway system that operates throughout the year. The ride is an hour long marked by a halfway changing point.

We love their gift shop which has very reasonable prices on train merchandise.

We always go for their cider, hot chocolate and cookies through for some reason, they cannot accept cards (though their gift shop does).

The conductors make children feel magical when boarding and throughout the experience.

A must try!

What a treat!! I took my tutor students on the open car ride along with a few parents thinking how introducing the youth to the wonder of trains only to find the adults enjoyed the ride as much or more. Highly recommend this experience for a amazing trip you will cherish for a long time. An epic steam train ride hearing the trains whistle going along the tracks. Must try!!
Zerita

Train of Lights -- bought dome tickets early October online. Upon arrival, claim train passes from the ticket booth near the entrance gate.

Dome ticket holders have different boarding access. Regular ticket holders' boarding access have long lines.

Dome ticket holders are best to park farther from the entrance gate as the boarding area is farthest from the entrance gate.

We arrived at 7 for a 7:30 boarding and had plenty of time to get the tickets and board the dome area.

Upon arrival of the train, crew will advise to get your phones ready to take a video of the completely lit train.

Regular tickets holders don't have access to the dome area which has climate control seating area, bar with free drinks (we only had non alcoholic drinks) and unlimited cookies.

Cafe has $1 items (drinks, cookies and chips). Dome ticket holders just need to show wristband to get designated free items. Bring dollar bills. You can also bring your own food. We brought Habit burger.

You don't have to buy the dome tickets. The train ride itself is fun-- though it can get cold in regular seating areas. So layer up. Best to bring blankets for regular seating area.

There are also quick history talks and merchandise store to buy shirts/mugs/key chains etc.

First year attending Train of Lights. I purchase Dome tickets in early October on the day they went on sale. The event sells out fast. We arrived around 4pm for a 4:30pm departure. Parking was easy and traffic getting in was not bad at all. I was honestly worried after reading the reviews but everything was smooth. You pick up your wristband at the ticket booth. Dome ticket holders have a separate entrance than others. The dome car includes free snacks and drinks (alcoholic drinks included). The train ride is 1.5 hours long. You can explore all the different cars and visit the merchandise car. Overall it was a fun experience for my train loving toddler and we look forward to attending next year.

I recently had a fantastic and relaxing experience on a slow ride through Niles Canyon in an open-air car. The ride offered a unique perspective on the canyon and allowed me to see and experience it in a way that I never would have been able to while driving my own car. The only thing that would have made the experience even better would have been the opportunity to stop and get off for lunch at the Niles end of the line. Although, I understand that logistically it would be challenging to make sure all the riders get back on for the return trip.

Train of lights
Pros:
-Steady emailed details pre train ride by Railway
-Organized parking directed by staff.
-Beautiful lights on train
- $2 drinks hot coco, cider, $1 water bring cash
- You can bring own drinks/food but that can be a con.
- Friendly/helpful staff/volunteers
- lovely Stanta and photo ops

Cons:
- Parents get loaded on alcohol they bring on the train. Alcohol is not sold there. The alcohol could be fun but of course some people take it to an obnoxious level. Parents are just drinking ignoring their children running all up and down the train. Loud drunk adults and hyper children is..... 1.5 hr headache.

- 2 bathrooms ( one with changing table) toilet was leaking leaving the floor covered in toilet water.

- buying tickets. Apparently you can only really get them the day of release. Waited 45 mins online for only 2 options . Idk if there's a easier way. Train was packed.

Bring warm clothes going out to the free air cars seemed to be the only way to escape the noise.
It would be nice to see some other activity on the train like a mini dance or singer.

This year (2022) we took two separate rides on the Train of Lights and this is written primarily from the perspective of parents of a 16-month-old toddler.

The first experience (4:30pm from Fremont) was with standard tickets where my husband, 16-month-old son, and I started off in the open-air car. My son was fussy and got cold, so we walked through the open cars to try and find a seat in the warmer enclosed cars. This ended up being quite the adventure, as every time we found an open and empty seat, someone else came back to claim 'their' spot, which was frustrating - it should be a policy of 'move it and possibly lose it', but I am not one to argue. The constant back-and-forth walking between cars was also a bit overstimulating for my toddler. There were also large groups of adults drinking that got a bit loud and rowdy, and with no holiday music, that could be a plus or a minus for you. I don't begrude anyone any fun, but.. full transparency!

All that said, the cars were decorated beautifully. There are little alcoves with animatronic figures or holiday villages - part of the fun is discovering all of the little surprises! The volunteers, mostly seniors, were kind, gracious, and knowledgeable. One of them mentioned that all the different wreaths on the train were made by one individual which I found to be impressive. The Santa volunteers were friendly and engaging, though they have limited time with you as they need to accommodate the entire train. I'd recommend bringing something eye-catching and attention-getting to help you get the perfect photo with little ones within the first 5-10 seconds.

The second experience (7:30pm from Niles), we reserved the first class parlor, which was restored from (if I'm remembering correctly) 1928! Our on-board historian mentioned that it was originally covered with some ugly gray paint which they had to remove layer by layer - truly an act of love! He also brought to our attention the California poppies on the overhead panels. He mentioned these were recreated from a single panel.

Our second experience with our toddler was much more enjoyable. We kept him on our lap the entire time, but the lack of people constantly walking by was less overstimulating, and the car was warm. We were offered a choice of chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie, and hot cider (with or without brandy) or hot chocolate. I chose the hot cider with brandy, and found it enjoyable and with just the right amount of 'cheer'. We were also blessed with an absolutely lovely group of fellow passengers, many who also had small children under the age of 3 with them. The children were all well-behaved, and the parents were friendly and engaged with all of the children, including ours.

Takeaways:

* For adults looking for more of a 'party' atmosphere, I'd recommend the open train cars. Just dress warm and bring your own drinks and snacks. I saw people with bottles of wines and charcuterie boards, and all I could think was "YES".

* If you're in the interior cars and want to roam around and 'keep' your seats, I'd recommend some kind of placeholder or assigned party as there are no seat reservations.

* I'd definitely recommend festive (warm) attire. One of the more adorable things I saw was children in their holiday pajamas, and parents with the holiday headbands and 'ugly' (cute!) holiday sweaters.

* For parents of smaller children who you're worried may become over-stimulated by the constant walking by and lack of room to move, or for those with more delicate seniors or who would benefit from a calmer environment, I'd recommend the premium (parlor or dome) cars.

* For parents with small children who aren't good at looking at the camera, I'd bring a 'distraction' item that squeaks or lights up to get their attention when they're with Santa since he does his best to help you get that special photo, but he needs to move fast to give everyone the same opportunity.

* Snack bar prices were raised from $1 per item in 2021 to $2 per item in 2022. They only accept cash, so you need to have smaller bills handy, or pre-purchase snack credits at the ticket counter prior to boarding. The snack bar offers hot chocolate, hot cider, cookies, assorted chips, and fruit snacks. I think there was also trail mix.

TLDR: We had a great time, and I can't wait to go next year. Hopefully, we'll try the dome seats one day!